《Someday Will I Be The Greatest Alchemist?》 Chapter 1: Eventually The Strongest Artisan Chapter 1: Eventually The Strongest Artisan Left in a pure white room, I was being crushed by anxiety when, right before my eyes, a woman with a troubled expression watched me. Of course, even my dense self could understand that this situation was not normal, and I knew that this was not good. Hmm, Im sorry. It seems youve gotten involved. Eh?! The woman in front of me says that she is the goddess of the world called Mildgard. She certainly seems like a Goddess-sama that naturally descended as she sits. Even without doing anything, she was so full of dignity. What Goddess-sama said was that summoning magic that was supposed to be prohibited in Mildgard was used. However, it seems that as a result of using a spell with unreasonable conditions, multiple people were summoned, and I got dragged into it. Then, please send me back to Japan. Sorry. Thats impossible. Ehh! You see, different world summoning is a very dangerous magic. Its a summoning that randomly selects from innumerable targets of many worlds. The principles of some of those worlds are so different that at the moment of summoning, there is a risk of Mildgard collapsing. Although I rushed to intervene, there is nothing I could do about the summoning itself. Haa. So then, I looked around once more. Umm, if I was dragged into it, then there are other summoned people, right? Yes, like you, there were three other Japanese people summoned. There was no problem calling those children to the summoning magic circle of the Divine Empire of Sydnia. Huh? Then what will happen to me? When I asked that, Goddess-sama had an embarrassed expression as she apologized. Ehehe, you see, I applied a patch so that the forbidden technique of otherworldly summoning can no longer be used, but I made a slight mistake on its extent. ............ It seems the Goddess is saying that she altered the global specifications so that the summoning magic would be unusable in the world of Mildgard. With one hand on her head, she apologized for getting me, who got dragged into all this, involved. That manner of apologizing......[1] This is already the realm of the gods in the world of Mildgard so you can no longer return to the world you lived in. Give up. No, to just give up...... Then, will I also be summoned to the Divine Empire of Sydnia? That would be fine too but, I wanted to apologize to you so I thought I should support you a little and called you here separately. Besides, speaking of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, its a bit of a problematic country. Its clear that they would almost certainly treat you, who was dragged into the hero summoning, badly. Whats with that country? Bad treatment for someone they summoned. According to Goddess-sama, Mildgard is similar to Earth in the 15th century with its civilizations advancements. Its been said there is a large variety of races that live in it, and that dangerous monsters exist. Divine Empire of Sydnia is a religious nation but the deity they worship doesnt exist, so it seems they are, in various ways, a problematic country. Huh, I became 15 years old. Thats also a service. Starting as a 40 year old in a harsh environment would be an impossible game, no? Umm, what does Job mean? Im a salary worker though As you would expect, salaryman doesnt exist in Mildgard but the things called jobs here are Swordsman and Magicians, Knights and Blacksmiths, Thieves, Hunters and the like. In Mildgard, there are a variety of jobs you can take depending on your conduct. And the growth and behaviour of your status are revised depending on that job. I see. Then I have no other option but to go to Mildgard, right? If thats the case then a pharmacist, alchemist, smith master, or carpenter would be great. I never want to be a swordsman or a soldier. Well, rather than worrying about whats already decided, its more productive to plan for whats ahead. So I will support you by etching the continents language and brief general knowledge about the world of Mildgard into your soul. Is there anything else you want to request? I thought about what she said. From what Ive heard, this world was certainly like a game. I will probably be near danger too. First, if Im aiming for a production job, I wonder if Ill need a skill similar to appraisal. And a way to protect myself, at least. But I cant imagine myself being able to fight proactively....... If its a civilization in around the 15th century then wounds and illnesses are scary so is there recovery magic? And if in a production job, Ill be collecting raw materials so I wonder if theres anything similar to storage and item box. Appraisal, item box and recovery magic, right? Also, although it would be a production job if you didnt want a combat job, the magic you chose is convenient for the production job. But wanting a production job instead of hero is plain, isnt it? I was thinking about it carefully when Goddess-sama said that and waved her hand again, then the ball of light that was released from her hand went inside of me. Agaaaaaaaaaaaa``!! The next instant, my head felt like it was going to split open as a sharp pain ran through, I immediately scrunched down. Well then, do your best to live, okay~ Lightly being sent off by Goddess-samas voice, my body was enveloped by the light, then my consciousness faded. You sent him out, huh Next to the goddess, Norn, a woman with white wings on her back like an angel, appeared unnoticed and talked to her. Oh, you were watching? Thats because Norn-sama did something as complex as to especially send that man 3 years into the past from the time of Sydnias hero summoning. Furthermore, Norn-sama even prepared a special body for him. It is likely to be much greater than those of the heroes summoned with the summoning magic circle. I, its that. He would stand out in Mildgard if he was rejuvenated as he was. The people suspected of being connected to Sydnias hero summoning may or may not come out in 3 years. Also, the heroes of Sydnia are 3 people. If he were to square off with Sydnia, I want him to be able to fight back! Haa, I understand. I will leave it at that. So, in the end, what do you expect from him? He was bestowed skills to an overprotective extent. The angels pursuit did not stop. His soul was, by all means, obstinately gentle. I believe that if its him, he would not use his powers mistakenly, and would even be a good influence to Mildgard. If he doesnt become prejudice towards the races, he may be helpful in stabilising Mildgard. Goddess Norn did not demand the duties of a hero from Takumi. She was aware it would only amount to throwing a pebble into the pond called Mildgard. She believed that the ripples that pebble will cause would extend greatly, though. *** Footnotes: Apologizing with one hand on your head is more informal than with both hands together in front of you or by your side as you bow. It kinda looks like this. Chapter 2: Takumi Alone in the Land Chapter 2: Takumi Alone in the Land When my consciousness returned, I felt the sensation of solid ground on my back.ViiSiit for latest novels U, urgh, that was terrible. My body felt out of place immediately after I sat up. Did my stomach get smaller? I stood up at once so I could confirm it. Un, my stomach clearly got smaller. Feeling delighted that my body that was overweight from having a lazy lifestyle in addition to being in my 40s has been refreshed. Though, I did not realize a much bigger change at this time. Looking around, I realized I was on a hill in a meadow. A forest behind me and meadows in front of me, I wonder if theres a river beyond that. A steep-looking mountain to my right, and to my left is a meadow all the way, huh............ I guess I have no choice but to head towards the river. Before I set out, I inspected myself. My attire was a stiff, unbleached shirt and light brown pants, a pair of sturdy-looking leather short boots, a short sword on my left hip, and there was a leather shoulder bag by my feet. Is there something inside this bag? When I checked inside the bag Knife Harvest Knife Dried meat Water bag Hand towel Mantle A small bag with money ( 1 Gold coin, 10 silver coins, 10 copper coins) The types of money and approximate value of the Asgard continent-wide coins are 1 Platinum coin = 100 gold coins = 10,000,000 yen. 1 Gold coin = 100 silver coins = 100,000 yen 1 Silver coin = 10 copper coins = 1,000 yen 1 Copper coin = 10 iron = 100 yen 1 Iron = 10 yen Thanks for the money. Oh yeah, I should confirm my status. StatusName : Takumi Iruma Race : Human Age : 15 years old Job : Level : 1 Condition : Healthy Vitality : 100 Magic Power : 100 Strength : 50 Agility : 30 Un, can I turn it into a list in my head to check? Being able to confirm the contents would be convenient. I reviewed the details of my item box. Item Box EX A time-space attribute magic different from storage magic. A unique skill that the Goddess Norn created. Opening and closing the space, and putting in or taking out items does not require magic power. Infinite storage capacity ? Time stop ? Storing living things is not allowed Ooh, this leaking out would be bad. The moment I said my soliloquy, a message was transmitted into my head. Item Box has become Item Box EX (Concealed), Divine Protection of Goddess Norn has become Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Thanks Norn-sama For the time being. I picked up medium-sized stones and placed them in the item box. This is for stone throwing. Although I cant sense any dangerous monsters around right now, theres no way I can use a short sword right off the bat. My reasoning is If its stone throwing then I might be able to manage somehow. Afterwards, I searched for a handy pole in the thick forest of trees behind me. As a way to defend myself, I think that rather than a sword, a spear would be better for a beginner. With that reasoning, I used Appraisal and the one handed short sword as I searched for sturdy wood. Without entering the forest, I searched the outer perimeter and a fallen tree caught my eye. Following my instinct, I used Appraisal. Treant Wood High grade wood obtained from a Treant, a tree monster. Excellent for magic power conductivity, it is used for magicians canes and magic tools. Oooh, is this my great fortune? I took out my knife and cut out the appropriate size. I cant use this as it is. Can I do this with the Smithing Skill? Smithing Lv 1 Correction to Smith working. Smithing Magic ( Modeling ? Shaving ? Heating ? Cooling ) are usable. Un, it seems Ill be able to manage somehow. I held the Treant Wood in my hands, imagined a spear handle, poured in magic power, and invoked the Smithing Magic Modeling. Whether it was because the Treant Wood had high affinity for magic or because the form of the spear was simple, the spear handle was completed with the image I had. Next, I peeled bark from the fallen Treant and made rope. The Woodworking skill has been obtained I can get skills from this? Although I was puzzled by how I got the Woodworking Skill so simply, my work became much easier. I inserted the knife I dismantled into the notch I previously made on the Treant handle and fastened it with the rope. Un, I wonder if this is good enough. I took a stance and tried thrusting and swiping the spear I made. Alright, I guess I should head in the rivers direction first. A few hours have gone by unnoticed since I was sent here by Goddess Norn. Wanting to avoid sleeping outdoors, I started walking in the direction of the river. I believe that if I moved down the riverside, I would reach a settlement where humans live. I bid farewell to the forest and started walking towards what seemed to be a river far past the meadow. *** Chapter 3: I Haven’t Managed To Reach a Village Chapter 3: I Havent Managed To Reach a Village While walking with the spear in one hand, I appraised everything. Hirukuku Grass An herb used as an ingredient for Heal Potion. Recovers a little bit of Vitality if eaten as is. Kurupopo Grass An herb used as an ingredient for Stamina Potion. Maryl Grass Its blue flower is used as an ingredient for Mana Potion. York Grass The leaves and roots contain poison. Used as an ingredient for poison and antidote. Mamani Mushroom Causes paralysis if eaten. Used as an ingredient for paralysis poison. As it is a place people rarely come by, I was able to pick up a variety of raw materials. I stored everything in my item box. The Foraging skill has been obtained Upon acquiring the Foraging Skill, I felt my collecting speed and quality have both improved. Around an hour has passed since I started walking but I dont feel tired yet. If I were my past self, I would already be exhausted by travelling on a hard to walk path that isnt path-like, so I dont know if its because Ive been rejuvenated into a 15 years old or some other factor. Also, Im heading for the river right now but, although its a bit late, I thought it was strange that even though it wasnt that large, I saw it quite well from a distance. ? As I was nearing the river, I could hear a rustle from a thicket. I hurriedly readied by spear. What came out was a rabbit around the size of a medium-sized dog. But this rabbit, with a horn growing from its forehead and fangs I wouldnt have expected from a rabbit, bared it fangs and rushed at me. The rabbits in this world are carnivores?! I thrust the spear forward. Gasa! By some coincidence, the spear I thrust pierced the neck of the horned rabbit that lunged at me. The sensation of stabbing an animal was unpleasant but I understood that that thrust was fatal to the horned rabbit. The Spear Handling skill has been obtained Horned Rabbit Lv 5 Its horn is used as an ingredient for cold medicine. Its meat is preferably eaten. Using Appraisal, it seems its name is Horned Rabbit. I thought it would be better if I dismantled it but I threw it into the item box for the time being and headed towards the river. ? Ive finally reached the river. As I drew nearer the river to wash my face, I was at a loss for words. Vitality : 100 Magic Power : 100 Strength : 50 Agility : 30 Stamina : 50 Dexterity : 50 Intelligence : 70 Unique Skills : Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills : Active Skills : Spearmanship Lv 1 Enemy Search Lv 1 Presence Detection Lv 1 Magic Perception Lv 1 Light Attribute Magic Lv 1 Fire Attribute Magic Lv 1 Water Attribute Magic Lv 1 Wind Attribute Magic Lv 1 Earth Attribute Magic Lv 1 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv 1 Alchemy Lv 1 Smithing Lv 1 Foraging Lv 1 Woodworking Lv 1 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Un, the skills have increased but there were no changes. Upon storing the mantle, I gnawed the dried meat as I began walking downstream. I have a feeling that, even at the worst, Id manage to get to a village before today is over. The reason that deserted village was abandoned was because of the damage done by wild animals and monsters. Thats what I concluded when I saw how the houses and fence surrounding the village were broken. I believe that village was their initial village. With the information about this world that Goddess Norn has given me, I speculate that its a far walk of 2-3 days. There should be a town or village thats close to a days worth of walking. Sleeping outside, I dont wanna~ Making free use of the physical prowess that have definitely improved since my time in Japan, I earnestly quickened my walking pace. *** Chapter 4: Finally Arrived at a Village Chapter 4: Finally Arrived at a Village Around the time sun was gradually sinking on the day I had set out from the deserted village, I caught a glimpse of a small village enclosed in a fence. I picked up materials as I kept walking, and just when my anxiety was at its peak, I found the small village not much different in scale from the deserted one. Alright, Ive finally reached a village. Status Name: Takumi Iruma Race: Human Age: 15 years old Job: Warrior Lv 3, Mage Lv 1 Level : 2ALL new chapters on Condition: Healthy Vitality: 120 Magic Power: 120 Strength: 55 Agility: 35 Stamina: 55 Dexterity: 55 Intelligence: 75 Unique Skills: Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills: Active Skills: Spear Handling Lv 2 Enemy Search Lv 1 Presence Detection Lv 1 Magic Perception Lv 1 Light Attribute Magic Lv 1 Fire Attribute Magic Lv 1 Water Attribute Magic Lv 1 Wind Attribute Magic Lv 1 Earth Attribute Magic Lv 1 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv 1 It might be because it is necessary to help each other in an environment thats harsh to live in. I ended up staying at Vanga-sans house that day. Vanga-san lives with his wife, Martha-san, and his son, Ganbo-san. It seems he has another son, but that son left the village when he became an adult. The next morning, Vanga-san guided me towards the edge of the village. Sorry, but this is the only vacant lot you can build a house on right now. Its great that its pretty close to the where the timber is being stored though, right? Vanga-san said so apologetically. Certainly, its a vacant lot a bit distant from the other houses. I believe it was inevitable in this small village. No, I will only be staying for a short while, and I am grateful for being permitted to stay. O-okay, then lets get to building quickly? Yes, please. The villagers, not just Vanga-san, helped, so carrying the timber finished before long. I will be flattening the ground. I then flattened the ground in the area my house would be built on with Earth Attribute Magic. The Earth Attribute Magic Skill has leveled up The Magic Power Manipulation Skill has been obtained .................. Fuuu, it took a bit more magic power than I had imagined. Enduring the slight dizziness of having my magic power almost run dry, I supported myself, and looked at Vanga-san and the others. Everyones mouths were agape. Ta-takumi, you are a Mage? Well, that aside, to use earth magic that way...... Umm, was it something unskillful? I dont know any other Mages. N-no, its fine. Then, everyone! Lets divide the work and build this quickly. O, oh, thats right. Wooow! Oniichan! The children seemed to be delighted, but it seems that how I used Earth Magic to build a house was sort of unconventional. I should be careful. As for the dimensions of the house, the plan a 6-jou[3] cabin that has 2 rooms on a dirt floor and with a hearth. Its a small cabin so, with the villagers all helping, the exterior was almost completed by dusk. The Carpentry Skill has leveled up The CarpentrySkill has been obtained Until the hearth is ready, Martha-san will take care of my meals. I will be making my furniture little by little; Tomorrow Ill make a bed, and chop down trees to replace the amount of timber Ive used. *** Footnotes: Vanga is read as Van-Ga.Got a better way to write ?`? (I used Boud) and ?` (Balkyra) in english? Board and Bakira dont sound very nice to me BrassKnight gave a bunch of suggestions. Changed to Valkyra and Bohd. Thanks1 Jou (Tatami mat) is equivalent to 1.53 m2 so its 9.18 m2. Chapter 5: First to prepare my living space Chapter 5: First to prepare my living space The exterior of the house is complete, but as there was no bed, I slept on a plank while covered in a mantle. Uugh, ...... o-ouch. Telling myself that today is the last time Ill sleep on a hard plank, I loosened my body as I got up. After I washed my face and brushed my teeth at the only water well in the village, I did some light stretching, and I ate the sausage and bread that Vanga-sans wife, Martha-san, brought over last night. Now then, gotta chop down some trees first. Sometime yesterday, Vanga-san marked some trees needed for the periodic thinning. I will be logging those trees today, then I plan on making an assortment of furniture and tableware afterwards. Hmm, its cutting edge seems to be dull. Looking at the edge of the axe that I borrowed yesterday, I judged that chopping down trees with this would be difficult. Come to think of it, wouldnt Smithing magic work somehow? Among the Smithing magic, there is one that can freely manipulate the form, Craft, and another for honing, Sharp. I held the axe and invoked Smithing Magic. Since the level of my Smithing skill is low, it was sharpened roughly, but because it is an axe, that isnt a problem. So with the axe on one hand, I exited the village gate and trudged my way into the mountain to fell some trees. I swung the axe into the marked trees. Kan! Kan! Kan! Cutting down a tree 30 cm in diameter was harder than I thought. But as I sweat buckets, I was able to cut down the tree. The Logging Skill has been obtained The Axe TechniqueSkill has been obtained Right after I finished cutting down that one tree, I got some skills. But in reality, getting skills cant be this simple, right? is what I thought as I chopped down one marked tree after the other with the skill, which increased my tree cutting speed, that I obtained. The benefits of the skills were tremendous, from second to third, and from third to fourth, my tree cutting speed increased several fold each time the skill level went up. The logged timber only needs to be stored in the Item Box so I reached the quota of timber much faster than planned. I placed the timber stored in the Item Box into the timber storage space, took some timber for the furniture, and headed back to the house. With the tools I borrowed from Vanga-san, I will be making a bed. But first, checking my status. Status Name: Takumi Iruma Race: Human Age: 15 years old Job: Warrior Lv4, Mage Lv3 Level : 2 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 120 Magic Power: 120 Strength: 55 Agility: 35 Stamina: 55 Dexterity: 55 Intelligence: 75 Unique Skills: Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Status Name: Takumi Iruma Race: Human Age: 15 years old Job: Carpenter Lv 7, Blacksmith Lv7 Level : 2 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 120 Magic Power: 120 Strength: 55 Agility: 35 Stamina: 55 Dexterity: 55 Intelligence: 75 Unique Skills: Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills: Active Skills: Spear Handling Lv2 Axe Technique Lv2 Enemy Search Lv 1 Presence Detection Lv 1 Magic Perception Lv 1 Magic Power Manipulation Lv 2 Light Attribute Magic Lv 1 Fire Attribute Magic Lv 1 Water Attribute Magic Lv 1 Wind Attribute Magic Lv 1 Earth Attribute Magic Lv 2 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv 1 Alchemy Lv 1 Smithing Lv 3 Woodworking Lv 3 Carpentry Lv 3 Foraging Lv 2 Logging Lv 2 Dismantling Lv 1 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) *** Chapter 6: First, Making Tools 1 Chapter 6: First, Making Tools 1 Ive been staying at Bohd Village for 3 days now and, although it was just the exterior, its great that my house was built in one day. And on the morning of the second day the house was built for me, I woke up soon after the sun had just risen, but because all the villagers were already awake, it seems they live a life of waking up when the sun rises and sleeping when the sun sets as a default. Now then, today lets mine the iron ore vein I heard about from Vanga-san. As there is a blacksmith, Bobon-san, who makes agricultural equipment and miscellaneous goods for daily living, I had made an agreement with Bobon-san to dig up iron ore today. There seems to be magic iron ore too. Magic iron ore is an iron ore thats been permeated with magic power over a long period of time, refining it into magic iron. Weapons made with magic iron and steel can be clad in magic power when attacking. Yo, Takumi. Were leaving immediately. Yes, I look forward to working with you today. I met with Bobon-san at the village gates and we headed towards the vein. Its around a 2 hour walk to the vein, so I stored the pickaxe in my Item Box. With my self-made spear in hand, I followed after Bobon-san. Takumi, over here! This is a good open-pit to dig ore from, try digging at the right spot. The place Bobon-san pointed to was an open-pit mine where ores can be dug up. The ground was a reddish brown rust color. Then, Ill be digging. Bobon-san swung his pickaxe and started mining for ores. I imitated him, taking the pickaxe out of my Item Box, and dug at a place that I guessed likely has ores. Appraisal works well here too. Iron Ore High quality ore comprised mostly of iron. The Mining Skill has been obtained Its mysterious how as soon as I got mining skill, I could vaguely grasp the spots where ores are. I was having fun, mining silently and storing one thing after another into my item box. Bobon-san was surprised to see this. Normally, there are people who have Item Box-type skills, but that is Storage magic of Time-Space attribute, and it seems it cant store large quantities like my Item Box. Since its now too late to hide it, I decided not to restrain myself when it comes to the Item Box. Thats because the Item Box is convenient. Once Bobon-san and I made a few mounds of mined ores, Bobon-san informed me that were done mining. Takumi! Were leaving for the day! Since both Bobon-san and I were able to mine plenty of ores, he decided we should return to the village before it gets dark. Today, besides iron ores, and in addition to silver and copper ores, I was able to find a fair amount of magic iron ore. Bobon-san said that ores apart from these, such as mythril and adamantite, could not be obtained here. I want to see mythril and adamantite. Theyre mysterious metals of a fantasy world. As a matter of course, I stored the ores mined by Bobon-san in my Item Box as well. Incidentally, on the way back, we were able to hunt four horned rabbits, so Bobon-san and I divided it, two each. Upon returning to the village, I deposited Bobon-sans ores into his workshop, and bid him farewell. Though I am called a blacksmith, I am but a simple blacksmith so I do not have enough skill to teach you, Takumi. Especially since you can use Earth Magic and Smithing Magic. Its because Im bad at magic. Anyway, see ya, Takumi. Lets go mining again sometime. Status Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills: Superhuman Strength Lv 1 Active Skills: Spear Handling Lv 3 Axe Technique Lv 2 Enemy Search Lv 1 Presence Detection Lv 1 Magic Perception Lv 1 Magic Power Manipulation Lv 4 Light Attribute Magic Lv 1 Fire Attribute Magic Lv 1 Water Attribute Magic Lv 1 Wind Attribute Magic Lv 1 Earth Attribute Magic Lv 4 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv 1 Alchemy Lv 4 Smithing Lv 4 Woodworking Lv 3 Carpentry Lv 3 Foraging Lv 2 Logging Lv 2 Dismantling Lv 1 Mining Lv 3 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Because I frequently changed my job to Mage and used Earth attribute magic when I made the metals into ingots, the level of my Earth attribute magic skill rose greatly, and my Mage level became 10 too. I appraised the Job levels and Skill levels of the other villagers but, as I thought, it seems my levels and skills rise much faster. Since Ive finished refining the ores I had mined, I can make my own tools by tomorrow. *** Footnotes: Slag C a stony waste matter separated from metals during the smelting or refining of ore.I am assuming that the author made a typo here since he wrote the Alchemy Skill twice so I changed one to Alchemist. Chapter 7: First, Making Tools 2 Chapter 7: First, Making Tools 2 Its the morning after I finished refining all the mined ores. I plan on making tools today, starting with a pickaxe and shovel for mining, an axe for lumbering, then a pot, a kitchen knife, and a utility knife afterwards. Then, should I start with steel? Mixing a small amount of carbon with the iron ingot, I produced several kinds of alloys. Just this much had exhausted my magic power, so I rested for two hours. But maybe because I experienced magic power depletion numerous times and had gotten used to it, I didnt lose consciousness like the first time. Upon recovering my magic power, I modified the steel using the Smithing magic, Craft. It seems I can modify the metal using Earth attribute magic too, but the cost of magic power when using Smithing magic is definitely lower. I am able to shape with just a little bit of magic power. Ill first make the pickaxe, then the shovel, and lastly, the axe. While making these, I expect that my Smith Job and Smithing Skill levels to rise. For the axe that was last, I raised my Job level and Skill level as much as I could to make the iron stick to the core, and make the exterior more solid. But since my Job level passed 30, it became much harder to raise even though I was doing the same routine. Nevertheless, by the time I finished the axe, it passed 40, so I actually really feel that I had been given favorable treatment. Various items such as a hammer and nails, a crowbar, a chisel, a kitchen knife were made. I couldnt have made these this fast without magic, huh. When the skill level goes up, so does the manufacturing speed. It reached the point where I am easily able to make minute adjustments to the form and composition of the item. This is an unreasonable speed even for the blacksmiths of this world, and in addition to my Smith and Alchemy skills, I also possess Earth attribute magic, so I imagine I could substitute the whole metal tempering process with magic. Differing from the blacksmiths in this world, I think my implementation of magic into the construction of martensite[1] in the forged blade is heresy in this world. After I finished making a pot, ladle, and silverware, the interior of my house had already dimmed. A uniform rhythmic sound of striking metal was audible. Takumi, when forging magic iron and steel, its crucial that you continuously charge magic power while hammering.Explore new novels on The day after I made my tools, I went to Bobon-sans workshop. The reason for this is so I could be taught how to handle magic iron since there was no magic power in Earth. This, too, was welcomed by Bobon-san. The truth is, Bobon-san is a person who had very little magic power, so he has to expend it over several days to forge magic iron. Ordinary people that doesnt have a magic Job seldom fight, so since they have few chances to raise their level, they dont even have 100 magic power. Bobon-san himself has around 50. So my request to be taught about magic iron is more than I could hope to ask for from Bobon-san. The thing I have to be careful about when forging magic metals is the magic power I put into it while striking it. When a blacksmith puts in magic power while forging, the metal to shape becomes extremely pliable. Making alloy becomes easier with Smithing magics Craft and Sharpen, and Alchemy. Kan! Kan! Kan! I swung the magic power charged hammer at the spots Bobon-san pointed at with a mallet. When I forge magic iron, I dont actually need a furnace, an anvil, and a hammer, but since I found my Smithing skill and Blacksmith level difficult to raise today, I smithed manually. I had no problem swinging the heavy hammer with the passive skill I learned, Superhuman Strength. Bobon-san shaped it with a mallet and placed it in the well-regulated furnace. Alright! Takumi! Raise the temperature by heating it with Fire magic! I will check! Look at the color closely! I used appraisal to check its detailed condition as I watched the magic steel in the furnace intently. Okay! Now! Jyuuuu-!! Bobon-san quenched the item he took out. Its a short sword of magic steel with a tinge of black. Status Intelligence: 80 Unique Skills: Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills: Superhuman Strength Lv 1 Active Skills: Spear Handling Lv 3 Axe Technique Lv 2 Enemy Search Lv 1 Presence Detection Lv 1 Magic Perception Lv 2 Magic Power Manipulation Lv 5 Light Attribute Magic Lv 1 Fire Attribute Magic Lv 2 Water Attribute Magic Lv 1 Wind Attribute Magic Lv 1 Earth Attribute Magic LV 5 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv 1 Alchemy Lv 4 Smithing Lv 5 Woodworking Lv 3 Carpentry Lv 3 Foraging Lv 2 Logging Lv 2 Dismantling Lv 1 Mining Lv 3 Metalworking Lv 2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Confirming my status, both the level and skills of Blacksmith are already on par with an average blacksmith. Im aiming for Alchemist and yet...... I dont get it. Since there are no monsters to hunt, my level doesnt rise, but maybe because it was influenced by the manual labor and abuse of magic power Ive done lately, my status improved a bit. *** Footnotes: Martensite C formed in carbon steels by the rapid cooling (quenching) of the austenite form of the iron at such a high rate that carbon atoms do not have time to diffuse out of the crystal structure in large enough quantities to form cementite (source: Wiki). If I understand correctly, its what strengthens the steel.I believe that Magic Bestowers (ħ) was a typo of (ħ) and Im a bit confused between Magic Bestowal (ħ) and Enchant ().Though it does look like it can be used interchangeably(?). Chapter 8: Potion Making is an Alchemist’s Work Too? Part 1 Chapter 8: Potion Making is an Alchemists Work Too? Part 1 At Bobon-sans place, after having had difficulty leveling up Blacksmith and making the short sword, I replaced the head of the spear I always use to magic steel. Vanga-san, since you are a hunter, you have potions in case of an emergency, correct? Pardon me, but would it be alright to show it to me? Yep, theres nothing but basic grade potions at my house though. That is more than enough. I decided to try my hands on potion production, and somehow use the large quantities of medicinal plants in my item box. And there it hit me, If I use Appraisal on a genuine article, I could figure out the recipe, right?. And so, since Vanga-san might have some, I intruded at his house. Basic Heal Potion Quality: Normal Grade Hirukuku Grass + Water ( 2 : 8 ) Heal Potion produced by Pharmacist Un, it looks like Ill manage somehow. Thank you very much. Sure. If you make potions, sell me some. Yes, please wait without expectations. Upon returning home, I sat in front of the work bench and just when I was about to make potions, I realized I forgot something important. ............ I dont have bottles to pour the potions into. Eventually, I ended up going to the river near the village to collect sand. The river is approximately a 30 minute walk from the village; I went to collect sand there, alone; In order to guarantee a large amount of glass bottles for the future, I steadily shovelled sand into the Item Box. I wonder if it would be better to make this without a furnace. As an experiment, I tried extracting, heating, and shaping the silica sand. My magic power whittled away, but it doesnt seem impossible. Eventually returning to my house, I relied on my magic power to make all the glass bottles. In doing so, I know my magic power would increase, therefore I chose to make it with magic as training. I continued to make glass bottles even as I ate lunch from Martha-san, and was able to make 500 potion bottles. The day after, I heard from Vanga-san that there was a cork-like wood that could serve as a bottle cap, so I took the opportunity of joining him for his hunt. In the forest, walking behind Vanga-san who erased his presence, I too endeavored to erase my presence while simultaneously searching for enemies. The Stealth Skill has been obtained The Presence Detection Skill has leveled up The Enemy Search Skill has leveled up Shh, its a Blade Deer. Takumi, after I shoot an arrow, you strike. Understood. What Vanga-san spotted was a large deer monster with sharp edged tool-like horn. Since it was just eating the bait, it hasnt noticed us yet. Shu I leaped out with spear in hand before checking where the arrow Vanga-san shot went. Not deviating from where he aimed, the arrow Vanga-san fired pierced the Blade Deers neck, the creature then flinched, and I charged, pushing out my spear. Guh! Status Stamina: 80 Dexterity: 77 Intelligence: 85 Unique Skills: Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills: Superhuman Strength Lv 2 Active Skills: Spear Handling Lv 3 Axe Technique Lv 2 Enemy Search Lv 2 Presence Detection Lv 2 Stealth Lv 1 Magic Perception Lv 2 Magic Power Manipulation Lv 5 Light Attribute Magic Lv 3 Fire Attribute Magic Lv 4 Water Attribute Magic Lv 1 Wind Attribute Magic Lv 1 Earth Attribute Magic Lv 5 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv 1 Alchemy Lv 5 Smithing Lv 5 Woodworking Lv 4 Carpentry Lv 3 Foraging Lv 2 Logging Lv 2 Dismantling Lv 1 Mining Lv 3 Metalworking Lv 2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) *** Chapter 9: Potion Making is an Alchemist’s Job Too? Part 2 Chapter 9: Potion Making is an Alchemists Job Too? Part 2 With the preparations for making the heal potions complete, I used the magic Pulverize on Hirukuku grass and then placed it in the washed and dried large pot. The pot was then filled by Water attribute magic, and stirred while heating it. Furthermore, Synthesize magic blended the water and the Hirukuku grass extract completely. I was being prudent so as not to burn it while heating it, then for a second, the inside of the pot shone. Hurriedly turning off the heat, I tried appraising it. Was it a failure? Basic Heal Potion Quality: Superior Hirukuku grass + magic water ( 2 : 8 )Explore new novels on Heal potion produced by an Alchemist A Basic Heal Potion of the highest quality, it has a restorative effect close to Intermediate Heal Potion. The Alchemy Skill has leveled up The Alchemist Job has leveled up The Alchemist Job has leveled up ............Umm, it was successful, right? I proceeded to portion the completed Basic Heal Potion from the pot into the glass bottles. In conclusion, I made 100 Basic Heal Potions. The colors are clearly different. Though the Basic Heal Potion Vanga-san showed me had the same blue color, the Basic Heal Potion I made was definitely a more beautiful shade. Moreover, I can sense magic power. The cause is most likely the water I prepared with Water Attribute Magic. The water became magic water. The difference between the potion that the Pharmacist brewed manually and the potion I freely used alchemy on is simply due to the water I prepared with magic, and the process of pulverization and synthesis substituted with magic. I sure want the recipes for Intermediate and Advanced Heal Potions. As well as try to make Stamina and Mana Potions too. I pondered if I should start preparing to go to the next place soon. I must train my Job level and Skill level a bit more, practice magic, as well as prepare equipment. And thinking about it properly, only now did I realize that I dont have any decent armor. Therefore, I decided to set a mid term and long term goal. First, at the bare minimum, to set up countermeasures against monsters. Specifically, to prepare armor, and to make and master weapons apart from the spear. After that, go to a much larger town, preferably a place with a likelihood of obtaining of spell books and magic potion recipes. Thereafter, I headed to the river several times to collect materials for potion bottles, set out for the spot where there were Kork trees to harvest materials for bottle caps, and manufactured a large amount of potion bottles. Being vigilant for monsters, I used Presence Detection and Enemy Search when I entered the forest, and at that time, I noticed how, albeit limited to monsters, Magic Perception was also helpful in detecting monsters. Given that monsters have magic stones and, compared normal animals, they possess magic power, I believe that the Magic Perception Skill is able to sense that. The Stamina potion and Mana potion failed a bunch of times since I fumbled over the recipe, but I was eventually able to produce 100 Basic Stamina Potions and 100 Basic Mana potions. Basic Stamina Potion Quality: Superior Kurupopo Grass + Magic Water ( 2 : 8 ) Stamina potion produced by an Alchemist. A Basic Stamina Potion of the highest quality, it has a restorative effect close to Intermediate Stamina Potion. Basic Mana Potion Status Unique Skills: Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills: Superhuman Strength Lv 2 Active Skills: Spear Handling Lv 3 Axe Technique Lv 2 Swordplay Lv 1 Enemy Search Lv 2 Presence Detection Lv 2 Stealth Lv 2 Magic Perception Lv 2 Magic Power Manipulation Lv 5 Light Attribute Magic Lv 3 Fire Attribute Magic Lv 4 Water Attribute Magic Lv 1 Wind Attribute Magic Lv 1 Earth Attribute Magic Lv 5 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv 1 Bestowal Magic Lv 1 Alchemy Lv 6 Smithing Lv 5 Woodworking Lv 4 Carpentry Lv 3 Foraging Lv 3 Logging Lv 2 Dismantling Lv 2 Mining Lv 3 Metalworking Lv 2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) *** Chapter 10: Fighting Strength Is Needed by Artisans? Chapter 10: Fighting Strength Is Needed by Artisans? Its been 3 months since I began staying in Bohd Village. Ive decided its time to make preparations to leave for the next place. Internally, I thought about the stuff I needed for the journey. This is a world where one lives close to death. Dangerous monsters hunt people, bandits and thieves exist, such is the norm of this world. Certainly, just like Goddess-sama had said, slave trade was normal even for Japan in its period of warring states during the 15th century. Its not that I dont understand that this world isnt especially dangerous, but this is undoubtedly a world far different from the current Japan. Nevertheless, whats strange is that since coming to this world, even though my opponents were monsters, I was not perturbed upon taking their lives. There was never a time in my life in Japan where I had to do things such as dismantling and yet, unjustifiably, I have no feelings of repulsion for it at present. Were the standards of this world something the Goddess-sama tampered with in my soul? Well, it cant be helped that my so called soul cant be left as is since theres a possibility that I will have to fight not just monsters, but people as well. Magic trainings got to be first, isnt it. Afterwards, trying out weapons besides the spear, huh...... I wonder if the protective gear would turn out to be leather armor. Lets consult with Bobon-san. I had in mind a few ideas on how to fight using my production jobs, but even then, I still lack a lot of things. After that, I constructed a target at the side of my house and began Throwing practice. In the beginning, Ill throw stones, then once my accuracy and power increase due to the acquisition of the Throwing Skill, Ill make free use of the large quantity of throwing knives Ill make with steel and the Smithing skill, Craft. Kan! Kan! (hammering) Kaka! Kakaka! (throwing sounds) It took me 10 days of throwing who knows how many knives before I could do it with ease. Alright, now to go out and level up Warrior and Mage. With the Magic Steel Short Sword on my left hip, and a Magic Steel Spear in hand, I headed towards the forest. However, there werent any powerful monsters in the vicinity of Bohd Village. At best, the monsters should be as strong as the Blade Deer that Vanga-san hunted recently. I did not realize that I had just raised a flag for myself. I nibbled on grass and mushrooms while advancing into the forest. I took care not to eat too much at once. CurePurificationHeal The Poison Resistance Skill has been obtained The Paralysis Resistance Skill has been obtained As one could guess from the announcement, what Im nibbling on are the poisonous plant, York Grass, and the fungi with a paralytic toxin, Mamani Mushroom. Ingest a small amount, recover with magic, then repeat. I thought since I had skill acquisition and level up correction[1], I should learn resistance skills as one way to defend myself. Well, Im doing this while walking in the forest because its not like I could do this in front of Banga-san and the others. While raising my resistance skills as I walk in the forest, I came across a chance to acquire the Confusion Resistance Skill. Gururururu!! ?! Gasagasagasa, gasa. I was caught completely off guard. I was negligent in Enemy Search, Presence Detection, and Magic Perception. Theres no way a thing like that would be in this forest! What came charging into my view were red, bloodshot eyes, with two gigantic tusks. Its body is likely around the size of a Kei-Car[2]. Huge Armored Boar Lv25 Its tusks can pierce through even iron. A ferocious monster with a body clad in steel-like armor. Its meat is a delicacy and can be sold for a large sum. A ridiculously large wild boar clad in armor is charging right at me. Dododooo!! The earth shook as the Huge Armored Boar charged. I can say with certainty that I will die if I get caught by its more than a meter long tusk. Kakaka! I immediately took out the throwing knives from my item box and threw them at it, but it didnt seem to have left even a scratch on it as it approached without losing any speed. Think! Think! Theres got to be a way! Status Agility: 95 Stamina: 185 Dexterity: 127 Intelligence: 188 Unique Skills Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv2 Insight Lv 1 Poison Resistance Lv2 Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Active Skills Spear Handling Lv 3 Axe Technique Lv 2 Swordplay Lv 1 Throwing Lv 4 Taijutsu Lv 1 Matoujutsu Lv1 [3] Enemy Search Lv 2 Presence Detection Lv 2 Stealth Lv 2 Evasion Lv1 [4] Magic Perception Lv 2 Magic Power Manipulation Lv 5 Light Attribute Magic Lv 3 Fire Attribute Magic Lv 4 Water Attribute Magic Lv 2 Wind Attribute Magic Lv 2 Earth Attribute Magic Lv 5 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv 1 Bestowal Magic Lv 2 Alchemy Lv 6 Smithing Lv 5 Woodworking Lv 4 Carpentry Lv 3 Foraging Lv 3 Logging Lv 2 Dismantling Lv 2 Mining Lv 3 Metalworking Lv 2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) *** Footnotes: Effect of the goddess divine protection, in case you forgot.A small type of car local to Japan. More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_car Matoujutsu C Battle Magic Arts ħLg (ޤȤ?) or something like that as the magic counterpart in Taijutsu.Ive checked so many times in multiple future chapters. This skill is not in the list of skills even though it was a skill acquired just this chapter. I think I will remove it in future chapters as well since I wouldnt know its progress, I guess?Additionally, Ill be using Artisan / production jobs depending on the context. Chapter 11: Spiders Are Not Bugs Chapter 11: Spiders Are Not Bugs Making camp as I explored the inside of the forest, I met it. A black mass around 30 cm. It has a faint response to Presence Detection and Magic Perception but there was none to Enemy Search. Thinking it was strange, I approached it cautiously. Lets see... a spider? Its a monster spider curling its legs close to its body. However, there was no feeling of danger. Youre dying? The monster spider is weakened and about to die. I could also see that one of its legs was torn off, it must have fought with another monster and lost. Poison Spider Unique Species Lv19 A monster spider possessing paralysis poison and a slow-acting poison A Unique Species born from the Poison Spiders. As it is a rare specimen, it has the potential to evolve. Condition: Dying As a result of Appraisal, I now know what kind of monster it is but......well, finishing it off is not something I want to do. It wont live even if I leave it alone though...... For some reason, I dont know why but, I couldnt take my eyes off it. A strange mood that makes it difficult for me to leave it as it is. Im not that good with bugs and spiders but, it looked rather cute, does it have Demon Eyes of Charming, I wonder? But there wasnt any sort of feeling of resistance, so thats not it. At that moment, I felt the sensation of a path of magic power from the spider I was watching closely connect to me. It felt as if my Insight skill had brought something up. Hm? If this spider becomes healthy, it wont be defeated anymore. So, I healed this spider several times. Its missing leg wasnt restored but Appraisal shows that it was no longer dying so its okay now. Well then, Ill be leaving now. The [Taming] Skill has been obtained Tame Poison Spider? Y/N Eeeh~! What is Tame?! So, insects can be made into a familiar[1]~ No, spiders are not insects. No no no, thats not the problem here. While I was being indecisive, the spider watched me with its eight crimson eyes. It looks like it wants to be taken along. Haa, you want to come with me? The [Poison Spider] has been tamed ............g, o. toge, ther. At that moment, I knew that we, the Poison Spider and I, were definitely connected by a path of magic power. Not having a name would be inconvenient, right? Lets see...... Status Passive Skills Poison Resistance Lv4 Paralysis Resistance Lv4 Spatial Understanding Lv2 Active Skills Thread Manipulation Lv6 Poison Creation Lv5 Presence Detection Lv4 Magic Perception Lv5 Stealth Lv5 It seems its level was reset upon evolving. Even so, this one seems strong, doesnt it? Spider Thread Creation The ability to create strong threads. Its strength can cut even steel. Thread Manipulation The art of freely manipulating and fighting with thread. Looking at the details of the unique skill together with Thread Manipulation, it becomes a formidable weapon. Spatial Understanding Skill is to make use of thread for nimble three-dimensional movement distinctive to spiders. Poison Creation The ability to create poisons such as paralysis poison, neurotoxins, slow-acting poison, to comply to a situation. It seems that its poison is much stronger than when it was a Poison Spider. This might be tough on my Poison Resistance. Since the level of the skills Magic Perception, Presence Detection, and Stealth are quite high, its like the configuration of an assassin. Now then, Ill be going back to the village soon but, is your body alright? Can you keep up? Am alright, can follow, Master Given that its exoskeleton has now settled after moulting, I told Kaede of my return to the village. [1] On the way back to the village, I had some leeway in returning since Kaedes legs were back to how they were before. Kaede would hop around while following me. Sometimes, it would leap from tree to tree with its threads like Tarzan. It was a long time after I had named Kaede did I realize that I had not asked if it was a boy or a girl. *** Footnotes: Kaede in kanji means Maple (tree) in Japanese, but the name in its status is in Katakana. Also, its speech is all in Katakana. When something moults, the new exoskeleton is soft for a while before it settles and hardens. Chapter 12: A Village in Festivity Chapter 12: A Village in Festivity Starting from the time I had encountered the Huge Armored Boar, nothing as big as that had turned up. So I reflected, training Presence Detection, Enemy Search, Magic Perception, and Stealth while walking through the forest. Presence Detection and Enemy Search have subtle differences in their roles. Presence Detection is a skill that searches for presences of living things regardless of whether theyre big or small, or friend or foe. Enemy Search is a skill that, like its name says, searches for hostility in living things. Magic Perception is much broader, it perceives targets with magic power. Improving resistance skills and training were done at the same time as I hunt for monsters. In the end, it took me 3 days to return to Bohd Village. Oh, Takumi, youre back safe and sound? Ive somehow returned safely Upon returning to the village, I went to Vanga-sans house before I went back to my place. Naturally, it was about the Huge Armored Boar. Dismantling it alone is just simply impossible. Furthermore, it is something that cant be done without receiving the cooperation of the blacksmith, Bobon-san. Dooon! I took out the Huge Armored Boar from my Item Box. Wha!! So big! So this is a Huge Armored Boar! Takumi! You, did you kill this?! Yes, I thought I was going to be killed Well, yeah. Oi! Kaachan! Kaachan[1]! Vanga-san called out to Martha-san. What is it, youre so noisy, talking so lo............udly Kaachan, hurry and call that bastard, Bobon, over here. Dismantling this is too much for just me and Takumi. Y, yeah, got it. Martha-san quickly went to call Bobon-san over. During that time, all (?) of the citizens of Bohd village had gathered, and were looking at the Huge Armored Boar from a distance. Oi oi! You done killed something so amazing. Look at these tusks. This armor-like hide too, thesed make some excellent leather armor. Bobon-san, who was called over by Martha-san, stopped whatever he was doing in his den and started talking on and on in an excited tone when he saw the Huge Armored Boar. The men were doing physical labor under Vanga-san and Bobon-sans instructions. Everyone was coming by for meat and taking the initiative to help. Its a small village so even after distributing meat to everyone, theres still a large amount of it that remained. My item box stops time so its alright though. Takumi! Look at this harder-than-steel exoskeleton-like hide! This will be a great material for excellent leather armor~! Bobon had so much enthusiasm hed likely rub his cheeks against the Huge Armored Boar. The materials of this Huge Armored Boar that will be mine are hide for my complete set of leather armor, one tusk, the soft hide near the belly, the magic stone, and the leftover meat. For Bobon-san, I plan on presenting a bit of the armor-like hide, one tusk, and the bones. A small village it may be, but with everyone making progress with dismantling, the process finished surprisingly fast. Maybe due to the location of this village, almost everyone has the Dismantling skill. Isnt it amazing, even kids were helping with it. Alright! Takumi! These are the materials for the leather armor and tusk, your portion of the meat, and the remaining hide. The hide will sell for a high price in town so take it. Yes, I understand. I stored my portion of the divided materials into the Item Box. Alright! All thats left is for everyone to eat the meat~!! Uooooooo~~!! From there, the whole village broke into a large festivity. Apparently, once a year, this village performs a harvest festival, but the chances to fill up on meat are few, so as a reaction to that, both the adults and the children wolfed down the meat, and the adults took out and drank the alcohol, bought from peddlers that visit a few times a year, that theyve been keeping. The children fed Kaede some meat. There, Vanga-san was sitting next to me. Its because of Takumi that Bohd Village became cheerful again. Really, thank you very much. Thats not true, Vanga-san, this is because Im so grateful to everyone in the village. In actuality, I was so lucky that the first people Ive met in this world were Vanga-san, Martha-san, and the villagers, but I didnt say that, Thanks to not having been exposed to ill will, and having received the kindness of everyone in the village, I have a feeling that I gained the resolution to live in this world. That night, the villagers all continued festivities until late. *** Footnotes: Kaachan / Kaasan C it means mom, but, like Vanga, at times the husband calls his wife this, and, conversely, a wife sometimes calls the husband, Otousan. Usually done when they already have children. Chapter 13: Kaede is Popular Among The Wives Chapter 13: Kaede is Popular Among The Wives The Killer Spider known as Kaede is a dangerous monster spider, but it is popular amongst the wives in Bohd Village. Honestly, rather than just okay, I actually think its cute, but since it was of a size that was impossible in earth, I wanted everyone to at least feel that I wish you wont be afraid of it. But when it was made public, lo and behold, it was popular amongst the Bohd village wives. If I had to say why things turned out this way, its because of the threads that Kaede produces. Ive heard that cloth woven from threads of a monster spider called Spider Silk is a super high class item. It is more durable than cheap leather armor, it doesnt get dirty easily, and the feel of it is the best. They say that Nobles would buy Spider Silk cloth. Two days after the large banquet where I had brought Kaede back to the village, Martha-san enthusiastically asked something of Kaede. Naturally, with us being connected by magic power, no one but I can communicate telepathically with it. However, maybe because of Martha-sans persistence, or because Kaede is clever, they had agreed to exchange a fixed amount of thread for meals. Martha-san is incredible. The village had but 3 looms used in turns, and the wives were ecstatic to weave Spider Silk cloth. From there, I made my own thread spinning wheel and loom, learned how to weave from Martha-san, weaved Spider Silk cloth, and challenged myself to sew my own clothes. Kaede-san is impressive. With just my magic power and meals being given, it produces as much thread as it wants. Kaede, can you make the thread just a bit more elastic? Can. I decided to try to weave some cloth using the slightly elastic thread, weaving it crosswise with durable thread. Kaukaukau This, fun. Skillfully manipulating the thread in the thread spinning wheel with two arms, Kaede spun thread. My Kaede is so clever I couldnt believe its a spider. gikkonbattan, The sounds of weaving resounded from Bohd Village. Martha-san dyed the threads with dye I had adjusted with alchemy. With this, its goodbye to stiff underwear. My, Takumi-san, youre making even your underwear with Spider Silk? I wonder if we should do the same. Umm, please dont tire Kaede out too much. The wives response to my muttering to self was extreme. It resulted in Kaedes burden increasing. However, using Kaedes special elastic thread, the band for underwear can be made. It seems I can make cloth have the elasticity thats close to the underwear I wore when I was still in Japan. After I finished weaving the Spider Silk for my clothes, I started weaving an elastic cloth for underwear. Making sure not to forget the elastic band for the underwear, my aim is boxer briefs. Takumi-chan, that has to be backstitched. Ah, yes. Takumi-kun, is there any of the stretchy cloth remaining? Oh, I have some. I was surrounded by the village wives and was sewing clothes. Takumi-kun, the pants being black is alright, but wouldnt the shirt be better if it was a bit lighter in color? I have a reason for making it a darker color. To make it harder for monsters to spot me in the forest, it has to be a dark color. Well, thats limited only to the surroundings of the dark forest though. So Takumi-chan has also been thinking this through. Ive been behaving awfully cute to the villagers here. I believed that since the 40+ year old me had obviously turned into a handsome 15 year old, the villagers would think of me like a younger brother or son and treat me as such. Prior to this, despite not even having 3 months pass since I had come to this world, I hadnt been self-conscious that I was in my 40s. I also think that putting an old soul into a young body was extreme. Status Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Active Skills Spear Handling Lv3 Axe Technique Lv2 Swordplay Lv1 Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu Lv1 Matoujutsu Lv1 Enemy Search Lv2 Presence Detection Lv2 Stealth Lv2 Tame Lv1 Magic Perception Lv4 Magic Power Manipulation Lv6 Light Attribute MAgic Lv5 Fire Attribute Magic Lv4 Water Attribute Magic Lv4 Wind Attribute Magic Lv2 Earth Attribute Magic Lv5 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv2 Bestowal Magic Lv3 Alchemy Lv6 Smithing Lv5 Woodworking Lv5 Carpentry Lv3 Foraging Lv3 Logging Lv2 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv3 Metalworking Lv2 Sewing Lv3 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Familiar: Killer Spider Unique Species (Kaede) *** Chapter 14: Making Takumi’s Armor Chapter 14: Making Takumis Armor Around the time the Kaede Fever started to settle down, I decided to make the full set of armor for myself while receiving help from Bobon-san. Bobon-sans suggestion is to use the Huge Armored Boars hard-as-steel hide for the helmet, breastplate, shoulder pads, and gauntlet, and the flexible yet sturdy Blade Deer pelt for the lining and moving parts. For enchantments, itd only have Automatic Temperature Regulation for now. The plan is that, if I find the magic circles in a spellbook in town, Ill add Self Repair and Automatic Size Adjustment. Takumi, Ill take your measurements so dont move. But how would you make an armor from the hide of Huge Armored Boar thats this hard? I dont think it would heat up like metal in a furnace. Huh, its kinda the same as how an insect species would its exoskeleton. Thats the reason for the smithing magic, Craft. Though, before you mold it with Craft, its necessary to pour enough magic power into it to adapt it to yourself. I think that if its you, your magic power will be enough. Under Bobon-sans tutelage, I molded the parts. Its consumption of magic power is definitely much larger compared to Magic Steel, but it was much easier when I started molding it with Craft. The design of the helm is simple, and the interior is affixed with shock-absorbing cushioning. Bobon-san cut the hide into parts, and sewed them. The Huge Armored Boars hide was dark brown, and yet its now close to black, isnt it. It probably changed in color because of Takumis magic power adhering to it. Stories of actual color tones of the materials and colors of finished products differing are something I often hear. The hard metal-like parts, ones unthinkable as a monsters hide, were given a surface finishing and the black became close to gray when it settled. Additionally, to match, the other parts were hide parts dyed black but a bit brighter. Given that my concept is to not stand out, it should be difficult to find me at night and in dark forests. Takumi, while were at it, wanna make new boots too? Youre right...... to make new ones now. Ive given it a little thought too. Then, Ill give you the materials Ive been holding on to. Saying that, Bobon-san went into his workshop. Bobon-san came back before long and in his hand was a bluish gray hide.Explore new novels on Well, Takumi is Takumi. Isnt that a good thing? ...... as you say. The people of this village are truly genial. They accepted me and treated me like family. Though, I certainly have made contributions to the the village as well. The influence I had in this village might not have been small. Supplying potions, information on sanitation, using Earth magic to form the protective walls of the village. Especially the hand pump Bobon-san and I made for the water well, Im sure it made the villagers day to day life much easier. I tried wearing the completed set of armor. The Spider Silk used on the durable black cargo pants is stretchable so it doesnt inhibit mobility. Since the shirt is also made of Spider Silk, on top of being durable, it is also smooth to the touch because of the thin threads used. Furthermore, I wore the breastplate and shoulder pads together for my upper torso. Wearing the gauntlets, Kelpie boots, and putting on the helmet, my presence could be mistaken for as an assassin with these black and gray tones. Fumu, it doesnt seem like we need to do any adjustments. Yes, there are no problems. I moved while wearing the equipment, confirming that it didnt inhibit my movement. Dont feel so lonely.said Bobon-san. Everyone said that it would be better if I leave the village by the time that my armor is completed. Since its just around the time a peddler would visit, I should head to town by hitchhiking with the peddler, they said. Though it was only for a short while, saying goodbye to the people Ive come to know well is sad, but staying here indefinitely doesnt feel right either, so, like Vanga-san and Martha-san said, I decided that this is the right time to leave the village. *** Footnotes: Kelpie, a water horse spirit of Scottish myth, they are capable of shape-shifting. They inhabit the Lochs and pools of Scotland. It is described to look like a horse, but can take a human form. Said to delight in drowning its victims. In certain stories, it loves the human liver. C Myth Wikia. ...though of course my image of it is from the Persona series. ahaha...*ahem* Chapter 15: Takumi’s Departure Chapter 15: Takumis Departure Lined up by the road close to the gate of Bohd Village was the entirety of the villagers.Finndd the newest novels on As for me, in order to camouflage the boar leather armor and gauntlets and Kelpie boots on top of the Spider Silk shirt and cargo pants that I was wearing, I put on a plain-looking overcoat. And snuggling up beside me, growing up to around 50 cm from measuring just its torso, is Kaede. With Kaede and I actively hunting in the forest, we raised our level. Thanks to that, Kaede got bigger, legs included. Bobon-san says that while there are some largely-built species that exceed 10 meters within the monster spider family, since Kaede is of the assassination species that stealthily uses poison to kill, it seems its the type that will not grow too much. Vanga-san and Martha-san approached, hugging me tightly. You had better come show yourself here again. Thats right, because Takumi-kun is kind of like our child already. Thank you very much. I will definitely come back someday. Take caaare~~! Come back again~! Takumi-oniichaa~an! Ou! Polish your skills! Ban, Bobon-san urging me on with a pat on the back, I walked towards the peddlers carriage. Everyone! Though it was for a short while! Thank you very much!! Take caaaare~~!! Holding in the tears, I hurried to the peddlers carriage. I believe that my first encounter since coming to Mildgard being with good people and parting with them is an experience I likely wouldnt ever have in Japan where peoples relationships were faint. Having boarded the peddlers carriage and taking the seat beside the coachman, I continued to wave as the carriage began to move. The villagers waved their hands until I was out of sight. Takumi-sama you are very much loved in Bohd Village, arent you? Ive been coming and going to Bohd Village for many years but............... Since potions and the like can be bought from any Magician Guild, Pharmacist Guild, Commerce Guild, Adventurers Guild, there will be no issue selling it to me. From Papeck-sans explanation, it seems that the recipes for standard potions are monopolized by the Pharmacist Guild and Magician Guild, and one must register to either guild to be taught the recipes and practice to make potions. In my case, knowing the recipe thanks to Appraisal EX, I produce it using alchemy, improving its quality. Papeck-san said that the kinds of potions I made exceeded the limits of basic potions so similar ones could not be made by the Pharmacist Guild or the Magician Guild. It appears that since the method and recipe would be recognized as my original, there would be no problem selling to Papeck-san or the Adventurers Guild. Incidentally, it seems that Papeck-san also has the Appraisal Skill, but it is different from my unique skill Appraisal EX, since it can only find out up to the description of people and items. Appraisal is ineffective at finding out the composition of medicine and its recipe. Papeck-san had appraised the potions I left in the village and was surprised by its effectiveness, and by all means wanted to buy some from me, even if just a small amount. Then, would you be willing to sell everything to me? Yes, that would be alright. Well then, how does 10 silver coins a piece for Basic Heal potions, 10 silver for Basic Stamina Potion as well, and 50 silver for Basic Mana Potion sound? Eh? Isnt that expensive? These are basic potions, you know. Heal Potion and Stamina potions were 10,000 yen each? Mana potions at 50,000yen? I couldnt believe my ears at Papeck-sans suggested prices. This is not at all expensive. Rather, since Takumi-sama is nameless, Im sorry but what Im offering is a bit cheap. Thats right Takumi, hearing that although its basic grade, its of the highest quality, if the amount it restores comes close to intermediate potions, its selling price would be many times that price. Yeah, its as Heath says, Takumi. Because, to us adventurers, potions are our lifeline. Theres no one here who would die because of stinginess. There you have it, it will be 70 gold coins for everything. The trade of merchandise and money will be at my shop in the town of Volton, please. Haa............ I couldnt help but be dumbfounded. In this world where you can live off of 1 gold coin for month, to suddenly have 70 gold coins. That is equivalent to 7 million in Japanese Yen. Harvesting the medicinal plants, collecting the materials for the potions bottles, creating the bottles, and, of course, brewing the potions inside were all done by me. So isnt this almost pure profit? Though, since its medicine that can heal injuries at once, its inevitable that prices are high, I suppose. Also, it seems that the Huge Armored Boar materials from Bobon-san were bought at a very high price, I couldnt say I have more. *** Chapter 16: The Town of Volton 1 Chapter 16: The Town of Volton 1 On an ordinary carriage, its a 3 day trip to the town of Volton. So if one were to ask if there were unordinary carriages, there actually are. A horse that has turned into a monster, a Demon Horse, boasts a remarkable difference in ability from a normal horse in both speed and stamina. In this world where the roads and distances traversable in a day are bad, a normal carriage can travel less than 100 km, whereas a Demon Horse-drawn carriage is able to travel twice that distance. On our way to Volton, we had encountered Goblins and Forest Wolves a number of times but Heath-san and his party kept us safe by killing all of them. Nevertheless, it was my first time seeing the classic small fry enemy, the goblins, in fantasies. They were around 120-140 cm tall, their bodies were completely green, and two horns grew on their ugly faces. It seems that while they are certainly recognized as small fry by adventurers; they are threatening enough to ordinary people, so if they were to form and attack in groups, it would turn out like the deserted village I had seen. Forest Wolf isnt an animal, but a full-fledged monster.Geett the latest novels on I heard that monsters are determined by whether they have magic stones within their body or not. On the third day after leaving Bohd Village, the town of Volton could be seen in the distance. Volton is a fortress town encircled by tall ramparts. The gate facing Bohd Village had a sparse queue of people, so its likely that entering will be a short wait. Its a splendid town for the border, isnt it? Volton is located on the western edge of Valkyra Kingdom. This town has an excellent feudal lord governing it, and there are plenty of mid to high level adventurers like Heath-san active here. From what Papeck-san said, with a vast forest where monsters run rampant northeast of the town, to a mine that yields rare ores in the northwest, and with various monsters inhabiting areas from the grasslands in the south to the wetlands in the southeast, it is an ideal place for adventurers to work at. Taking into consideration Takumi-samas material collection, I believe this place would be a suitable base for you. Yeah, it loses in comparison to the kinds of medicinal plants around Bohd Village, but even then, the variety and amount are still aplenty here. From Papeck-san and Heath-sans words, it might be a good to make Volton my base of operation for a little while. Okay, next! Oh, if it isnt Papeck-dono. Are you on your way back from peddling? Yes, the escorts are the 3 members of the C rank party Lions Fang, and this is Takumi-sama. He travelled with me from Bohd Village. On Takumi-samas knee is Takumi-samas familiar. Our turn came after a while, and it seems that the gatekeeper soldier and Papeck-san are acquaintances. The gatekeeper approached me. So you are Takumi. What is your purpose for coming to Volton? Yes, I practiced Alchemy and Smithing while harvesting materials in Bohd Village, but I thought it would be better to go to a large town to further my studies on alchemy. Alchemy huh, thats rare. Yeah, Volton certainly has a books and spell books that Feudal Lord-sama had gathered from around the continent in the large library. It might be the best place for you to learn. So then, do you have identification papers? 5 minutes from having passed through the gate, we had arrived at Adventurers Guild of Volton. A 3-story stone building, as expected of an adventurer town. Its very imposing. Now then, this is the Adventurers Guild. Heath-donos party must report the completion of their request so we will be parting with them here, but Takumi-sama, wouldnt it be better if you take this opportunity to register yourself as an adventurer while subsequently registering your familiar? Are other guilds not allowed? Since I dont want to become an adventurer, wouldnt the Alchemist Guild or Blacksmith Guild be better? If Takumi-sama is only going take the Blacksmith job, then there is no problem with the Blacksmith Guild. The Commerce Guild requires an annual fee therefore I can not recommend it. The Magician Guild is corrupt so it would be better to give up now, and unfortunately there is no Alchemist Guild. Eh? There is no Alchemist Guild? I thought that because alchemy is convenient, whether it be in smithing or in potion-making, there would be an Alchemist Guild. While there are a number of Alchemists, it seems that there are more who main as a Mage that dabble a little bit at alchemy. Then the Adventurers Guild is the only option, isnt it? Theres also Kaedes registration. I had not realized it at the time but I had forgotten that it is thanks to Appraisal EX that I could say alchemy is convenient. And even if its just extracting iron from iron ore, for the mages of this world who have no scientific knowledge, it would be impossible if they are not flexible with their usage of either Earth Magic or Alchemy. At this point in time, there are few people studying and training to become Alchemists. Even though its so useful. Well I will be waiting outside so, Heath-dono, may I leave him to you? Yeah, I got him! Takumi, lets go. Getting off the carriage, I was led by Heath-san and his party to the Adventurers Guild. I wonder if there will be a template development or something like it. *** Translators Note: Thank you for reading! Everyone knows what Takumi looks like, but for those who have wondered what the other characters look like, Ive made this Character Page. I hope you enjoy it ^^ Ill see you guys next chapter~ Chapter 17: The Town of Volton 2 Chapter 17: The Town of Volton 2The Adventurers Guild building is 3 stories high and even has a wide frontage. Following behind Heath-san, Lyle-san, and Bogah-san, I entered the guild. The interior of the Adventurers Guild is spacious, with the left side having 3 counters each with a staff member acting as receptionists; The right side is a restobar, and its just past noon so there were very few people there at the moment. Heath-san walked briskly to the reception desk, while Lyle-san and Bogah-san went to the bar. I trailed after Heath-san to one of the counters. Hey, Im reporting the completion of a request. Oh, Heath. Its the escort request by Papeck Company, isnt it? There was a line at the beautiful receptionist, so Heath-san lined up in the shorter queue at the counter a male receptionist attended to. When his turn came, Heath-san reported and handed over the proof of completion of Papeck-sans request to the receptionist. Yes, it has been validated. Would you like to deposit the rewards to your card, as per usual? Yeah, in the card please. Heath-san presented 3 business card-sized cards to the receptionist. Very well, the rewards have been deposited. Thank you for your hard work. The guild staff returned the cards to Heath-san. Also, this is a separate matter. This here is Takumi, Id like you to help him register as an adventurer and register his familiar. Well then, Takumi-sama, please fill out the necessary forms. And where is your familiar? Hiiih! Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Seeing what was stuck on my torso when I had spread my overcoat, the guild receptionist let out a small shriek. Ah, I apologize for startling you. This is what I have to fill out, right? Fumu, name, age, job, preferred weapon huh..............., writing anything is fine, isnt it? Its not like this information will be used when joining someones party. For my name, just Takumi should be fine. For job, Alchemist seems questionable so would Mage be good? For preferred weapon............ a Mage with a spear would be weird so leaving it blank would be better? Is this fine? ......Well, there are some who only fill out their name so there is no problem. Well then, pour some magic power into this magic device or a drop of blood please. Yes, will this be fine? When I touched the specified area and poured magic power, a card came out of the magic device. Guild Card Name : TakumiGuild Card Well then, I wonder how much is within the acceptable range. If its 5 bunches each, would handing over 50 each be good? Then, these please. Pretended to take it out from the leather bag I got from Norn-sama, I withdrew 50 of each medicinal plant from the Item Box. I took out 10 sets of 5 bunches. ..................ha! I, Ill count them immediately. The male guild staff was stunned by the amount of medicinal plants I took out. It seems it really was too much. These Hirukuku grass, Kurupopo grass, and Maryl grass are satisfactory since they all certainly look like theyve just been freshly picked. It is 20 silver coins for 10 sets of 5 bunches of Hirukuku grass, 20 silver coins for 10 sets of 5 bunches of Kurupopo grass, and 50 silver coins for 10 sets of 5 bunches of Maryl grass. It will be 90 silver coins in total. Would depositing the payment to your card be fine? Recovering immediately, Guild receptionist-san quickly finished checking their quality and calculated the fee. The adventurers guild card is able to record the rewards into it. Since this is usable in almost all stores and inns, it isnt necessary to carry around heavy coins. Given that I had the money that I received from Goddess Norn-sama on hand, I asked for the payment to be deposited into my card. I handed over my card and waited for the request completion and payment processing to finish. Okay, the completion of the request has been validated. With this, Takumi-sama has been promoted to F Rank. Eh? I only registered at the guild just now, you know. Isnt it weird to be promoted 2 ranks higher all of a sudden? No, originally, H Rank would be promoted after completing 10 requests of the same rank. So Takumi-sama was raised to G Rank. Then there is the common request for Maryl grass, but because this is an F Rank request, it is considered the completion of a request 1 rank higher than yours, thus you have been promoted to F Rank. I dont really get it, but its 1 request every three months for F Rank, isnt it. If thats the case then this is fine. I understand. I received the guild card that has been revised to F Rank. Ou, that took a while. This is our stop. Papeck-san is waiting outside. Heath-san, thank you very much. I bowed to Heath-san and said goodbye, waved my hand at Lyle-san and Bogah-san, and hurried out of the guild to where Papeck-san was waiting. Papeck-san was waiting for me to come out. Now then, Ill guide you to my company. Please come on board. I sat beside Papeck-san and he operated his carriage, driving towards the center of Volton. *** Footnotes: This line isnt actually in the raw but smoother this way. Chapter 18: Preparing the Living Quarters Chapter 18: Preparing the Living QuartersThe carriage ran along the flagstoned main street. Papeck-sans company is in an area in the direction of the town center, 5 minutes from the Adventurers Guild.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m ............ So huge. The building of the Papeck Company sat right before my eyes. It is a building that doesnt lose to the Adventurers Guild in size. Papeck-san, he wasnt just some old peddler? Now then, Takumi-sama. Please come in. Leaving the wagon to an employee, Papeck-san guided me into the company building. Although this was a talk I had with Papeck-san at a later time, I wondered, why is the president of a large company peddling at Bohd Village, a small village at the border?. Papeck-san said that its because he doesnt want to forget the feeling he had when he first started out as a merchant. It seems that because its relatively safe up to Bohd Village as long as he isnt being reckless, the company tolerates it. Led to an extravagant parlour, I sat uncomfortably on the sofa. As a middle aged salaryman without connections to many extravagant furnishing and works of arts, I was feeling self conscious of how I was lower-middle class. The door made a sound as it opened, and in came Papeck-san and one more person, a man in his prime. My apologies for the wait. Takumi-sama, this is our head clerk, Thomas. My name is Thomas. Takumi-sama, I look forward to working with you in the future. Eh, y-yes, please bear with me. As a 15 year old juvenile suddenly being greeted very courteously by the head clerk, I ended up acting strangely. Let us now proceed with the trade of potions. Y-yes, I will take it out right away. While pretending to take it out of my bag, I took out 100 pieces of each type of basic potion. Thomas-san stored them in what was likely a magic bag as he counted them. I have accurately confirmed 100 basic heal potions, 100 basic stamina potions, and 100 basic mana potions. Therefore, here is the payment of 70 gold coins. Please confirm. Papeck-san immediately gave instructions, and Thomas-san left the room. Takumi-sama might not realize this but water is particularly important to this town, other towns, and villages. Aside from nobility with money and wealthy merchants who have magic items that produce water, even procuring water for drinking is heavy labor for ordinary people. Now if they had that device, just how many people would be freed from that heavy labor. Wouldnt they have valuable time from that time freed? That having been said, if the spread of the hand pump is for the good of the people in this world, then I concede. But there is one thing I will not yield on. Papeck-san, I am fine with spreading the hand pump. However, please conceal the parts about me. Lets see, I think that will be fine. With Papeck-sans understanding, he will proceed with the production behind closed doors, my name not being revealed. Because there would be imitations as soon as the technical hurdles of the hand pump are crossed, the plan is that a large number of the product will be made at the start so by the time the other companies enter the market, if one were to say hand pump, it would already be associated with the image of the Papeck Company. Although the truth is that I would like to continue dealing in potions as well, there is a balance between the Pharmacists Guild and the Magicians Guild, therefore lets not be greedier. Leaving Papeck Company, I headed for the inn that Papeck-san had referred to. ...... it really does stink. The townscape is clean so cleaning might be thorough; Theres no fallen garbage, but even though I think its better than medieval Europe, the smell of fecal matter is terrible. Papeck-san told me that the towns clean up is a slum countermeasure by paying poor people. Nobility and wealthy merchants have purifying magic devices for dealing with sewage. A sewage system runs underneath Volton, and they say that priests would periodically purify the area where sewage accumulates. When I asked Papeck-san Using magic devices?, he said that there were relatively a lot of purifying magic devices among the magic devices found, however, because it basically relies on excavations in dungeons and ancient ruins, it is too expensive to buy for the sake of cleaning the towns sewage. Although, if its at the level of purifying magic device, itd be impossible with just a bit of studying but if I can raise my skill level then I think I can make it. I think that its correct to say that there are definitely issues with unfettered flow of money to priests that could be called an exploitation. Because the only ones who can use purifying magic are the priests of the church. This depends on what kind of person the Lord of Volton is, but it would be better to consult with Papeck-san about this matter. In the meantime, Ive arrived at the inn Papeck-san told me about. Lets see, Golden Wheat Pavilion. Its this. I wonder if its a grade in between luxury inns and cheap hotels, it has a nice feel to it. I went into the Golden Wheat Pavilion. *** Chapter 19: Studying for the first time in 10-ish years Chapter 19: Studying for the first time in 10-ish yearsWhen I entered the Golden Wheat Pavilion, a calm voice greeted me. Welcome to the Golden Wheat Pavilion, will you be dining? Or lodging? The one who greeted me is a kind-looking human woman in her mid-30s. Is she the landlady of this inn? Papeck-san told me of this place when I asked for a recommendation. May I please stay 10 days for the time being? Oh, a referral from the president of the the Papeck Company. A night in a single room with meals in the morning and in the evening will be 5 silver coins. One nights stay with meals included costs around 5000 yen huh. I dont really understand the prices in this world but this is cheap. So that will be 50 silver coins. By depositing 1 gold coin, if you prolong your stay then it would be deducted from that. I handed over 1 gold coin to the landlady. Thank you, I will hold on to it. Could you please to add your name into the inn registry? I filled out my name onto the registry that the landlady held out. The landladys name is Maura-san, and it seems that she and her husband manage the Golden Wheat Pavilion. So its Takumi-sama. Your room will be number 205 on the second floor. I took the key and went to my room. The room has a bed and a small closet, its small but it has a clean feel to it so its a good room. Haaaa~~ Lying in bed, I sighed loudly. Kaede came crawling out of my overcoat. At the Librarys reception desk, I paid for the establishment fee and the insurance fee. These seem to be for the cost of the maintenance of valuable books and library management cost. I have received 30 silver coins. 20 silver coins will be returned at the time of your departure. Expensive. The usage fee is 10,000 yen. They said that because the books are collected to be appended, if the book is dirtied, the 20 silver will not be returned so they sincerely ask that it be handled carefully. Un, Ill handle it carefully even if they didnt say so. When I entered the library, it had a collection of books that wouldnt lose to a library in Japan, and the aged leather-bound books had a profound feeling to it. Because searching blindly seemed unreasonable, I quickly gave up searching by myself and asked the librarian for books related to magic circles and alchemy. Theres surprisingly few. Complete Collection of Magic CirclesComplete Collection on Magic Circle DeconstructionIntroduction to AlchemyIllustrated Reference Book of Ancient Magic Letters and Symbols From the vast collection of books in the library, there were only 4 books on what I had requested. While there was a fairly large number of books relating to spell casting, it seems that matters relating to alchemy and magic circles were minor fields of research. If I had to say, then this is why. By relying on items discovered in ancient ruins and dungeons, the current situation on magic devices will not improve. (I see. Deconstruction, Extraction, Reconstruction, Synthesis. The analysis of an alchemy magic circle can be done.) Alchemy magic circles can be deciphered. If its like this then arranging might also be possible. (Automatic Size Adjustment is a complex magic huh; Size alteration, how fantasy-like; Self Repair is a light and time-space attribute so its a rare enchantment. Enhanced Agility and Strong Slash are wind attribute, Enhanced Strength and Enhanced Attack are fire attribute. I see, I see. I understand the general method, so if its like this, I might be able to Enchant without a magic circle.) I wondered why these simple and easily understandable magic circles for Alchemy and Bestowal Magic are obsolete. Although I was thinking this, I realized later on that the reason I could say this was because the Goddess Norn-sama had gifted me the ability to understand all languages of this world. In actuality, the people of this world have yet to decipher the characters and magic circles of the age of the ancient magic civilization. This was something I had not yet realized at this time. I continued reading the books, even forgetting to eat lunch. Buying parchment and a pen from the library, I kept taking memos and, by the end of the the day, I was able to obtain the necessary information. *** Chapter 20: Now Ashamed Chapter 20: Now Ashamed The progress of my investigation was surprisingly smooth, I could understand the magic circles, to the point that I could apply it effectively in different aspects. Until now, I, who couldnt manufacture even simple items like a light lamp magic device or an ignition lighter magic device, am now able to manufacture artifacts at the level of those from ancient ruins and dungeons. On bestowing magic on armor and weapons, aside from the dwarven country Gnomstoll Kingdom, I might be able to make magic weapons... No, since Ive already been successful at simple Enchants, with the research I did on magic circles and magic letters and symbols in the library yesterday, and my analysis on the magic formulas of ancient magic finished, I might surpass the dwarves before long if I practice. As for my current status, because I havent been fighting, my level hasnt risen even once. Aside from Magic Perception and Magic Power Manipulation which I constantly practice, the Skill level of Time-Space Attribute Magic and the Job level of Magic Bestower have gone up. Magic, whether it be alchemy or attribute magic, fails to invoke advanced magic if your skill level is not enough, so training everyday is essential. After changing to the Magic Bestower and practicing enchanting, it was clear to see that constructing magic formulas became much easier. Given how that sense grows with each increase in job level, I could tell in an instant that it is quite a lot even though the numbers of the job correction doesnt show. Status Name: Takumi Iruma Race: Human Age: 15 years old Job: Magic Bestower Lv26, Mage Lv38 ( Warrior Lv30, Carpenter Lv7, Alchemist Lv44, Blacksmith Lv42, Tailor Lv16 ) Level: 18 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 320 Magic Power: 460 Strength: 144 Agility: 115 Stamina: 205 Dexterity: 142 Intelligence: 198 Unique Skills Appraisal EX Item box EX (Concealed)Explore new novels on Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv2 Insight Lv1 Poison Resistance Lv2 Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Active Skills Spear Handling Lv3 Axe Technique Lv2 Fencing Lv1 Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu Lv1 Matoujutsu Lv1 Ah, Thomas-san, good morning. The one who greeted me is the Papeck Companys head clerk, Thomas-san. I felt relief as Thomas-san guided me into the building. Led into the same room as the other day, I drank tea while waiting for Thomas-san. Apologies for the wait. Knocking on the door, Thomas-san entered. Papeck-san will be here shortly, so please enjoy your tea while waiting. I thanked Thomas-san for the referral to the Golden Wheat Pavilion, and we chatted about my impression of my visit to the library. Thank you for waiting. Papeck-san entered the parlor. What business do you have with me today? Standing up to greet one another, Papeck-san then asked about the matter. As expected of a president that handles a company, he manages time efficiently. The truth is, I was planning on renting a place like a workshop or something similar where I can work on various things, but because I dont know anyone in this town, even though I think it might be an annoyance, I would inquire and consult with Papeck-san. Oh my, I have been careless. This Papeck is ashamed, too ecstatic about the handpump, he was. A workshop is a matter of course for Takumi-samas production, and yet..., I am very much ashamed. Papeck-san, aware that a workshop is necessary for my activities in this town, seemed to have forgotten. I myself had thoughtlessly forgotten, so I have no words. No, I had also forgotten. The workshop is for Takumi-samas solitary use, correct? Yes, since I think my smithing and alchemy are unique, I cant hire someone who could do the same so Id like to work alone for now. I said so and Papeck-san pondered over it. ......Hiring someone unskilled would be risky, wouldnt it. That having been said, it would be troubling if Takumi-sama cant concentrate solely on production. Someone from our place...... is not possible. President, in my humble opinion, wouldnt purchasing a slave be acceptable? Towards Papeck-san who was muttering to himself, Thomas-san dropped a bombshell. Well~ it seems Im the only one who thought that about slave. Thats true. That might be the best option for Takumi-sama who has many secrets. No, its the only option at present. To hide my use of Alchemy and Smithing Magic, Papeck-san and Thomas-san are saying that it is best to buy a slave to protect that secret. But I have one thing I must say before that. Papeck-san, and Thomas-san too, I came here today for a referral on a workshop where I could do my production in though............ M-my apologies. Again, I have become excited and digressed. Then, I will list down properties suitable for Takumi-samas workshop from the ones that the company manage, and guide you to them. Please do. As expected of the Papeck Company, they even have real estates. Thomas-san left to pick up the property files; Papeck-san had work; I was waiting for Thomas-san at the entrance of the company. Garagaragara Thomas-san turned the carriage to the front of the company. Now then, please get on, Takumi-sama. Yes, please. Thomas-san drove the carriage to the first property. *** Chapter 21: Workshop, Get! Chapter 21: Workshop, Get! There are 3 properties in Thomas-sans list. The first property is close to the Papeck Company in the central part of the town. It is in the vicinity bordering between the area with noble estates and the middle-class area. This is the first property. ..................N, no, Thomas-san, I think this is too big. This was formerly a barons estate, but it was put up on the market due to an economic distress and the Papeck Company purchased it. Baron is low ranking among nobility, however, from the perspective of us average citizens, that palatial estate is impressive enough to hesitate entering its gates. Just in case, I was guided inside but......... impossible. It was impossible for the price, size, and my mental health. Boohoo, I feel sad for my lower-middle class self. The purchase price will be 100 platinum. Rent will be 5 gold per month. It is 1 billion yen if I buy it, renting is 500,000 yen per month. Impossible, just impossible. And its too excessive for me. Thomas-san, this estate is impossible for me. I believe that Takumi-sama is more than capable of living here, but an estate of this level certainly is no good as it would require at least 3 servants. Then, let us go to the next property. As if nothing happened, Thomas-san led me to the next property. The second one is formerly the mansion of a merchant, located in the middle-class area of Volton. Yes, a mansion. I wonder what the criteria for Thomas-sans list is. For me, this is the place I personally recommend. The other house has a narrow garden, is located in a place far from the Adventurers Guild and market, and its neighborhood is not pleasant. I made an extensive list, but I recommend this place if you want a house and workshop. There is a workshop-only property, however, I excluded it from the list because it is fairy expensive. Thomas-san showed me the house plan of the 3rd property on the list, and the 2nd one is looking much better. Ill have to see about the price later. Please come in. Thomas-san opened the gate with the key and went in. In the middle of the plot enclosed by walls over 2 meters high stands a two-storey concave building[1]. In the rear garden of the wide plot is a storehouse-type building.Explore new novels on How about remodelling that storehouse into a workshop? Like Thomas-san says, the storehouse is more than big enough for a workshop. I worked in my house in Bohd Village, after all. Yes, I have received it. When will you be moving in? Lets see, I need to prepare the furniture and interior as maintenance for the mansion. There are some parts Id like to renovate so including a number of days to secure raw materials, I think I will move in 7 days from now. Understood. Then let us return to the company and draft a contract. Returning to the Papeck Company, a residential lease was made and I received the key. I came back to the Golden Wheat Pavilion and talked to Maura-san about the the house with a workshop that I had rented. Ill be returning the remainder of the money you entrusted to me then. No, Maura-san. Could you please make a variety of lunchboxes with the money? That will be quite a lot, you know. I have a magic bag, so its okay. Since the leftover 50 silver is around 50,000 yen, thats like having 50,000 yen worth of lunch boxes, so I understand Maura-sans concern over the large amount. I see, Takumi-sama has a high class magic bag. I understand. Then I will give 50 silvers worth of lunch boxes with a different menu for each day in 7 days. Please do. I received the key from Maura-san, returned to my room, then had Kaede leave the Subspace and fed it. Alright, so the first thing I need to repair in that mansion is the restroom. Now then, the first thing I absolutely have to work on in that mansion. The toilet reform. I pondered over the structure in order to make a purifying magic device that will clean up the toilet after use. Although Golden Wheat Pavilion is a clean inn, their restroom is no different from a squat toilet. Its thanks to Maura-san and her husbands hard work that the inn is kept clean. As I am a city kid, I am not accustomed to squat toilets. In Bohd Village, ever since I could use purifying magic, I could clean up each time after going to the toilet so I wasnt bothered by it. As Kaede ate dinner in silence, I thought seriously about toilets. *** Footnotes: Just like its kanji , the sides are taller than the center of the house. Chapter 22: Remodel?Repair Chapter 22: Remodel?Repair The day after I rented out a mansion with a storehouse[1], I promptly came to renovate the mansion. Kaede, you can play in the garden. Un, play. Alright, lets fix the perimeter wall first. It seems that it was cleaned properly, but there was no maintenance on the outer wall and house. I repaired the walls with Earth magic as I did a lap on the grounds. Once my lap around the grounds was finished, the exterior of the perimeter wall was redecorated to a hardened white clay. Un, its cleaner than before. Just when the repair of the outer wall finished, the wood and clay from Papeck Company arrived and was brought to the storehouse.Reaad the latest stories on The current state of the storehouse isnt too bad, so with a bit of repairing, it was done. There is a lighting magic device installed in the storehouse, so I inserted a magic stone I had on hand into it and the interior of the storehouse-turned-workshop brightened. I set up the workbench and stool I brought along from my house in Bohd Village, something I thought would be an obstruction if left behind. I took out the soil and stones from when I had mined ores from the Item Box. Using pulverized quartz and clay that arrived from Papeck Company, I mixed them together with magic while moistening the mixture with Water magic. Its safer to shape it into a familiar form. The first thing I made from the clay is a daily necessity made of porcelain. Its name is Western Toilet. In this case, should it be Otherworld-Style Toilet? The toilet in this world is close to the Japanese style; Its just a hole. Its easier to duplicate something once one has been completed. 2 will be enough for the mansion but Ill make around 5 more. Also because I mixed too much clay at one time. I heat it up with magic, making it into a bisque[2]. Next, using wood ash as the main component, feldspar and silica are combined with it to make the glaze[3]. The glaze was put on the surfaces of the 7 completed toilet bowls. Lastly, once the bisque is baked in high temperature, I checked to see if its surface has turned glassy. The Alchemist Job has leveled up Up until now Ive been thinking that this world is amazing since everything could be done with magic, but when Papeck-san came for an inspection, his mouth was agape after seeing me work. It seems Im the strange one. This toilet bowl isnt just your run-of-the-mill western style toilet. Thats because I will add a purifying magic device into it. After using the toilet, the switch of the magic device is pressed, and the contents of the toilet are purified by water and broken down. Correct, this magic device is a magic device engraved with the magic formulas of Purification and Decomposition. I stored the completed toilets in the Item box, then installed them in the restrooms on the first and second floor. While I was there, I replaced the water magic device of the bathtub with a hot and cold water magic device After that, I checked the condition of the mansion itself, confirming that there are damaged places. Ill fix those. Deciding that the large room on the second floor will be my room, I returned to the workshop to make a bed, closet, chest, chairs, and table that Id put in there. The Carpentry Skill has leveled up The Woodworking Skill has leveled up I should make a bed, closet, chairs, and a small table for each room. I worked until evening, and since I finished placing the furniture for each room, I decided to go back to the Golden Wheat Pavilion. Kaedeeee, were going baaack! Yeees, Master. I stopped by the furniture store on the way back. Sorry. I ended up buying a sofa for the living room. I also ended up buying mattresses for the beds and a futon. I couldnt help it; I had no fur in stock. Searching for which furs are good, hunting those monsters, and then making it takes too much time so I abandoned the idea. Ill be sure to try making my own sofa at some point. After that, I bought a bunch of daily necessities at a general store, then returned to the Golden Wheat Pavilion. The next day, with Kaedes help, I installed the loom I brought from Bohd Village into the workshop. Having Kaede spin its thread into the loom, I weaved the Spider Silk into bed sheets. Do I need covers for the futon too? Though nobles would faint at hearing those words, for me who doesnt know the value of Spider Silk, Ive been associating cloth with Spider Silk lately. The Sewing Skill has leveled up StatusName: Takumi Iruma Intelligence: 198 Unique Skills Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv2 Insight Lv1 Poison Resistance Lv2 Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Active Skills Spear Handling Lv3 Axe Technique Lv2 Fencing Lv1 Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu Lv1 Matoujutsu Lv1 Enemy Search Lv2 Presence Detection Lv2 Stealth Lv2 Tame Lv1 Magic Perception Lv6 Magic Power Manipulation Lv8 Light Attribute Magic Lv5 Fire Attribute Magic Lv4 Water Attribute Magic Lv3 Wind Attribute Magic Lv2 Earth Attribute Magic Lv5 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv3 Bestowal Magic Lv3 Alchemy Lv6 Smithing Lv5 Woodworking LV6 Carpentry Lv4 Foraging Lv5 Logging Lv3 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv2 Sewing Lv3 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Familiars Killer Spider Unique Species ( Kaede ) *** Footnotes Probably the authors mistake, so I altered it. The raw said a mansion with a workshop, but its actually only a storehouse right now.Bisque or Bisquit is a pottery that has been fired and not yet glazed C Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit_(pottery)Glaze (Ceramic glaze) is an impervious layer or coating of a vitreous substance which has been fused to a ceramic body through firing. Glaze can serve to color, decorate or waterproof an item. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic_glazePapecks reaction to Kaede, while Takumi was travelling with Papeck to Volton, it said there that Papeck saw Kaede, but now hes surprised. I dont get it, honestly.The author actually kept changing the terms he uses when it comes to the toilet. It could sometimes be toilet, toilet bowl, toilet seat even when he means the same thing based on the context. Ill just try to keep it uniform. Chapter 23: Takumi Becomes A Rich Man Chapter 23: Takumi Becomes A Rich Man As I repair the mansion and make the things Im still missing, the place slowly started to become easier to live in. The clay and stone from the Papeck Company arrived during that time. Extracting whats needed from the stones, mixing it with the clay, I kept working on and on. Im so glad Im not working on this manually. From the bottom of my heart, I am so glad that this world has magic. AH! I could have asked the Papeck Company to make the toilets! The Alchemy Skill has leveled up The Alchemist Job has leveled up The Light Attribute Magic Skill has leveled up The Light Attribute Magic Skill has leveled up It was only after Ive finished 100 toilets that I realized. I completely forgot to do the same as with the hand pump. There, the crestfallen me was comforted by Kaede. To be comforted by a spider............ The magic device that invokes purifying magic at set intervals that Papeck-san had requested was surprisingly easy to make. Using Time-Space attribute magic, I could easy set a specific time interval for invocation. Having made 100 toilets and 5 timed purifying magic devices, I headed for the Papeck Company to deliver them to Papeck-san. I arrived at the company and Thomas-san immediately showed me to the parlor. Its like Im being treated even more courteously or maybe its just my imagination. Papeck-san arrived immediately. Takumi-sama, are you delivering the goods already? Yes, because it was only making the same things. Then, I will first hand over the money for the hand pump. The hand pumps are in such great demand in towns and villages, supply is currently not enough of it even with help of Bobon-dono in Bohd Village. Im crying for joy. As Papeck-san said that, he received a bag from Thomas-san, and held it out in front of me. 20 gold. This sum is only from the advanced orders these past few days. We will pay you at fixed intervals after this. I accepted the bag of 20 gold coins. It hasnt even been a month since I came to Volton, and yet Ive already earned such a large amount of money that its like Im losing touch of reality. For the toilet magic device, Im still considering its price, therefore please allow for your remuneration to be paid at a later date, Takumi-sama. And for the timed purifying magic devices, it will be sold to the feudal lord, therefore, please allow for payment to be deferred to a later date as well. Given that I have enough funds in hand right now to be fine without working for a while, I told Papeck-san that there would be no problem with that. And then, I requested that if they wanted a large quantity of toilets with a purifying feature, then Ill teach them the whole recipe, from the materials needed for the toilet and glaze to the finished product, and that anything besides the parts with the magic device will be manufactured by the Papeck Company. That is correct. Criminal slaves are out of the question, well, even the slaves charged for petty crimes would have issues with disclosure upon their release. Huh? But illegal slaves are people forcefully taken, arent they? Couldnt they buy themselves back? People forcefully taken can be released to how they were before they were sold to slave traders. Even after being sold to slave traders, they should be able to buy back their freedom. Yes, thats certainly true but, ............when they became illegal slaves, their parents and siblings............[1] Ah, I see. When thieves attack villages and merchant parties, people aside from the ones to be sold as merchandise are killed. It is not uncommon for slaves to refuse their own release due to these circumstances. The reason for this is because the master of a slave is obligated to provide food, clothing, and shelter for the slave. There are many of those who had been freed with nowhere to return to that want to be protected as slaves rather than live on their own. Hearing that, it made me think Uwaaa~ I was sent to a horrible world. But theres nothing I can do about it. I understand. I will leave the matter regarding slaves to you, Papeck-san. Please have the materials for the 200 toilets delivered in 3 days. Oooh, thank you. Now then, I will pay for the previous toilets and magic device. Since each individual toilet was sold for 10 gold, that will be 10 platinum, and each purifying magic device was sold for 100 gold, therefore the total amount is 15 white gold coins. Please confirm. ........................ My jaw dropped at the excessive amount of money. Isnt 10 gold for one toilet too expensive? What are you saying? Purification magic is that valuable. And I believe Takumi-sama has noticed it as well, but, the town of Volton reeks. I am currently marketing towards the nobles and wealthy merchants, but once the Papeck Company starts manufacturing toilets, we plan on doing our best to stabilize the price so that even an average household can buy one. I see. According to Papeck-san, the toilets that Papeck Company made are a bit lower in quality. Therefore, their plan is to market the ones I made as high class items, and the ones which I only made the magic device for will be marketed as the generic version. But still, a 1 million yen toilet; I wouldnt buy that. The purifying magic device was sold to Voltons feudal lord, and it was said that there are plans for it to be installed in the sections where the sewers connect. It seems that with this, the smell in Volton would improve and that the feudal lord is more than happy enough to become the backer of Papeck Company. And that leads to protecting me. Haa, I understand. I will make the delivery as soon as I am finished. We look forward to it. Papeck-san returned smilingly. 15 platinum, thats 150 million yen. Isnt it fine if I dont work anymore? As I say that, the lower-middle class me will probably work. *** Footnotes: I believe that the author made a typo here, said criminal slave (ū_) instead of illegal slave (`ū_). Chapter 24: Ulterior motives…… Can’t I not to have one? Chapter 24: Ulterior motives...... Cant I not to have one? Having been requested an additional 200 toilets by Papeck-san, I worked on the same things in silent contempt for a while, then went to Papeck Company to deliver the 200 toilets and 10 purifying magic devices. It was repetitive work but the levels of Alchemy skill, Earth attribute skill, Alchemist job, and Mage job all went up. Furthermore, because I had been cooking for myself in the mansion, I acquired the Cooking skill. Given that its only level 2, its correction value is still minimal, but it is useful enough. There werent instances where I could cook for myself when I was a salaryman in my 40s, but somehow being able to cook is amazing for a skill. On one such day, a carriage from the Papeck Company stopped in front of my home, and Papeck-san says that theres a place he wants to bring me to. As I had promised previously, I will take you to an acquaintance slave trader. I would like for Papeck Company to deal in slaves as well, however, slave trading requires a completely different know-how from trading in normal merchandise. Also, I received a payment of 30 platinum for the delivery of the additional magic devices. Inside the carriage that was moving along the flagstone path, I received an explanation about the place we were heading to. The carriage eventually stopped at the outskirts of the commercial district, at a slave shop one house away from the red light district. The building of the slave shop shows a modest facade. To the point that if I wasnt told that it was a slave shop, I wouldnt know. Takumi-sama, this is the Moulin Slavery Company. Because this is in Volton, it is a company that runs its business very seriously. We alighted the carriage, and a voluptuous woman came out of the slavery company to greet us. Papeck-sama, it has been too long. Moulin-dono, I must say it truly has. Today we have come in search for a slave that can be be entrusted with assisting in daily matters and a slave that would serve as a guard for Takumi-sama. Thank you very much, Papeck-sama. Takumi-sama, I am the proprietress of this company, Moulin. Thank you for visiting us today. My name is Takumi. Moulin-san, please treat me well today. An older voluptuous woman, my heart wouldnt stop beating fast at Moulin-sans seductiveness. I had lovers when I was in Japan, and I am not a virgin. But my response is no different from the 15 year old boy that I am today. Fufu, please come in. Urged by Moulin-san, I followed after them into the slave shop, all while red in the face. I drank tea in the parlor room while calming myself, and Moulin-san came in with a file in one hand. Due to this being a time where there are few debt slaves, the slaves that our company can showcase are few, however...... Moulin-dono, that may be so, however Takumi-sama is intent on war slaves or illegal slaves. [1]Reaad the latest stories on The moment Papeck-san said that, Moulin-sans eyes narrowed and her gentle aura to dangerous one in an instant. Could you please tell me the reason? Yes, Takumi-sama here may be young, however, he is an artisan with techniques that other people can not imitate. There are many among those techniques that must be kept a secret, and it is difficult to choose a slave, such as a debt slave, with the potential of leaking those secrets after their release. Papeck-san explained it as such, and Moulin-sans aura returned to a gentle one. I see, if its a war slave, he will not be released unless a very trusting relationship is built. Conversely, many of the illegal slaves rely on their masters and would hate to be freed. I understand. Then, I will show you to them. After that, I looked at the slaves around the room that Moulin-san guided us to, but there werent many people here. Thinking that it was an invasion of privacy, I had not appraised anyone until today. My apologies, but with Takumi-samas requirements, there are few men with combat potential that have become slaves. As Moulin-san says, when it comes to war slaves or illegal slaves, the options diminish very much. Lets review it again. One person to help manage the mansion and my everyday needs. One person to serve as a my guard when Im foraging. I want at least two people. Moulin-san says that the number of war slaves that the Moulin Company currently is currently in possession of is one. Just one. And that sole individual has quite a special circumstance. In fact, this slave is a prisoner from the war between Triaria Kingdom and Yggurle Kingdom 50 years ago. 50 years ago?! Ah, thats because Yggurle Kingdom is the country of elves. Moulin-san said that, in those days, the skirmishes between those two countries fell into a temporary state of war, and the prisoner wasnt exchanged at the time and was directly sold as a slave to a third party country, Valkyra Kingdom. Since Volton is located at the western end of Valkyra Kingdom and is close to Yggurle Kingdom, Moulins grandfather had successfully bought the slave from Triaria, but due to various reasons, has remained unsold. I dont know why an exchange of prisoners wasnt done, but I knew from just a glance what the reason is for remaining unsold. The right hand, left leg, and an ear were missing. As you can see, she can not fight. She is an elf so she should be able to use spirit magic and attribute magic, but is unable to use magic for some reason. In addition, lacking a leg is fatal if travel is taken into consideration. I have no clue as to what grandfather was thinking when he took this girl in. Right, the war slave given a single room is a peerless, beautiful woman. She has long light golden hair, a face so beautiful it was as if it was made by a god, gentle green eyes carrying a strong will, is of tall stature with long legs and arms, and has a figure everyone would likely be charmed by. Above all is her impressive protruding chest that my eyes were nearly glued to. Even so, isnt it strange for there to be no one who wants to buy her? Well, I heard that even with her disabilities, she still has a beautiful face so there were many enquiries from nobles and wealthy merchants. But grandfather seems to have a contract to not sell her as a sex slave, and so she has remained unsold. I thought about this for a bit. My Light attribute magic is currently level 7. To be able to use Extra Heal to return lost limbs, I would have raise its skill level one more time or I wont be able to. I havent obtained the recipe for advanced potions yet so Ill exclude that. Would it be alright for me to buy her? Takumi-sama, are you sure? Surprised, Papeck-san asked. I wonder if he thought Im buying because shes beautiful. ```````````````````` Status Name: Sophia Sylphide Race: Elf Status Condition: Healthy Vitality; 330 Magic Power: 480 Strength: 146 Agility: 116 Stamina: 208 Dexterity: 154 Intelligence: 202 Unique Skills Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv2 Insight Lv1 Poison Resistance Lv2 Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Active Skills Spear Handling Lv3 Axe Technique Lv2 Swordplay Lv1 Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu Lv1 Matoujutsu Lv1 Enemy Search Lv2 Presence Detection Lv2 Stealth Lv2 Tame Lv1 Magic Perception Lv6 Magic Power Manipulation Lv8 Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv4 Water Attribute Magic Lv3 Wind Attribute Magic Lv2 Earth Attribute Magic Lv7 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv3 Bestowal Magic Lv3 Alchemy Lv7 Smithing Lv5 Woodworking Lv6 Carpentry Lv4 Foraging Lv5 Logging Lv3 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv2 Sewing Lv3 Cooking Lv2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Familiars Killer Spider Unique Species ( Kaede ) *** Footnotes: I think author made another typo with criminal and illegal slaves again, so I am sticking to illegal slaves. Chapter 25: In the end, I bought two Chapter 25: In the end, I bought two Konkon, Gacha The sound of knocking was heard and Sophia came in with Moulin and an employee. Please sit down. Since she was just standing there, I asked her to sit down. Please allow me to ask you one or two questions. Sophia-san, you were a knight in Yggurle Kingdom. Though right away is impossible, would there be a problem if you were to return to Yggurle Kingdom when you are released in the future? Also, although I am an artisan, I would like to be escorted when I sometimes forage or go mining, but do you find duties like those unpleasant? For the time being, I tried asking if theres a reason should she not want to return to her homeland, and if a knight like her is a fit to be doing guard duty for me. Takumi-dono, was it? Before that, are you a son of a noble? Im sure youve heard but I am by no means cheap. No, I am not a noble. Just a country bumpkin. Sophia-dono, though Takumi-sama is young, he is an excellent artisan. An excellent artisan and developer whose earnings in just this month alone is enough to buy every one of you. It seems like a young person such as myself carrying large amounts of money was misunderstood to be a nobles idiotic son. Papeck-san explained how I have such a large amount of money. So, how is that? ...... there would be no punishment if I were to return to my motherland. With regards to escorting, I do not dislike the work itself either. However, I am unable to wield a sword or spear with this body. I cant be relied on for magic either because I cant knead magic power. Sophia bit her lip in vexation.Finndd the newest novels on This is unrelated but I wonder if Sophias speech being boyish is because she is a knight. Its such a steep gap from her womanly appearance. I wont say anything at the moment but Ill do something about that, somehow. Please tell me at once if my purchase of you is physiologically impossible. N-no, its not impossible. Rather, what else can I say to such pretty silver hair and cool eyes? Oooh, her face that doesnt look 80 years old blushing is cute. Her appearance might be like that of someone in their 20s. Elves sure are amazing. Theyre said have a lifespan of 700-800 years. An error range of a 100 years............... Well then, you will be purchasing Sophia, correct? We will make preparations for Sophia. And one more, you wanted someone who can manage a mansion, did you not? Yes. Then we will present children who had been subjected to a crime and were illegally sold as slaves. However, having suffered excessively at the hands of thieves, there are many who have a fear of men. Therefore the ones being presented to Takumi-sama today were kidnapped children who have no place to return to, and among the ones weve raised, we will first present the one we recommend. Bring Maria. Moulin-san gave instructions to the employee. Takumi-sama, can you recover lost limbs? Papeck-san, I must say that it is impossible at present. ............However, with one more level, I better not say anything more than this. Yes, t-thats right. I will not ask about this. I heard that there is one priest in the Divine Empire of Sydnia that can recover limbs, and that is the pope. Hearing Papeck-san and my conversation, Sophia suddenly grabbed my arm. Sophia-san, your face is close, too close! If a peerless beauty does that, Id lose all reasoning. Master, you can use Light attribute magic to the point where limbs can be restored? No, Im saying its still impossible for me right now. But Ill do something about it before long. For Sophia-san who had come to be my guard, it would be hard to hold even a sword without a right hand, wouldnt it? A sword, I will be able to swing a sword...... Sophia-san wants to believe but cant believe it, and I could see that complex expression. Ah, since your curse has been dispelled, you can use both Spirit magic and Attribute magic. Eh!!? Sophia-san kneaded her magic power within herself inside the carriage. Magic power, my magic power is working. I can knead magic power! Whoa, whoa! Calm down Sophia-san, were inside a carriage. The excited Sophia-san calmed down somehow. I know youre happy because you hadnt been able to use magic until now, but, sorry, Ill have you settle down. Papeck-san had on a face that was saying Since when had the curse been dispelled???. *** Footnotes: Onomatopoeia explanations. Konkon = knocking, Gacha = door opening. Translators Note: Im so happy we finally reached the story where the girls are shown. >w< Ive always been so curious as to who those girls on the cover were and when theyd appear. As always, thank you for reading! Ill be back from my trip to Singapore by the 25th. Thank you for your understanding. Chapter 26: Three People and One Creature Chapter 26: Three People and One Creature We returned to the mansion using Papeck-sans carriage. The three of us entered the mansion and relaxed in the living room. For starters, there are 3 vacant rooms on the second floor, Sophia-san and Maria-san please choose from those. Master, please address me simply as Sophia. That is right, Master. Master, you will be looked down upon if you treat slaves in such a manner. As soon as we returned home, I had suddenly been given advice by Sophia-san and Maria-san. It seems that the Master C Slave relationship must properly be upheld. I dont think of it as a Master and Slave, but Sophia and Maria, ...... this is awkward. Also, one room per person is too luxurious for a slave. No, there are many rooms so use them. Ah! I forgot to introduce you. Kaede, come out. Kaede came out of the Subspace, and got on my lap as I sat on the sofa. ............uCumm, M, master, th-that is... Sophia and Maria were pale faced and staring at Kaede. This ones name is Kaede. Its my familiar, so do get along. Familiar......, Master, that, is a Killer spider is it not? Oooh, as expected of an elf, you know it well. No, the incredible one is Master. An escort is unnecessary if Kaede is around; Im losing confidence. Afterwards, I toured them around the mansion, and explained how to use the toilet and the bath. I-is it alright for u-us to use the bath as well?! This is my first time seeing a bath! After showing them and telling them that theyre free to enter the bathroom, Sophia and Marias spirits became ridiculous. Sophia-san, its soap! Its true! What a nice scent. The excitement of the two wouldnt settle down, they kept touching the magic device and dispensing hot water. The hot water vigorously flowed, and in a few minutes the hot water had filled the tub. Ill prepare the towels, you guys bring a change of underwear, and its fine to go in one at a time or together. For Master to not come with us, and for slaves to enter first, you say. Thats right, Master! Come on, the appeal of the faces of these two who want to enter the bath. Un, honesty is best. I take a bath just before sleeping so its alright. Then I will take your word for it. Me too, Ill go in first. Sophia and Maria ran to get underwear brought with them from the slavery company. Even though Sophia is one-legged. And then, that time came. The Light Attribute Magic Skill has leveled up Haaa, it finally went up. I returned to the mansion and Maria was preparing dinner. Ah, Master, preparations for dinner will be done very soon. Thank you. The three of us ate dinner, then I took Sophia to her room. Whats the matter, Master? Well, its fine, its fine. Sophia sat on the bed. I kneaded a concentration of magic power and constructed a magic formula. Extra Heal A change suddenly wrapped light around Sophias body. Ah! Sophia let out a groan. Sophias right arm started regenerating, her ear returned to its former state, and her foots regeneration proceeded at a quick pace. Sophias arm, leg, and ear had regenerated right before my eyes. Maria covered her mouth with her hand in surprise. Wha! ...............M, Masterrrr~! Sophias exceedingly beautiful face distorted and she burst into tears. Waa~ Im so tiiired~ I-is Master a priest? Maria spouted absurdities. In the end, it took some time before Sophia could regain her composure. Washing her tear-stained face, Sophia then fell to her knees in front of me. I will dedicate eternal loyalty and devotion to Master. Sophia, raise your head. I healed your body for my sake. So raise your head, Sophia. This is wonderful, isnt it, Sophia-san. Well talk about whats to come tomorrow, Sophia will rest today. Her lost limbs were healed, but having not moved very much for a very long time, Sophias stamina did not return to how it used to be. Good night, Sophia. Good night, Maria. Good night, Master. Theyve got to change their way of calling me Master. Being called Master, no way~ this isnt a maid cafe. *** Chapter 27: Current Objectives Chapter 27: Current ObjectivesOn the second morning of Sophia and Maria coming to the house, the three of us finished eating breakfast and were discussing todays plans and future objectives over a cup of tea. Firstly, my plans for today. We will buy clothing and underwear, and any other necessities for you, Sophia and Maria. However, we might run into some trouble because both of you stand out very much, so Ill lend you my overcoat today. We might be able to hide your face if you pull up the hood. I can understand Sophia-san, but I will be fine. No no no, Maria, you should be aware of your own appearance. Sophia is a different type, but you are also good enough to boast about. When I said that, Marias face turned red and she looked down. Beside her, Sophia was also nodding. I will eventually make clothes and underwear. Eh!? Umm, Master, even our underwear? Thats right. The clothes Im wearing, down to my underwear, are all handmade. The cloth is made from Kaedes specialized Spider Silk. S, SPIDER SILK! Knowing the value of Spider Silk, Sophia was speechless. About my plans for the future. I want to travel freely to different places. I also want to go to places with food and materials only available in those places, see beautiful sceneries and historic ruins. Of course, our base will be this house. I would like for Sophia to always be with me to guard me, but if that were the case, Id be worried for Maria whod have to house-sit for a long time. L-listen, Master, would it be a bother to you if I said I want to come along with you and Sophia-san? Maria stared at me as she talked. Being stared at by a beautiful girl like her, Id do anything she asks for. Receiving permission from the two, I first checked Sophia and Marias status using Appraisal. Status Sophia Sylphide Race: Elf Age: 80 years old Job: Spirit Mage Lv60, Knight Lv20 (Warrior Lv80, Hunter Lv67) Level: 64 Condition: Healthy ( Slavery: Takumi ) Vitality: 420 Magic Power: 520 Strength: 280 Agility: 380 Stamina: 320 Dexterity: 210 Intelligence: 360 Unique Skills Spirit Eye Passive Skills Insight Lv3 Active Skills Swordplay Lv7 Shield Technique Lv5 Spear Handling Lv6 Archery Lv6 ````````````````````Status ```````````````````` I already knew Sophia was strong before I appraised her, but Marias status wasnt all that bad either. It might not be an exaggeration to call her a genius. Just what did Moulin-san make Maria do? Shes a battle maid no matter how I look at it. Our levels arent that much different, and you can use three attribute magic. Maria, your status is more than enough. But is this really okay? I think we will face a lot of danger. Yes, it would be many times more painful being left by Master and Sophia. Maria looked serious. Master, I also ask this of you. I would like for you to allow Maria to move together with us. If its magic, then I will teach her, and I think I can also teach her how to fight. ............ thats true, I will also join your training. Yeah, Maria is the one in charge of my well-being after all. Yes! That being the case, it is necessary to reassess our battle potential. Originally, I had planned for just Sophia and I to go on the journey. I thought it was a good idea to hire an escort from the Adventurers Guild when moving from one town to the next. Sophia is also strong so I think nothing extreme would happen. However, Maria coming along changes the story. To take a beauty and a peerless beauty on a journey, thats just like saying Please attack me. At present, Maria and I have to improve our overall strength. Sophia will cancel out her 50 year blank. And I will make Sophia and Marias equipment. Thats about it. Also, it might be good for Maria and I to register at the Adventurers Guild. Thats true, you need identification papers. Today will be for shopping and registering at the Adventurers Guild. In the Adventurers Guild, aside from the registrations, I would like some information about the monsters that frequently appear in the vicinity of Volton. Sophia, would knight armor be good? Since Sophias job used to be a knight, I asked her if she wanted knight armor, but she shook her head. No, being a knight doesnt mean I wear knight armor. Leather armor that does not inhibit my movement would be sufficient. I still have a ton of materials from the Huge Armored Boar so Ill use those. What weapon can you use well? Sophia should be good with the sword, spear, and, very elf-like of her, the bow. I would like a long sword, a spear around 2 meter to 2.5 meters, and a long bow as my bow. Also, one or two knives. You dont need a shield? For the shield, a small round shield will be good. I wonder if Sophias fighting style relies on speed. Ill make a leather armor similar to mine then. Maria, what weapon do you want to use? Still a dagger? I trained with a dagger at Moulin, so a dagger or knife as the base would be good, but I have worries about its destructiveness against enemy monsters. Fumu, it is enough for interpersonal fights but grave against large monsters. How about a spear then, Maria? If its a spear then I can teach you. Thats right. Spears, glaives, bardiches, halberds, there are many types, but either way, a long weapon would probably be good. In the end, it would make no difference whether you use a knife or a spear if youre fighting a huge armored boar, but if youre fighting a goblin with a knife, or fighting it with a spear or glaive, then the latter would definitely be much easier to fight with. Yeah, Maria is a beginner with long weapons, so try starting with a spear. You can change to a glaive after that. Yes, please teach me, Sophia-san. It seems Maria took Sophias advice and chose the spear. Aside from the twos spears and blades, I need to prepare their armor too. *** Chapter 28: Preparation for the Two Chapter 28: Preparation for the Two All of my actions, which includes the collection of materials, Sophia and Maria wished to do together. Also, although it had already been decided that I will make Sophia and Marias equipment, a certain incident happened on the night of the discussion. I was relaxing alone in the bath when, all of a sudden, a bare Sophia came in. Wha! I forgot how to breathe and my eyes were wide open. There stood an exceedingly marvelous figure far beyond my imagination, smiling while enduring her shame. Takumi-sama, would you please accept all of me? I had the two of them change their way of calling me master after the discussion we had earlier. I want to get along with them familiarly, not as their master. Sophia, there should be a clause in your slave contract stating that you are not demanded to attend to me. Restoring your limbs was also because I wanted your fighting potential. These are my feelings. In my long life as an elf, my time together with Takumi-sama is short and fleeting. With that being the case, I wish to spend that time devoting my mind and body to you. Being told that much, my reasoning was at its limits. A beautiful girl the likes Ive never seen before is in front of me, naked. There is no way I could endure that. What happened after that was quite excessive. It was morning by the time we realized it. On the large bed I made lay an exhausted Sophia, sleeping. Last night, what happened in the bathroom was a first for Sophia. She had already lost her limbs by the time she became a prisoner, but she is the daughter of a noble, even though low ranked. After that, why Sophia was not returned in the exchange of prisoners and indemnities, I was not told. In the beginning I thought Sophia would be too much for me, but the constitution of my body was made special by Goddess Norn; It was very high-performance. In various meanings. Although Maria and Sophia exchanging glances about something during breakfast was on my mind, I plan on making their equipment today. In order for Sophia to recover from her 50 year blank, she practices in the garden using the spear and sword I lent. When Maria is done cleaning and tidying up, she would join the said training. As for me, I was secluded in the workshop in the garden, making Sophia and Marias blades and spears. I think Magic Steel would be good as the material . I can just buy or make a request the ores aside from this. Although its fine if I buy the weapons since I have a lot of money, I still want to do it by myself., from mining, to refining, to smithing, until enchanting. Additionally, in this world, simply being a hard metal is not very meaningful. Even if I made tungsten carbide, a hard metal alloy, that alloy has low affinity with magic power and would do little damage to monsters. That is why, in this world, a bullet from a handgun would only pass through a weak monster. This is a fact from the information I had received from the Goddess. So now, Ill divide the magic steel ingots into the necessary portions using Earth magic. With the Smith magic Craft, I imagined a blade 50 cm long, the spearhead of a spear in Japan called an Oomiyari[1]. At this point, I realize that I forgot one thing. Oh no! I forgot the materials for the shaft! I forgot. Probably because of the large correction Goddess-sama had on my luck, I was able to use Treant materials, but to go hunting for Treants now would be impossible. I changed my mind and just make the spearheads for now, then make the sword and knives. The mental image I have is a Japanese spear called a Sasahoyari.[2] With a precise image in mind, I used Craft to shape the ingot. If I was shaping this normally, then its entirety would be magic steel, however, I altered the core and edge into carbon steel. Furthermore, I restructured the martensite on the blade. Working on it with just an image shaves off my magic power. The [Smithing] Skill has leveled upGeett the latest novels on The [Blacksmith] Job has leveled up The [Earth Attribute Magic] Skill has leveled up The [Alchemy] Skill has leveled up The [Alchemist] Job has leveled up The [Bestowal Magic] Skill has leveled up The [Magic Bestower] Job has leveled up Status Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Active Skills Spear Handling Lv3 Axe Technique Lv2 Swordplay Lv1 Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu Lv2 Matoujutsu Lv1 Enemy Search Lv2 Presence Detection Lv2 Stealth Lv2 Tame Lv1 Magic Perception Lv6 Magic Power Manipulation Lv8 Light Attribute Magic Lv7 [3] Fire Attribute Magic Lv4 Water Attribute Magic Lv3 Wind Attribute Magic Lv2 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv3 Bestowal Magic Lv5 Alchemy Lv8 Smithing Lv6 Woodworking Lv6 Carpentry Lv4 Foraging Lv5 Logging Lv3 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv4 Sewing Lv3 Cooking Lv2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Familiar Killer Spider Unique Species ( Kaede ) *** Footnotes its longer version of the suyari which is a straight double edged spear. Image of Oomiyari and a Suyari for comparison.Image of Sasahoyari.Authors mistake, based on the story progress, this should have been level 8. I will keep this as Lv7 only because the story continues with it as being lv7. Thanks to Tanskandoggi for pointing it out. Chapter 29: Equipment of the Two, Armor Edition Chapter 29: Equipment of the Two, Armor Edition Having finished making the sword and knives of the girls at a speed that one could only be expected with magic and only in a fantasy world, I then moved on to making their armor. The materials will be the same as mine, Huge Armored Boars hide and carapace. Ive already finished remodeling my armor to have Automatic Size Adjustment, Enhanced Physical Defense, and Automatic Temperature Regulation enchantments. I plan on changing the design of Sophia and Marias armor but it will have the same performance as mine. I had asked for Sophia and Marias requests beforehand, and they said they wanted something that doesnt become a hindrance to their breastplate and gauntlets. Even with the Automatic Size Adjustment enchantment, Id still need to take their measurements, huh. I made excuses for myself as I went to call Sophia and Maria over. The two were in the middle of training in the garden. Sophia was doing demonstrations with the spear I had lent her, and Maria was mimicking it with a stick modeled after a spear. Guessing from Marias movements, she probably already acquired the Spear Handling Technique skill. She sure does have talent. As someone who has a cheat-class correction from the Goddess, that is what I thought when I saw their training. (A knights spear handling really is educational.) For me who is self-taught in the ways of the sword and spear, this view of training is beneficial. Acquiring a skill, you will certainly be able to do those technical skills, but I think having sufficient technique founded on martial arts is still important. Sophia, who was training, noticed me and stopped the training. Takumi-sama, may I help you? Ah! Takumi-sama, you were watching? Un, I was admiring Sophias spear handling, and surprised by Marias talent. Having the girls wear boots the same color as mine isnt cute. I used alchemy to coat the surface of the boots with a pigment to change their color. For Sophia, because the forest is the image associate with elves, dark green. For Maria, a type of blue will match her hair so I dyed her boots dark blue. The girls boots, unlike mine, are long boots. This is just a matter of appearances, though. All thats left is the under-armor. Normal clothes are fine, but I should do all the things I can do. Kaede, could you take out some elastic threads? Yes, Master I had Kaede who was relaxing beside me provide some elastic threads. Leather armor is an equipment worn above clothes, but I plan on preparing special under-armor. I had woven Kaedes special elastic thread together with a thicker-than-normal thread to weave a cloth to make cargo-pants-like pants. However, that might be unfashionable for Sophia and Maria. So, with tights in mind, I wanted to make durable pants with thin elastic thread so it doesnt inhibit movement. Their shapes would show too much if I keep this as it is. Its okay I can see it, but I dont want others to see it. Ill have to add a miniskirt in place of tassets over this. It would be easy to move in by adding a slit, and its defense should leave nothing to be desired with Spider Silk (defense specialized). With that decided, its weaving time. To make cloth with a variety of spider silk, I set the threads into the loom. As I imagine the parts Sophia and Maria will wear the equipment on, I couldnt reel in my smiling face. *** Chapter 30: Adventurer Registration of the Two Chapter 30: Adventurer Registration of the TwoIt took 3 days since I started making Sophia and Marias equipment to finish making the fitted shirts and pants that would become their under-armor. Besides this, the day after I had started making the equipment and connected with Sophia, another incident occurred. I worked enthusiastically on their equipment since the day began so after eating dinner, I took a slow, relaxing bath. Fuuu~ will Sophia coming today? My memories of last night resurfaced. At that moment, I heard the door open and someone entered. Thinking Sophia had come, I held in my grin, looked at the entrance and............. Eh!? The stark naked figure that appeared was not Sophia, but Maria. A breathtaking beauty different from the adult woman that Sophia is. Coming in from the exit, I couldnt retreat to elsewhere, a figure dangerous to the eyes had freely entered the bathroom. ..................Maria. ......Takumi-sama, I had conceded the first to Sophia-san, however, I will do my best in attending to you. Umm, Maria, our contract excludes attending to me, doesnt it? Thats because I wanted you to take care of my everyday needs. Maria approached the bathtub while I was saying that. I will assist in both your everyday needs and attending to you. Eh, Maria, dont come any closer. I wont be able to ho` Maria didnt let me finish what I was saying. After her soft lips had shut my mouth, my reasoning flew away. Moulin is frightening; It is Marias first time but she seems to have received a variety of training. In the end, we slept at around the same time as yesterday. From the discussion I had with the two after that, it seems Sophia had decided to attend to me after I cured her disability. I somewhat get it but I also dont. Its not something you do out of gratitude. I thought But if thats the case, how about Maria? but apparently, its because, from the time I had first met them, I continued to treat Sophia and Maria like any other person. Sorry to tell you but for me, its because I was in an era in Japan that is unfamiliar with the system of slavery. Sophia and Maria said that they do not want to be freed. Especially Maria, she said she absolutely hates it. Kidnapped and sold when she was a child, Marias whole world was in Moulin Slavery Company. Maria, who has no place to return to, pleaded, wanting to stay with me my whole lifetime. Incidentally, the agreement is that when I die, they will be set free. With this and that, for the two who had been connected to me both emotionally and physically in the short time since weve met, I swore to do my very best. For the 3 of us to travel together, Sophia advised that it is essential that Maria and I increase our abilities, so its about time I fight monsters and make an effort to level up. Before we do that, weve decided to complete Maria and Sophias guild registration. Their armors were complete; Sophia and Marias equipment are Huge Armored Boar leather armor, gauntlets, and long boots. I wonder if well get into trouble if they wear an overcoat with the hoods up. Un, it suits the two of you very well. Thank you very much When I said so, Sophia and Maria didnt conceal their smiles while seeming embarrassed. Weve only been associated with each other for a few days but I feel like weve gotten much closer. We will go to the Adventurers Guild. After we finish the registration, I plan on accepting some kind of request. Guild Card Name: SophiaGuild Card Name: Maria Hey! What do you think youre doing ignoring me!? Since I wasnt talking, the large man began to rage. Sophia moved to protect me but I held her back with one hand. I actually had something I wanted to try. Ill have this ruffian be my guinea pig. ............ you stink. I murmured those words and the large man was enraged. Youve got some nerve! Its time you slept, you bastard! The large man swung his fist, aiming for my face. The 2 meter giant let loose a punch. I bet people around us think that no matter how close I am to 180 cm, against his stature, Id be knocked out in one hit. I envelop my entire body with magic power and raised my physical abilities. TheEnhance Physical Abilities Skill has been obtained Gyakinn!! Gusha! Gyaaaaaaaaaa!!! A sound too hard to have been that of a person being hit resounded, and the large man cupped his hand and rolled on the floor. Oi! Devuel W-whats wrong!? You bastard! What did you do to Devuel!? His two companions hit me. Gyakin!! Gyakin!! Gusha! It huuuuuuurts!! Ugyaaaaaa!! Naturally, I had no reason to dodge and let them hit me, the result was 3 ruffians rolling on the floor of the guild. What do you think youre doing inside the guild!! A skinheaded[2] man in his prime and the receptionist who was in charge of Sophia and Marias registration, Hans-san, came running out from within the reception counters. These guys are D rank and Devuel. Is this your doing? The 2 meter skinhead asked me in a low voice but all I did was get hit. Guild master[3], Takumi-kun and his companions were dragged into this, they hit him one-sidedly. Hans-san testified what he saw. Just got hit you say? These guys fists are all messed up. Whered they have to hit to do this? Haaa, well, it was Takumi, wasnt it? I wanna talk and ask you a few questions so come with me to another room please. Hey, its not like youll be punished; There was a testimony from a guild personnel this time. I glanced at Sophia and Maria and they nodded, so Hans-san guided us into the guild conference room. Meanwhile, those men were dragged along by guild personnel. *** Footnotes: Anchan C another way of saying Oniichan (Older Brother, or a casual way of calling a stranger)Skinhead C Bald.Hans calls the guild master, guilmas. Sphys Note: Heya. You may have noticed I just use attend as the translation of Yotogi which is to sleep with a man (at his bidding). I believe it fits more than sleeping with in this context. But what I really want to say is, while I believe this novel is R15, if there are scenes that would turn R18, then forgive me because I will skip those because this site does not allow such content for certain reasons and Im not interested in such. Thanks for reading!Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Chapter 31: Alchemist Chapter 31: AlchemistPrompted to sit after being guided into the guild conference room, the three of us sat side-by-side across from the guild master. So, what did you do?Finndd the newest novels on With a file on hand, the Guild master suddenly questioned me. Guild master, its impolite to not even give your name. Hans, youre too stuffy. Sorry, sorry. I am the guild master of Voltons Adventurers Guild, Barack. So, even if it was a joke, what did you do to D ranked Devuel and his companions? Is not answering that not possible? I dont want to show my hand to other people very much. More or less. The Adventurers Guild does not leak personal information. Furthermore, I believe that it is necessary for the guild to have an understanding of the abilities of the adventurers registered to it for a smoother execution of our duties. This incident informed us that Takumi-kun, who was promoted to F rank through a delivery of medicinal plants, has the ability to repel Devuel and his companions. It would be easy to understand if it was done with a sword or martial arts, however, because I sensed residue of magic power were present, I believe that magic was used. What a terrifying guy. To be able to sense residues of magic power, the skill level of his Magic Perception must be quite high. Im surprised Han-san isnt just your average receptionist. Im shocked. You clearly understood that it was magic. But to say it was magic.. what was used on... Devuel, was it?, isnt some sort of magic. So heres a play-by-play of what I did at that time. When Devuel started to punch, I secretly took out charcoal from my item box. I then just coated my upper body with the charcoal. Its just that I transmuted the charcoal into diamond. Had Devuel and his companions strengthened their fists with magic when they punched me, I think I would have taken damage. Diamond boasts a 10 on the Mohs Hardness scale[1], but its durability is similar to a crystal, so I think it wouldnt have been able to endure an attack with magic. ......Takumi-kun, are you an alchemist? No, but, to transmutation in battle, and chantless, too? Wait a minute Hans! Explain it in a way I would understand! He covered his body with a hard material, the damage when they hit was from defending. Well, the damage had rebounded to Devuel and his companions. Fumu, then its good they got what they deserve. However, Takumi-kun, you registered as a mage, didnt you? Well, you dont look like a mage though. When Hans-san said that, I realized. I am wearing leather armor and have a sword on my hip. Yeah, I look like a warrior or a soldier. Now that he mentions it, Im not using a staff. In a discussion I later had with Sophia, a medium for magic invocation isnt indispensable, but it does make magic power manipulation and managing magic formulas much easier. I wish I knew that sooner. Ive only just realized that I dont look like a mage too. Fumu, and these two Onee-chans are Takumis party members? Barrack moved his gaze onto Sophia and Maria. Even if we were to add people, not just anyone will do, so for now we will do our best with just three people. After a short while, Hans-san came back to the conference room with a file in hand. Sorry for the way. I will explain the requests Ive chosen immediately. The requests Hans-san brought were: Goblin Subjugation A free rank permanent request. Subjugate 5 Goblins to complete request. Reward: 5 silver coins Kobold Subjugation A G rank subjugation request Subjugate 3 Kobolds to complete request Reward: 6 silver coins Maryl Grass Collection A G rank collection request A set of 5 bunches to complete request. Reward: 5 silver coins Aside from these, Hirukuku Grass and Kurupopo Grass are permanent requests with a reward of 2 silver for a set of 5 bunches, so our plan is to forage them when we find some. Sophia-san can handle goblins and kobolds so I believe it will be fine. Including Takumi-kun, all of your members have quite the equipment. Yeah, youll probably get to F rank very soon. I understand. Then we will be on our way immediately. We checked the habitats of Goblins and Kobolds, and left for the quests at once. *** Footnotes: Mohs Hardness Scale -A scale used for one of the most important tests for identifying mineral specimens. More information here. Chapter 32: Irregularity of the Subjugation Request Chapter 32: Irregularity of the Subjugation Request The area where goblins and kobolds start appearing is a 30 minute walk southwest from the town of Volton. Isnt a 30 minute walk to where goblins and kobolds appear too close? Takumi-sama, goblins are G ranked. It is said that if you see 1, there are 100. Goblins are the enemy of women. Oh, the goblins in this world are in compliance with light novels. I did think that Sophia might have been an elf-with-uncharacteristically-huge-breasts character though. We trained Presence Detection, Magic Perception, Enemy Search, and Stealth while searching for goblins and kobolds. Shh, Takumi-sama, Ive found some goblins. Sophia pointed at 4 goblins ahead. They have ugly faces and green bodies, are short in stature; They carried clubs and rusty swords. These are probably goblin scouts. They might have formed a mid-sized colony.Geett the latest novels on Thats terrible, Sophia-san, we must notify the guild. Calm down Maria, we first need to confirm it. Sophias conjecture made Maria panic, but we decided to confirm whether or not there is a colony. Then, I will kill the two on the right. I will leave the two on the left to Takumi-sama and Maria. Got it. I, Ill do my best. On Sophias signal, we started running. The three of us were holding the spears I made. In the end, I used wood that I bought for the handle, but the girls liked and accepted them. Gyagyagya We paid no mind to the goblins noticing us, and stabbed them with the spear in a flash. Gyaaaaaa!! I killed the goblin with one thrust to its throat. I hurriedly checked on Sophia and Maria. Maria easily stabbed the goblin, laying it to rest with her spear. Sophia took down the 2 goblins with minimal effort. Good job. That was too easy for both Takumi-sama and Maria. Lets keep this pace up. Yes, Ill try my best. The right ears of the goblins were cut off with a knife as proof of subjugation, and the magic stones were dug out from around their heart. I then immediately disposed of the remnants of the corpses by burying them with Earth magic. After that, we who were advancing through the meadows to the forest as we hunted for goblins, found and defeated a small pack of kobolds along the way. We were proceeding smoothly, fighting goblins using swords and spears. I couldnt see a glimpse of Sophias true abilities with just goblins. Maria and I receive Sophias advice as we steadily kill goblins At noon, we ate some of the largely stocked lunch prepared by Golden Wheat Pavilion that I was keeping in the Item Box. Hey Sophia, are goblins something this frequently encountered? No, I believe the frequency of our encounters is clearly very high. Before we arrived here, we fought with a considerable number of goblins. Kaede alone took out a little over 10 of them. Kaede uses paralysis poison and toxic poison. Furthermore, it leaps to behead goblins with its tough threads that were further strengthened. Because these tough threads are hard to see, the goblins heads fly off and they die without them understanding what happened to them. The colony might have a general class within them. StatusName: Takumi Iruma Spear Handling Lv4 Axe Technique Lv2 Swordplay LV2 Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu LV2 Matoujutsu Lv2 Enemy Search Lv2 Presence Detection LV3 Stealth Lv3 Tame Lv1 Enhance Physical Abilities Lv2 Magic Perception Lv7 Magic Power Manipulation Lv8 Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv4 Water Attribute Magic Lv3 Wind Attribute Magic Lv3 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv3 Bestowal Magic Lv5 Alchemy Lv8 Smithing Lv6 Woodworking Lv6 Carpentry Lv4 Foraging Lv5 Logging Lv3 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv4 Sewing Lv3 Cooking Lv2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Familiars: Killer Spider Unique Species ( Kaede ) *** Chapter 33: The Awakening of Takumi Chapter 33: The Awakening of Takumi Afterwards, while fighting the occasional goblins, we were confident that we were getting closer to the colony. Its there. Yes, its a Goblin General like we thought. Luckily it isnt a king. We discovered a mid-sized goblin colony, and the site had about 300-400 goblins. There were superior species such as Goblin Archers and Goblin Mages, with 4 Goblin Knights and the Goblin General as the head. The Goblin General is huge. Compared to goblins that were the size of elementary school students, the Goblin General is over 180 cm tall. You wouldnt think they were the same race. Ive confirmed with the Wind Spirit. There seems to be no people here. We sighed in relief at Sophias report. The fate of women kidnapped by goblins and orcs is tragic. But with this, we can freely launch magic. Then lets match up our timing. Sophia and Maria nodded and began kneading magic power. Oh Spirit of Wind, turn to blades and cut the enemies before you. Solid piles that pierce through all, Bloom. Sophia and Maria recited incantations. Spirits Riot Blade Rock Pile Firestorm Blades of wind overran the colony. Piles of rock burst forth from the ground like a mountain of swords. A maelstrom of fire swirled in the middle of the colony. A stream of skill level announcements flowed in my head, but we rushed into the colony with spears in hand. The surprise magic attack of three people reduced the goblins to around 100, 1/3 of their original numbers. And originally, challenging that amount in melee combat with just 3 people is unreasonable, but we were confident we could win. Unscathed goblins were few, and injured goblins that couldnt move well were stabbed with the spears we wield, killing them one after another. Enemies in front were mowed down by stabbing them with the spearhead, enemies from behind were hit with in the face with the butt end of the spear. While using the spear, I scattered stone bullets with Earth attribute magic Rock Bullet. We stabbed with spears and swung with swords. Goblins fell to the ground each time. The minute it turned into a melee, Sophia changed her equipment from spear and sword to sword and shield, and performed what seemed like a sword dance in the crowded areas. Maria sometimes shoots out a fireball while using her spear. Kaedes tough invisible threads make the surviving goblins heads fly soundlessly. The movements of Maria and I, who were low leveled, quickly grew sharper and stronger as we fought. Gaaaaaaaaaa!!Explore new novels on Roaring and carrying a large sword, the Goblin General appeared with the four Goblin Knights. Sophia began fighting two of the Goblin Knights. Maria and I confronted the remaining Goblin Knights, one-on-one. When the Goblin Knights started running, holes were made with Earth magic. With the ground underfoot suddenly collapsing and opening up, the Goblin Knights that started sprinting lost their balance. [1] Ha! Yaa! Maria and I stabbed the necks of the fallen Goblin Knights and swiped sideways from there, and the Goblin Knights heads went flying. Then I saw that Sophia was struggling in her fight with the two Goblin Knights.[2] Maria! Support Sophia! Yes! When I thought about it afterwards, I fail to understand why I, who was aiming for a peaceful life as an artisan, challenged this clearly superior opponent alone. I confronted the wounded Goblin General. Flinching from the tremendous pressure that lashed at my heart, I tightened my hold on the spear to recover and started running. Booon! I avoided the large sword that the Goblin General swung while lunging with my spear. The Insight Skill has leveled up The Evasion Skill has been obtained I distributed magic power to my whole body and strengthened it. The Enhance Physical Abilities Skill has leveled up Gin! The large sword hit the spear. The Spear Handling Skill has leveled up The Taijutsu Skill has leveled up Status Agility: 280 Stamina: 370 Dexterity: 310 Intelligence: 370 Unique Skills Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv2 Insight Lv2 Poison Resistance Lv2 Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Evasion Lv1 Body Control Lv1 Active Skills Spear Handling Lv7 Axe Technique Lv2 Swordplay Lv4 Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu Lv4 Matoujutsu Lv4 Enemy Search Lv3 Presence Detection Lv4 Stealth Lv4 Tame Lv1 Enhance Strength Lv4 Magic Perception Lv7 Magic Power Manipulation Lv8 Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv5 Water Attribute Magic Lv3 Wind Attribute Magic Lv3 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv3 Bestowal Magic Lv5 Alchemy Lv8 Smithing Lv6 Woodworking Lv6 Carpentry Lv4 Foraging Lv5 Logging Lv3 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv4 Sewing Lv3 Cooking Lv2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Familiars: Killer Spider Unique Species ( Kaede ) Titles: Giant Killer *** Footnotes: The raws in both LN and WN say goblin general but it doesnt make sense so I changed it to goblin knights.Raws said Maria but I believe this is Sophia since it said just a few lines up that Sophia was fighting 2 and maria just killed 1. sooo.. xD ħʹ C I originally translated this as the mage job, and when ħg pops up once in a while, Id use magic user but now the higher tier job uses ħg as well. I think I read somewhere that a Magus is a better version of mage so Ill use that maybe? or is there something better?Yes, I am aware of the inconsistency. Evasion is a skill had previously been acquired in chapter 10 in an announcement but was not included in the status originally. Another error by the Author that was not fixed even in the LN. There might be more inconsistencies like this so I will put in footnotes regarding them but I will not change it because the story might fix them at a later point. If I miss any, please do point them out. Thank you. Chapter 34: The Battle is Over Chapter 34: The Battle is Over The intense battle is over, there were over 300 corpses and broken goblin dwellings strewn about in the site of the colony, and once we finished confirming that there were no surviving goblins, we finally took a breather. Setting aside how my status could no longer be that of an artisan, Sophia, Maria, and Kaedes statuses also had a sudden increase. Marias status became that of an average veteran adventurers. Among those, the most extreme change is Kaedes. Master, Kaedes evolution is done.[1] Kaede, who came out of the Subspace, has a spider body around 1 meter in size, and on top that is the white body of a little girl. It seems her Race is called Archenie[1]. Sophia and Maria were also surprised by this. A white body, with white hair, and red eyes. How cute~ Kaede-chan. Thats true, if you just look at her upper body then shes just like a human. It seems shes liked by Maria and Sophia as well. I have to make her a shirt when we get back. ```````````````````` Status Name: Sophia Sylphide Race: Elf Age: 80 years old Job: Spirit Mage Lv74, Knight Lv46 ( Warrior Lv80, Hunter Lv67 ) Level: 70 Condition: Healthy ( Slavery : Takumi ) Vitality: 450 Magic Power: 550 Strength: 300 Agility: 410 Stamina: 350 Dexterity: 240 Intelligence: 380 Unique Skills Spirit Eye Passive Skills Insight Lv3 Active Skills Swordplay Lv7 Shield Technique Lv5 Spear Handling Lv6 Archery Lv6 Taijutsu Lv4 Enemy Search Lv3 Presence Detection Lv3 Stealth Lv3 Enhance Physical Abilities Lv5 Magic Perception Lv6 Magic Power Manipulation Lv5 Spirit Magic Lv8 Water Attribute Magic Lv5 Wind Attribute Magic Lv6 ````````````````````Status Name: Maria Race: Human Age: 15 years oldTh.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m ````````````````````Status Presence Detection Lv6 Magic Perception Lv5 Stealth Lv6 `````````````````` Oh right, you two, HealHeal It doesnt look like theyre injured but I cast Heal on them just in case, and then took out 3 Stamina Potions from my Item Bag and made everyone drink. Fuu~~, want to drink Mana potions too? My magic power will be fine with a bit of rest. Its the same for me. Our tired bodies were cured with Stamina Potions. It was then that I noticed that the three of us were covered by spurts of blood from head to toe. Sophias blond hair as well as Marias white skin were bathed in goblins blood. Purification Purification Purification I cast purifying magic on our entire bodies. Now then, it will be a lot but lets collect the subjugation parts, shall we? Takumi-sama, I think it would be better if you store and bring back the Goblin General and Goblin Knights as they are. You have a point, we also have to report it to the guild, so having the whole body would make the discussion move faster. I stored Goblin General and all of the Goblin Knights into the item box like Sophia had suggested. Collecting the goblins right ears and magic stones probably took the most time. In addition to their large numbers, due to the the surprise magic attacks shot at the start, many of the bodies were no longer in their original form, and if I were still the me from the time in Japan then I would definitely have vomited. Takumi-sama, what do we do with the weapons the goblins used? Hmm, the weapons that the Goblin General and Goblin Knights used were relatively decent so maybe well collect those? I dont think Ill need the rusty swords and clubs though. The greatsword used by the general is quite a sharp sword. Maria came to ask what we should do about the collection of weapons, but the weapons of normal small-fry goblins are wooden clubs and swords or knives full of rust. However, according to Sophia who examined the Goblin Generals greatsword, it seems to be a good sword. Greatsword of the Absorber A magic / cursed sword that can absorb the magic power of the enemy it cuts. The more magic power it absorbs, the more its attack power increases. Looking at it with Appraisal, it seems its a magic sword[2]. This would have been dangerous if it had cut me. During the intense battle with the Goblin General, I was fortunate enough to not have been injured, but my body shivered at the thought of not knowing how the battle would have turned out had the attack power of the magic sword increased. This sword, Sophia, you cant use it, can you? Yes, I have not used a greatsword. That said, I still felt that selling this would be wasteful. Should I reforge it? This would probably be considerably hard to do, but I believe theres nothing I cant do. I could probably reforge it into a longsword that Sophia can use. Ill store it in the Item Box for now and examine it carefully later. Well, cleaning up afterwards sure is troublesome. We couldnt leave the bodies of goblins as they are. If a corpse, not limited to monsters, is left in a dark place, there is a possibility that it would become an undead, such as a zombie or a skeleton. So, it is proper etiquette for adventurers to burn the corpses of monsters after they defeat and finish dismantling them. The three of us divided the work and gathered the corpses in one spot. Kaede, who had evolved into an Archenie, manipulated multiple threads and reeled in the goblin corpses. It was easy understand that Kaedes expression was saying praise me, praise me, and Sophia and Maria would stroke her head and praise her each time. Kaede is helping? Thats right, Im grateful that Kaede is very helpful. Of course, I also stroked her head and praised her. Maria and I set fire to what eventually became a mountain of goblin corpses with Fire attribute magic. After everything burned to ashes, we sprayed down the site of the colony with Water attribute magic so it doesnt turn into a forest fire and went on our way back to Volton. And so, I went back thinking that although there were a few irregularities, our subjugation request was a success, but what I didnt expect was a severe scolding from the guild master in the conference of room of the Adventures Guild later. *** Footnotes: Kaede talks in the third person.Could be read as both magic sword or cursed sword. Will adjust if needed. Translators Note: Hi~ Thanks for reading! This is the last update until I get back from my trip. Ill be back home by the 27th but will resume updates after resting for a day or two. Ill see you all then! Chapter 35: Rank Up Chapter 35: Rank Up That night, we returned just before the gates of Volton closed. This was very tiring. Lets report to the guild tomorrow morning. Yes, even I am tired as well. Takumi-sama, Im completely exhausted. By the way, Kaede is already sleeping in the Subspace. We went home and the three of us entered the bath and washed each other then fell asleep in our respective rooms. I have such a relationship with Sophia and Maria, so I share a bed with them alternately, but after a day like today, I just slept like a log till morning. Next morning, waking up later than usual, the three of us + Kaede ate breakfast then wore the usual matching overcoats with our faces covered with the hoods, and walked 10 minutes worth of distance to report the completion of requests at the Adventurers Guild. Immediately after we entered the Adventurers Guild building, Hans-san spotted us and guided us into the conference room. Thank you. Nonsense, with the Devuel and Co. matter happening, its only natural that the Adventurers Guild safeguard its promising newbies. Well, in a sense, its also so that another Devuel incident doesnt happen again. The talks turned to the request once the three of us sat down. And so, hows your progress with the requests? Yes, weve more or less completed all the requests weve received. Eh?..................... Today is only a day after it was given yesterday, isnt it? Hans-sans eyes opened wide in surprise. We accepted 3 types of requests. ?Goblin Subjugation A free ranked permanent request. Subjugate 5 Goblins to complete request. Reward: 5 silver Kobold Subjugation A G rank subjugation request. Subjugate 3 Kobolds to complete request. Reward: 6 silver ?Maryl Grass Collection A G ranked collection request. A set of 5 bunches to complete request. Reward: 5 silver Although the subjugation of 365 goblins and there being superior species being present there were unexpected, we were also able to hunt Kobolds on our way, and we were able to forage enough Maryl Grass for our share and 50 bunches. In the first place, are you even an alchemist? Ill buy if its potions. Ah, potions, right? What, you got some? I talked about the basic potions I made which were as effective as average Intermediate Potions. Thereafter, I explained that a large-scale sale would cause disputes with the Pharmacist Guild and after selling 100 pieces of each basic potion to the Papeck Company, I wouldnt make for anything other than my own use. Ah, I did hear a rumor that Papeck Company was selling fairly expensive Basic Potions that were unusually effective. So those were potions made by Takumi. But that is regrettable, if the recovery amount of basic potions are large, then it would have been a great help to the Adventurers Guild. Barack-san and the Pharmacist Guild would definitely have disputes so he said hed give up. Because the Pharmacist Guild would be in trouble if it couldnt sell to the Adventurers Guild, the plan to trading potions with me was easily abandoned. Then Hans-san came back with our guild cards. Well then, first will be the rewards for the completion of the requests and purchase of the Magic Stones. Kobold | 6 subjugated | 12 silver Maryl Grass | 10 sets of 5 bunches | 50 silver Goblin | 350 subjugated | 350 silver Superior Goblin species | 10 subjugated | 100 silver Goblin Knight | 4 subjugated | 200 silver Goblin General | 1 subjugated | 5 gold Goblins magic stone | 350 pieces | 35 silver Superior Goblin Species magic stone | 10 pieces | 10 silver Goblin Knights magic stone | 4 pieces | 40 silver Goblin Generals Magic stone | 1 piece | 1 gold Special reward for defeating the colony | 5 gold Total: 18 gold, 97 silver coins. The money has been deposited into Takumi-samas guild card, so please confirm. And Sophia-san and Maria-san have been promoted to F rank, and Takumi-kun has been promoted to E rank. Once Sophia-san and Maria-san complete at least 1 more F rank request, they will be promoted to E rank. According to Hans-sans explanation, Sophia and Maria have cleared the requirements to be promoted to E rank, however, because it has been decided that ranking up will be done in a one-two step rule, they would rank up after completing one more request. Hans, ask Takumi about the location of the colony, then put out a verification request. Understood. Hans-san returned our guild cards and returned to work. Haa, for heavens sake, be a little more careful. Yes, I will do my best. More or less after also undergoing a scolding, we reported the completion of the request and got the reward (which was the only thing we were supposed to receive), we were more tired than we had imagined, so we decided to go back home and relax. *** Chapter 36: Artisan Type Practice Chapter 36: Artisan Type Practice The request to raise Sophia and Marias Adventurers Guild rank had been completed. Since evolving, Kaede is affectionate with Sophia and Maria, and spends her time spinning thread or playing alone even when I seclude myself in the workshop. I plan on working on production for a while today. Sophia and Maria, you can pass the time as you please. Then I will do spear and magic training with Maria, and then practice sewing with Kaede. Yes, I too want to get better at sewing. Kaede, will make lots of thread. Even Kaede is raring to go, but it would be great if she doesnt overexert herself making thread.Geett the latest novels on Kaede, dont tire yourself too much making thread. Ye~es! Kaede raised her hand and responded energetically. Oh right, theres also Kaedes shirt. Then I will sew one together with Sophia-san. Yeah, please do. I handed Maria the Spider Silk cloth I made previously and went to the workshop. Now then, what should I practice. Job: Warrior Lv100, Magus Lv1 ( Magic Bestower Lv32, Carpenter Lv16, Alchemist Lv52, Blacksmith Lv48, Tailor Lv26 ) Checking my status, the first skill I must develop is the Bestowal Magic skill. Alchemy skills are already quite difficult to level. I also want to improve my Smithing skills. My Sewing skills also still have a ways to go. Next, the attribute magic skills Water and Wind are low. Time-Space attribute magic is already hard to level but its necessary so I can use Warp and Gate magic in the future. Light attribute magic is high from using purifying magic everyday so I think it would be fine to just leave it to improve by itself. For now, lets try practicing magic while working simultaneously. After making a plan for what to train in production and magic, I started invoking the low skill level Water and Wind attribute magic. I made water balls and wind orbs float and swirl around me, aiming to improve my Water Attribute Magic, Wind Attribute Magic, and Magic Power Manipulation skills[1]. And at the same time, I transmuted the silver I had stocked in my item box with some copper and aluminium to make sterling silver. Next, I roughly shaped it with Smithing magic then carved the details of the metal manually. The numeric value of Dexterity on my status is over 300, which makes working on details much easier than before. During that time, water balls and wind orbs swirled around me. The Water Attribute Magic Skill has leveled up The Wind Attribute Magic Skill has leveled up As for what it is Im doing, Im making rings as a medium for magic invocation for Sophia and Maria. It is not a problem even if the medium for magic invocation is not a staff. Given that Sophia, a magic swordswoman, cant hold onto a staff while fighting, it has to be a ring or a bracelet so it doesnt hinder her fight so I decided on a ring. The Metalworking Skill has leveled up The Water Attribute Magic Skill has leveled up The Wind Attribute Magic Skill has leveled up I carved the designs of wings for Sophias ring, and flames for Marias ring. The Blacksmith Job has leveled up The Magus Job has leveled up I also made a medium for magic invocation for myself while I was at it. As I thought, it has to be a ring so it isnt a hindrance. What design should I use on my ring............, okay, lets go with a crescent moon. Thus, I did it in one try. I held the three formed rings in my right hand. Only at this time did I cancel the water balls and wind orbs that were floating around me. Fuu~~ Alright! Firing myself up, I concentrated magic power in my right hand and charged it with an image. Kankan My magic power decreased. When my magic power ran low, I drank mana potions, not even stopping as I charged the rings with magic power. Filling up my stomach with mana potions, my magic power recovered while I continuing to charge the rings with magic power. The Increased Magic Power Recovery Speed has been obtained The Magic Power Manipulation Skill has leveled up Status Superhuman Strength Lv2 Insight Lv2 Poison Resistance Lv2 Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Evade Lv1 Body Control Lv1 Increased Magic Power Recovery Speed Lv1 Active Skills Spear Handling Lv7 Axe Technique Lv2 Swordplay Lv4 Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu Lv4 Matoujutsu Lv4 Enemy Search Lv3 Presence Detection Lv4 Stealth Lv4 Taming Lv1 Enhance Physical Abilities Lv4 Magic Perception Lv7 Magic Power Manipulation Lv9 Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv5 Water Attribute Magic Lv5 Wind Attribute Magic Lv5 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Ice Attribute Magic Lv1 Lightning Attribute Magic Lv1 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv3 Bestowal Magic Lv5 Alchemy Lv8 Smithing Lv7 Woodworking Lv6 Carpentry Lv4 Foraging Lv5 Logging Lv3 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv5 Sewing Lv3 Cooking Lv2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars Arachne Unique Species ( Kaede ) Titles Giant Killing *** Footnotes: Raws dont have wind orbs and wind attribute magic written in this sentence but a few sentences down it says that there were also wind orbs so Ill add it here for more consistency. Idle Talk 1: Idle Talk: Maiden Slave Idle Talk 1: Idle Talk: Maiden Slave The village I lived in was attacked by thieves. The men were killed and the women were violated. When mother died, I was with father and we failed to escape. Father was killed and children like me were caught and, just like that, we were sold. The thieves sold us to someone called a broker and we were brought to Volton. But we thought it was still better than hell. The reason being that the one who bought us was Moulin-sama of the Moulin Slavery company who has a policy of not selling children until they become adults. The Feudal Lord who governs Volton also seems to be a person who rules benevolently. Thanks to that, the Moulin Slavery Company that is based in this town does not treat its slaves cruelly. Moulin-sama, contracted us illegal slave children with the same terms as those of debt slaves. The terms are that we could be released once we save up the sum of expenses used until we became adults plus the companys profits at the time of our sale. Wanting to be released as soon as possible, there were some children who had agreed to prostitution contracts and were bought by brothels, but I wanted to work my hardest to take back my own life. At Moulin Slavery Company, with reading, writing, and calculations as a matter of course, we were taught from good etiquette up to how to use a knife for self-defense.Geett the latest novels on You can become a battle maid. What Moulin-sama wanted from me, I dont know, but this experience later became a huge asset for me. Since you are pretty, you can live an easy life if you become a nobles mistress. Moulin-sama says that but nobles disregarding contracts altogether is scary. Forcing someone to spend the night without that persons consent is a crime, but that would be unscrupulously scrapped if its a powerful noble. However, I am not in a position where I could choose the master who buys me. So I pray to Goddess Norn everyday. Please, make it so that a kind master buys me. At that time, someone who bought the elf war slave, Sophia-san, appeared. Master, I will endeavor to forever stay by your side. Bought together with Sophia-san, I naturally said so. What came after was a succession of surprises. The first surprise was, while we were on the way to the mansion, Master said that Sophia-sans curse has been dispelled. Sophia-san has, in fact, become able to use magic, and seeing Sophia-sans delight pleased me as well. The second surprise was when Masters familiar, a large spider, Kaede-chan was introduced. My apologies but I could not control my face from cramping up. The third surprise is that there is a large bath in the mansion and Sophia-san and I who are slaves are encouraged to use it freely. Guiding us through the mansion and surprising us with the bathroom, Master filled the tub with hot water with the affixed magic device[1], told us to use it as we wish and left. Excitedly, Sophia-san and I enjoyed a bath that one wouldnt experience if they werent a high ranking noble. Lastly, the fourth surprise is that Master healed Sophia-sans lost limbs. Its been said that not even the high ranking priests in the Divine Empire of Sydnia could heal lost limbs. Just who could Master be? He might be a familiar spirit of Goddess Norn-sama. At this time, Sophia-san decided that she would serve Master his whole life. Sophia-san wanted to sleep with Master and he accepted. The next day, naturally, I too wanted to sleep with him, and so my mind and body became Masters. Thereafter, aside from doing my duties at the mansion, I wished for power to protect masters secrets together with Sophia-san. To always be with Master. *** Footnotes: Raw said magic but previous chapter kinda said magic device. Going with magic device. Chapter 37: Takumi is summoned by a Noble Chapter 37: Takumi is summoned by a Noble The day after the goblin subjugation, I intended to train my Artisan and Magic skills for some time, but that plan was suddenly derailed. Early in the morning of the day after I made magic invocation medium rings for Sophia, Maria, and I, Papeck-san visited the mansion. This was the first time this happened, so I had a bad feeling, however, I could only sigh and listen to him talk. Takumi-sama, I have a request for an audience from Lord Godwin von Volton. Lord Volton is His Excellency Margrave Volton who governing this town. Takumi-sama, you might have already seen it, Margrave Volton-sama is the benevolent feudal lord who has laid out the good governance of our present day. It is also thanks to the feudal lord that Moulin Slavery Company where you bought your slaves have the stance that they do. It hasnt been long since I arrived at this town, but even in that short time, I could see that. Why does the feudal lord want to an audience with me? Of course it is because of the toilet attached with a purifying magic device and the timed purifying magic device, Takumi-sama. As a matter of fact, even though construction of the factory for cheaper toilets is progressing at a quick pace, the toilets attached with a purifying magic device have already spread to the wealthy people in Volton. At the same time, the septic tanks of the sewers are being installed with the purifying magic device. These several days, have you noticed that the smell in the Volton has improved? Moreover, Takumi-sama also has the rights of the hand pump. The hand pump is already a product that is being manufactured and distributed at two locations, here at Volton and at Bohd Village. Ah, I overdid things too suddenly. Well, I dont think you do not need to be too concerned.. He simply wants to meet the excellent artisan, Takumi-sama, to be acquainted with you this time.Alll latest novels on Haa, Ive instantly become depressed. After all, I of lower-middle class around 40-ish years old already experience mental strain from meeting with the managing director and the company president. To say nothing of a noble. And isnt a margrave a high ranking noble? Hes not a duke or royalty, but that doesnt make a difference to me. Please be at ease. I will be with you during the audience. Papeck-san gave a follow up upon seeing my worried expression but............... I had Kaede enter the subspace, and I asked Papeck-san how this? how that? as it had been decided that he would bring me to the castle in the heart of Volton where the feudal lord resides. It will be alright, Takumi-sama. I will be by your side. A guard stationed in front of the bridge stopped the carriage. Halt! I am Papeck, the president of the Papeck Company. Today, I have come to guide the alchemist, Takumi-dono, at the request of the lord. Please wait for a moment. A guard stationed at the gate ran to confirm. From those brisk movements, I could sense that the soldiers of Margrave Volton are thorough with their training. I have received confirmation. Please move the carriage this way. We alighted from the carriage at the entryway of the castle and were guided by a soldier to a waiting room for guests. In the room with quality furnishing that wasnt at all gaudy, we drank tea that was clearly made from first class tea leaves while waited for the appointed time. Today, the audience will not be an official one but rather a personal one, therefore, I believe it would be fine for you to not be too nervous. Besides, there will be no problem given that Takumi-sama treats everyone in a polite manner. Haa...... Certainly even Sophia and Maria who are my slaves have a favorable impression of me who treats them the same. It seems that they would not be in the same room, much less the same table, if this were in Triaria Kingdom or the Divine Empire of Sydnia. The door was knocked on and opened by an elderly maid who entered the room. Thank you for waiting. Master has finished his preparations, I shall guide you. Thank you. Papeck-san stood up and I followed. Guided through the hallway with thick carpeting, we threw down the gauntlet at the audience with the Lord. *** Chapter 38: Lord Volton Chapter 38: Lord VoltonA well-built man in his mid-40s came in with a knight escort and the house superintendent. With his hand, he gestured for us, who hurriedly stood up from our seats, to sit down. Ease up, I am Godwin, the one who governs Volton. I am pretty much entrusted to be the Margrave. This is the house superintendent, Xervus, and the other one is Dorn who Ive entrusted the Knight order to. I am Xervus, the superintendent of this household. A slender, grey-haired man in his 60s bowed gracefully. My name is Dorn, the leader of the Knight Guard Order[1] of the border territory Volton. This person is a well-built man in his 50s with short light blonde hair, wearing silver knight armor, who gave salutations with an unmoving gaze. I am Takumi Iruma. Takumi-samas Slave, Sophia Sylphide. Likewise Takumi-samas slave, Maria. Sitting across the table from us, Lord Volton explained the reason for his invitation. Today, I asked Papeck-dono to call you for the well hand pumps, toilets affixed with a purifying magic device, and the magic device for the septic tanks which I am most grateful for. As the one governing this town, I want to thank you for developing these. Lord Volton lowered his head to thank me. Seeing me surprised to see a feudal lord lowering his head, Lord Volton laughed. Was seeing a noble lowering his head that surprising? If lowering my head improves my territory then I will lower it as many times as you like. Xervus-san, the house superintendent, took over the conversation from here. Iruma-donos invention, the hand pump, has drastically reduced the heavy labor of the citizens. Furthermore, even without the production being done at Bohd village by the border, it is now beyond recognition. Iruma-dono expanded the defensive walls, and owing to your use of something strong for the poor defensive walls of the village, there has been an increase in immigrants in the village. I thank you for doing the work that us knights should have been doing. Dorn-san said that the Knight Order periodically have a campaign to exterminate monsters on the outskirts of Volton. Naturally, exterminating monsters that could become threats take precedence over one or two monsters such as goblins or orcs left behind, but he apologized for not having noticed the colony this time. No, the Goblin subjugation was a job from the Adventurers Guild so I must apologize for taken away the job of the knights. Hahahahaha, Iruma-dono is intriguing. Modesty is unnecessary for us knights. We the knights are here to protect Lord Volton, and the Volton territory. Even we are delighted if a menace is eliminated, we would not criticize or do anything of the sort to Iruma-dono. That said, the Knights operate for the sake of their master whatever the circumstance may be. The town of Volton is called an adventurers town, and it has many adventurers. Both knights and adventurers often unite to subjugate thieves and monsters. Some parts of the work of knights and of adventurers often overlap, but it can be compartmentalized in a such a way that the work of the Knight Order is mainly to protect the town, its populace and the feudal lord, while the work of adventurers is focused on monster subjugation and trading company escorts. However, listening to this conversation, if its a mid-sized goblin colony then the dominating species......... there would have been a Goblin Knight or a General. For that to be defeated by the alchemist Iruma-donos party, it is expectedly unbelievable. Iruma-donos party member, Sylphide-dono is a magic swordsman who can manipulate spirit magic, a victim of the Triaria Kingdoms outbursts 50 years ago, and a powerful knight on the battlefield. Xervus-san told of Sophias past, but Sophias countenance didnt even budge an inch. It might be memories she does not really want to remember. Be that as it may, the fact is that the three have the ability to crush the colony. However, I wish Iruma-dono takes his own body into consideration. My territory is still in need of Iruma-donos wisdom, after all. I love creating things as well, so I would not be too rash. I earnestly implore you do, because if something were to happen to Iruma-dono, it would not a loss to just the Volton territory, but to the whole kingdom. That is too exaggerated, I have little sense of belonging to this country. I would be fine if it is any country other than Triaria Kingdom or the Divine Empire of Sydnia, Im also fine if its at Lomaria Kingdom which is in between Samandour Kingdom and the Divine Empire of Sydnia at the south of the continent. (Norn-sama sent me here so I think that means this country might be the right choice though.) After that, I received a reward of 50 gold coins from Margrave Volton for the subjugation of the goblin colony. *** Footnotes: The Knight Guard order might be the real name of their knight order, formally said as part of the introduction, but Im not sure. The raws say lTʿ for here but they simply use Tʿ for all other parts of the conversation.From what I understand, 򤱤ޤ is an expression where they says that they owe an extraordinary debt of gratitude to someone and they would never disrespect him. please correct me if Im wrong. Chapter 39: Going by Preference Chapter 39: Going by Preference Returning from the feudal lords castle, everyone relaxed on the sofa, resting our fatigued bodies. No matter how friendly he was, I, who have never associated with high-ranking nobles, am dead tired. So tired~ He is a good lord, but being too familiar is also a problem. I was nervous~ Its still daytime but I dont want to move. Well, I wouldnt be moving if I work while sitting in the confines of my workshop though. Alright! Ill make clothes such as underwear today. Underwear? Sophia and Marias faces turned red. The underwear of this world is extremely unreliable. Sophia and Maria were surprised when they saw my handmade underwear. Theirs are a Sarashi[1]-like thing where it just wraps around their chest, and their underpants are tied by a string because there are no elastic bands, however it wasnt the g-string I know, but rather the old-man-type trunks that are tied with a drawstring by the waist. To be blunt, Sophia and Maria have huge cleavages so they have to restrain it with a sarashi, but for people who dont, it seems its normal to just not wear any. Its outrageous. So I decided to make bras and panties for Sophia and Maria. For me................... Okay! Kaede, some elastic threads please! Got it! Kaede will do best! In the workshop. Kaede spun her threads into the loom to make cloth to use for the underwear. I asked that Sophia and Maria not enter the workshop. I guess I should make a mannequin of Sophia. When it comes to making underwear, using a half-hearted pattern paper is unjustifiable, so Ill build a mannequin of Sophia using Earth magic to challenge myself in three-dimensional sewing. Once I finish Sophias mannequin, Ill make Marias. Is making the mannequins based on the images burned into my memory alone a bit disgusting? Why dont you try them out right now? Eh?! The two were abashed, but they tried it out in my room. ......This is pretty and makes me feel good. ...... I understand that somewhat, as well. Lustful red that suit Sophias white skin, and sexy black that beautiful girls wear on Maria. Both of their cleavages protrude and seem like it would overflow. Takumi-sama, these are underwear to please you at night, arent they. Sorry, you figured it out as expected. I would wear anything if it pleases Takumi-sama. ............... c, I cant hold back!! Kya! Its good to have a big bed. At noon the next day, we ate a late breakfast, and I gave Sophia and Maria the sports bra and panties. I think that these are better for when were out doing adventurer stuff. I think we should try these out first. These are easy to move in In the end, the three of us kept at what we started yesterday. I consider having leveled the sewing skill quite a bit to have been a good thing. Afterwards, I went to Papeck-san with a sample and the pattern paper, and he got extremely into it. A while later, numerous underwear that the Papeck Company started selling had, in a flash, spread to the wealthy people and the ladies who work at the evening establishments in Valkyra Kingdom. *** Footnotes Sarashi looks like this..Sorry for the stupid censorship with the types of underwear he made. I hope you find humor in it, at least. Chapter 40: Living improvements Chapter 40: Living improvements A little while after I made underwear to my preference, I kept doing combat training everyday as I challenged myself to not think of making things. These days, I have been indulging myself in Sophia and Maria too much. Its difficult to cast away these indulgent days, but I will return to developing magic devices again starting today! Takumi-sama, please do not announce that so strongly. Thats right, isnt it embarrassing? Were Sophia and Maria self-conscious about the several days of indulgence? They were protesting but their faces were red. Ive become able to use Ice attribute magic, so I plan on raising its skill level by making magic devices. While the two were still abashed, I declared todays plan. But Takumi-sama, you just receive gold as a reward from the feudal lord, and the royalties from the Papeck Company have been quite favorable, havent they? Will it be another new magic device? It is as Sophia says. I have quite the allowance on the monetary front. The Guild Master of the Adventurers Guild, Barrack-san, also mentioned that a small number of basic potions is fine so he asked if I could sell him some. When I asked Will that be alright with the Pharmacist Guild?, he said he will be able to do something if its a small amount. Its hard to refuse with that being the case. I will be quite busy with the development of the magic devices, so Sophia and Maria, please make the preliminary arrangements for the basic potions in your free time. On a silver plate, I used enough mixture of powdered magic stones and drew DehydrationExtractionSynthesisPulverizationDecomposition alchemy circles. If this is used, Sophia and Maria can use them just by pouring magic power into it. I understand. Yes, I will do my best. Hey, hey, how about Kaede~? Hmmm, how about a nap for Kaede? Yaaay~, Kaede will nap~! Thats good enough. Now then, I do have long term objectives. The stainless steel exterior nice, but having some color variation would also be good. I will make 3 more of the tentatively completed refrigerator. For it to hold onto the dyes, I synthesized the synthetic rubber to change its blend, and those 3 colors which were white, light blue, and light green were painted on the refrigerators. Sophia, Maria, which color is good? I called the two to consult the final product with them, and had them choose which would be used for our house. This is? Maria, you mentioned wanting something that could store ingredients, didnt you? This is a refrigerator, it is a magic device that cools its contents and makes the food less susceptible to spoilage. Thank you very much, Takumi-sama. Maria looked cheerful. Right now I am storing all the ingredients in my item box so were all good, but she has to ask me to take out the ingredients she needs each time she cooks. So which color should we use for the house? I intend to sell the remaining ones to Papeck-san though. I think this pale blue is nice. I feel the same as Sophia-san. This pale blue is refreshingly pleasant. Since the two agree, I installed the light blue refrigerator in the kitchen and stored the remaining in my Item Box. Afterwards, I completed 100 of each Basic Heal Potion, Basic Stamina Potion, and Basic Mana potion that Sophia and Maria had prepared. This time, the potion bottles that I used were bought from the Papeck Company. The quality of the potion bottles I made were better, but when I told Papeck-san that I make my own potion bottles, he was shocked. That is why I am buying potion bottles this time. Perhaps when its for an advanced potion, it would be necessary to bestow an enchantment on the bottle itself so it maintains its current state, but I currently do not have a single clue as to the recipe for advanced potions so I probably dont have to worry about it for now. Tonights dinner was made by Maria who was all fired up because she was pleased with the refrigerator. After that, the three of us happily bathed, and naturally the three of us went to bed. *** Idle Talk 2: Idle Talk: Hero Summoning Idle Talk 2: Idle Talk: Hero Summoning Three years after Goddess Norn interfered with the time axis and sent Iruma Takumi into Mildgard, three individuals landed in the summoning circle of the Divine Empire of Sydnia. The three individuals were walking around town when, all of a sudden, they were wrapped in a blinding light, and by the time they realized it, they were already standing in a wide hall enclosed by stone walls. On the summoning circle that will never again activate for having provoked Goddess Norns wrath, stood three youths that could not understand their situation. Jinguji Akira, 18 years old. This young man had only just enrolled into university has a very strong sense of justice that is rare in present days. Having good grades at sports as well, he is a young man who has both brains and brawns. Taiga Yamato, 18 years old. A large man, childhood friends with Akira. Despite being wild, he gets along well with Akira and have known each other for a long time. He made full use of the large physique hes had since childhood in Judo, and he is always a favorite in national competitions. Misato Akane, 18 years old. Akira and Yamatos friend since senior high school. She was born with long black hair, clear eyes, and the beauty of an idol, and has a figure that would put a gravure idol to shame. Akira likes Akane and has assertively pursued her many times over, but has been rejected entirely. Akane thought that Akira had a straightforward personality but his self-righteousness told her that they could be friends but he will never be her lover. ............Hey Akira, what do you think? ......Is this, that? That thing called an otherworld transfer? .............................. At that moment, the only door to the room enclosed in a stone walls, opened. Knights in western style armors and helmets, old men that looked to be mages, a man in the prime of his life wearing high class clothing, led by a French-doll looking woman with long blonde hair, had entered the room. Welcome Brave Heroes, I am the imperial princess of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, Elizabeth. Heroes, I beseech you, save this world. The three each had their own reaction the instant the beautiful woman in the lead said that. (Ooouh, what a beauty! Im a hero?! A hero that would save the world?! (Things just became interesting.) (It will be bad if we dont somehow escape from here.) The moment Akane looked at Elizabeths eyes, her intuition told her that she couldnt trust this woman. Staying in this country would be dangerous. At that time, there was an announcement in Akanes head. The Unique Skill Divine Oracle has been obtained At that instant, Akane understood the details of her Divine Oracle Skill.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Divine Oracle: A blessing from Goddess Norn Follow your instinct and you will naturally reach the right answer. Akane entrusted herself to the Divine Oracle. (I will endure for now. Im confident a chance will definitely come. So this is Divine Oracle............ ) Please, Heroes. You will require an array of explanations, would you not? Rooms have been prepared for you. Preceding that, an audience with father. Prompted by Elizabeth, the location was moved from the stone-walled room to a different room. They realized before long that they were underneath a castle-like place. In an area on the upper stratum of the castle, Akira and his friends had an audience with the Pope of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, Warvaal. The Pope of Divine Empire of Sydnia, Pope Warvaal-sama! The man beside the throne announced loudly. The three were prompted by a soldier to kneel. I must firstly apologize to the heroes. It was wrong for us to have summoned you for the circumstances of our world. However, I wish for your understanding in our plight. This world is overflowing with monsters, subhumans and demonic beings that bring misfortune to this continent. May we ask that you save this country, this world? Akanes bad feeling had come true and she frowned internally. He says there are subhumans and demons, but she just couldnt trust him. They say they wished for this country to be saved, but during the audience, the pope, imperial princess, and people who seemed to be nobles had on extravagantly luxurious attires. When Akane thought she needed to discuss escaping from this country with Akira and Yamato no matter what, Akira began acting rashly. This country is said to be a religious country whose main deity is the Goddess Anat, the spirit of Light. However, Akanes unique skill Divine Oracle was granted by Goddess Norn. Akane instinctively chose Norn. And she believed she had to hide her unique skill. I understand, Pope-sama! We will be your strength if you will have us! (Wha!! Are you an idiot?!) Unaware of Akanes sentiments, Akira looked at Elizabeth with a glittering smile. If I can rampage as much as I like, then I have no complaints. When even Yamato started spouting incomprehensible things, Akane, who had been the only one who was determined to escape from this country, froze. StatusName: Akira JingujiStatusStatus Name: Akane Misato Race: Human Age: 18 years old Job: Priest Lv1 Level: 1 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 150 Magic Power: 250 Strength: 70 Agility: 80 Stamina: 80 Dexterity: 80 Intelligence: 150 Unique Skills Appraisal Divine Oracle (Concealed) Passive Skills Cooking[1] Lv5 Active Skills Light Attribute Magic Lv1 Water Attribute Magic Lv1 Wind Attribute Magic Lv1 ```````````````````` Oooh, my job has Hero! Even though the excited Akira saw Akane looking at him icily, but he didnt realize it. Heroes, thank you. Your rooms have been prepared, please be at ease and rest well. At Elizabeths statement, Akira and his friends were guided to their respective extravagant rooms by maids. Once Akira and his friends left the audience, Pope Warvaal, Prime Minister Musudan, Head Magcian Homer, the Sydnia Holy Knight Orders Leader Packard, and Imperial Princess Elizabeth had a secret discussion. So, what do you think? Despite being Level 1, those stats are definitely those of a heros. However, there is one worrisome matter. Warvaal inquired about Homers answer. Worrisome matter? Yes, all three heroes possess the unique skill Appraisal. We will not be able to trick them into using a slavery collar. Homers report had Warvaal grimacing. That could not be helped, could it? Fortunately, that male hero looks easy to deceive, so I believe it can be done in one way or another. Fumu, it is up to you, Elizabeth. Yes, father. Please leave it to me. Well then, the reins of the heroes shall be entrusted to the princess, and the training and level raising of the heroes shall be entrusted to Homer and Packard. Prime minister Musudan eyed Homer and Packard. Please leave it to us. Large numbers are advantageous in war, and that fact does not change whether it is in Earth or in Mildgard. However, in this world where skills and levels exist, some strong people can lead to mayhem. The Divine Empire of Sydnia have summoned nuclear weapons called heroes. However, Warvaal and his companions were not aware. They did not realize till the end that their appraisal magic device can not appraise information such as divine protection. and that the original heroes summoned are not blessed divine protection by the Goddess like they should have. And without the said goddess blessing, even if the qualities and initial status after having been summoned are superior, the growth rate of each person does not change. Above all, they were not aware of the being that the goddess had sent an entity three years into the past of Mildgard known as Takumi. *** Footnotes: Cooking was placed in passive skills, but iirc its in active skills for Takumi. Chapter 41: Intelligence Gathering Chapter 41: Intelligence Gathering The day I gave Sophia and Maria magic invocation medium rings, they were in a good mood all day long. Is it possible that giving rings as a present has a special meaning in this world too? Well, I already gave it so its too late to worry about it now. Sure enough, Papeck-san really sank his teeth into the refrigerator. I made a large quantity of the parts with magic formula, delivered it to the Papeck Company, and discussed how to make the case.Re?a?d new chapters on But even though Ice attribute magic is a superior attribute magic, its not that there arent any that can use it, so my involvement in production of the part with the magic formula will be just this once. Having completed the initial delivery of potions to the Adventurers Guild, we had no more immediate plans, so I told Sophia and Maria about the plan I previously had of wanting to upgrading our equipment. My Blacksmith level and Smithing skill level have both risen, and Alchemist and Alchemy skill level have risen quite a bit as well, so I was thinking its about time that improve our equipment from Magic Iron to Mithril or Adamantite, but what do you two think? Magic metals known as Mithril, Adamantite, Orichalcum have high affinity with magic power, it easily strengthens magic power. Aside from its general use by attacking while clad in magic power, a magic sword clad with attribute magic is something a normal iron sword would not be able to endure. Mithril is originally silver, having traces of magic power, it is harder and tougher than an iron sword, and alloying it would make it even harder and tougher. Adamantite simply surpasses Mithril in both hardness and toughness. A sword made of Adamantite can easily cut steel armor. Orichalcum is the top magic metal out of all magic metals. Weapons and armor made of Orichalcum are treated as sacred treasures. Takumi-sama, the spear and sword made with magic iron that I received are more than enough, however, if it is needed to protect Takumi-sama, then I believe it would be beneficial to change it into mithril and adamantite-made weapons. I am still very much inexperienced so I will leave it up to you. The two did not oppose it, so we decided to gather information on how to mine and process mithril ore and adamantite ore. I think we should split up to gather information, but what do you guys think? Then I will investigate in the library. I will ask the Papeck Company. Sophia will investigate the library and Maria will gather information at Papeck-sans. Then Ill gather information at the Blacksmith and Adventurers Guild in town. Having Kaede house-sit, we went around Volton. I first went to the Adventurers Guild. When I arrived at the Adventurers Guild, Hans-san was there so Ill discuss it with him. Head to the conference room then. Hans-san came in after a while, we immediately talked about my need for mithril ores and adamantite ores, and if it was possible to mine it by myself. Say, Takumi-kun, youre not just an alchemist but a blacksmith too, arent you? Takumi-kun, have you seen any adventurer with weapons and armor made of mithril and admantite in this town? No, I wasnt paying attention so I didnt realize, but now that you mention it, I havent seen any. No, I have Smithing skills, but I am an Alchemist. The dwarfs eyes shined when I said so. That means you can refine mithril and adamantite with Alchemy, right? ............ probably. Hereupon my arm was grabbed, and I was forcefully brought into the workshop. I am the blacksmith, Doganbo. I have confidence in my smithing arm, but have nowhere near enough magic power to refine mithril and admantite. In my country, when were refining mithril and adamantite, it takes 10 mens accumulated magic power to do the refinement. It is definitely not a one-man refinement. Youre a genuine alchemist, arent you? Yes, more or less. According to Doganbo-san, there is no alchemist that can refine metals at this day and age. Then I handed over the sword I made to Doganbo-san[1]. This is a sword I worked on, starting from mining. After looking at the sword down to the hole I hammered into it, Doganbo-san suddenly took my hand. Sorry! I made light of you! This sword was forged with Smithing magic, wasnt it. Impressive. Its the sword of an Alchemist that understands metals very well! Thank you very much. If the Dwarf Doganbo-san says so then I can be confident. Now, about the important notes when forging mithril and adamantite, was it. Frankly, aside from the large amount of magic power needed, it isnt much different from magic iron. Orichalcum is a different matter though. Hearing that relieved me. If unknown techniques were needed, I would have had to take an apprenticeship from a dwarf. After that, Doganbo asked me to do one thing and then I went back home. Joining Sophia and Maria at home, we reported our findings to each other. In the library, locations for mines aside from Horuas were investigated, but since Horuas is the closest this time, we determined that Horuas is our only viable choice. At Papeck Company, they said they can procure mithril ores and adamantite ores. It seems that when Papeck-san was informed that we plan on going to the mine ourselves, he conversely requested that we procure mithril and adamantite ores for him. He might have noticed that I will try refining mithril and adamantite. Lets arrange for a carriage until Horuas and prepare food and other necessary items for the trip later. We began making preparations for our departure to Horuas. *** Footnotes: Typo. Raws said Doga-san only. Chapter 42: Preparations for a Journey and Departure Chapter 42: Preparations for a Journey and Departure Having decided to go to Horuas, I was considering what I should do for the carriage, but Papeck-san visited my house and gave a proposition to lend me a carriage. The conditions of the exchange is the procurement of mithril ores and adamantite ores, and that I refine it. A special reward will be paid for the refinement. Papeck Company has arranged to lend out a carriage and the two-headed demon horse, Tahda. I bought a larger quantity of rations and stored each one in the Item Box, and bought a lot of bentos from Maura-san from the Golden Wheat Pavilion. I went to the Adventurers Guild to report to them that we were leaving for Horuas. When I entered the Adventurers Guild, the receptionist Hans-san was still there so I informed him we were leaving for Horuas in 3 days. Hans-sans counter is always open. Its because of that, isnt it? The other counters had pretty receptionist Oneesans. I was the first in line at Hans-sans because his queue was empty. Takumi-kun, could you wait a bit? Hans-san invited me to the conference room like always, and Barack-san was there. Hey Takumi, so youre going to Horuas? Hello Barack-san, is there something going on at Horuas? For some reason, there will be a troublesome talk from Barack-sans sorry smile and it made me want to leave the conference room. Now, now, dont make that kind of face. Did you know that there has been a lack of Treant Wood arriving at Volton lately? I realized that I had forgotten to remake Sophia and Marias spear handles with Treant Wood when he said that. Treant Wood cant be bought in Volton right now? Thats because it is already autumn. Many of the adventurers in Volton go hunting for Black Buffalo. There is a decline in Treant Wood arriving because of that, and were now even troubled for materials for canes. This year is better than usual though. According to Hans-san, Treants are difficult to kill and bring back, so they arent really popular with the adventurers to begin with. However, those materials are used from bows and canes to high-class furniture, and supply cant keep up with the demand. But is that related to me going to Horuas? Yes, it is just that! Takumi, you have the Time-Space attribute magic Storage Magic, dont you? Its an errand request to secure Treant Wood. ............umm. Ah sorry. Guild master is hard to follow. The truth is, the Forest of Death that Treants live in is along the way to Horuas. So, could we ask you to subjugate them while youre there? Hmm, Treant Wood is a material I want to get. Actually, aside from the piece I picked up when I landed in this world, I havent come across Treant Wood. If you take this errand request, Takumi will be promoted to Rank D, and the Oneechans will be promoted to Rank E. Even if you dont take this request, you only need to complete 1 more request to rank up though. Wai-, Hans! Keep your mouth shut! I should take this request. I understand. I will accept the errand request to secure Treant Wood. Ooh, I knew youd say that. Well then, you guys will be traveling in Papeck Companys carriage, right? The guild will bring out another carriage so you will leave with two carriages. Guild Master, your explanation is lacking again. Listen, Takumi-kun, you know of the adventurer party Lions Fang, dont you? Its not that its hard to penetrate it with magic power. Lets analyze the composition of the greatsword. ?Greatsword of the Absorber Magic Steel + Tungsten Carbide + Cobalt + Titanium Carbide Tungsten is a hard thing. But that doesnt change anything. As if the greatsword had a will of its own, it resisted my Craft magic. Nevertheless, it gradually accepted my magic power. I had to drink one or two mana potions midway, but I was able to reshape the Greatsword of the Absorber into longswords. As a result, two longswords were completed. ?Sword of the Absorber A magic sword that can absorb the magic power of the enemy it cuts. The more magic power it absorbs, the more its attack power increases. I enchanted the swords with Strong Slash and Self Repair and a magic sword with a bluish sword blade was completed I completed it by making scabbards and hilts for them. Ill give one to Sophia, and the other to Maria. And so, 3 days later, in front of the gate of Volton, we waited for Heath-san and his companions inside the carriage that the Papeck Company lent us. In the coachmans seat sat a beer barrel-shaped old man. It is the blacksmith, Doganbo-san. The truth is, when I mentioned Id go to Horuas, he badgered me to go together. He said he would teach me how to mine Mithril ore and Adamantite ore, so I decided to taking him along. When I told him that we accepted a request to secure Treant Wood on the way there, he was, conversely, delighted. It seems he was troubled by its recent lack of stocks. After a bit of waiting, the carriage of the Adventurers Guild that was being pulled by a Demon Horse arrived. The coachman is Lyle-san. Hans-san came with them to see us off. Yo Takumi, long time no see! Long time no see Lyle-san, Heath-san, and Bogah-san. Yeah, it seems were playing an active role. ............ Well then, Takumi-kun, we will buy all the Treant Wood you have. Be careful. Yes, Ill do my best. And so, the two carriages we were operating started moving straight for Horuas. *** Translators Note: Hello and thank you for reading and bearing with me this whole time. This is the end of Volume 1 of the novel. As Ive been so focused solely on this novel for the past 2 months, I will take a small break from this novel to finish the remaining chapters of the first arc of my other project, Stepmother, which will likely take a week as my schedule has still only slightly loosened up. Book 1: Illustrations: Book 1: Illustrations: These images are available for free on Alphapolis. To view the remaining images, please support the author by buying the novel, or renting the chapters through the source site. Cover Takumi using alchemy Chapter 43: Envying Takumi Chapter 43: Envying TakumiThe Forest of Death is just midway from Volton to Horuas. Its still far even if it is said to be midway, and the forest became visible on the 2nd day of the 6 day journey. We continued travelling for two days with the forest on our right side. We will hunt Treants this time, but according to Heath-sans information, the Treants are filled with malice. The Forest of Death is condensed with magic, and it seems that there are an unbelievable kinds of other-worldly monsters inhabiting it. I dont wanna~ I dont want to enter such a scary forest, but Lyle-san said that we will be fine if were at the outskirts of the forest. So, Takumi. Two slaves as beautiful as these two Oneechans............ youll explain, wont you? While we were making camp on the first day, Lyle-san came over and was being annoying. Well, it was just by chance. Im an artisan, arent I? I sold a few things I made, and rented a house with the money I earned. I consulted with Papeck-san about getting someone who could manage the house. Papeck-san then recommended a slave, and I was lucky enough to have come across these two. What do you mean come across?! Sophia-san is an elf, isnt she?! Lyle-san couldnt calm his excitement. Id probably have said the same if I were in his position. Off[1]! Woah, Takumi, Im really curious about this girl thats really stuck on you but......... Kaede camped on my knees. About Kaede~? Kaede has been with me since we were in Bohd Village. She is really popular with the housewives in the village. Kaede made many threads~! Un, the village housewives were amazing now that I think about it. Even if she is a unique species, Ive never heard of a Killer Spider evolve into an Arachne before. In the first place, I think Arachnes themselves are an unknown monster, but am I paying it too much mind? Seeing Sophia and Maria accept Kaede normally, Heath-san had nothing to say. Its fine! Kaede-chan is cute!Re?a?d new chapters on Kaede is cute~? Yup, youre cute. Next morning, Lyle was acting as if nothing happened. I ended up respecting that boldness. Even when Wolf-like monsters occasionally attacked on the 2nd day, it was mostly uneventful and we progressed smoothly. Its probably strange that I say its uneventful when monsters attacked. Takumi, youre not half bad. Its nothing great but thats not how an artisan fights. Thank you very much. I sometimes hunt monster materials by myself, so I need to do battle training. I still have a ways to go. I am still half-baked when compared to Heath-san and his party. Sophia is as strong as the Lions Fang members even without magic. I might have higher status values than them, but I am overwhelmingly lacking in experience. No, Takumi, we will soon be promoted to Rank B, which are called veteran adventurers. It would be unbecoming if an artisan can fight on par with us. Certainly, while I say keep saying Im an artisan, my subjugation request ratio is high. Is that strange? Its strange. Yeah. Around the time the sun started going down, the Forest of Death could be seen on the right. Is that the Forest of Death? Yeah, thats right. Thats the Forest of Death. It looks somewhat ominous. Your perception is correct. Its not like that on the outskirts, but it definitely is at the center. It is not a place people should set foot into. Its not unusual that the Forest of Death that we can see in the distance feels like it has evil spirits lurking within it. Alright, lets camp in this area for today. It would be dangerous to go any nearer to the Forest of Death. We started making prepare the camp in an area a bit far from the forest. Since were going to have to explore the outer edge of the forest to hunt for Treants tomorrow, we slept earlier than usual today. *** Footnotes: Get off!Kinda like a persona? His younger silver haired self and his 40+ year old salary man self. Chapter 44: Treant Hunt Chapter 44: Treant HuntIn the morning, we finished breakfast and are now exploring the outskirts of the Forest of Death. Heath-sans party and my party will split up into two groups to hunt for Treants. Takumi, you be careful! Yes Heath-san, please take care as well! Bringing spears, we will pretty much explore the outskirts of the forest. If a Treant is found, we will switch to axes. Oh right, I should ask Sophia how to identify Treants. Sophia, have you fought Treants? Yes, plenty of times. The forest is the territory of us elves. Is there a way to identify them? Yes, we ask the spirits to tell us. However, I think that if its you, Takumi-sama, you might be able to distinguish between normal trees and Treants that camouflage as trees if you use Magic Perception attentively. I see, thanks. Lets do our best in our search. ......Takumi-sama, please look at the tree a little bit to the right 20 meters ahead. Maria, look carefully too. I carefully observed the area that Sophia pointed to, and I could sense a clump of magic power from a single tree over there. Is that it? Yes. That is a Treant. I pointed to a tree and was told I was right that it is the Treant. Ahh, yeah, I might not have realized it if I didnt have Magic Perception, but I might have still made a mistake had my Magic Perception not been fairly high. Ill go first. I took out the axe I always use from the item box, brandished it and covered it entirely with magic power, closed the distance and swung it downwards. Kaaaaaaaaaan!! Guoooooo``!! The Axe Technique skill has leveled up The Logging skill has leveled up The blade of the axe dug deep into the root and a face appeared on the trunk of the tree. The camouflaging Treant cried out in pain. Tentacle-like roots thrust out from the earth and attacked me but they were lopped off by Sophia and Marias magic steel axes. I used that chance to swing my axe a lot. Kaede cut up the tentacle-like roots that were sticking out of the ground with her threads as if the roots were tofu. Guooooooooo````!! Its trunk struck over and over by axes, the Treant shrieked and was defeated. Batan!! Fuu, my axe is made of steel so its hard to make magic power flow through it. I cant cut. Our magic steel axes cut exceptionally. My Axe Technique and Logging Skills have leveled up. Kaede did good? Kaede was amazing too. I pat Kaedes head as I praised her. I should have made my axe magic steel too. Well then, lets cut off the extra branches. Yes! Okaaay~! I gave the two Magic Steel Hatchets and we cut off the branches. The cut branches which had become Treant Wood were then stored in the Item Box. Alright, next time lets use Wind attribute magic. On the next Treant we found, Sophia and I attacked it with a succession of Wind Cutter. The roots that stretched out from the ground in the Treants desperation were cut by Marias axe and Kaedes threads. Wearing the ring of magic invocation, the power and accuracy of the magic increased and the Treant was killed. Gtaaaaaaaa``!! The Wind Attribute Magic skill has leveled up The Wind Attribute Magic skill has leveled up It looks like the axe is more effective than magic. Lets see, we can take it easy because we can see through a Treants camouflage, so lets use it to train with both the axe and magic. For Sophia to say this, our compatibility with Treants must be good. After that, I borrowed the Magic Steel Axe from Sophia, and hunt for Treants with Maria and her axe. Sophia cuts the roots that come up from the ground with her sword and attacks with Wind attribute magic in a hit and run tactic. We hunt Treants one after the other. Sophia and I alternate roles midway, cutting roots with a sword and feinting with Wind Cutter. Kaedes threads easily cut through the roots of the Treant. She is playing a very active role in this. The Axe Technique skill has leveled up The Logging skill has leveled up The Swordplay skill has leveled up The Swordplay skill has leveled up The Magic Swordsman job has leveled up The Magus job has leveled up Around the time we were supposed to join up with Heath-sans party, several roots more than twice as thick as any weve encountered until now shot up from the ground we were walking towards. I promptly cut it off and backstepped once to recover. Takumi-sama! Its an Elder Treant! I took out the axe and cut the roots as I listened to Sophias shouts. Elder Treant is a monster subjugation target recommended at Rank B. It is by no means an enemy that we should be fighting. In the first place, its a monster that isnt supposed to appears in the forest edges. Status Age: 15 years old Job: Magic Swordsman Lv8, Magus Lv9 ( Magic Bestower Lv32, Carpenter Lv16, Alchemist lv56, Blacksmith Lv58, Tailor Lv40) Level: 64 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 710 Magic Power: 880 Strength: 360 Agility: 320 Stamina: 420 Dexterity: 340 Intelligence: 420 Unique Skills Appraisal EX Item Box EX (Concealed) Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv3 Insight Lv3 Poison Resistance Lv2 Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Evade Lv2 Body Control Lv2 Increased Magic Power Recovery Speed Lv1 Active Skills Spear Handling Lv7 Axe Technique Lv5 Swordplay Lv7 Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu Lv5 Matoujutsu Lv5 Enemy Search Lv3 Presence Detection Lv5 Stealth Lv4 Tame Lv1 Enhanced Physical Abilities Lv5 Magic Perception Lv7 Magic Power Manipulation Lv9 Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv5 Water Attribute Magic Lv5 Wind Attribute Magic Lv6 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Ice Attribute Magic Lv1 Lightning Attribute Magic Lv1 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv3 Bestowal Magic Lv5 Alchemy Lv8 Smithing Lv7 Woodworking Lv6 Carpentry Lv4 Foraging Lv5 Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv5 Sewing Lv3 Cooking Lv2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars Arachne Unique Species ( Kaede ) Titles Giant Killing *** Chapter 45: Mining Town Chapter 45: Mining Town Did I have good luck? Or bad luck? After fighting the unforeseen Elder Treant, we hurried to an area a little ways away from the forest to meet up with Heath-sans party. There, stacks of Treant Wood were piled up. Hey! Takumi, you guys okay? Yes, Im glad you are all safe as well. Could I ask you to store the Treants immediately? I understand. They borrowed Item Bags from the guild, but it seems that 5 of those had been filled with Treant Wood. I stored the stacks of the remaining Treant Wood in my Item Box. The capacity of Takumis storage magic is amazing. It seem I have a large amount of magic power. In order to deceive them about my Item Box, I gave a suitable reason to Lyle-san. Lets go back to the carriage then. The dwarf uncle is probably tired of waiting. Yes. We returned to the area, a bit distanced from the forest, where Doganbo-san was on standby. Doganbo-san, nothing happened? Yeah, it was all good. Well camp here today, then tomorrow morning, Heath-sans group will return to Volton, and we will go to Horuas. Alright then Takumi, lets meet again in Volton. Yes Lyle-san, please take care. Takumi, the main roads are few and they are infested with thieves. Dont hesitate when that happens. Dont forget that innocent lives will be lost If you turn a blind eye to them. Thieves kill the men and violate the women until theyre bored then sell them. Try to imagine that. Apparently, the rock-like scales of the Rock Lizard can be materials for armors and shields. I cant use these as they are, though. It seems that the materials still take the characteristic of being weak to Water and Ice attributes and the process to mitigate that is troublesome. The liver can be used as an ingredient for medicine, right? I checked with Doganbo-san as I helped with the dismantling. Im not a pharmacist so I dont know the details, but it seems its used as an ingredient for fever medicine. If thats the case, should I reserve a bit of it for ourselves? Medicine for illnesses arent that important for us. That is because I can use Recovery magic to cure illnesses. However, the common knowledge of the people of this world about the use of Recovery magic seems to be different. My Recovery magic cures illnesses normally, but it seems that when other Priests use Recovery magic, it isnt that effective. This is the result of not knowing the cause of the disease. Since I have the unique skill Appraisal EX, I can investigate details of the disease. Only after knowing the details of the disease, whether the cause is a bacteria, virus, or something else do I imagine taking away that cause and use Recovery magic. Thanks to Sophia listening to the spirits voices, we were able to prevent monsters surprise attacks. We defeated many overconfident monsters, and didnt encounter the thieves that Heath-san was worried about. Heee~ So thats Horuas. Seen from an elevation, Horuas truly is a mining town surrounded by mines. With many streaks of smoke rising from within the town, I knew from a glance that there were many metalworking studios. Many slag heaps from mine were piled around the town. Horuas is a mining town, it has many miners and blacksmiths so be careful of the rough ones. According to Doganbo-san, many criminal slaves are sent to Horuas to work in the mines. Its that kind of town so the public order is worse compared to Volton, and we were told to be careful so we dont get caught in any trouble. (Doganbo-san, thats what we call raising a flag!) We descended the elevation, moving along the path to the gates of Horuas. There were many merchant caravans lined up before the gate to the town. We lined up at the end of the queue. It took a long time but we were able to pass through and enter Horuas before it got dark. *** Footnotes: An example of a Skink Lizard looks like this. ȥ? is not one specific species of lizard, but since the raws have ȥ? (Tokage) and ꥵ?`? (Lizard), Ill put it in so it is less confusing in english. Chapter 46: The Tunnel Subjugation Request Chapter 46: The Tunnel Subjugation Request Nearing dusk, we, who entered the town of Horuas, arrived at the inn Badgers Sett Pavilion that Doganbo-san had recommended. Here, over here! Doganbo-san stopped at the inns dedicated space, unfastened the Demon Horse and asked the inn staff to take care of it. This is the shop that Ive been in the care of since I was young. Their meals are cheap but delicious. Doganbo-san briskly walked into the inn alone. We hurriedly followed. Ou! Got vacant rooms?! Doganbo-san loudly called out at the small counter. Oh, how rare. If it isnt Doganbo-san. Its been a while. The one who came out from inside is a woman with a dialect befitting of a dignified mistress. Ooh, its been a while, Nora. Do you have vacant rooms where me and Takumis bunch can stay today? How many rooms will that be? Doganbo-san looked at me. Two rooms please, one single and a triple room. Eh?! Before I could say anything, Sophia answered the inns mistress. My oh my. Well then, a single room for Doganbo-san at room 301, and the three over there can use a quadruple room at room 403. Thank you very much. Nora-san handed over the keys to Doganbo-san and Sophia. For starters, how much will it be for three days? With meals in the morning and evening, it will be 5 silver per night for the single room, and 10 silver per night for the quadruple room used by three people, for a total of 45 silver for three nights. I paid Doganbo-san our share. Id like for you to take the ore eater request too. They dig holes any darn place, those can become causes for cave-ins and tunnels collapsing. At Doganbo-sans recommendation, we decided to accept a Rank E subjugation request. As you can see from it being Rank E, the Iron Mole itself is that strong. But since it isnt a swarm of monsters, subjugating a number of them is hard, so it isnt a profitable request. It is put up as a permanent request but is unpopular.. The requester is the Blacksmith Guild. We tore of the written request and lined up. Okay, an Iron Mole subjugation request, yes? Your guild cards please. ............ Okay, I have verified it. Subjugate three Iron Moles to complete the request. The proof of subjugation will be the claw of the Iron Mole. The deadline is 3 days after the request has been received. Please take care and do your best. The polite receptionist returned our cards and we left the guild. I brought a pickaxe but should we buy for you, two? No Takumi, wouldnt it be better if the girls guard us instead? It might be as Doganbo-san says. While Doganbo-san and I dig, it would be normal to leave it to them to keep watch of our surroundings. I dabble in all production jobs so I might have wanted Sophia and Maria to do the same. But it doesnt necessarily mean that Sophia and Maria want to become artisans. At Doganbo-sans lead, we headed to the third tunnel. The mine has tunnels 1 through 5, but according to Doganbo-san, the third tunnel has roughly the same ratio of mineable Mithril ores and Adamantite ores. He said that he chose the third tunnel this time since I wanted either of the ores. The first tunnel mainly has iron ore, the second has copper and iron ores, the third has Mithril and Adamantite ores, the fourth mainly yields Mithril ore, and the fifth mainly yields silver ores and a bit of gold ore. For the clueless people, theyd think that people would gather at the third mine, but the refinement of Mithril and Adamantite is too high of a hurdle here, so Doganbo-san says that the third mine is always open. At Doganbo-sans lead, we will head to the third tunnel. A stagecoach came before long, and about 10 minutes later, we arrived at the entrance of the third tunnel. Our lanterns are ready, so follow me. With Doganbo-san at the lead, then Maria and I, then Sophia and Kaede at the end of the line, we walked into the dimly lit mine in that formation. *** Footnotes: Family species of mole, raws say Mole (`) in kana and Mogura (⥯?) in kana so just to show a difference. So kinda doing the same. Well.. just random, todays my birthday. a ha ha ha Chapter 47: Moles Are Weak To Light Chapter 47: Moles Are Weak To LightRelying on the lantern for lighting, we kept walking in the dim tunnel for 30 minutes. The bat monsterSonic Bat infests some of the paths. These Sonic Bats are more of a small fry than the Iron Mole, so they mainly become Kaedes partners for killing time. They cant escape from Kaedes threads in these narrow tunnels. The pitiful Sonic Bats fall in two parts. Since they have neither trash magic stone nor essential materials, I just dispose of them by burying them with Earth magic. Takumi, lets dig a bit in this area. Yes, understood. Doganbo-san and I dug up the area he had indicated with pickaxes. Sophia and Maria kept watch of the surroundings. Kaede spread out her threads to detect for monsters coming from underground. Ooh, this might be a hit. Takumi, look at this rock. This is Mithril ore. You have magic skills so check it out with Magic Perception. ......... How is it, you can see it contains magic power, right? You can distinguish mithril ore with this magic power and its whitish color. I looked for magic power in the stone that Doganbo-san prospected, and I really could slightly sense magic power that I couldnt sense in an ordinary rock or iron ore. ............yes, I kind of get it. I tried using DecompositionExtraction and Synthesis on the mithril ore I was holding. It definitely expends more magic power than when I transmute magic iron but not that much. When the transmutation finished, what was left on my palm was a shiny silver lump of mithril. From there, Doganbo-san and I dug up the wall. Midway through, Doganbo-san left the digging to me and sorted out the excavated stones. Takumi! Lets move to the next spot! Yes! I stored every last ore that Doganbo-san had sorted into my Item Box. After that, we continued mining a number of tunnels and were able to mine quite a bit of mithril ore. Takumi, well soon be at an area where we can mine Adamantite ores. Then well prospect here, right? There, Doganbo-san showed me an Adamantite ore. I could feel magic power within it just like with the mithril ore, but its characteristics which were different are that it is blacker in color than an iron ore and it is much heavier. Adamantite is harder and more durable than mithril and magic iron but it is heavier. I see, but if one were to ignore its weight, it is a superior metal with higher hardness and durability. It might be difficult as armor, but wouldnt that be the most suitable for weapons? When I said that to Doganbo-san, astounded, he said Well, its great that you can defeat the Iron Mole easily. Okay, lets hurry up and dig for adamantite ores! Looking nonchalant, Doganbo-san restarted digging. Mining a fixed amount of adamantite ores is quite the chore. To start with, you cant mine the same amount as you would mithril and magic iron ore in one spot. Furthermore, adamantite ore is heavy, so there are transportation costs as well. I have an item box so I can ignore the weight and bring back as much adamantite ores as I like, but this would be difficult if someone had to carry it. Master, Mole-san again! OK! I prepared to use Light at the spot Kaede indicated and waited for the Iron Mole to come out. Light! Kyuuuuuuu````!! Zaku! It ended up like an assembly line. Takumi-sama, the third Iron Mole. It seems my dismantling will improve Sophia is truly an elf, it seems they hunt frequently in their country and dismantling is their specialty. Hey! Takumi, I leave these ores to you! Now Dognabo-san ignores it when Iron Moles come out and continues to mine or sort ores. Yes! I stored the adamantite ores into the Item Box. Doganbo-san, havent we already mined quite a bit of mithril and adamantite ores? I think Ive been able to reserve enough for my personal use. I feel like theres enough even taking the amount that Doganbo-sans shop will use into consideration. A bit more, so just a bit more. Thanks to Doganbo-sans a bit more chant, by the time we came out of the third mine, the sun had gone down completely. Mining and killing Iron Moles without eating lunch, we rushed back to the Badgers Sett Pavilion and ate our fill of Nora-sans food and slept like logs. *** Chapter 48: When templates are forgotten Chapter 48: When templates are forgottenWe were able to secure the needed amount for both mithril ore and adamantite ore, and a bit more. So, we decided to stay one night then head back to Volton. With this, Ill be D rank. As I listened to the sound of the carriage wheels clatter, I feel that an artisans adventurer rank becoming Rank D is strange. Not even a year has passed since I arrived at Mildgard. Despite this, my level is in the mid-60s. For adventurers in this world, people who reached this level are called veterans. Even though Im an artisan. Other adventurers might get angry if they were told this is a status of an artisan. So, what will you do? Will you hunt for more Treants at the Forest of Death on our way back? When the campsite across the Forest of Death came into view on the left side, the very my pace dwarf Doganbo-san who was at the coachmans seat looked over his shoulder asked if we wanted to make a stop-over. May we stop by for a short while if we have some time? Sophia, Maria, what do you think? The town of Volton has a shortage of Treants, so having even a little bit more would be greatly appreciated. I want to become even stronger. Since the two were eager, we decided to hunt for Treants for a bit. Ha! Gan! Gan! Guoooooo````!! Sophia and Maria drove their axes into the Treant, and Kaede and I cut off every single tentacle-like root that emerge from the ground. This time, Kaede and I were support while Sophia and Maria fought the Treants. Clutching a sword on my right hand and a knife on my left, I cut the roots aiming for Sophia and Maria. With the Swordplay skill level at 7, I took a step into the realm of top-class sword handling.[1] Its slowly coming to a point where its becoming shameful to call myself an artisan. I feel like a con artist. This much will do, right? Having seen 5 Treants killed, I suggested that it was time to go back to Doganbo-san who was taking care of the carriage. Yes, we should barely manage to reach the next campsite if we leave now. I have had enough of Treants for a while. Kaede had enough too! Since it had become routine work, everyone agreed to put an end to the Treant subjugation. We stored the last defeated Treant and returned to the carriage Doganbo-san was waiting in. We have returned. Ou, how was it? Galloping on with the Forest of Death in view on our left, something happened just when we were about to reach the end of the forest. Oraaa!! Before I knew it, Doganbo-san appeared at the front of the carriage, brandishing a hammer. When the number of thieves had dwindled to half, I jumped out of the carriage. I thrust my spear, aiming for the thiefs throat. Ive gotten used to fighting monsters but it feels different when the opponent is a person. Although I feel uncomfortable taking my opponents life, I lunged my spear at the next thief. You bastard! I definitely wont let this pass! Ill kill you, ravage those women till Im tired of them and kill them! The idiot boss thief swung his axe and attacked me. Avoiding the swing of the axe wasnt difficult. You bastard! You keep running away! Because the range of a spear and an axe are different, the fight between the idiot and I was one-sided. Closing the distance in an instant, I stabbed the slow idiot boss thief in the abdomen, chest, and throat with a triple thrust and he died with a frustrated-looking expression. Haa, haa, haa. Even though I wouldnt be out of breath if this were a fight with a monster, I am breathing roughly and my back is drenched in sweat right now/ I was disturbed by killing a person for the first time, but that was it. I once again noticed that I have changed. Heave-ho, heave-hounsho unsho, Master! Brought thief! Okay, thank you Kaede. Youre a big help. Kaede was pulling a headless corpse with her threads. I stroked Kaedes head and thanked her. She may be a monster, but having instructed Kaede to kill people, I couldnt escape the feeling of aversion again. Takumi-sama! Are you injured? Sophia worried for me and checked my whole body. Even Maria had alighted the carriage and embraced me. Thinking about it, it was also Marias first time in an interpersonal battle too. Even if this is a brutal world, the hurdle for killing people is not low. But the reality is, kill or be killed. Okay, lets take what can be taken, and deal with them later. Doganbo-san moves at his own pace till the very end. Im saved by the very my-pace Doganbo-san. Afterwards, we split into groups to strip the corpses of the thieves of their armor, guild cards, and any item that seemed useable, then dug up a large hole with Earth magic and buried the corpses in it, and then we headed towards Volton. *** Footnotes: its kinda like how you keep a door open by jamming your foot between the door and frame and then inching your way through. Thank you to Rinne-san for the suggestion. Chapter 49: Being Pampered Chapter 49: Being PamperedHaving been confronted with a thieves attack, which in a sense is a royal road template, the (mental) damage I received from killing a person for the first time was not as big as I thought it would be, rather, it shocked me. Its not that Im completely composed after having just killed a person, but my mind had accepted it as inevitable, and I was shocked at myself. Now if I had to say how I am right now, I am being praised and pampered by Sophia and Maria inside the carriage. It seems they thought that I was terribly shocked by having killed people for the first time. I am not against being pampered completely by Sophia and Maria. More like, Im even ogling and flirting with them. It should have been Marias first time murdering as well but it seems that worrying for me calmed her down. I wonder if it turned out okay in the end. Even in the middle ages in Japan, there were probably thieves and brigands around during the warring states period, it wouldnt change very much to daimyos and powerful families even if they banded together. Reflecting on that, this world might not be that unusual. A world where no one competes for prosperity doesnt exist. This is shown by human history. Thieves are suppression targets, wanted dead or alive, and you would not be charged for killing them. There are a variety of people who become thieves. Fallen adventurers, fallen mercenaries, farmers living in famine. Knowing that, I think that there are two types of thieves, people who were swept along by the ease of it and people who enjoy criminal acts. It is because of the those types of people that it seemed absurd that I was even troubled. If the entirety of the people of this world had an opportunity to to learn a standardized education, the circumstances would likely change a little, because there are many people who fell to thievery that cant read or write. At least, I think they might be able learn a kind of job. (Huh? In this blood-thirsty world, wouldnt being an artisan while having a slow life be impossible?) Well, just being able to flirt with Sophia and Maria is good enough. Its not my job to think about the hard stuff, thats the job of feudal lords and kings. Doganbo-san completely ignored our flirting in the carriage. He probably just had no interest though. On the second day after the thieves attack, we returned to Volton.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Without delay, we headed to the Adventurers Guild and when Hans-san spotted us, we were beckoned over and taken to the place they store materials. For starters, please take out the Treant wood. Yes, Ill put them here. The three of us sauntered around town while buying ingredients and then returned home. Yes, then Takumi-sama, please take care of the soup. Okay! ............ Im sorry, you two. As Maria and I were standing in the kitchen, Sophia hung her head, seemingly apologetic. Sophia is an elf and is the eldest among us, yet she cant cook at all. Whether the women of lower ranking nobles can cook or not, I do not know, but since Sophia is my guard, I told her that we can cook so its alright. After enjoying dinner and playing with Kaede around the table, its time for a pleasurable bath. Takumi-sama, its embarrassing so please dont stare too much. Thats right. Youre staring too intently. I entered the bath earlier and waited, then Sophia and Maria entered the bath naked. The embarrassed two tried covering up with their hands and went by me as they said so, but my response had already been decided. Impossible! At their beauty which seemingly embodied the beauty of this world, my excitement was at its peak and its like my blood was boiling. Thanks to that, I was able to get over the suppression of thieves. It doesnt matter, ......Im just a pervert, after all. *** Translators Note: Sorry if it seemed really ...rough reading that. Half the time, the sentences in the raw just didnt match each other. I tried my best to make it more sensible. But Im really bad with the flirting stuff. It all just makes me cringe. lol Anyway, thank you for reading! Edit: I was able to reword some lines to make things a bit smoother. Chapter 50: Magic Metal Refinement Chapter 50: Magic Metal RefinementOn the second day after returning to Volton, since Doganbo-san was being really annoying and telling me to come first thing in the morning, I reluctantly went to Doganbo-sans workshop in the morning. Too slow! Eeh~~! I arrived first thing in the morning, didnt I?! The first thing he says is Too slow!.. even though I ate breakfast earlier than usual and came here. Doganbo-san dragged me by the hand into his workshop. Both mithril and adamantite are impossible to refine in my furnace. It can still bear the tempering portion of it, but without a specialized furnace for refinement, its impossible. So Takumi, splitting the ore equally will do so Ill leave the refinement to you. Well, okay............ The amount that Doganbo-san had mined was much larger, so Im grateful for that and all but Im not in highest of spirits so early in the morning. I took out the mithril ore and placed it in the area that Doganbo-san had designated for it, and once all of the mithril ore was out, it turned into quite a hill. Now then, I should refine these one after the other, yes? Yeah. Adamantite is my favorite but mithril can be used for armor and accessories. Alright, lets refine it down to the last one! Yeaa, talking that way......... Im the one refining it though. I made extra mana potions for today, so Ill do my best! I will use Decomposition and Extraction on the mithril ore and Synthesis on the extracted mithril. Since mithril ore also contains a small amount of other elements such as aluminium and titanium, its necessary to use Extraction on the essential metals and Synthesis to secure it. The leftover elements and sand were hardened with Earth magic and turned to blocks. After that, while drinking mana potions, I continued to refine the small hill of mithril ore. Takumi-sama, how about you take a break and have lunch? ...... yeah, Im hungry already. Then I will make preparations. Because Sophia, who had been watching over me, proposed I have a break, I decided to have lunch. Doganbo-san turned towards me with a dissatisfied look but I cant work without eating. I let Kaede out of the Subspace and the four of us ate the meal that Maria had prepared. We invited Doganbo-san to join us, but he said he cant eat leisurely when there was mithril ore in front of him then he began doing work that was piling up. ............No, if work piles up, you should do finish them before they do. In the end, Maria sewed side-by-side with Kaede, and I continued the refining, all the while drinking who knows how many potions. I finished refining over half the small mountain of mithril ore that very same day. Alright! Same thing first thing tomorrow morning! ......yes. This.. refining until the adamantite ores, I wonder how many days this would take. Now then, work hard! That manner of speech, well, anythings fine though. Early morning the next day as well, I began refining mithril ore. Mustering my magic power, I refined the mithril ores, and by the time I finished, the sun had completely gone down. So then well be doing adamantite starting tomorrow. Gya! I involuntarily let out a weird voice. (This is artisan work, this is the artisan work that I wanted but............ not like this!) I was supposed to make things enjoyably, its like I was thrown into a black environment[1]. Huh? Am I being deceived? I complained about how I didnt want to do it and that it was hard. Adamantite ore in particular. the magic power necessary to refine it with alchemy is higher. Chantless, I abandoned the magic formationless refinement and prepared three metal plates with the alchemy formations for Decomposition, Extraction, and Synthesis, and just poured my magic power into what could be called a refinement assembly-line system.Geett the latest novels on To that extent, I was finally able to finish refining all the adamantite ores in two days. Takumi, take half of the mithril and adamantite ingots. Well start making mithril and adamantite armors and weapons 5 days from now. StatusName: Takumi Iruma Stealth Lv4 Tame Lv1 Enhance Physical Abilities Lv5 Magic Perception Lv7 Magic Power Manipulation Lv9 Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv5 Water Attribute Magic Lv5 Wind Attribute Magic Lv6 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 ice Attribute Magic Lv3 Lightning Attribute Magic Lv1 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv3 Bestowal Magic Lv5 Alchemy Lv8 Smithing Lv7 Woodworking Lv6 Carpentry Lv4 Foraging Lv5 Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv5 Sewing Lv3 Cooking Lv2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn (Concealed) Familiars Arachne Unique Species ( Kaede ) Titles Giant Killing *** Footnotes: Black companies are a thing in Japan. When this is mentioned, it usually means they overwork their employees absurdly. To the point that there is a term for when people die from overworking, ^ (Karoshi).Alloy is a metallic substance composed of two or more elements, as either a compound or a solution. more info here.Alloying is done for many reasons, typically to increase strength, increase corrosion resistance, or reduce costs. more info here. Sphys Note: Hello~ Weve finally reached 50 chapters (52, including the idle talks). Thank you very much for reading until now! Ill continue to try my best with the future chapters~ I hope you continue to read! ^^/ As an aside, I edited chapter 49 a bit more because I wasnt really satisfied with what I released. It shouldnt be as rough, or so I hope. Chapter 51: Smithing Magic Chapter 51: Smithing Magic Having been liberated from the hard work of refining mithril and adamantite, I spent my days relaxing at home and thinking of what to make with the Elder Treant wood in the workshop. And then I challenged myself to make mithril-made armor and adamantite-made weapons at Doganbo-sans place. Too slow! No, I came first thing in the morning. There has to be a limit to how much this bearded beer barrel-shaped old man can go at his own pace. At the workshop, Doganbo-san first showed me how to hammer a mithril knife. Doganbo-san fired up the furnace. If its ordinary silver, youd mix things like copper in, but while mithril was originally silver, its properties are already different. Youd know it by its other name, Divine Silver. So, when it comes to mithril, you mix these. Doganbo-san took out metal fragments, a red stone, and some kind of powder. One is Magic Iron fragments, the red stone is a Salamanders gallstone, and this powder is pulverized magic stone. According to Doganbo-san, for mithril alloy, it doesnt have to be magic iron specifically, but it must be mithril and a metal with similarly high affinity with magic power. Truthfully, a knife with adamantite would raise its performance, however, mithril alloy has the characteristics of being light and has high affinity to magic power therefore Doganbo-san said that he judged that magic iron would be more suited as the accompaniment. The Salamanders Gallstone is a material that grants fire attribute to the knife. Powdered magic stone acts as the agent that promotes the mixture of the Salamanders Gallstone and the Magic iron. That said, when that mithril alloy is hammered into a knife and it will become a fire attribute knife, correct? Yeah, if theres a Bestower, youd be able to grant fire attribute to the knife even without the Salamanders Gallstone, however, if you add the attribute to the materials of the knife itself, there will be a large margin between the completed knives. I can use bestowal magic so I understand, the number of effects you can use on materials of bestowed weapons and armor fluctuate. In very game-like fashion, weapons and armor have slots that grant special effects, but if you can grant attributes to the materials themselves, you can grant attributes without having to decrease the slots of the completed knife. Doganbo-san placed the materials into the furnace to heat them up. From there, Doganbo-san heated the furnace more with magic power. Magic metals need to be charged with magic power. However, by applying only heat, no matter how high the temperature is, alloying is not possible. You need to charge magic power into the hearth to raise its temperature to synthesize the Magic Iron and Salamanders Gallstone with the mithril. In the dark workshop lit only by the fires of the furnace, one sweats buckets even by just staying still. Doganbo-san struck the mithril alloy that has yet to complete blending on the anvil using a mallet. There I hit it with a sledgehammer. I do not know why he is using a mallet but I think Im learning.[1] More, put more magic power into the mallet! Yes! Kan! Kan! Kan! Kan! Repeating it over and over, it turned into a uniform alloy and Doganbo-san enters the shaping process. Its strange but Doganbo-san has used barely any Smithing Magic up to this point. Only to correct the shape a bit. W-what is that?! Eh? Its a spearhead. I hadnt noticed in my concentration, but Doganbo-san drew closer to me, wide-eyed. Hey Takumi, Smithing magic is only used to the degree of correcting shapes. From shaping to tempering, and sharpening to top it off, that Smithing magic you used to make the spearhead is preposterous and going too far. Whats with that spearhead? Apart from the pattern on the blade, I can see that its obviously a sharp blade. I explained to Doganbo-san that I combined adamantite with tungsten, cobalt, and a little bit of titanium, then altered the carbon content while stacking the three kinds of alloys, making one spearhead. Honestly speaking, I have absolutely no idea what tungsten and cobalt are, but by altering the hardness of the core and the edge, you were trying to balance the weapons sharpness and strength. Doganbo-san was still mumbling, but since my prototype had more or less been successful, Ill see if I grant an attribute to the materials of this alloy. I took out one magic stone from my Item Box, grasped it, and charged Ice attribute magic power into it. Confirming that the magic stone had turned dark blue, I used Pulverization to turn the magic stone into powder. Alright, now Synthesis. The black adamantite alloy-made blade turned bluish black. I could see that the hamon portion where the black is faint is especially blue. I grasped the core part, pouring magic power into it, enveloping the spearhead with ice attribute magic power. Lastly, I applied Strong Slash, Self Repair, and Strong Thrust enchantments, and the adamantite alloy-made spearhead is complete. I made a handle from Elder Treant Wood, a silvery-white cross-guard made of mithril alloy, and an adamantite alloy-made butt end. ?Ice Spear Ice Bringer An adamantite alloy-made spear created by an excellent magic blacksmithing alchemist. Endowed with the Ice attribute. By passing magic power through it, the spearhead will be clad in Ice attribute magic. Enhanced Ice Attribute Ice Attribute Resistance Strong SlashSelf Repair Strong Thrust Rarity: National Treasure By the time I looked with Appraisal EX, it already had a name. I can go home now, right? Doganbo-san didnt respond. As he grumbled, it seems he had stepped into my world. Since Ill be fine at my own workshop, Ive decided to go home now. *** Footnotes: For the people who want to see the mallet and sledge hammer thing that Takumi and Doganbo are doing. VideoHardness, Toughness and Strength in metal explained by definition because in normal English, these words are usually interchanged. DefinitionIn swordsmithing, hamon ( hamon) (from Japanese, literally blade pattern) is a visual effect created on the blade by the hardening process. Source: Wikipedia.Example of a clover hamon here. More types of hamon here Chapter 52: Equipment Enhancement Chapter 52: Equipment Enhancement With the completion of the adamantite alloy spear, we decided to remake our armors. Since I want to strengthen our armor now as well, if you have some requests, Id like it if you dont hold back and tell me. When I said so, Sophia and Maria pondered over it. Right now we are using the Armored Boar Leather Armor and Spider Silk underarmor. I think that among those, leaving the Spider Silk underarmor as is will be okay. The fitted underarmor made with elastic threads that Sophia and Maria are wearing are exceptional items. No complaints even on its functionality. For the new armor and poise, I might change the style and color though. Takumi-sama, are you considering mithril for the armor? Hmm, wouldnt you agree that silver colored armor suit Sophia and Maria? Especially since Sophia is a knight. At Sophias question, I ended up answering obliquely. ..................Takumi-sama Sophia left, astounded. Regarding Sophia and Marias armor, I have a little idea. Right now, the material used for our leather armor is the Huge Armored Boars hard carapace. This material is highly popular among adventurers. It is relatively light and very hard, so even veteran adventurers want this material. But that doesnt mean it has no issues. Whether it is because the monster rank of the Huge Armored Boar itself is not that high, or the material itself not having any special effects, the number of bestowals that could be done on it is not a lot. Among the materials of dragon species and other high ranking monster, the materials that naturally have special effects are not few. Furthermore, for some reason, the number of times you can bestow items made of high ranking monster materials is plenty. Therefore, with mithril alloy, the material itself has high resistance to magic attacks. It even has physical resistance that surpasses steel, and circulating magic power to it strengthens magic attack resistance and physical attack resistance. In addition, maybe due to mithril being a rare metal, the number you can bestow is plenty. In comparison to the heavy adamantite alloy, it is clearly a material suited for armor. Lets make mithril alloy breastplate, bracers, and greaves. This is already a decided matter. Their previous armor, instead of tassets, had a Spider Silk-made miniskirt with slits worn on top of the armor. This time, it will be a mini dress. Of course, it wouldnt be your run of the mill one piece dress. Naturally, it will use Spider Silk, and mithril alloy will be processed to be fine and thready, then it will be intertwined with Spider Silk and woven together. It will be incomparable to the Spider Silk-made cloth used until now in both physical and magic resistance. The body-fit elastic underarmor, knee length leggings for bottoms and long sleeved body-fit shirt, will be remade. It will be enchanted with Automatic Size Adjustment, Automatic Temperature Regulation, Enhanced Physical Resistance, and Enhanced Agility. Without delay, I processed the mithril alloy thinly. This is also quite difficult. Its metal so I can use Earth Magic, but making uniformly fine threads is more difficult than I had imagined. Since Im including the portion for Kaedes clothes and mine, I had to make portions for 4 people, so I kept working silently as my nerves wore down. Im glad working this way is my specialty. Sophia and Marias one piece are colored white, and Kaedes is white as well. My shirt had been dyed grey, and my cargo pants, dark grey. The process of making thread surprisingly took time and I had gotten stuck solely processing mithril alloy for several days, but the fabric I found acceptable had been completed. I made Sophia and Marias one piece according to their figure. This was a three-man operation since Maria and Kaede have sewing skills, so we were able to do it quickly even when Kaedes and my shirts were included. A magic crystal containing strong Wind and Lightning attribute magic power. Oooh, I did it. But the combination is important. I think it was fine because Wind and Lightning attribute are highly compatible. But it would be impossible with Fire and Water. I think, Fire + Wind = Enhanced Attack + Enhanced Agility Fire + Earth = Enhanced Attack + Enhanced Defense Wind + Water = Enhanced Agility + Enhanced Magic Power Water + Earth = Enhanced Magic Power[2]+ Enhanced Defense Its probably something like this. I refined the synthesized Lightning Wind attribute Magic Crystal and Mithril. ?Mithril Alloy ( Lightning Wind Attribute ) Mithril alloy made from Mithril + Magic Iron and synthesized with Lightning Wind attribute Magic Crystal through alchemy. ( Lightning Wind Magic Resistance ?Extra Large Enhanced Agility ) Yup, Ive definitely made a terrifying thing. I found out that combined attribute materials were possible, thats why I will combine the mithril alloys for Sophia and Maria. I will synthesize Sophias existing Wind attribute with Water attribute. And Marias existing Earth Attribute with Fire attribute. ?Mithril Alloy ( Water Wind Attribute ) Mithril alloy made from Mithril + Magic Iron and synthesized with Water Wind attribute Magic Crystal through alchemy. ( Water Wind Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Agility? Enhanced Magic Power) ?Mithril Alloy ( Fire Earth Attribute ) Mithril alloy made from Mithril + Magic Iron and synthesized with Fire Earth attribute Magic Crystal through alchemy. ( Earth Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Earth Magic ? Enhanced Attack ? Enhanced Defense ) Sophias green mithril alloy changed to a silvery-white tinged aquamarine, while Marias orange mithril alloy turned into a silvery-white tinged deep crimson. With this, Ive finished my preliminary preparations, so now Ill make the breastplates, bracers, and greaves. *** Footnotes: He was talking about the process and his actions when he tried making mithril out of silver. This is in chapter 36.Author Typo, it said agility in WN raw, but in the line before this it was magic power for water. Chapter 53: Uncontrollable? Chapter 53: Uncontrollable? Having completed the mithril alloys, I immediately got to work making Sophia and Marias armors. I partitioned the necessary amounts. With the armor Sophia had been using until now as reference, I charged the mithril alloy with magic power and shaped it, and there was a remarkable difference in how much magic power magic iron could bear compared to this. Its impossible to not level this up. I cant evade being ridiculed as a pervert since I made elaborate mannequins of Sophia and Marias physiques when I made underwear, but I have confidence that I can make things without the need for the Automatic Size Adjustment enchantment. Taking into calculation the sports bra holding everything in, I shaped the curve of the chest portion. I didnt use mithril alloy on the sides near the back of breastplate. I thought that it wouldnt obstruct the movements of her back when using a bow.Alll latest novels on I chose to use the Blade Deers soft leather for the lining of the mithril breastplate. For Sophias gauntlet, I aimed for her right piece to have a shape that would not be a hindrance when she holds arrows. The greaves shape is simple so that was easy. It took two days and a belly filled with mana potions to shape mithril alloy for three people. ?Ranmas Light Armor( Water Wind Attribute) Light armor made from mithril alloy that carried Wind and Water attributes, crafted by an extraordinary Alchemist and Magic Blacksmith. ( Wind Magic Resistance ? Water Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Water Magic ? Enhanced Wind Magic ? Enhanced Agility ? Enhanced Magic Power ) Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature Regulation Equipment Weight Reduction Self Repair ?Endos Light Armor ( Fire Earth Attribute) Light armor made from mithril alloy that carried Fire and Earth attributes, crafted by an excellent magic blacksmithing alchemist. ( Fire Magic Resistance ? Earth Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Fire Magic ? Enhanced Earth Magic ? Enhanced Attack ? Enhanced Defense ) Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature Regulation Equipment Weight Reduction Self Repair ?Jinrais [Thunderclap] Light Armor ( Lightning Wind Attribute ) Light armor made from mithril alloy that carried Wind and Lightning attributes, crafted by an excellent magic blacksmithing alchemist. ( Wind Magic Resistance ? Lightning Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Lightning Magic ? Enhanced Wind Magic ? Enhanced Agility [Extra-Large] ) Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature Regulation Equipment Weight Reduction Self Repair ............I am speechless. Its beautiful, very beautiful. Sophias blue tinged silvery-white armor, Marias red tinged silvery-white armor, and my green tinged silvery-white armor. It seems that their appearances have high evaluations. Could I have you two try it on along with the underarmor that had mithril threads interwoven with it? Yes! Are there any defects on the armor? Don! Uwaaaa! gorogorogorogorogoro...................... My speed overtook my senses and I fell over magnificently. Crap, this might take some time getting used to. Takumi-sama! Are you alright?! Are you injured?! Sophia and Maria came running. I took no damage, but I was filled with embarrassment. Yeah, Im fine. I took no damage. It felt like 50% increase. If you suddenly speed up by 50%, its inevitable that your senses would be overtaken. More importantly, Im worried if my muscles and kinetic vision can get used to this sensation. Sorry, I need to train to get used to my armor for now, so you two are free to do what you want. Then, the two of us will train. Since Sophia and Maria separated from me, I continued to practice getting used to it by changing speeds little by little. Making slight bodily movements with the help of the Body Control skill, I quickly became able to control my body. The Body Control Skill has leveled up The moment the skill level rose, my senses immediately caught up with the speed. The High-speed Thought Process skill has been obtained The moment I obtained the High-speed Thought Process skill, the gap separating my body and senses disappeared, and Ive become able to use the functionality of the armor perfectly. Fuu~~, Since my muscles and bones take the burden, its necessary to use Enhance Physical Abilities skill simultaneously. The burden on my body will likely be resolved by cladding myself with magic power and using Enhance Physical Abilities. Alright, lets improve the weapons next. *** Footnotes: I changed the skill Enhanced Strength to Enhanced Physical Abilities, showed in ch32 first. Sorry xD Chapter 54: What will the Artisan who wants strong weapons do? Chapter 54: What will the Artisan who wants strong weapons do? When I trained to get used to the newly made armor, I had to postpone making the two other spears. But now I can continue. The handle of the Ice Spear Ice Bringer that I made some time ago is made from Elder Treant Wood, but I wrapped it in a thin layer of mithril alloy and carved an arabesque pattern on it so it doesnt slip. ?Ice SpearIce Bringer An adamantite alloy-made spear created by an excellent magic blacksmithing alchemist. Endowed with the Ice attribute. By passing magic power through it, the spearhead will be clad in Ice attribute magic. Enhanced Ice Attribute Ice Attribute Resistance Strong SlashSelf Repair Strong Thrust Rarity: National Treasure Sophia, Maria, what attribute do you want to bestow your spears? For Sophia and Maria who dont possess the Ice attribute, even if they use the ice spear, they will not benefit from the attribute enhancement. Thats why I asked the two what attribute I should bestow on their spears. As expected, shouldnt it be the Wind attribute for me? Youre right. If its Wind, it might release slashes of wind when you stab or swipe. Sophia chose the Wind attribute. Hmmm, would the Fire attribute be good for me? Lets see, it is more specialized in offense compared to the Water and Earth attributes, so I think its okay. If that is the case, then I am all right with the Fire attribute. Roger! After that, I forged the two spear siblings of Ice Bringer. The adamantite alloy spearheads became the black spearhead tinged with green, Tempest, and the black spearhead tinged with red, Explode. ?Wind Spear Tempest An adamantite alloy-made spear created by an excellent magic blacksmithing alchemist. Endowed with the Wind attribute. By passing magic power through it, the spearhead will be clad in Wind attribute magic. Wind attribute Resistance Enhanced Wind attribute Strong Slash Self Repair Strong Thrust Rarity: National Treasure The completed Tempest was wielded by Sophia and a gale twined around the spearhead. Some heft will be needed, right? That is correct, as it relates to the power of shield bash. But it would be better to not wield a heavy shield in one hand. Then how about charging magic power when you shield bashing, and producing a shockwave with Wind attribute magic? Sophia, your level is high and so are your status values, so you might be fine with a heavy shield, but the weight might hold you back if a fight draws out. Yes, I will leave the decision to you. I immediately headed into my workshop. I will prepare our meal then. Then I will clean the mansion and bathroom. Maria and Sophia headed for the mansion. Now then, if its light then it has to be mithril alloy. I think it would be good to have monster materials, but that would be asking for too much. According to the rumors, things like dragon scales which are high in magic resistance and physical resistance are durable materials, but those rarely ever appear in the market. Well yeah, someone would have had to have subjugated a dragon for materials to show up in the market, after all. In the end, I will make a round shield 50 cm in diameter. The material will be the same mithril alloy that was used in Sophias armor, endowed with a combination of the Wind and Water attributes. The face of the round shield is engraved with the Air Bomb magic circle. It is possible to switch between strengthening magic power, or activating Air Bomb voluntarily. ?Fuumas Round Shield ( Water Wind attribute ) Round shield made from mithril alloy that carried Water and Wind attributes, crafted by an excellent magic blacksmithing alchemist. (Wind Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Wind Magic ? Enhanced Agility ? Enhanced Magic Power)Enhanced Magic ResistanceEnhanced Physical ResistanceEquipment Weight ReductionSelf Repair Id like to think that the round shield and Ranmas Light armor completed Sophias equipment set. *** Sphys Note: Hello~ Thank you very much for reading~ The raws had quite a few typos but I wont add them to the footnotes anymore. Both because Im lazy and its not really important. Sorry this was late, had a bunch of stuff to do over the weekend. Current Character Status 1: Current Character Status 1: Takumi Iruma Originally dragged into the hero summoning, he was sent to Mildgard by Goddess Norn. In addition, he was sent three years prior to the hero summoning. In his time in Japan, he was a salaryman in his 40s, but he became a handsome, silver haired 15 year old in Mildgard. This is a special body that was personally made by Goddess Norn, with more blessing than a heros and has quite the cheat abilities hidden within it. The person himself thinks Ill enjoy the slow life as an artisan, but he hasnt noticed that, just by his status, hes already equal to a first-class adventurer. StatusName: Takumi Iruma Race: Human Age: 15 years old Job: Alchemist Lv72, Blacksmith Lv70 ( Magic Swordsman Lv12, Magician LV11, Magic Bestower LV32, Carpenter Lv16, Tailor Lv40 Level: 68 Status: Healthy Vitality: 730 Magic Power: 930 Strength: 372 Agility: 332 Stamina: 430 Dexterity: 356 Intelligence: 434 Unique Skills Appraisal EX Item Box EX ( Concealed ) Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv3 Insight Lv3 Poison Resistance Lv2 Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Evasion Lv2 Body Control Lv3 Increased Magic Power Recovery Speed Lv1 High-speed Thought Process Lv1 Active Skills Spear Handling Lv7 Axe Technique Lv5 Swordplay Lv7 Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu Lv5 Matoujutsu Lv5 Enemy Search Lv3 Presence Detection Lv5 Stealth Lv4 Tame Lv1 Enhance Physical Abilities Lv5 Magic Perception Lv8 Magic Power Manipulation Lv9 Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv5 Water Attribute Magic Lv5 Wind Attribute Magic LV6 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Ice Attribute Magic Lv4 Lightning Attribute Magic Lv3 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv3 Bestowal Magic Lv5 Alchemy Lv8 Smithing Lv8 Woodworking Lv6 Carpentry LV4 Foraging Lv5 ````````````````````StatusName: Sophia Sylphide ````````````````````Status Condition: Healthy ( Slavery: Takumi ) Vitality: 260 Magic Power: 280 Strength: 180 Agility: 240 Stamina: 250 Dexterity: 260 Intelligence: 300 Unique Skills Passive Skills Active Skills Spear Handling Lv5 Dagger Technique Lv4 Taijutsu Lv3 Enemy Search Lv2 Presence Detection Lv3 Stealth Lv3 Enhance Physical Abilities Lv2 Magic Perception Lv3 Magic Power Manipulation Lv4 Fire Attribute Magic Lv4 Water Attribute Magic Lv3 Earth Attribute Magic Lv5 Sewing Lv6 Cooking Lv5 ```````````````````` Kaede A dying Poison Spider that Takumi had discovered near Bohd Village. It was tamed when Takumi had saved its life. When a path of magic power connected Takumi to it at that time, it evolved into a Killer Spider. At present, it evolved once more and became an Arachne. Spider Silk, threads that Kaede produces, has now become an indispensible item to Takumi and his entourage. Status Name: Kaede ( Takumi Irumas Familiar ) Race: Arachne Unique Species Age: 5 Level: 42 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 450 Magic Power: 510 Strength: 442 Agility: 400 Stamina: 254 Dexterity: 368 Intelligence: 240 Unique Skills Spider Thread Creation Passive Skills Poison Resistance Lv6 Paralysis Resistance Lv6 Spatial Understanding Lv6 Insight Lv4 Active Skills Thread Manipulation Lv8 Poison Creation Lv5 Presence Detection Lv7 Magic Perception Lv6 Stealth Lv7 Sewing Lv5 `````````````````` *** Chapter 55: Quite the summoning Chapter 55: Quite the summoning With the complete renewal of our mithril and adamantite equipment, we spent our days leisurely, making potions or accepting requests at the Adventurers Guild, and taking proper breaks. On one such day, Papeck-san visited my home for the first time in a while. Its usually the head clerk, Thomas-san, who brings my rights-related remuneration, but if it is the ever-busy Papeck-san that coming to my house, wouldnt that mean that he has some sort of troublesome favor to ask? I kept vigilant as I ushered Papeck-san to the living room. My apologies for neglecting to contact you in a while. For the hand pump, purifying magic devices, and refrigerator that Takumi-sama had created one after the other, I am grateful. Papeck-san smiled as he gave his greetings, but that smile is a bit frightening. It has been a while, Papeck-san. I reciprocated with an acceptable greeting. Takumi-sama, truthfully, I have a request I wish to ask of you today. Ah. I knew it. Its fine if its production related, but I dont want to if its adventure related. A request? It hasnt yet been decided that its troublesome. Yep, I wouldnt know until I ask for the details, right? Yes, with magic circle that Takumi-sama provided, it is now possible for toilets attached with purifying magic devices to be manufactured wholly in the Papeck Company workshops. Owing to that, the number of toilets manufactured is increasing drastically, spreading to even the royal capital. So thats how it is. Until just a while ago, I made the part with the magic device, but now that Ive provided the magic circle for the purifying magic device to the Papeck Company, I just receive the royalties. Is there a problem with the magic circle? No, since analysis of the magic circle is impossible for us, we can only copy the magic circle that we have received from you, Takumi-sama. The magic circle makes use of ancient magic letters and symbols, and to further complicate it, ancient elven magic letters were mixed in. Furthermore, dummy magic characters that will not interfere with the magic circle were added to make deciphering it difficult. Moreover, I had the idea to insert a dummy magic circle into it. As a matter of fact, Margrave Volton presented the hand pump, the toilet with purifying magic device, and the refrigerator to His Majesty the King. Given that even His Majesty was extremely pleased, a concentration of inquiries from nobles of the royal capital and wealthy merchants had come, and as a result, we will be supplying a massive amount of merchandise to the royal capital. I seeee, my congratulations to you. That said, that isnt the end of the conversation. Rather, theres an issue because that happened. Probably understanding what I was thinking, Papeck-san nodded. That is right. As it had become quite the topic in the royal capital, someone with the audacity to pick a fight, or should I say, talk absurdly had come. Haaa~. Its the Divine Empire of Sydnia, isnt it? The religious country that declared that the Light attribute magic that was given to them by God is sacred magic. The primary cause of why I was dragged into this world. The headquarters of the Light God Faith that only performs recovery magic at an exorbitant price. Thank you for your consideration. By the way, there are 7 days even in this world, and there are 5 weeks in one month, and there are 360 days in a year. The 7 days are Light Day, Fire Day, Water Day, Wind Day, Earth Day, Time Day, and Dark Day. So as to not find myself in Sydnias line of fire, it seems that Papeck-san is worrying over how I would be as inconspicuous as possible. There I realized that Ive been involved since a while back. Thats right, the Divine Empire of Sydnia is the name of a country that I heard from Norn-samas own mouth. If I had to say exactly, as a result of the forbidden technique, the hero summoning, that took place in that country, I was dragged into it. Huh? Still, I wonder what happened to the three summoned heroes. Even so, this is not a topic I can ask Papeck-san. It reeks of danger. Till the royal capital, Valkyratos, it will take 10 days even for a carriage pulled by a Demon Horse, and twice as long with a normal carriage, so please be prepared. I understand. After that, we had a bit of a chat then Papeck-san left. Haaaa~, the royal capital, huh. Its the royal capital, Im looking forward to it. Me too, it will be my first time at the royal capital. Grumbling as I flumped into the sofa, Sophia and Maria seemed to look forward to going to the royal capital. It seems it isnt rare for a regular person in this world to not leave their birthplace for their whole lifetime, so for Maria who has been in Moulin Slavery Company since she was young, now being with me, who has been going here and there, is fun. And Sophia said that, as an elf, traveling freely to foreign countries was difficult. Though theres the matter of her being a lesser nobles daughter, shes also a knight, but I think that the Sophias exceedingly beautiful appearance is the number one problem. Lets split up tomorrow to prepare for the trip to the royal capital, shall we? Yes! Haaa, this is too depressing. *** Important Notice: Im sorry to say but I must slow down even more with updates. A family member had been injured in an accident the other day and I have to help out. It might take 2-3 weeks to recover. I hope to have your understanding during this time. Thank you. Chapter 56: Shall we prepare little by little? Chapter 56: Shall we prepare little by little? Having decided to go to the royal capital, were making a list of the necessary items and will continue with our preparations. How about some new overcoats? I suggested brand new overcoats for everyone. I believe our previous overcoats are still fine though? Yes, the previous overcoats look like that but its quality is still good. I have a reason for wanting new overcoats. The truth is, I got a hold of a Dark attribute magic stone from Papeck-san. Dark attribute? I cant use the Dark attribute, but I can draw magic circles for Dark attribute magic. I talked about how I can bestow some useful Dark attribute magic on the overcoats. I want to apply the Inhibit Perception enchantment on the overcoats. Inhibit Perception? Inhibit perception, is that to erase presence? Its a bit different. Its where youre in front of someone but its hard for them to notice you. Theres magic to conceal presence as well, but Im still considering what I should do about that. As she is now, Sophia, a peerless beauty and rare elf, will catch everyones attention, and will probably leave a profound memory in those people. Inhibit Perception will prevent that. Presence Concealment is a similar to the Stealth skill. By erasing presence itself, the being is completely imperceptible. Sophia, you have the Stealth skill, so I think it would be possible to supplement that by turning Presence Concealment[1] on and off as well. It seems usable even in battle.Reaad the latest stories on As a bit of a battle junkie, Sophia immediately related it to fighting. Well, I believe it would be a way to give temporary peace of mind being safe from an enemy sensitive to presences. Also, this would prevent Sophia and Maria getting dragged into things. If I bring Sophia and Maria along, Im sure well be picked on. Kaede wants overcoat too~! Kaede raised both her arms and demanded so. Youre right Kaede, we always receive thread from Kaede, so we should have a matching one for Kaede too. Ya~~ay! Kaede jumped at me, clinging onto me with her 8 legs and 2 hands. Certainly, Kaede is also has an assassin type battle style so it would be just perfect. Master~! Kaede will take out threads so lets go workshop! I got it, I got it. Sophia and Maria, please buy a larger than normal quantity of foodstuff. And seasonings as well, if possible. Understood. Hey hey master, strong fat thread riiight? Thats right, its an overcoat so it needs to be durable. Kaede spun the threads directly into the loom as she produced them. Were already used to this operation, and theres also the effects of the Sewing skill, so even weaving everyones portion of cloth didnt take that much time to complete, On their way home, Maria asked Sophia what was on her mind. ............ I am a war slave. Setting me free isnt that simple. However, it would probably be simple if its Takumi-sama. Still, I am Takumi-samas guard. Until Takumi-sama returns to Goddess Norn-sama, I intend to serve him as his retainer. It would have been nice to have a contract like the one Kaede-chan has though. For Sophia and Maria, they feel a little bit jealous that Kaede is connected to Takumi by a path of magic power. Moreover, I am an elf. Living in a human country, I would probably involved in less trouble as Takumi-samas slave. Hearing that, Maria nodded. Justifiably, it would be a crime to harm anothers slave. Conversely, there might be those that would come out and harm Takumi to obtain Sophia. However, Takumi-sama undervalues himself too much, doesnt he? Yep, he has pretty silver hair and well put appearance that wouldnt lose to an elf. Furthermore, he has talents and abilities as an artisan. And above all, his disposition. Yeah~ Leaving Takumi-sama is unconceivable~ Sophia and Marias girl talk, which would leave Takumi blushing if he heard, continued until they were in front of the house. Is this it? The church of the Genesis faith. I arrived at the church in Volton. The impetus for my arrival at this world might have been because of the forbidden technique of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, but I shudder at the thought of what would happened if I was not picked up by Goddess Norn-sama. Inside the church, there are a reasonable amount of people praying. Joining those people, I went in front of Goddess Norns statue, genuflected, and prayed. (Goddess Norn-sama, thank you very much for your accommodation in many ways. I am able to have fun living because of you.) Yeah, Im relieved youre doing well. Eh?! Suddenly, hearing a voice, I opened my eyes and saw Norn-sama standing in front of me. Umm, did I die? Just like I had experienced when I first descended into this world, I had come to a pure white room again. You didnt die. Jeez, Takumi-kun, its because you didnt come to the church at all. Now that youve finally come, I brought your spirit to my sanctuary. Hearing that relieved me. Ah, theres something I would like to ask you, Norn-sama. I came to Mildgard because I was dragged into the hero summoning, right? What happened to the heroes summoned by the Divine Empire of Sydnia? Maybe because Im at the border, I havent heard of any rumors. Ah, about that. Actually, I sent you 3 years into the past by interfering with the time axis , Takumi-kun. Eh? So that means, theres still a little over 2 years before then? Right, you catch on fast. Ah, its time. Visit the church again, okay? We might be able to talk if the time is right. Norn-samas voice sounded far, and before I knew it, I was back at the church. Two years later, huh. Well, it doesnt concern me. At that time, I thought that the heroes and I were unrelated. *** Footnotes: Raws here say Presence Concealment, but theyre talking about adding Inhibit Perception, so Im confused. LN is same, so I kept it as is. Sphys Note: Hello, thank you for your patience and well-wishes. My family member is now sort of doing better now, though I still have to support her so updates will still be slow. I just wanted to give you guys a chapter, I havent forgotten you all. On another note, I was also informed that aggregator sites fixed their chapters and now has the right chapters, which kinda saddened me, but oh well. Im really thankful to everyone who reads this here. Chapter 57: Ways to make a trip comfortable Chapter 57: Ways to make a trip comfortable We will depart for the royal capital, Valkyratos, in about two weeks, and are progressing with our preparations. However, this time it will be a long trip that will take 20 days in a normal carriage, or 10 days in a Demon Horse-drawn carriage. So I am making a carriage for a comfortable ride. Fortunately, we have already hunted for Treants, so we can purchase enough Treant Wood for one carriage. I have Elder Treant Wood on hand, but it would be too wasteful to use it for a carriage and it would cost too much, so Ill use it sparingly. Sophia, well be going to the royal capital on a Demon Horse-drawn carriage, but if thats the case, Id rather make a more comfortable carriage. So Ill be making a one, but would a two-horse carriage be good? Theres 4 of us including Kaede. The luggage will be kept in magic bag I gave to Sophia, and I have the Item Box as well, so its fine to not take the luggage into consideration. ...... lets see. It is likely that Margrave Volton and the Papeck Company will use two horses at the very least. Therefore, it would be difficult for us to follow if we are the only one with a single horse carriage. Thanks. Ill design a two-horse carriage then. Takumi-sama, there is one more method. When I decided to design a two horse carriage at Sophias advice, Maria said she had a good idea. One more method? Yes, we are in Volton, the town of adventurers. Why is it called the town of adventurers? That is because, in the vicinity of Volton, there are a variety of monsters that inhabit it. And among those, I hear there are monsters even faster and stronger than the Demon Horse. By any chance, are they the Unicorn and Bicorn? As for the rare ones, Dragon Horse[1] and Griffins are able to pull carriages as well. Maria just said something outrageous. Even I know Gryphons[2]. Thats if the Griffin in this world is the same as the imaginary creature that I know. I dont know the Dragon Horse, but Griffin is likely impossible. You probably dont even know where they were previously at. Ehehehe, it is as you say. Thats right, we do not have enough time right now, and even if we find a Unicorn or a Bicorn, its uncertain if we can tame it. Yes! I agree. We will search, aiming for a Dragon Horse, but have Unicorn and Bicorn as runner ups. Luckily we are in Volton, a remote land. It is close to the monster den Forest of Death, vast grasslands, volcano area, and the like that satisfy the living conditions for various types of monsters. Apparently it was a miracle that there were no powerful monsters inhabiting the area surrounding Bohd Village. We prepared our equipment, rented a carriage from the Adventurers Guild, and headed in the direction of the grasslands. Amazing. The vast grasslands really is what they say it is. I gazed at the scenery in front of me, grasslands stretching as far as the eye can see. This grassland is inhabited by a rich diversity of monsters such as Bush Wolves, Green Lizards, Army Ants, and the like. Sophia informed me of the details of her search at the Guild. The Unicorns and Bicorns are included there as well, arent they? Yes, Horse type and Cattle type monsters find it difficult to move in wetlands and forests, after all. Kaedes threads will catch! Kaede is getting awfully into it. Surely Kaede-chan wants a companion familiar. Yeaaah! Kaede wants juniors! Understanding the reason for Kaedes eagerness, we set up a simple barrier around the carriage and walked in the grasslands. *** Footnotes: Dragon Horse is the literal translation of Ryuuma / oR. There is also a mythical creature known as Longma but I think Ill go with the english name to keep with the theme.Raw said Griffin in the previous one, but says Gryphon now. Maybe its to differentiate between the mythical creatures on earth and the ones actually existing in Mildgard. Chapter 58: Ways to make a trip comfortable Chapter 58: Ways to make a trip comfortableWalking in the grasslands, Sophia is in the lead with her Sword of the Absorber and round shield, followed by Maria and I with our spears, and Kaede protecting the rear. I made full use of Presence Detection, Magic Perception, Enemy Search as we searched for a large horse-sized monster. Wearing the Overcoats of Existence Concealment, we made full use of the overcoats abilities and took the initiative against monsters 100% of the time. The Inhibit Perception and Enhanced Stealth combo became a powerful asset. Thats because all four of us have the Stealth skill. For instance, even against a better opponent, a steady fight is possible if we can do a preemptive attack. Zashu! It started freezing from the pierced part. Piercing through the neck of a Bush Wolf with the Ice Spear Ice Bringer , I regretted not making the overcoat sooner at this too quick a victory. If I had this overcoat when I fought the Huge Armored Boar, I could have finished it without getting scared. The alchemy skill Decomposition that I used to defeat the Huge Armored Boar is a strong attack that directly destroys an enemys vital points, but I would need to fight in close proximity. But with this overcoat, if I could get close to the enemy without it noticing and hitting it in one strike............ No, it was after coming to Volton that Ive become able to use true bestowal magic. Right before my eyes, Maria swung with her Flame Spear Explode, instantly killing the Bush Wolf. Sophia, with the Absorber and Fuumas Round Shield, displayed a steadfast fight. If it can fool a Bush Wolfs nose, we can make use of this overcoat. Thats right. But it is also necessary to fight without the overcoat for training. Sophias desire to be strong is insatiable. There is a Long Horned Bull. In front of where Sophia pointed, there is a mini truck-sized cattle-like monster with enormous horns protruding sideways. It is more ferocious than the Black Buffalo, and its monster rank is higher as well. Apparently its as delicious as the Black Buffalo. Maria sure has quite the appetite. Kaede will finish it with threads. Kaede said so and readied the thread she took out previously. Undoing her stealth, Kaede was noticed by the Long Horned Bull. In order to remove us from its territory, it charged savagely. Just when the Long Horned Bull thought it had reached us with its very heavyweight charge, its legs were suddenly caught several meters from us. Rolling vigorously, it found itself entangled in the threads that Kaede had prepared. The Long Horned Bull was largely built, but it couldnt move in Kaedes threads and only breathe roughly through its nose. With three of their companions dead in the blink of an eye, the two remaining Orcs recklessly swung their clubs. The head of one of those Orcs silently fell. Kaedes thin yet tough threads cut through the neck of the Orc without any resistance. It was only then that the remaining Orc noticed that I was running up to it. Bumooooooo``!! The orc, raising an angry war cry, and I, wielding the Ice Bringer, clash. I dodged the club that the orc swing down, and stabbed its thick torso and moved sideways. The movement of the orc that was stabbed with the magically charged Ice Bringer worsened. The place where the orc was stabbed started freezing. I then swung the Ice Bringer down, cutting off the orcs log-like arm. I stabbed the orcs neck deeply with my Ice Bringer when the orc, who lost its club-wielding arm, tried hitting me with its remaining arm. I breathed deeply as I watched the orc spurt blood and die. Sophia and Maria rushed over to me while I was storing the orcs into the Item Box. Takumi-sama! Thank you for your hard work! Good job as well, you two. Tonights dinner is orc meat? Or cow-san? There, Kaede suddenly showed up. Lets decide when we get home. We continued searching afterwards, but just when I was thinking its about time we go home for the day, I sensed the presence of many monsters. A fight between monsters? It seems the Army Ants are surrounding their prey. Did Sophia hear about it from the spirits? She informed me of the details. Do you know what monster they are hunting? ............ it might possibly be a Dragon Horse. I began running when I heard that. Shortly after, I saw more than 20 ants surrounding and attacking a Dragon Horse. Its just that, each of those ants were monsters over 1 meter long. They attack their prey with their large jaws. *** Chapter 59: Ways to make a trip comfortable Chapter 59: Ways to make a trip comfortable Rushing towards the Army Ants that surrounded the Dragon Horse from behind, I mowed them down with Ice Bringer. The Army Ants tried intimidating the sudden intruder by snapping their jaws. There, Sophia rushed in, lunging with the Wind Spear Tempest. Gales blew violently from the spearhead, swallowing up the surrounding Army Ants and launching them into the air. Flames were brought forth the moment Maria stabbed an Army Ant with the Flame Spear Explode, burning the insides of the Army Ant. The Army Ants that Sophia had launched into the air started falling. I struck one of ants on the head with the adamantite alloy butt end off my spear, easily smashing its exoskeleton, which could withstand an iron sword and can only be chipped by a magic steel sword. I sidestepped instinctively, then suddenly, formic acid scattered and fell onto the spot I stepped away from. Be careful of the formic acid! I called out to the girls, and hit the head of the ant that tried spit formic acid using butt end of my spear. The blow I did to stop it from spitting was stronger than I expected and the head of the ant twisted off and flew somewhere. The swarm of ants that took pride in their tough exoskeleton and weapons were cut up and killed without resistance. The extermination took 5 minutes. I hit the head of the ant that wouldnt stop biting the Dragon Horse with the palm of my hand, invoking Decomposition on its brainstem. The Army Ant let go of the Dragon Horse and fell like a puppet that had its strings cut. Dosa! (Thud!) The moment all of the Army Ants were exterminated, the Dragon Horse collapsed. The Dragon Horses body had bite wounds from the Army Ants powerful jaws and festering scales covered in formic acid that were painful to look at. It raised its head and snarled at me when I tried to approach. Its okay, we wont harm you. Hey you, why not become my familiar? Sophia, Maria, and Kaede went to my side. Did the Dragon Horse understand something when it saw Kaede? It stopped snarling. Youre a clever one. Ill even heal your wounds. Will you come with me? The Dragon Horse that had its head raised, nodded. High Heal! My recovery magic enveloped the Dragon Horse, and in a flash, the bite wounds and festering scales recovered to how they were before. The Dragon Horse slowly stood up and faced me. I activated the Taming skill. Tame the Drake Horse? Y/N It had transmitted that the Dragon Horse accepted. Naturally, I chose YES. Status Strength: 160 Agility: 180 Stamina: 240 Dexterity: 30 Intelligence: 50 Unique Skills Dragon Scales Lv2 Passive Skills High Speed Travel Lv4 Long Distance Travel Lv2 Active Skills Charge Lv2 Presence Detection Lv2 Magic Perception Lv1 Confirming her status, I could see that she has outstanding stamina. Hey Kaede, cant Tsubaki use telepathy? Tsubaki cant yet. Tsubaki cant use telepathy unless she evolves one more time. Considering that, Kaede being able to use telepathy right after being tamed is amazing. After that, everyone rode on Tsubakis back, heading back to the place we left our carriage at. Tsubaki was galloping easily even with all of us on her. Tsubaki ran like the wind, not at all affected by carrying the four of us. Her back surprisingly didnt shake so we werent burdened. Returning to the carriage, I manipulated it and we returned to Volton. Tsubaki ran alongside the carriage. Kaede was merrily riding on her back. She seems really pleased. I later heard that she was happy she was able to get a sister. *** Footnotes: Kaede () C Maple tree.Tsubaki () C Camellia Japonica. Picture here.To clarify, Dragon Horse is the similar to the Genus/Family name, and Drake Horse is the Species name. Chapter 60: Ways to make a trip comfortable Chapter 60: Ways to make a trip comfortableKapo Kapo Kapo (Clip Clop) Alright, next pers......... hiiiih! Returning to Volton with Tsubaki, people were awfully surprised when we passed through the gate. No, its fine. You registered it as a familiar, but you said you were an alchemist didnt you, Takumi-kun? How come you have 2 monsters tamed? In the Adventurers Guild, Hans-san was very much astounded. Even I was aware of that without him telling me. Im not a magic user-type based on my equipment, and my method of fighting where I get close then use Decomposition is ridiculous. Decomposition isnt omnipotent though. Frankly, if the target of Decomposition is a high-rank monster with more magic power than me, the cost to activate Decomposition becomes ridiculously expensive. If its true strength is too high, it might resist it. Well, in any case, this really isnt how an Alchemist fights, is it. Haaa, how long has it been since this Dragon Horse or Drake Horse been tamed? Youre not even a monster user. Also, the place where you subjugated the orcs is in this spot at the grasslands, right? Ill put out a survey request just in case. And about the Army Ants that I sent to be dismantled, it will be fine if we buy the exoskeletons, yes? The magic stones will be returned. After that, while I was being lashed at by Hans-sans words, I requested that the Long Horned Bull and Bush Wolf be dismantled by the guild, and for the magic stones and Long Horned Bulls meat to be returned. Sophia-san and Maria-san, you have now been promoted to D rank. Please keep your guild cards. It seems both Sophia and Maria were being promoted to D rank. Since it was known in the Guild that these two had battle experience against thieves, it looks like theyve fulfilled the promotion requirements. We sold the materials, accepted the request for Army Ants exoskeletons and delivered it, received the reward, magic stone, Orc meat, and Long Horned Bull meat, then returned home. The horse that would pull the carriage has been prepared. Now, Tsubaki is at home in the hurriedly-made stable in the garden. I want to make the carriage now. The size of the carriage will be a small two-horse carriage. I made the pipe frame with adamantite alloy, strengthening the box shaped carriage. To further reinforce the box shape of the pipe frame, Elder Treant Wood was used. After that, I affixed the ceiling, door, walls, and floor with Treant Wood.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m The Treant and Elder Treant were painted black. Leaf springs and oil damper to guarantee a comfortable ride. I even made an axle from adamantite alloy, and installed adamantite alloy-made wheel bearings. After transmuting quartz glass, I shaped it to match the size of the window frame. Enchanting it with Enhanced Physical ResistanceSelf Repair, I then installed it in on four points, the front, both sides, and the back so the interior of the carriage will take in light. I affixed panels of thin, stretched mithril alloy onto the exterior of the carriage, increasing its magic resistance and strength. Affixing the silver mithril panels to the body painted black brought about a feeling of solemnity to the carriage. Enchanting the carriage with Self RepairEnhanced Physical ResistanceEnhanced Magic ResistanceWeight Reduction completed it. The interior of the carriage is very fantasy-like. Bestowed with Space Expansion, it became a 12 tatami wide room. It has a bed, sofa, table, mini kitchen, and a restroom. There is a Kaede-made carpet. The bed is big enough for 4 people to sleep in. ............Takumi-sama, you overdid it. Theres no carriage like this even if you search the whole continent. Woaaah~! Its so amazing~! Waaa~, the inside is spacious too~! Seeing the completed carriage, Sophia and Maria had each given their own impressions of it. Afterwards, I made a harness for Tsubaki. Hey Kaede, would Tsubaki dislike wearing armor? Hmm, lets ask Tsubaki! Learning that Kaede might possibly understand Tsubakis will, I asked her to interpret for Tsubaki. Feelings such as happiness are transmitted to me, but the finer nuances will have to be left to Kaede. She says its okay if it is cool. Bururu Since I got Tsubakis consent, Ill make a barding for Tsubaki. The material used will mainly be adamantite alloy, and mithril alloy will for the bordering. Taking Tsubakis measurements, I shaped clay, making it into a miniature Tsubaki to simulate the armor parts joining together while taking the restriction of movement into consideration. Next, I created a full-size model of Tsubaki. I formed the adamantite alloy with Smithing magic, fitting the parts onto the model whenever theyre completed while checking for any defects. It might not be necessary since Tsubaki has tough scales, but the armor is lined with soft leather. It was enchanted withWeight ReductionEnhanced Physical ResistanceEnhanced Magic ResistanceAutomatic Temperature Regulation. Status Matoujutsu Lv5 Enemy Search Lv4 ( Up ) Presence Detection Lv5 Stealth Lv5 ( Up ) Tame Lv2 ( Up ) Enhanced Physical Abilities Lv5 Magic Perception Lv8 Magic Power Manipulation Lv9 Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv5 Water Attribute Magic Lv5 Wind Attribute Magic Lv6 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Ice Attribute Magic Lv5 ( Up ) Lightning Attribute Magic Lv5 ( Up ) Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv5 ( Up ) Bestowal Magic Lv7 ( Up ) Alchemy Lv9 ( Up ) Smithing Lv9 ( Up ) Woodworking Lv7 ( Up ) Carpentry Lv4 Foraging Lv5 Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv7 ( Up ) Sewing Lv5 ( Up ) Cooking Lv2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars: Arachne Unique Species ( Kaede ) Drake Horse ( Tsubaki ) Titles: Giant Killing *** Chapter 61: Extremely Speedy Carriage Chapter 61: Extremely Speedy Carriage An adventurer town located in a remote region, Volton. In the grasslands in its outskirts is a carriage with running at explosive speeds. Its black body with silver panels dashed in defiance of the horrible paths. The horse pulling that carriage was abnormal as well. Despite its body being over 2m 30cm and weighing over 1 ton, it has the stamina to run all day and can go over 100 km/h. A type of Dragon Horse known as a Drake Horse. There are records of these monsters being tamed and have played an active role in war. However, there have been no records of it being tamed in these past 600 years. Furthermore, the Drake Horse pulling the carriage has a black barding with silver hemming. Its impressiveness is enough to make Orcs run away. Buumooo!! Dooon!! Gyaan!! Bang!! And right now, it is running over a pack of orcs. Orcs fly at its recklessly fast charge. Kyahahaha! Chaaarge!! Maria was holding the reins and laughing in the coachmans seat. Sitting beside her, Kaede experienced the attraction (ride). There isnt much shaking inside, is there? Yes, it does not sway very much. Sophia and I were sitting and drinking tea on the sofa installed inside the carriage. Today were travelling to test the carriage, so weve come to the grasslands in the outskirts of Volton. At the same time, we accepted the guilds designated request for the inspection of the area where orcs were subjugated the other day. Wanting to exterminate the orcs before they make a large colony, the guild assigned and dispatched us to survey the orcs in the grassland. But its fortunate how we seem to have gotten them before they were able to make a colony. I agree, there were still only normal orcs. It would have been troublesome if there were superior species. Yes, the result of the survey is that there is no sizeable colony of orcs in the grasslands. Driving around in these rough roads at recklessly fast speeds over 100 km/h, we finished the survey of the grasslands within a short time. There were no issues with both the carriage and Tsubaki, right? Weve decided that from tomorrow til the day of our departure to the royal capital, we will continue raising Tsubakis level. Apparently, Tsubakis objective is to trample swarms of Army Ants. Once surrounded by a great number of them, Tsubaki is burning for revenge. Maria appears to be addicted to driving the carriage wildly. Many adventurers witnessed a gigantic monster horse pulling a carriage, running wildly at frightening speeds at the outskirts of Volton, inviting various rumors. Needless to say, we received severe lecturing from the guild personnel, Hans-san. ```````````````````` Status Name: Tsubaki ( Takumi Irumas Familiar ) Race: Drake Horse Age: 3 Level: 32 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 300 Magic Power: 110 Strength: 250 Agility: 270 Stamina: 330 Dexterity: 60 Intelligence: 80 Unique Skills Dragon Scales Lv3 ( Up ) Passive Skills High Speed Travel Lv5 ( Up ) Long Distance Travel Lv3 ( Up ) Active Skills Charge Lv3 ( Up ) Presence Detection Lv3 ( Up ) Magic Perception Lv2 ( Up ) *** Chapter 62: Departing for the Royal Capital Chapter 62: Departing for the Royal Capital As we spent our days leveling Tsubaki up and accepting requests at the Adventurers Guild, the day of our departure to the royal capital had arrived. We are to assemble at the eastern gate of Volton. Those gathering here were the two carriages of Margrave Volton, three carriages of Papeck Company, and our carriage. There were knights on horseback guarding the circumference of Margrave Voltons extravagant carriage. For the Papeck Company, the adventurer party Lions Fang had accepted the escort request. And when they had gathered, a black and silver carriage pulled by a gigantic horse equipped with black barding came into view. Oioioi, aint that Dragon Horse a Drake Horse?! Barack-san, the Guild Master of the Adventurers Guild, who came to see off Margrave Volton, froze wide-eyed, mouth agape upon seeing Tsubaki. The leader of the knights of Margrave Volton, Dorn-san, issued orders to protect their masters carriage. But then Papeck-san noticed that I was sitting in the coachmans seat. Takumi-sama! So, this carriage is owned by Takumi-sama. W, what is this, you surprised me! No, Barack-san. I did the familiar registration at the guild, so I believe that the Guild Master not knowing about Tsubaki is the issue here. Guh! Barack-san wasnt able to say anything back to my sound reasoning. So it was Takumi-dono. Nevertheless, this is a marvelous Drake Horse. Even the barding that its wearing is splendid. Thank you very much, Dorn-san. I look forward to working with you starting today. Thereupon, the door with the crest of Margrave Volton opened and the Chamberlain [1] Xervus-san went down and stood beside the door. Then His Excellency Godwin disembarked from the carriage. Huh? Did I not mention it to Papeck-san when I went mining for ores? Adamantite alloy... of course, Tsubakis armor, and our spears are all adamantite alloy, and we also use it for other things that require toughness. Even though the mithril alloy on this carriage looks like decoration, but the frame, wheel axle, and suspension system use it too. As I explained, the white-eyed Papeck-sans jaw was so agape it looked it it would dislocate. Iruma-dono, this might be discourteous of me, but, the windows on that carriage are glass. Wouldnt it be dangerous if the glass breaks from the vibration? No, this glass was transmuted tempered glass and enchanted with Enhanced Physical Resistance and Self Repair so its safe if its only to that degree. Oh my, you are able to use even Bestowal magic. Afterwards, the reactions of Margrave Volton and Papeck-san when I guided them inside the carriage was amazing. It seems that while this world has items like Magic Bags, the concept of expanding the space inside a carriage was nonexistent. Seeing the interior of the carriage that had a restroom, kitchen, bed, sofa, and table installed, they were speechless. I can not imagine just how much this took. No, there was only labor costs. I ended up talking to Margrave Volton about the cost of the carriage, but I mined my own ores, the Treant and Elder Treant Wood were items from the subjugation request of the guild, the interior and the magic devices inside are my own work, and I tamed the Drake Horse in the outskirts of the town of Volton. There was a bit of Treant Wood that I bought mixed in, but when I explained it, it looked odd to the eyes of others. Iruma-dono, you have reached the heights of being an artisan despite being so young. No, Xervus-san, that is an exaggeration. No no, I believe I can say Takumi has already passed even aged elves, Even Papeck-san... After that, it would be unwise to further delay our departure so, with Margrave Voltons carriage in the lead, the train of carriages began moving towards the royal capital. I received a request from Margrave Volton to make a similar carriage. Moreover, it was 200 platinum coins with them shouldering the material expenses. 2 billion yen just for the labor cost. This much... I somehow keep saving up even more money. *** Footnotes: Changing house superintendent to chamberlain for Xervus. I just couldnt think of the right word before. Chapter 63: The Road to the Royal Capital is Far Chapter 63: The Road to the Royal Capital is Far From the west end of Valkyra Kingdom, where Volton is located, to the royal capital Valkyratos is 10 days of travel. Our specially made carriage was pulled by Tsubaki so we could have possibly arrived much faster by ourselves, but as expected, we couldnt do that. Eventually, we will stop by towns 4 times, and either camp or stay in villages on all the other nights until we reach the capital. Papeck-san said that we are likely to camp for around 2 days. Apparently, the reason is that there is no way we can let the Margrave camp, and that nobles have an obligation to spend money in the towns and villages that they pass through. The so-called Noblesse Oblige, Obligations that come with being nobility. Hey Takumi, whats with you and this carriage? Its unfair, its way too different from our carriage! It cant be helped. Lyle-san, you are the escort of the Papeck Company, after all. Our first day ends at a village in the border of the territory of Margrave Volton. The feudal lord rented the house of the village mayor to stay in for the night. As for us, given that we have this carriage, staying in an inn is unnecessary, so we relaxed on the sofa. And as we were doing so, all members of Heath-sans adventurer party Lions Fang came to visit. Then, Lyle-san, in much admiration, made a fuss inside. Still, being able to make a carriage like this, cant you make a living as a carriage craftsman already? No need, Heath-sama. Takumi-sama already has an income that can no longer be exhausted. Ah, hey now, Maria!Alll latest novels on aria insinuated at my recent income. And of course, when that happened, this guy became even more bothersome. What did you saaaaAAAAYYYY!? Youre not satisfied with just your pretty slaves!? Even from Dorns perspective, the intimidation level of the Drake Horse that Takumi tamed was too dreadful. Its unknown how much of it is because of the adamantite barding, but if he encountered the Drake Horse known as Tsubaki in the battlefield, he wouldnt hesitate to run away. Moreover, it was too big to ride on. If one were to wear heavy armor and fall, he would certainly die from the height alone. If we were to buy that barding, just how much would it cost? Weapons and armor made of adamantite alloy are yearned for by both knights and adventurers. So the same holds true even for the knight leader of the Volton domain, Dorn, whose sword and shield are made of magic steel. Only a handful of high ranking adventurers and nobles possess mithril alloy or adamantite alloy-made weapons and armor. As such, the armaments of knights are not made of mithril alloy, much less adamantite alloy. Iruma-dono does not seem to understand the worth of equipment made from adamantite and mithril. That may be inevitable. I have received reports that Iruma-dono lived his life in a remote region until he came of age. Although he was brought up to be an artisan that can make even a carriage that skilfully, it would appear that he was not taught common sense. As Xervus and Godwin say, Takumi doesnt consider mithril and adamantite to be that rare. There is a reason for the misunderstanding as well. For both mithril and adamantite, the ores themselves come twofold and purchasing it is not expensive, so it is could not be helped if Takumi misunderstood. Another reason for Takumi not appreciating mithril and adamantite very much is because Orichalcum exists. Compared to orichalcum, he judged that they are far easier to obtain. I want to experience the riding quality of that carriage even just once. As you say. Even with the material cost not included in the calculation, 200 platinum coins for one would still be a cheap purchase for it. Godwin and Xervus intend to experience the comfort of the ride of Takumis carriage during this journey. Additionally, Godwin commissioned for another carriage to be made so he may present it to the King. *** Footnotes: Considering how things there are a bunch of things that are technically purifying magic device Ill call the sewer cleaner as Purifier MD [magic device] and the toilet with purifying magic device as Toilet Cleaner MD...maybe. Tentative. Chapter 64: Territory of Earl Rockford Chapter 64: Territory of Earl Rockford We, a group heading for the royal capital with Margrave Volton, have left the territory of Margrave Volton and have entered the territory of Earl Rockford which is in between the royal capital, which the royal family directly controls, and the territory of Margrave Volton. The groups journey to the royal capital has been favorable. Monsters the likes of Goblin and Mad Dog arent attacking. They do not approach for fear of Tsubaki, the Drake Horse. Passing through villages and towns in the Rockford territory, its capital soon came into view. It is not to the extent of Voltons fortress town, but scale of this town is large too. Yes, it is next to the royal capital, after all. I hear that its feudal lord, Lord Rockford, is on good terms with Lord Volton. Hee~ Sophia, where did you get that information? While gazing at the town of Rockford in the distance through window inside the carriage, I passed the time chatting idly with Sophia and Maria. I heard about it from Barack-dono and Hans-dono of the Adventurers Guild. Because Lord Rockford gets along with Lord Volton, I heard he is not an arrogant scum of a noble. Maria talked about information from who knows where. According to our conversations with Papeck-san and Hans-san who are well informed about the circumstances of various countries, many of the nobles of this country are fairly upright people. There are still rotten nobles that the King has yet to purge, but among the countries in this continent, the most upright is Valkyra Kingdom. Noblesse Oblige. It would seem that there are many nobles that try to uphold this duty that comes hand in hand with peerage. And were about to visit a place that consists of those nobles. Before long, we drew nearer the ramparts that were lower than those in Volton. Lord Voltons carriage advanced towards an area separated from the line at the gate. As I was talking to the two, we arrived at the Rockford Estate. At the foyer, Earl Rockford, together with his wife and children, came to welcome Lord Volton. Its been a long time, Godwin-dono. please rest at ease at our residence today. Aa, how many years has it been? Nice to see you again, Leud-dono. We will be in your care tonight. I think Earl Rockford is approximately the same age as Lord Volton, and is perhaps similarly a military officer like Lord Volton. Civil officials wouldnt bring out that kind of mood. Godwin-dono, we are honored to receive you on your journey to the royal capital. Rod, Emilia, your greetings. Lord Volton, my name is Rod, the eldest son of the Rockford house. Emilia. The elegant Madam Rockford, who is in her mid-30s, gave her greetings to Lord Volton, and a boy around 10 years old and a girl around 5-6 years old followed with their greetings. Madam Rose, you are as beautiful as ever. The two children seem bright as well, the Rockford lineage is surely secure. Godwin-dono, please relax first inside. It has been a while as well, Papeck Company President. You have been quite prosperous as of late, havent you. There are rooms inside prepared for everyone, as well. Please do not be so reserved and rest yourselves. Completely assuming we were staying at an inn in town, I was a bit bewildered, but we were guided into guest rooms where we will rest for the night. *** Sphys Note: Thanks for reading~ One of those paragraphs has so many of, to the point I made it into a minigame where How many ofs can I fit into this while still staying accurate? sort of thing. lol Not really anything related to the novel, but... do you guys have any good novel /manga / webtoon (jp/kr) recommendations? I like fluffy, cute, funny stuff. Need a bit of a cheer-upper atm. Appreciate it if you share~ Chapter 65: Welcome? Chapter 65: Welcome? In the room provided at the Rockford Mansion, the three of us removed our equipment and changed into casual wear. Kon, kon. Coming! It is time for supper, I shall be your guide. A maid arrived to call us, and we were guided to the Rockford Mansions large dining room. Takumi-sama, Im getting nervous. Maria, me too. Its the first time Ill have the opportunity to eat at the same table as a noble. Even Im nervous, but for Maria and Sophia, who are slaves, to sit at the same table as well, it shows that Lord Rockford[1] isnt very noble-like. There are few in this country, but apparently there are many in other countries that would complain if a slave ate at the same table as them. Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom have firmly established slave rights, but there are still a few that would do so. Sophia is really composed like always. Yeah, as expected of a noble-born. It is not like that. Even I become nerve-racked meeting high ranking nobles. As we were chatting discreetly, Lord Volton, Knight Leader Dorn, Xervus-san, and Papeck-san took their seats. Then Earl Rockford, Madam Rose, Rod-kun, and Emilia-chan followed soon after. The extravagant dinner party started with a toast by Earl Rockford. You are Iruma-dono, who assisted in the great advancement in the Margrave Voltons domain, are you not? I have heard many a story from Lord Godwin. I would very much like for you to have a base in my domain. Hey hey, Leud-dono, stop the headhunting, will you? After the dinner, Lord Rockford brought up a topic with me while we were having after-meal tea. The Toilet Cleaner MD that the Papeck Company had marketed has begun expanding to even my domain. Yes! It is a magnificent item! The moment Lord Rockford brought up the topic regarding the toilet, Madam Rose spoke enthusiastically. And that Purifier MD! Thanks to that, the stench in town has reduced! I found that stench to be highly unpleasant, and I often told my husband to do something to improve on it. So the one who resolved that was you! Madam Roses energy level is quite amazing. Ever since I was in Bohd Village, I had been using purifying magic for myself, but I learned in Volton that the toilet and sewage situation in this world are bad. Every woman must have had to endured it. This time, your meeting with His Majesty, it is because His Majesty was very pleased with the Purifier MD that he wants to have a word with you, Iruma-dono, thusly summoning you to the royal capital. Mhmm, I welcome it greatly. After all, the prosperity of Margrave Voltons domain leads to the flourishing of Earl Rockfords Domain as well. ............Iruma-dono, sorry. Lord Rockford lowered his head apologetically. ............No, that was something powerful. You understand, huh. A short time afterwards, the door of the dining room suddenly burst open and slammed loudly. Iruma-dono! Those underwear! Those underwear, I too! Barging in from the opened door was Madam Rose. She exclaimed loudly, drawing closer to me. Rose! Whats wrong!? Youre being discourteous! Dear, be quiet!! ............yes, dear. It seems it is the women of the Rockford house that hold the power. Iruma-dono, please propagate underwear such as that to the world. In fact, Ill even invest in it! Umm, I think a complete replica will be difficult, but if its something similar then it might be possible even if it isnt done by me. An identical one is impossible? Yes, Sophia and Marias are made of Spider Silk, therefore it would be impossible in large quantities. I-if thats the case then just my porti``Madam! That is unfair! When Madam Rose insisted that she at least wanted a share for herself, the maids in the Rockford household interjected. Thereafter, the women in the Earl Rockfords household gathered excitedly. Even the husband, Earl Rockford, could not stop Madam Rose and the maids. Iruma-dono, cant you do something? I beg you! Its as you see! Haaa~ An earl was lowering his head and pleading to the petit bourgeois me, theres no way I could refuse. In the end, only after promising that Madam Rose and the maids would be measured by Sophia and Maria, and promising to deliver it immediately after completion did Madam Rose and the maids become obedient. *** Footnotes: It says Volton but Im not sure thats correct. I think it should be Rockford, since theyre the hosts. Chapter 66: To the Royal Capital Chapter 66: To the Royal Capital Due to Countess Rockford running amok, the dinner party concluded. Haa, Madam Rose was ...amazing, wasnt she. ......yes. We took a break in the room provided to us. Although, I think it cant be helped because it makes sense. Saying so, Sophia surmised that there was a reason Madam Rose went on a frenzy over the underwear. The greatest task of those marrying into noble households is to bear successors. The Rockford household is fortunate that it has an heir, but one son is too few for the nobility in this world. Apparently, even 4-5 is not a lot for an Earl household. And womens underwear in this world are terrible. Then she noticed Sophia and Marias bust lines. Seeing those underwear, she might have had this thought. If I had that underwear, our marital relations would be harmonious, so it might have been inevitable that Madam Rose became assertive. Moreover, it might be unusual for an Earl, but Lord Rockford said he currently has only one wife. Apparently, there was a second wife, but she passed on early due to an illness, so Madam Rose is the only one. Well, certainly, the underwear I made for Sophia and Maria is the embodiment of my desires. It might be Lord Rockfords hustle too. .................. Sophia and Marias faces turned bright red. In our residence in Volton, Sophia and Maria alternate each night at sharing my bed, but we sleep together while were traveling. I might turn into a monkey sooner or later. Theres no doubt that the underwear I made for them added flair to nights. If thats the case, you will want help, yes? Yes, Rose-sama in particular likes sexy underwear. Examining our underwear, we got detailed requests such as which designs she liked, wanting plentiful laces on the fabric, and which colors are good.Chee?ck out latest novels on ing apparent that Madam Rose is desperate. Takumi-sama, what did Rose-sama and the maids ask of you?! The area around the lake is encircled by forests, and outside of that are the noble district, commercial district, residential district, and the industrial district positioned in a circular form. And ramparts stretch the outermost circumference of the royal capital. Outside of those ramparts spanned vast fields of wheat. It was clear that monsters in the outskirts of the royal capital are being exterminated. Its amazing. There are no fences around the fields to defend against monsters. No, look closely, Maria. There are low wooden fences. Perhaps its a fence that defend against monsters to the degree of horned rabbits. There are no monster-inhabited areas surrounding area of the royal capital. Conversely, it could be said that its because it is far from monster inhabited areas that the royal capital was built here. I heard that because that dangerous monsters were seldom, there are areas outside the walls of the royal capital that raise livestock. That is unimaginable in Volton. In the early days of Valkyratos, the city was apparently also enclosed in impressive walls. Then, as the country developed, monsters were exterminated, the walls were removed as the city expanded and the current 3 meter tall ramparts were completed. As we were going down the path to the royal capital, we saw that there were areas outside the walls where tents and worn out huts gathered. There are slums. Yes. There are places that are quite similar to slums even in the town of Volton, but it was inside. Volton has a few poor areas you can almost call slums. For the royal capital whose population is incomparable to Voltons, having these dark sections grow large might be an inevitable matter. Our train of carriages was able to line up at the gate of the royal capital. What the...... it seems this line is exclusively for nobles. Certainly, in a place a little farther from us, there is a line longer than than the one we are at. As expected, its only the royal capital is would have many nobles coming in and out. In the end, we were able to enter the royal capital in about an hour. *** Chapter 67: Evening at the Royal Capital Chapter 67: Evening at the Royal Capital Entering the royal capital, Papeck-sans group arranged for us to stay with them at a high-class inn close to the noble district. Margrave Volton, of course, has his own mansion in the royal capital, so he separated from us in front of the inn. They said my meeting with the King will be in 5 days. The schedule had some leeway in case our travel to the royal capital was delayed. It was explained to me that the meeting wasnt an audience, but rather that the King wanted to meet me privately. I think an audience would be more mentally straining than a meeting, but it will be mentally straining either way.Re?a?d new chapters on This is theLakeside Hotel. At Papeck-sans guidance, we entered the tall, dignified, quiet-looking building. Kaede and Tsubaki were resting inside the Subspace and the carriage was stored in the Item Box. Please wait for a moment. I will proceed with the check-in. Papeck-san headed to the front desk, and we examined the furnishing of the building. Thank you for waiting. Takumi-sama, your room is at 305. Papeck-san gave me the key. Let us have a briefing session at dinner. I understand. We will see you later then. We went up to the third floor, unlocked the door of room 305 with the key given and entered. It had a spacious living room, two bedrooms, a large bathroom, and a Toilet Cleaner DM. Its a so-called suite. Takumi-sama! Its a large bed! Maria who peeked into the main bedroom was in high spirits. This sofa is very comfortable too, right? Yes, its comfort is similar to the sofa that Takumi-sama made. Yeah, lets try during dinner. As Sophia said so, we spent the time relaxing until it was time for dinner. Now then Takumi-sama, since we will prepare silk cloth and thread immediately, I would like for you to make different sizes in addition to the ones for Madam Rose. Were drinking tea leisurely after dinner and Papeck-san promptly talked about underwear. I think it would only be possible for ordinary silk to have one enchantment. Sophia and Marias underwear have the Automatic Size Adjustment Automatic Temperature Regulation Anti-fouling Resistance effects bestowed. I think the best I can do with silk as a material will be bestowing one effect, Automatic Size Adjustment. I explained as such. Lets see. About that, for our companys production, we can only cope by making different sizes of underwear. If the underwear makes use of Bestowal magic like Takumi-samas, the unit price would rise sharply. In the discussion with Papeck-san, well create 3 bust sizes, for large busted women, normal, and small, then the rest will be handled by the Papeck Company. Following, Margrave Voltons carriage. I will prepare the Mithril ore, adamantite ore, Treant Wood so it will be ready by tomorrow. I will also arrange for a workshop. I understand. As long as the I have materials, I dont think it will take very long since its the second time Ill make it. Papeck-san also wants a carriage like ours, but unlike Margrave Volton, he said he doesnt have the courage to spend 200 white gold on a carriage without batting an eye. Is it so like or unlike Margrave Volton?? I think 200 gold coins is expensive if you provide your own materials. Also, this is a different topic, but Im thinking of increasing the members of our party. If possible, I want someone who can be both an adventurer party member and an artisan who can help me with my work. Lets see. There certainly are several slavery companies in the royal capital, and I am acquainted with them. If it is done, then I also welcome Takumis helper and disciple. May I have some time [to search]? Yes, thank you. Receiving a favorable reply from Papeck-san, Im free to roam around the royal capital tomorrow, and Ill manufacture the carriage the day after that, and then work on the underwear as well until my meeting with the King. *** Chapter 68: To the Royal Capital Slavery Company Chapter 68: To the Royal Capital Slavery Company I entrusted Madam Roses underwear to Kaede and Maria, and I will only do the enchantments. Meanwhile, I worked diligently on refining mithril ore and adamantite ore that will become materials for the carriage. Since my skill and job levels increased and the magic power cost lowered too, the refinement of mithril alloy and adamantite alloy for two carriages finished in a day. I started assembling the carriage the next day, but copying something Ive made before was easier than I thought. This might be because of the growth of my skill and job levels. Refining for one day, then manufacturing two carriages in one day. I painted the Valkyra Royal family crest and the Volton crest on the carriages to complete them. Margrave Voltons carriage differs from our carriage by having a crest, but the carriage that will be presented to the royal family, it was painted white. Also, the mithril alloy was not used as a panel, I processed it to look like braids and used it as decorations for the carriage. This is the Palm Slavery Company that I recommend. It is a company that has a longstanding connection to the Moulin Slavery Company, and one that I place my trust in. The building of the slavery company that Papeck-san guided me to with his carriage is twice the size of Moulin Slavery Company in Volton. As we alighted from the carriage, a white-haired gentleman came to meet us. My my, Papeck-dono, I have not seen you for a long time. Burton-dono, it is good to see you again. I shall make introductions. This is Takumi Iruma-sama, an alchemist active in Volton. We are always in Takumi-samas favor. I am Takumi Iruma. Oooh, so you are Iruma-dono. My name is Burton, I take charge of the Palm Slavery Company. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Because I didnt think that someone from a slavery company in the royal capital would know my name, my face probably looked so shocked. Hahaha, I am quite informed. You are the key figure in the great advancements at the Papeck Company and Margrave Voltons territory, are you not? Fumu, you seem to have built up a relationship of mutual trust between those two ladies over there, and at present, you are searching for a capable person who will be able to help with your work. This person called Burton is no ordinary person. Just by observing us, he already saw what I wanted. We went inside the company and were led to the parlor. It has a calming ambiance but the quality furnishing placed casually gives off a luxurious impression. Now then, an assistant for my work would be good, but I dont want it that much. My Alchemist and Smithing work is unique after all. Thats why what I want foremost is a capable person who can be our support as adventurers. In addition, Takumi-samas slaves, Miss Sophia and Miss Maria, who are opposed to living underneath the same roof as a male slave, would like for a girl to be introduced, if possible. Hearing my request, Burton-san pondered a bit. ......... very well. At present, there are no Smithing job or nimble-fingered dwarf girls at our company. The remaining are humans and beastman tribes, but if for an alchemist, then humans are the only choice, however there are rare races of beastmen tribes that have high aptitude for magic, and we have them but............ According to Burton-san, there are practically no dwarven slaves being handled. Thats because the dwarven country, Gnomstoll Kingdom is friendly with the countries in the continent, so there are few occurrences of war slaves. As a race, dwarves are commonly diligent workers, so they seldom fall to debt slaves. Race doesnt matter but no criminal slaves please. Certainly. Burton listened to my demands, and he said that in the case that the Palm Slavery Company doesnt have the person I want, they will search at other companies theyre affiliated with. Please wait for a moment. Status Age: 20 years old Job: Mage Lv24, Priest Lv2 ( Warrior Lv12 ) Level: 18 Condition: Healthy ( Slavery: Takumi ) Vitality: 180 Magic Power: 210 Strength: 80 Agility: 100 Stamina: 100 Dexterity: 92 Intelligence: 160 Unique Skills Passive Skills Active Skills Staff Technique Lv4 Enemy Search Lv2 Presence Detection Lv2 Stealth Lv2 Magic Perception Lv3 Magic Power Manipulation Lv2 Light Attribute Magic Lv1 Dark Attribute Magic Lv2 Fire Attribute Magic Lv3 Sewing Lv3 Cooking Lv3 ***Chee?ck out latest novels on Chapter 69: Shopping at the Royal Capital Chapter 69: Shopping at the Royal Capital I signed a slavery contract with Laeva, and we decided to go shopping for her daily necessities in Papeck-sans carriage. Beautiful women gather towards Takumi-sama. My~ how enviable. No, Papeck-san, shes an assistant at my workshop. I say that, but Papeck-sans eyes were grinning. Though Sophia and Marias contracts did not include nightly service in their contracts, he seems to have realized that it still happens. I know. Moreover, an increase in productivity at Takumi-samas workshop is the best thing the Papeck Company could ask for. Before long, the carriage stopped. This is a popular clothing store in the royal capital. It will not rival the clothes Sophia-san and Maria-san are wearing, but I think its good to look at the trending designs. Papeck-san noticed that our clothes are made of Spider Silk, but understands that Spider Silk is not something he can secure large amounts of, so he seems to be enduring in that regard. Thats why I dont take Kaede out in front of Papeck-san. As expected of a shop in the royal capital, it had a variety of designs. The shop is divided into haute couture and pre?t-a?-porter. Im clueless about womens clothing, so Laevas clothing will be completely dependent on Sophia and Maria. Haa. Papeck-san noticed my involuntary sigh. Takumi-sama, womens shopping takes a long time. When I accompany my wife shopping, I could do nothing but endure. I endure enough that I might even acquire the Mental Resistance skill. So its like that. Come to think of it, when I was in Japan, I dont think I ever went shopping with a girl. Not even a year has passed but it feels like quite a long time ago. Bored, I watched people walking by the street of storefront to pass the time. Takumi-sama, thank you for waiting.Alll latest novels on Yeah, done shopping? After waiting for a time, the girls came out of the store. Yes, well then Papeck-sama, to the next store please. Certainly. Eh?! Sophia and Maria took the dumbfounded me by the arms and pulled me towards the carriage. In a fluster, Laeva subsequently followed behind.. Thereafter, we returned to the inn dead tired after going to who knows how many shops in the area. Yes, the clothes and underwear we wear are all made from Kaedes threads. Kaede took her place on my lap and started eating the cookies placed on the living room table. I get the feeling that Kaedes body has gotten bigger recently. Yeah, thats right, I forgot. Extra Heal. EH?! Laevas missing right hand returned to its former state before her very eyes. Since youll be helping me with my work, having one hand will be inconvenient after all. Laeva was dumbfounded, frozen in place for a while. H-huh? My right hand is here. Yep, its there. Eh, why? Eh? When the panicking Laeva finally understood what happened to her body, large tear drops poured from her jade green eyes. We talked about a bunch of the things with Laeva once she calmed down. We discussed the necessity to communicate with Kaede, her division of roles with Sophia and Maria, and what Laevas goals were. U-umm, I still think I should become an adventurer too. Laeva said she wanted to be an adventurer as well like Sophia and Maria. Umm, I dont really mind, but it will be dangerous. Yes, I am prepared. But to be of help to Takumi-sama as an artisan, I think it would be better if my status and magic power are higher. True, its correct that the status enhances when leveling up. If Dexterity and Intelligence increase, it would be helpful when making things. Gaining more magic power is likewise helpful. Then shall we register when we come back to Volton, and level up little by little? Yes! That night, I worried about Laeva and slept in a different room. Giving them the master bedroom, I was alone and I had the three girls endure sleeping cramped together. Tomorrow, I will have to meet the King at the royal capital. Just thinking about it depresses me. I went to sleep to escape reality. *** Chapter 70: Meeting the King Chapter 70: Meeting the King Around the time we finished breakfast, Papeck-san came to pick me up. Sophia and the girls saw me off and I got on Papeck-sans carriage. Takumi-sama, we will join Lord Volton. Also, please rest assured that I will be accompanying you to support you. ......Thank you very much. Papeck-san will be coming to relieve my tenseness, but as we neared the white-walled royal castle that seemed to float on the lake, I wanted to run away in extreme nervousness. To cross the bridge to the castle, the soldier confirmed our identities and other requirements. When we stated that we were here at the Kings behest, he immediately guided us to the place Lord Volton was waiting at. Oo, Iruma-dono, did you enjoy the royal capital? Yes, were even staying at a high-class inn, so we were able to spend the time comfortably. In the place that looked like an extravagant conference room, we joined Margrave Volton. Margrave Volton-sama, Ive completed the two carriages you requested. Ooh, my thanks. Ill present it after our meeting with the His Majesty so Ill leave it to you. Yes, I understand. After that, we talked about what I did these past few days and my purchase of an assistant slave. So you mean to say, the productivity of your workshop will increase more, Iruma-dono? No, I was thinking I might be able to concentrate more on development. Even so, you might produce new products. It is welcoming to the Volton domain. As we were talking about that, there was an announcement, and a man with a splendid white beard in his 50s at the head, followed by a slender scholarly man of the same age and escorted by three knights in full armor entered the room. Since Margrave Volton and Papeck-san stood up, I hurriedly stood up and bowed. Its fine, its fine. I called you specially to come to the royal capital. Its not a formal audience, be at ease. The King prompted us to sit after he sat down himself, so we took our seats. I shall give my name. My name is Lobos Valkyra. The King who governs this country. Next to me is the prime minister of our country, Simon von Portfort. Opposite him is Galahad von Bauer, who is in charge of the Knight order of this country. I am Simon von Portford, the prime minister. Imperial guard of the Knight order, Galahad. Flustered that I forgot my introductions before, I hurriedly stood up and introduced myself. I am the alchemist, Takumi Iruma.Alll latest novels on Its fine, its fine, lets put aside ranks today. Lord Volton, Papeck-dono, with the delivery of Purifier DMs, the royal capital can finally take a breather. My thanks. No, Your Majesty, the improvement of the hygienic circumstances of the royal capital is urgent business. therefore it does not require your gratitude. When I looked over my shoulder, the King was astonished, Galahad-sama was speechless, and Simon-sama was so surprised that his jaw was hanging open. Umm, this is the carriage we are presenting. No, I am under the impression that that carriage is uncommon, but is that Dragon Horse Iruma-donos familiar? As expected, only the King had nerves of steel, he recovered quickly and inquired. Yes, she is called Tsubaki. Bururu She is too big for a knight to ride, but if that Drake Horse pulled a carriage, it would be a staggering monster. The revived Galahad looked at Tsubaki from a distance. Tsubaki isnt wearing her barding today, so I think her intensity isnt that much though. For the time being, this carriage likely uses quality materials but is not ostentatious. It suits my liking, considerably so. Your Majesty, how about evaluating this carriage after trying out its riding quality? As you say, well then Iruma-dono, if you please. When Margrave Volton suggested to try out the its riding quality, everyone went inside the carriage. Wha-! What is this!? My word!! !! I heard voices of surprise at the the enlarged space inside the carriage, but if its the tier of the royal familys carriage, wouldnt there be magic items like this? I sat down on the coachmans seat and called out to the inside of the carriage, and made Tsubaki start running. After testing out the quality of the carriage for a while, the King and his retainers alighted from the carriage. Iruma-dono! How magnificent! This is the first time Ive had comfort like this inside a carriage. The spaciousness of the interior, the riding quality, a carriage like this, there is none like it in this whole continent. As the King began praising the carriage, Margrave Volton, too, was elated. Afterwards, when I explained the details of the carriage, all three individuals faces cramped. Galahad-sama and Simon-sama said that I should tell them if ever I was in any trouble. Papeck-san said that he will place an order for two carriages when we come back to Volton. And so, I have safely completed my affairs at the royal capital. I can finally return to Volton. *** Idle Talk 3: Idle Talk: The Heroes’ Training Idle Talk 3: Idle Talk: The Heroes Training In an wide indoor training area, dull training swords shrilled. The heroes summoned by the Divine Empire of Sydnia, Akira and Yamato, were training with a holy knight as an opponent. Akira, wielding a sword and shield, fights tempestuously and Yamato, equipped with knuckles / knuckle duster, fights employing martial arts in mock battle. Is that all youve got?! Akira-dono! Kuh! Im not done yet! Yamato! Youre neglecting your footwork! Guwaaa! Its been three months since the summoning, they train daily and level up by fighting monsters such as goblins. Akane has a magic type job, so shes on a different training menu and is currently in the library studying spell books. (A long time ago, the Goddess Anat created Humans in her likeness. Thereafter, she created the Beastkin, humans with limbs from beasts, and the Dwarves and Elves, created from fairies, for the Humans to govern.) Akane is reading the origin of this world that the Light God Faith preaches. (What is this? The Light God Faith is more dangerous than I thought.) Akane knows that there are two major religions in this continent. However, information regarding the Genesis Faith, whose chief deity is the Goddess Norn, is exceedingly hard to come by in this country. Once in a while, Akane acquires some from listening to stories from traveling merchants in lands near the castle. Discussions from those times seem to advocate that The Genesis Faith says that all races are equally the Goddess Norns children.. For that reason, they say that the countries in this continent, with the exception of Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire of Sydnia, have Genesis Faith as their state religion or conform to a similar belief. And it was known fact that these two countries, Triaria and Sydnia, believe in Human Supremacy. We have to escape to Lomaria Kingdom or Valkyra Kingdom somehow. Ive had it with both this smelly town and castle. Akane declares so because large towns in Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom have magic devices that purify their sewer system, and the interior of their towns are very clean. She heard from merchants that recently that it has begun spreading to the royal capital of Samandour Kingdom and other countries. With exception to Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire of Sydnia, there has been a rapid improvement in sanitary circumstances in recent years, with infant and elderly mortality declining and outbreaks of epidemics becoming less likely. This matter is of no surprise to Akane. (Still, I dont get it. A priest stupidly said Light magic is magic granted to the Light God Church, therefore it is outrageous to use it on filth. , but I wonder if he was half asleep.) Akanes indignation is because she knew that the Toilet with Purifier DM is spreading to the general households in Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom. Of course, the Divine Empire of Sydnia does not import it. Akane, who is accustomed to the electronic bidet in Japan, wants to break away from this empire as soon as possible, even if only for the squat toilet situation. Seriously, Im so glad I have an aptitude for Light attribute magic. So how are the heroes? Ha. Akira, with the sword, and Yamato, with martial arts, have potential. The Holy Knight Leader Packard answered the question asked by Pope Wyvaal. How about the woman? She has the aptitude for magic jobs, not to mention her potential with Light attribute magic. For that reason, the acquisition of knowledge takes precedence. The Head Magician Homer spoke of Akanes present condition. For a magic user, the accumulation of knowledge is helpful in using various magic. It may soon be time to incorporate training in ruins and monster nests.Re?a?d new chapters on Thats right, we must get the heroes to play an active role in the war with Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom after all. Elizabeth, how is Akira? Fufu, Father, a man of that degree is easy for me to handle. Imperial princess Elizabeth sneered icily. StatusName: Akira JingujiStatus Intelligence: 85 Unique Skills Appraisal Passive Skills Active Skills Taijutsu Lv4 Fire Attribute Magic Lv2 Status Name: Akane Misato Race: Human Age: 18 years old Job: Priest Lv1 Level: 10 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 160 Magic Power: 260 Strength: 80 Agility: 90 Stamina: 90 Dexterity: 90 Intelligence: 160 Unique Skills Appraisal Divine Oracle ( Concealed ) Passive Skills Active Skills Cane Arts Lv2 Light Attribute Magic Lv3 Water Attribute Magic Lv2 Wind Attribute Magic Lv2 Cooking Lv5 *** Footnotes: Wyvaal / Warvaal C Popes name. It was previously written as Warvaal but was changed to Wyvaal in this chapter. Unsure if its a typo or not. Ill change it when author decides to stick to one spelling.In all other statuses, cooking is placed in the active skills section so Ill add it there for consistency. Chapter 71: First Winter Chapter 71: First Winter When we came back from the royal capital, winter had already arrived at the town of Volton. Master! Snow is piled up! Yeah, the snow had piled up, huh. Close by, I watched Kaede play in the snow covered garden. Our clothes wont lose to the coldness of winter. The Spider Silk-made clothes and underwear bestowed with Automatic Temperature Regulation isnt influenced by the scorching summer heat nor the freezing winter chill. But Sophia and Maria had a request, they wanted the designs to change with the season. We also have Heater magic devices installed in the house. If its just us, we dont need it, but I have many visitors coming to my house. Designated requests for Basic Potions from Barack-san and Hans-san of the Adventurers Guild, and requests for various things from Papeck-san. Also, about this house, I used to rent it but now I own it. A large stable was built in the backyard of the mansion which became Tsubakis place.Re?a?d new chapters on Laevas attitude towards us when she first came to the house was reserved, but recently, she finally reached the point where she connects with us normally. It seems she remits the entirety of her wages each month. The remittance is then undertaken by the Adventurers Guild for a small handling charge. Sophia and Maria do not accept salaries from me. They accept pocket money but they insist that they dont want to be freed so they dont need a salary. I will live much longer than Takumi-sama, so I will live the rest of my life while protecting Takumi-samas grave. Stating so, Sophia says she would serve me until my death. It had been arranged in Sophia and Marias contract that they would be released if I die. I am human just like Takumi-sama, thats why I want to live just one day longer than him, and it would be the greatest if I could have my grave placed right beside Takumi-samas. It seems Maria intends to be spend her whole life close to me too. ?Snow Crown In winter, it is a medicinal plant whose flowers bloom in environments piled with snow. A rare medicinal plant which can be used as an ingredient for all sorts of intermediate potions. One winter day, in the grasslands near Volton, we were hard at work foraging for materials within the mounds of snow. Master, there are some here toooo! Thank you Kaede. Altogether, we came here to forage. When rare materials are collected, the Foraging skill would improve easily. This is something I was taught by Hans-san of the Adventurers Guild. Bururururu Tsubaki ran around the snow covered grasslands, hunting winter furred Bush Wolves. Since her stress might accumulates if shes unable to to run in a vast place to her hearts content every once in a while, we take her to the grasslands from time to time, even in winter. Wanna stop for today and head home? Yes. Now then, what do we do with the dismantling of the Bush Wolves that Tsubaki hunted? Sophia asked if we were going to dismantle the Bush Wolves here. The Bush Wolfs fur becomes pure white in winter. This is popular among the wealthy people and has been requested at the Adventurers Guild. Lets leave the dismantling to the Adventurers Guild. Ill store them in my Item Box. The Bush Wolves brought down by a stab from Tsubakis horn had few injuries and were in good condition so it might be bought for a high price. Its just more money for me though. *** Chapter 72: Alchemist masters Taijutsu? Chapter 72: Alchemist masters Taijutsu?During this season when snow piles up, the amount of work apart from subjugation requests decreases, and adventurers in Volton split into three types. The high ranking adventurers whove saved enough until winter, they spend the majority of their time in leisure in winter; Intermediate level adventurers without an exclusive escort request travel to the warmer towns in the south to look for work; The remaining lower ranking adventures who cant accept escort requests because things like ranks spend winter time doing odd jobs in town to eke out a living. The winter Bush Wolves that Tsubaki hunted is a request that carefree high ranking adventurers accept to kill time in winter. And, as for myself............. Guha! Goro, goro Rolling around in the Adventurers Guilds training center is a beginner leather armor-wearing Takumi Iruma. Yes, me. One might ask Why am I rolling in the Adventurers Guilds training room?. That is a matter from 10 days ago when I was delivering potions to the Adventures Guild. I was chatting with Hans-san like always. Because there were few requests in winter, even the Adventurers Guild was deserted. Its really like that, our party doesnt have a true vanguard, so itd be better if I can fight a bit more in front. Well, Im an alchemist so not fighting is also good. I hear you. Alright! Leave it to me! Eh? While Hans-san and I were talking, someone started talking loudly. I already knew whose voice it was, but I didnt want to turn around. The reason why, I had nothing but bad feelings about this. My instincts were blaring warning bells. I have to escape immediately. Aint that right! The body is the adventurers asset! The ability to survive no matter what happens is needed, right?! But, Im an alchemist and blacksmith. Ha, hahaha. The one who appeared while Hans-san and I were talking, was the Guild Master of the Adventurers Guild in Volton, Barack-san. A former S rank adventurer, he still has a brawny body covered in muscles that would make people question whether he is still in active duty. Like the adventurers, Guild Master is also free. I think this is a good chance to train your body in taijutsu, Takumi-kun. Really, Hans-san, think about someone elses problems! Gashi! Barack-san grabbed me by the nape of my neck and dragged me to the training center. Noooooooooooooo`````!! My screams echoed in the guild. Oraaa! Get back up right away! u..................... I think youve got great status values, but thats all. You dont have the slightest bit of fighting skill or experience. Even if your skill levels are high, you have an overwhelming lack of experience. After that, I got a beat up beginners leather armor from Barack-san. Haa, haa, haa. I adjusted my breathing and confronted Barack-san. My level as well as my status have risen from what it was a year ago, and I think those are not inferior to adventurers. But in front of Barack-san, it feels like theres issues with things like my status values or my skill levels. Fuun! I charged towards Barack-san. I leaped in and unleashed a fist, however Barack-san avoided it, doing a sweep then returned with a counter. Guha! Rolling on the ground, I managed to stand up somehow. Hey hey! Watch my movements closely, feel it! I frantically moved my body to deal with the kick and punch Barack-san let loose. Barack-san simply stepped back and said that. He said that when evading, always dodge to a spot where you can attack easily and spots where an opponent will find tough to attack. Barack-san didnt teach me a decided form. I was just told briefly Watch me and try to steal it!. Am I supposed to desperately watch Barack-sans footwork, and his use of his lower body and upper body? I concentrated on taking in Barack-sans every single move. Status Throwing Lv4 Taijutsu Lv8 ( Up ) Matoujutsu Lv6 ( Up ) Enemy Search Lv5 ( Up ) Presence Detection Lv6 ( Up ) Stealth Lv6 ( Up ) Tame Lv3 ( Up ) Enhanced Physical Abilities Lv5 Magic Perception Lv8 Magic Power Manipulation Lv9 Light Attribute Magic L7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv5 Water Attribute Magic Lv5 Wind Attribute Magic Lv6 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Ice Attribute Magic Lv5 Lightning Attribute Magic Lv5 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv6 ( Up ) Bestowal Magic Lv8 ( Up ) Alchemy Lv9 Smithing Lv9 Woodworking LV8 ( Up ) Carpentry Lv5 ( Up ) Foraging Lv6 ( Up ) Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv8 ( Up ) Sewing Lv7 ( Up ) Cooking Lv2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars Arachne Unique Species ( Kaede ) Drake Horse ( Tsubaki ) Titles Giant Killing *** Chapter 73: Laeva’s Equipment Chapter 73: Laevas Equipment Although I was experiencing grueling training from hell in the Adventurers Guild thanks to Barack-san, everyone spent their time on their respective objectives. Before I knew it, my objective had become mastering taijutsu. According to Barack-san, my goal is to awaken the advanced skill Fist King Technique from the Taijutsu skill. He also said that there were a handful of people whove awakened to the Fist King Technique in the continent. Naturally, Barack-san has also awakened to the Fist King Technique skill. However, raising the skill level to become someone at Barack-sans class is apparently very difficult. To resolve that, it seems you need to fight with an opponent who has the same Fist King Technique skill. I wonder what you look for in an alchemist. Sophia aims to learn ancient elven language and ancient magic characters. She seems to want to make magic devices. To do that, she has started studying how to draw magic circles that can be called magic device circuits. She already understands the existing magic circles, so shes doing her best to become able to freely construct magic circles in her own way. This is a study she was doing with Laeva. Maria sews diligently with Kaede. They seem addicted to clothing and underwear making. While consulting with Sophia and Laeva, theyre creating various clothing. They became motivated seeing the latest fashion trends in the royal capital. Tsubaki would sometimes go hunting at the grasslands in the outskirts of Volton. Its not just because Tsubaki wants to hunt. Shes aiming to be an evolved being like Kaede, whom had experienced it twice. I havent looked into what the Drake Horses higher species is yet, but I think Tsubaki will achieve her goal in the not-so-distant future.Reaad the latest stories on In the warm workshop with Heater MD, Kaede and Maria were making cloth with the thread twisting machine and weaving loom. Sitting next to each other at the table, Laeva and I had a discussion about her equipment. Okay, about what to do with your equipment. Laeva, we still havent decided. My equipment? I have received the magic invocation ring. Naturally, I made and gave a mithril ring for Laevas Mage job. Laeva, youre also registered at the adventurers Guild and have been promoted up to H rank by delivering potions and medicinal plants, but from here on, you understand that the simplest way would be accepting subjugation requests, dont you? Yes. Takumis intention is to raise my level, is it not? Yeah, raising your level will also increase your Magic Power, and raising your Intelligence, and Dexterity status values will be useful in various ways too. Also, it would be better to acquire skills and raise skill levels in battle. Understood! Laeva, if I bestow a knife or dagger with an attribute, which among the Light, Dark, or Fire attribute is good? In the case of Dark attribute, I cant do it alone and will need your cooperation though. If Light attribute is granted on a weapon, it has a special attack against Undead-type monsters. If its Dark attribute granted with Laevas current skill level, I think it can have attacks with added poison or be a cursed sword that deals mental damage to the cut opponents. Hmm, Dark attribute is fine. I was thinking that it might possibly be good if it can be given confusion or paralysis. Paralysis might be good. Im looking forward to doing things with the Dark attribute so thats enough thinking for Laevas dagger. Now what to do for Kaede............, Kaedes lower half is a spiders body while her upper body is no different to a childs. A weapon not too large and will not be a hindrance to the manipulation of her strong threads. It might be difficult to handle, but do you want to try claws? Claws~? Yeah, Kaede, you fight by making use of three dimensional aerial maneuvers so claws might be perfect for you. Ok, will try~! Kaede shook her arms as she mimicked using claws. I decided to make a gauntlet that will become claws for Kaede. Since its Kaede, she can smear her own poison on the claws when fighting. Afterwards, I finished Laeva and Kaedes equipment with Laevas help. Although I say Laeva can do it, she has to pour her magic power into Decomposition Extraction Synthesis magic circles to support her when she makes mithril and adamantite alloys though. Laevas magic power is definitely lacking. But even so, Laeva keeps at it while drinking mana potions. *** Chapter 74: Unknowingly entered the top Chapter 74: Unknowingly entered the topWinter. I spent my time in hand-to-hand combat training with Barack-san at the Adventurers Guild, and at some point, Sophia, Maria, and even the rear guard Laeva started participating and it turned into training for our whole party. Ha!Ya!Haa! Intense sounds of weapons and our battle cries reverberated in the training center. Even Laeva, the newest member to join us, who serves as rear guard is making full use of her staff is in an intense mock battle with Sophia and Maria. This winter, Ive come to admire Laeva who is doing her best to raise her level for alchemy by subjugating monsters and is doing this shitty old mans difficult training at the Adventurers Guild. Thanks to that effort, she is manifesting the physical abilities distinctive of beastmen, and her growth might be the best amongst us. Kan! Kyaa! Laevas staff spun midair and she fell on her behind. Are you alright Laeva? Still, youve improved greatly. Sophia, who made her opponents staff fly midair with her spear, extended a helping hand. Haa, haa, yes, thank you very much. Even though it can be said that she has grown the most, her starting line is still different from ours. She hasnt leveled that much this winter, so she has yet to catch up to Sophia and Maria. Nevertheless, Barack-san said that our party is already top class in Volton. Still, Takumi. Speaking strictly of destructive power, I think your party is at the top in Volton. Please cut it out, Barack-san. I think I had a completely unpleased face. We are a party of Alchemist and Blacksmith and guards. We registered at the Adventurers Guild so we could collect materials. Even if you say that about your party, all of you can use magic, right? There is no adventurer party like this anywhere. Moreover, those magic arent just Fireballs and those basic stuff, all your members can use intermediate level attribute magic. The Oneechan, Sophia, can even use Spirit magic. So, being at the top shouldnt be strange. What, you guys have already suppressed thieves before, no? Oof, well, thats true, but` Then theres no problem. Ive somehow been forced into doing the escort request. And theres even information that thieves appear frequently too............ It will be all right Takumi-sama. Maria, you, and I have gotten stronger since that time, and we have Kaede and Tsubaki as well. Thats right, Takumi-sama. Was my face filled of worry? Sophia and Maria were cheering me up. Takumi-sama, we will win easily against things such as thieves. No, it hasnt been decided that wed encounter them. Even Laeva is saying extreme things. Its gonna be fine. Your ranks are based on the number of requests that youve completed, but if were talking about your true strength, Takumi and Sophia, whose true strengths are higher than B rank, are more than enough. Maria is a solid C rank. Even Laeva being F rank is because she hasnt been registered for that long. Staying hesitant at this point would definitely be uncool. I am the sole male in this party, after all. If I keep saying only pathetic things then Id exhaust everyones graces. When will the departure be? Assembly will be at the south gate in the morning of the day after tomorrow. Ill process the acceptance of the request. And so it has been decided that well leave for another town for the first time in a long time. *** Chapter 75: Food Variation Increases Chapter 75: Food Variation Increases Receiving the details of the request from Barack-san, the Adventurers Guilds Guild Master, we headed towards Quilbas. To conclude, the template-like thieves did not attack. Our client, Tom-san of the Papeck Company, told the surprised me, Iruma-sama, there are no thieves that would attack a line of carriages led by a Dragon Horse. Ha, haha, thats true. Its as he says, there is no way thieves would attack the largely built intimidating Tsubaki, who has sharp horn and is equipped with black barding. Adding to that, I dont think thieves would willingly attack a trading unit that has someone who can tame monsters to the Dragon Horses degree. Furthermore, Kaede is merrily humming a song on Tsubakis back. Arachne is well-known to be an upper B rank monster. There probably wouldnt be any whimsical person who would attack a Drake Horse and Arachne. It might be hard to distinguish based on her appearance, but Kaede is a unique species, so it can actually be said that she is a lower A rank monster. Really~ Im so lucky to be guarded by Iruma-samas party. Haa. I was worried because there was information about thieves in between Quilbas and Volton, you know? Tom-san seems to have finally been entrusted with a merchant unit recently. Though its called a merchant unit, its still only small scale, with 2 carriages going to the Quilbas. Tom-san said he stuffed the carriage with hand pumps, Purifier MDs, and daily necessities such as soap and would sell them at Quilbas. The president instructed me to buy and fill the Magic Bag he lent me with solely milk when were returning. Eh! Theres milk?! Yes, it isnt circulated much in Volton though. I had never seen milk in the town of Volton. Are there dairy products as well? Yes, what was it called again, ah cheese, was it? It looks like soap. Oooh, theres cheese too! I arrived at this world 1 year ago. Im not the It cant be anything but Japanese food type of person. But the variation of the food of this world is too limited. One of the reasons is because spices are expensive though. But the menu would improve slightly if theres milk and cheese. Its a little early, but lets have dinner downstairs. Yes. The inn in Quilbas served hard bread and cream stew. Ooh, its cream stew. A white soup. How curious. But it has a nice smell, doesnt it? Truly. Maria and Laeva were taking whiffs. Yeah, its delicious. Its true. This is the first time Ive eaten such flavor. So goooood! This is really tasty! Compared to the one Ive eaten in Japan, it probably has various points it could improve on, but it is tasty enough to satisfy me. We cant return without buying milk and cheese. This white soup uses milk? Thats right. I dont know if theres fresh cream made from milk, but lets look for some tomorrow. If we do then we can eat this even when we return to Volton, cant we? It seems Maria has taken a liking to cream stew. Laeva is nodding her head and saying uhhuh, so it seems she doesnt dislike it either. Weve decided. Tomorrow, well inquire about the specialty products of Quilbas as we buy all the dairy products we could get our hands on. *** Chapter 76: Intention to improve Takumi’s food Chapter 76: Intention to improve Takumis foodOn the morning the day after arriving to Quilbas, I went out to the town with the girls. Where would you like to look around? Lets go see the market first. We headed to the Quilbas marketplace and went around looking at the foodstuff. Takumi-samaaa! They have grilled skewers! Then lets buy one for everybody. Finding Milk Buffalo meat skewers, Maria asked for some. I was also interested, so I decided to buy for everyone, even a portion for Kaede who is currently inn-sitting. Nom, Ta, kumi-sama, that, nom, also, nom, looks good. Maria, dont talk while youre eating, if theres something youll want then well buy it. While stuffing her cheeks full, Maria asked for the next delicious-looking food. Even so, there really are a lot. Yes, there are more varieties of sausage here than in Volton. There were no sausages in the beastman villages. Then why dont we buy all kinds of sausages to take home? Yes! Laevas village was apparently a poor, scanty village, and they had no surplus to make preserved food with. Condiments were nearly nonexistent, and theyve only recently learned of flavors aside from salt. Still, because I started sending the wages Ive received from Takumi-sama there, Ive received a letter saying that theyre no longer having difficulty over food. I see, what a relief. Wouldnt they be happy if we send household items next time? Youre right. When Ive become able to make magic devices, Ill send them useful magic devices. Then lets send a Purifier DM and hand pump together with your next remittance. Eh, is that alright? You have a little brother, dont you? I think it would definitely be useful for them. Thank you very much. Distracting myself from my embarrassment, I went binge shopping for milk. If its stored in the Item Box, its freshness is maintained, so theres no problem with buying as much as I could buy. Knowing that it could be used in cooking, the girls did not object. Having the milk store refer us to another shop that deals with cheese, we headed there next. Bloomy rind, fresh, blue mould, semi hard and hard types of cheeses, huh. It looks like theres no washed rind type of cheese. There are various types of cheeses displayed in the cheese shop. We sampled each of them and respectively bought the cheeses that were to our liking.. Sophia and Maria bought large quantities of the bloomy rind type and the soft fresh type that had no peculiar odors. Laeva was pleased with the semi hard types and kept bringing some to me. I eat all types so I bought a bit of the blue mold and hard types as well. Really~ Dear customer is buying splendidly~. We are very grateful though, yes. Its because it is Quilbas specialties, after all. Now, theres something Id like to ask, but do you know a shop that sells seasonings and alcohol? For seasonings, if you go all the way to the right, there is a shop near the end. For alcohol, it is three stores next to the aforementioned shop. Thank you. Following the cheese shops owners suggestion, we then bought a variety of items from the liquor store and seasoning shop. Sophia seemed to want to drink wine, so we bought a barrel of wine and ale. Sorry, Sophia. You held back on drinking alcohol, didnt you? It is fine. I understand that Takumi-sama and Maria have just barely reached adulthood, so I thought you didnt know the taste of alcohol. I feel bad for Sophia. I wasnt much of a drinker even in Japan, and since coming to this world, even though Im considered an adult, I still intuitively come out as a 15 year old child. From here on, lets try out different kinds of alcohol and find ones we like. Yes. Ah, please let Maria drink as well. Since I didnt drink when I was in my village too, Id like to try drinking. Okay then, how about everyone drinks a bit during dinner tonight? Yes. After that, we found and bought bacon and ham, then returned to the inn once we were satisfied with the massive amount of groceries we bought. *** Footnotes: Marginal Village C ޽缯 (Genkai Shuuraku), literally limited village. Its an ongoing problem for Japan, although not particularly the case for the story because, here, it just means a lowly populated village in a secluded area (I think). More information here.Its derived from the japanese word for corn, Tomorokoshi then altered to Rokoshin. I want to call it Korne to keep it similar instead of Locoycn. lolFor information on cheeses, please just google them. Way too many links lol Chapter 77: Return to Volton Chapter 77: Return to VoltonOn morning after, we joined up with Tom-san and departed for Volton. Iruma-sama, there were rumors that there was a young man buying large quantities of items at the marketplace. Umm, there were many food that caught our eye. The silver haired youth had taken three beautiful slave girls of the finest quality with him to buy all the things he could get his hands on, said many whose voices were laced with jealousy. Fufu, three beautiful slave girls of the finest quality, he says, Sophia-san. Excluding Takumi-sama who is a man, everyone was praised. Laeva-chan is also a beauty that cant be seen just anywhere either, you know. Maria-san, for someone like myself to be compared to the two of you... No no, all three of you are beautiful girls rarely ever seen, so please take care so you dont get caught in any trouble. When Tom-san said that, the faces of all three reddened and cast their eyes away bashfully.Reaad the latest stories on Actually, were wearing the overcoat that was endowed with Inhibit Perception and Enhanced Stealth that have presence concealing effects, so I think we can escape before trouble brews. We were making smooth progress towards Volton since our departure from Quilbas. Proceeding the same, our carriage being pulled by Tsubaki is in front, so there were seldom any attacks from monsters and thieves. Why I say seldom is because the occasional monster that doesnt understand the difference in power attacks. Well, Kaede instakills them though. Hey hey Master, can I go hunt thieves? When we were camping that day, Kaede came and said that. Will you be okay? Yup, no presence looks strong. ............If theres someone held captive, call me. Kay, got it! Saying so, Kaede blended into the darkness and vanished. If one has Kaede-chans stealth skill and that overcoats effect, theyll be the greatest assassin, wouldnt they. Iruma-sama, those thieves, theyre most likely the thieves that wandered in from Triaria Kingdom. I believe their numbers were around that. It seems that the thieves that Kaede had dispatched matched the thieves from the information. Tom-san, it would be best to clean it up, wouldnt it? Yes. Collecting the guild cards of the thieves, and disposing their bodies is a necessity. Kaede, can you lead me to the thieves hideout? Yup! I have some threads left behind so Ill know soon! The next morning, I along with Kaede and Tom-san headed for the thieves hideout. Sophia and the others were guarding the merchant unit and on standby. This way! The place Kaede led us to is a cave, that looked like a bear come out of it, which had a door forcefully attached to it. There were two thieves on guard duty at the entrance of the cave that had their heads severed. Inside the cave were more corpses with no heads and corpses whose chests were pierced with claws. Tom-san and I collected their guild cards and stripped them of their armors. Did they just arrive? Theres not much loot here. It cant be helped. I used Earth magic to dig a hole, threw the corpses in, and filled the hole back up. We will calculate the thieves possessions and armor and process them once we return to Volton, then payment will be made to Iruma-sama at the Papeck Company. I understand. The post-processing of thieves put us a little behind schedule, but we arrived at Volton before the sun went down. We submitted the proof of request completion at the Adventurers Guild. Everyones rank was promoted publicly. *** Chapter 78: Looming Evil Chapter 78: Looming EvilIn the training center of the Adventurers Guild, an intense battle unfolded, and us falling down and crawling on the ground who knows how many times. The battle training was arranged to be for the duration of winter, but for some reason, it continues even in spring. Haa, haa, haa, wh-y is, training, still, ongoing? As always, Barack-san smiled and laughed at the question I rolled out well. Thats cuz Im bo`, no, weve already trained this much, wont it be a waste to stop now? Haa, j, just now, you were about to say bored, werent you? After coming back from Volton, we received our reward for the subjugation of thieves, but Barack-san told us to hurry up rising to B rank. I was told that I, who had tamed the familiars known as Kaede and Tsubaki, being a C rank was a rank fraud. At that time, I was coerced into the continuing the battle training. Sophia and the girls were eager to, so refusing was difficult, and so, here I am, working hard everyday. As it is now spring, adventurers are coming back to Volton, so adventurers apart from us could now be seen here and there at the training center. Oy, that person in a mock battle with Strong Arm Barack is the mage brat that came to Volton last spring, aint it? Yeah, theres no mistaking it with that silver hair. Wait, aint that weird? How is he able to have a mock battle with Strong Arm Barack? No no no, whats with the movement of that female knight slave? Hey, they increased by one. Adventurers make a racket every time they watch our training, but we were involved less than before. Its hard to say that it doesnt happen though. Switching topics, Hans said to hurry up and think of a name for your party and submit it. A party name?...... like Heath-sans party is the Lions Fang, right? Yeah, all your rankings are rising, and even your party rank is D rank, aint it? As expected, it would be awkward if youre forever nameless. A party name, huh. It never occurred to me, but what should we do? Ill discuss it with Sophia and the girls.Alll latest novels on Aight. Tell Hans when youve decided. Understood. A name for the party? Right, Barack-san told me to. It seems that once we decide, we need to tell Hans-san and register. Returning from the Adventurers Guild, we discussed what Barack-san said about our party name. Now that you mention it, Heath-sans party was the Lions Fang, was it not? Its difficult now that Im thinking about it. Sophia and Maria gave it some thought too. A name like Lions Fang doesnt suit us. In the first place, our activities as adventurers are a pretext for gathering materials. How doesTakumi-sama and his servants sound? No, just what is that. Status Name: Kaede (Takumi Irumas Familiar ) Race: Arachne Unique Species Age: 5 Level: 82 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 570 Magic Power: 620 Strength: 530 Agility: 540 Stamina: 374 Dexterity: 528 Intelligence: 320 Unique Skills Spider Thread Creation Passive Skills Poison Resistance Lv7 Paralysis Resistance Lv7y Spatial Understanding Lv7 Insight Lv5 Active Skills Thread Manipulation Lv9 Poison Creation Lv7 Presence Detection Lv8 Magic Perception Lv7 Stealth Lv8 Sewing Lv7 *** Sphys note: And so, I will end the year in a small cliff? Can this really be called a cliffhanger? Advanced Happy New Year to everyone! Chapter 79: Zealots Chapter 79: Zealots Sophia and Maria came back with Barack-san around 20 minutes later. We have returned. Is it those?Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Yes, they look like assassins or something, right? Barack-san checked the men dressed in black. Those black clothed people were all human men. Takumi, this is turning out to be a bit troubling issue. Well contact the feudal lord immediately, is it alright to leave these guys for a bit? It is fine by me, but a troubling issue? Yeah, extraordinarily so. Barack-san went to Margrave Volton. We stood watch over the black clothed men and waited. Hey Kaede, can the temporary death on these guys be undone by themselves? Hmmmm, maybe impossible. Its gonna be okay if using Masters detoxification magic. I see, thank you. If thats the case then constant surveillance on them is unnecessary. After around 2 hours passed, a carriage with the crest of the Margrave Volton house etched into it with a carriage of knights guarding it, and an escort carriage with infantry guarding it arrived in front of our house. The person who came out of the carriage with the crest of Margrave Volton, was Margrave Volton himself. Iruma-dono, it has been a while. Thank you very much for coming personally, Feudal Lord-sama. Dorn-sama as well, it has been a long time. Umu, it has been quite active, hasnt it, Iruma-dono? There are 4 knights to protect Margrave Volton, and commanding them is the Knight Leader Dorn-san. The remaining knights are gathered at the gate of the mansion and are on guard duty. Fumu, isnt that right, Barack-dono? Yes, that was faster than I expected. It seems Margrave Volton and Barack-san had some idea as to who these men could be. At this point, another carriage arrived, and Moulin-san and the Dark magic user who performed contract magic on the girls had stepped out of it. My apologies for our tardiness, Feudal Lord-sama and Barack-dono. None of that, I have just arrived myself. Miss Moulin, can you do it immediately? Yes, certainly. Iruma-sama, may I ask you to detoxify the paralyzing toxin on them? ...... Understood. I casted Cure to detoxify the black clothed men and, with Moulin-san instructing the dark mage, the men were bound by a slave contract. Also, if your party has an attacker or tank, Id say you cant lose to the zealot units. Haa. Ill consult Sophia and the girls about this when I get back. Sydnia really haunts me. ```````````````````` Status Name: Tsubaki (Takumi Irumas Familiar) Race: Drake Horse Age: 3 Level: 72 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 420 Magic Power: 190 Strength: 370 Agility: 390 Stamina: 450 Dexterity: 100 Intelligence: 120 Unique Skills Dragon Scales Lv4 ( UP ) Passive Skills High Speed Travel Lv6 ( UP ) Long Distance Travel Lv4 ( UP ) Active Skills Charge Lv5 ( UP ) Presence Detection Lv5 ( UP ) Magic Perception Lv4 ( UP ) *** Footnotes: Im not sure if I should use zealots or religious fanatics. Though I think zealots (def C a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals. ) seems kind of fitting..? Sphys Note: Sorry for the inconvenience caused by the site downtime. Thank you to the readers who notified me of it! The site should be completely fixed now. Chapter 80: First Party Conference Chapter 80: First Party Conference Returning from Margrave Voltons estate, I called Sophia and the girls to the living room to discuss what well be doing from now on. ``so thats how it is. Ill be strengthening the defenses of this house as well, but I want to hear everyones opinions. I said that it would be dangerous staying with me. Releasing them from their slavery contracts and leaving is one way to protect them. It seems Margrave Volton and Barack-san will back me up, so I proposed this while keeping that in mind. I have been Takumi-samas guard from the beginning. If there is danger approaching, then it is all the more reason I can not leave your side. Furthermore, my heart and body already belong to Takumi-sama. In life and in death, I will be with you.declared Sophia, in a very compelling tone. My future is being together with Takumi-sama as well. Even if I am freed, I have nowhere to go. I dont want to leave.said Maria, teary-eyed as she stared at me. It has only been several months since I was purchased by Takumi-sama, however my family is not starving because of Takumi-sama. In addition, Ive only just started my studied. I want to create more and more new things with you, Takumi-sama. Laeva said she doesnt want this to stop. Thank you, everyone. Then, lets get stronger so we can get through anything that may happen. Lets do everything that we can. Having confirmed everyones intentions, I decided to make preparations so I can respond to unexpected situations. (Haa, Ive finally got my hands on a lot of cheese and milk, and yet I dont have the time to challenge cooking with it.) So then, what will we do, specifically? Un, we are being trained together by Barack-san, but Knight Leader Dorn-san will take over our sword and spear training. That is very much appreciated. Mock battles between ourselves is fine, but experiencing the Knights swordsmanship and spear handling will be very educational as well. Maria and Laeva will receive training from the people in the Magic Division. I will do my best at both magic and the spear! I will continue to study alchemy for magic and staff arts. Maria and Laeva are brimming with determination. Our equipment, both the weapons and armor, are all good. There is probably no adventurer party with better equipment than us in this continent. Also, this is a precaution for the house, but I plan on improving the barrier magic device used in camp so that it would prevent unregistered individuals from trespassing. This time, it just so happened that Kaede noticed the intruders and eliminated them, but it might not be possible for Kaede to deal with it as simply as this time if a large number of people attacked. If it was in a life or death situation, Kaede would likely be alright against a lot of people though. And I believe that our party, Wings of Norn should immediately search for an attacker or tank. Sophia, you think so too? Barack-san and the others gave the same advice. Status Condition: Healthy ( Slavery: Takumi ) Vitality: 225 Magic Power: 255 Strength: 125 Agility: 145 Stamina: 145 Dexterity: 125 Intelligence: 210 Unique Skills Passive Skills Active Skills Staff Arts Lv5 ( Up ) Enemy Search Lv3 ( Up ) Presence Detection Lv3 ( Up ) Stealth Lv3 ( Up) Magic Perception Lv4 ( Up ) Magic Power Manipulation Lv3 ( Up ) Light Attribute Magic Lv3 ( Up ) Dark Attribute Magic Lv3 ( Up ) Fire Attribute Magic Lv4 ( Up ) Alchemy Lv3 ( Up ) Sewing Lv3 Cooking Lv3 *** Chapter 81: Fortifying the Mansion’s Defenses[1] Chapter 81: Fortifying the Mansions Defenses[1] Its only been a year since I came to Mildgard, and yet Im now suddenly being targeted by a strange bunch. So, to protect everyone, Im fortifying the defenses of the mansion. Laeva, help me make the barrier magic device. Yes! May I also learn about magic devices? When I called Laeva, Sophia volunteered. Come to think of it, she did say she wanted to learn about magic devices. Then Sophia, you help too. Yes! Moving to the workshop, I had Laeva and Sophia carve the magic circle I drew onto metal plates. Then I made a paste from magic stone powder and poured it into the etched magic circle. Speaking of alchemy, golem is one category of it too, isnt it? It is. But the magic circle etched into the core that controls it is exceedingly complex, so I have yet to try my hands on it. Laeva brought up the topic of golems, but this is quite a high hurdle. Previously, I had put out a request at the Adventurers Guild to get a golem core so I could examine a golem. The analysis of that golems core controls failed. Its complexity sets it apart from the levels of magic circles used in alchemy and magic devices. Layers of magic circles were carved into a magic crystal the size of a baseball. Golems that appear as monsters do not move and act particularly complicatedly. But even so, it was that complex. That reason is why I postponed my research on golems at the time. Its because of times like these that Golems would be useful though. The Magic Power Manipulation of my current self isnt by any means low, but the layered type of magic circle is not something I can restore. I think it would be difficult unless I improve more on the preciseness of my control over magic formulas. The golem made by a well-known alchemist could barely perform simple actions, though. Youve got a point. That means we cant use a golem to guard the house. < The Magic Power Manipulation skill has leveled up The Magic Formula Control skill has been obtained Ah. Magic Power Manipulation has maxed out its level and I got the Magic Formula Control skill. While we were making magic devices, my Magic Power Manipulation skill went up, and I acquired the new skill, Magic Formula Control. Congratulations. What sort of skill is Magic Formula Control? Hmm, lets see. It feels like I can construct magic formulas with more ease than before, I think? I tested it out. I repeatedly tried constructing different kinds of magic chantlessly as Ive been doing before then cancel it before it activates. If I level the Magic Formula Control a bit more, then maybe I can hijack a golems core controls. Then let us quickly make these Barrier magic devices. Yes! Sophia and Laeva were enthusiastic too. It seems they want to finish making the Barrier magic devices quickly and research golem cores. In addition to the Barrier magic devices, I decided to enchant the outer walls with magic resistance too. Rather than it being physically destroyed, being attacked with magic and causing a fire is scarier. Once I fortified the mansion, I started with the analysis of the golem core. It would be great to have a golem with the flexibility similar to an AI with a high degree of freedom in movement and independent thinking, but currently, it probably wouldnt be able to do anything apart from registered magic patterns. I prepared plenty of paper and sketch the magic circles that correspond to the components of the layered type magic circle on it. Then I inserted magic circles with the intention of linking multiple magic circles. As large amounts of paper going into the trash from redoing sketches over and over, I designed a magic circle that would become the blueprint. I dont think its something I can finish within a day, but it would be great if it takes form within the year. StatusName: Takumi Iruma Race: Human Age: 16 years old Tame Lv3 Enhanced Physical Abilities Lv6 ( Up ) Magic Perception Lv9 ( Up ) Magic Power Manipulation Lv10 ( Up ) Magic Formula Control Lv1 ( New ) Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv5 Water Attribute Magic Lv5 Wind Attribute Magic Lv6 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Ice Attribute Magic Lv5 Lightning Attribute Magic Lv5 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv7 ( Up ) Bestowal Magic Lv8 Alchemy Lv9 Smithing Lv9 Woodworking Lv8 Carpentry Lv5 Foraging Lv6 Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv8 Sewing Lv7 Cooking Lv2 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars Arachne Unique Species ( Kaede ) Drake Horse ( Tsubaki ) Titles: Giant Killing *** Footnotes: Raws say roof defenses ݸ, I believe its supposed to be mansion ݷ. Idle Talk 4: The Cornered Empire Idle Talk 4: The Cornered Empire Approximately two years before the Divine Empire of Sydnia did the hero summoning, Purifier MDs started circulating the market at Valkyra Kingdom. That trend started spreading and has circulated to many countries in the continent apart from Triaria Kingdom who does not actively trade with Valkyra Kingdom. For the Light God Church`` no. For the Divine Empire of Sydnia, it could not tolerate the profits gained by Valkyra Kingdom from the magic device that uses Light attribute. Light attribute magic is a gift bestowed to them by God. It is, by all rights, unacceptable for the priests of the Genesis Faith to use Light magic. How annoying, those damn fanatics in Lomaria Kingdom and Valkyra Kingdom are preaching racial harmony nonsense! Pope Warvaal slammed his fist on the table in anger. Pope-sama, apart from this, the offerings within Valkyra and Lomaria have been catastrophic with the appearance of cheap high quality basic potions in the market. Prime minister Musudan warily revealed the radical decline in offerings. By nature, the cheapness of Genesis Churchs healing of people is evil. To the Light God Church, performing with Light magic bestowed to them by their God for cheap is nothing but evil. Light God Faith is the religion of the Divine Empire of Sydnia and Triaria Kingdom. Moreover, in the capitals of Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, Samandour Kingdom and in the territories of their collaborative nobles, they perform recovery magic on the wealthy for large sums of offerings. Yet despite only few going around, the high quality basic potions that appear on the market have clearly decreased the sum of offerings from two countries, Valkyra and Lomaria. And so, Packard, has there been any contact with the Kamui unit that you sent to Volton which you found suspicious? Sydnias Holy Knight Leader Packard had sent in the Kamui unit, a team established to eliminate the enemies of the Light God Faith, to the Volton territory, which had been identified as the source of the Purifier MD and basic potions. Their objective is, of course, to eliminate the source.Reaad the latest stories on The Purifier DM is sold by the Papeck Company in Volton. The potions are sold by the Adventurers Guild and the Papeck Company without encroaching on the profits of the Pharmacists Guild. We sent the Kamui unit to Volton with the instructions to eliminate the source, however, all members had been detained by Margrave Volton. Head magician Homer was asked by prime minister Musudan to elaborate on how long before the plan could be executed. Ooh, thats right, we must seek the cooperation of Triaria Kingdom. We need time to prepare as well. Yes, it will take 1.5 to 2 years even if we utilize the Earth Pulse to fill it with magic power. Mu, it will take longer than I had expected. During that time, we can not leave Valkyra to its own devices. Should we dispatch Kamui units and move nobles connected to the Light God Church? Thats right. To investigate the war potential of Valkyra and Lomaria, let us dispatch those that excel as spies from within the Kamui units. With Packard supplementing for Warvaal, they had set Sydnias objectives for the next two years. Two years later, on the large scale magic circle installed in the temple of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, an otherworld hero summoning was performed. Those summoned were 3 individuals with black hair and eyes. However, for some reason, the magic formula used to construct the magic circle was no longer functional. Homer examined it countless times, but he never figured out the cause. *** Sphys Note: Many people read the fake chapter 81, please read correct chapter 81 again if it was too short. You very likely missed many details. An obvious sign you read the fake is if it does NOT have a comment section. Chapter 82: Accelerating Skill Levels Chapter 82: Accelerating Skill Levels Because I obtained the Magic Formula Control skill in the middle of making magic devices, Ive become able to do all things related to magic better than before. Reduction in the amount of consumed magic power; Increased power; Precise manipulation. The benefits of Magic Formula Control are extensive. And so I decided to challenge the golem core packed with the layered type magic circle that I had half abandoned. If I complete a guardian golem for the mansion, the burden on all of us would lessen considerably. Hey Master, cant golems be tamed? Kaedes single sentence made the motivated me halt. ............umm, I dont know?Re?a?d new chapters on With Kaedes unexpected remark, my hands suddenly stopped. Can it be tamed? It is inorganic. But if we were to talk about things that cant be tamed, I have tamed a spider type monster. Even more, I tamed a Drake Horse which had no records of being tamed in the last several hundred years. Is it possible? Hey Sophia, what do you think? Hmm. ............ I do not know. Right? When I looked at Maria and Laeva, they shook their heads. Incidentally, are there golems around here? In our vicinity, yes. There are Stone Golems that seldom appear at the west of Forest of Death where we had hunted for Treants when we were travelling to Horuas. Another is at an old dungeon close to Horuas, I hear that the Iron Golems appear near the mines too. So theres a dungeon. From Sophias explanation, there is a place to the west of the Forest of Death with stray Stone Golems and Iron Golems show up by the dungeon close to Horuas. What to do... Barack-san will get mad at us if we go to a dungeon now of all times, wouldnt he? Thats correct. Theres still the issue with the zealots, it would be like expressly saying please attack us. Its just as she says. Youre right. Then Ill challenge the golem core controls while we search for a new party member. Well then, we will continue devoting ourselves to our respective studies. I was told by Sophia that dungeons are a no go, so Ill try making a golem with minimal actions for now. I believe this will certainly be for something. From there, in place of a natural golems core, I used Extraction and Synthesis to transmute a multitude of magic stones to create baseball sized magic crystals. Apparently only I have made magic crystals of this size in recent years. Of course, Ive made sure no one knows about it. I drew and crammed detailed layered magic circles into the completed magic crystals. Maybe because the level of Magic Formula Control was still low, it took a staggeringly long time and shaved away at my will power. As I wringed out every bit of magic power I had, I continued doing precise work for a long time. The Magic Formula Control skill has leveled up As that announcement happened, my work suddenly became easier. The Magic Formula Control skill has leveled up The skill, despite being awakened just recently, leveled up fast. But the Alchemy skill which needs 1 more level wont go up. (I wanna go to the dungeon~) This is entirely a hunch but if I can tame a golem, I feel like I can do one or even two version updates on this golem core. Training with Barack-san at the Adventurers Guilds training center, training with Dorn-san and the knights at the Knight Order training grounds, magic training with the Magic Division, and creating a golem core. The days passed hectically and around the time the season marked the start of summer, our mansion had two completed Stone Golem guards. With repeated trial and error, it had taken me a long time to work on eliminating the bugs, but its thanks to that that Ive been able to develop my Magic Formula Control skill quite a bit. Laeva and Sophias Alchemy skill have gone up considerably, and theyre now able to make simple magic devices by themselves. Matoujutsu Lv8 ( Up ) Enemy Search Lv5 Presence Detection Lv8 ( Up ) Stealth Lv6 Tame Lv3 Enhanced Physical Abilities Lv6 ( Up ) Magic Perception Lv9 Magic Power Manipulation Lv10 Magic Formula Control Lv5 ( Up ) Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv5 Water Attribute Magic Lv6 ( Up ) Wind Attribute Magic Lv6 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Ice Attribute Magic Lv6 ( Up ) Lightning Attribute Magic Lv7 ( Up ) Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv7 Bestowal Magic Lv8 Alchemy Lv10 ( Up ) Smithing Lv9 Woodworking Lv8 Carpentry Lv5 Foraging Lv6 Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv8 Sewing Lv7 Cooking Lv4 ( Up ) Divine Protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars Arachne Unique Species ( Kaede ) Drake Horse ( Tsubaki ) Titles Giant Killer *** Chapter 83: Stone Golem Chapter 83: Stone Golem Were in a desolate place covered in rocks. So there really are stray golems. It is said that they escape from dungeons. So, to defeat them we must aim for the cores, right? Yes, it is similar to the magic core of Living Armors. The destruction of the core equals the death of the golem. But when its a golem of that size, the supply of magic power from the magic stones it has can only keep powering the core, therefore if you take or destroy those magic stones , the golem will no longer be able to move. We were hiding behind a rock, observing a stone golem over 3 meters tall. As Sophia explained, there were 5 magic stones arranged in a cross-like formation on the Stone Golems chest. The core is supposed to be in the middle of those, but it wasnt on the surface. To find out whether we can tame a golem or not, we went to this location. At first we were planning on trying it on the Iron Golem in the dungeon, but everyone had commented that a Stone Golem might be more susceptible to influence.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m For Sophia, this golem is a win. If were talking normal Stone Golems, it is powerful in strength but its movements are dull, however, the golem in our sights doesnt worry about its size and looks to be quite agile. I estimate that the core of that Stone Golem is a vastly superior item. Supposing that Takumi is able to tame it, Im certain it will be a great addition to our battle potential. According to Sophia, the class of that Golem is called Ancient Ruin Guardian class. Upon closer look, the golem feels like it has intelligence, which, excluding myself who is clueless about normal golems, surprised Sophia and Maria. The stone golem in front of us has an appearance similar to a marshmallow man with two long arms and basketball sized fists. If hit by those fists, it wouldnt end with just an apology. I pondered on how I would go about taming it. But that golem, it was likely a genuine guardian protecting ruins somewhere. It has magic stones and patterns engraved in parts of its body. I think thats a possibility. There are ancient ruins whose State Preservation magic was broken and have since decayed, so it might be a guardian that has lost an ancient ruin to protect. When ruins decay, their guardians usually crumble as well, but once in a while, there are irregular beings such as this one that become stray monsters, or so said Sophias grandmother. Takumi-sama, I think you should destroy its limbs using magic first. After that, destroy its face. When Sophia said that, I looked at the Stone Golems head. I dont know those eyes had sensors, but it had two eyes. Those eyes are likely dangerous. Youre right, I have a feeling those are bad, somehow. I think that theres no way that the guardian has only the physical attacks of Stone Golems. Maybe lasers? Whats the information from the Adventurers Guild? Hans-dono explained that, previously, there was a subjugation request for it, however, it always ended in failure. Not long after, because there wasnt any reports of damage in this area, the request was rescinded. True, this area is a land rarely visited even by adventurers. Status Race: Guardian Golem Age: 23,120 Level: 120 Condition: ??? Vitality: 800 Magic Power: 300 Strength: 650 Agility: 280 Stamina: 650 Dexterity: 150 Intelligence: 200 Unique Skills Reformation Lv8 Light of Judgment Lv3 Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv8 Physical Resistance Lv10 Magic Resistance Lv5 Active Skills Taijutsu Lv7 Bludgeon Technique Lv6 Presence Detection Lv5 Magic Perception Lv5 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 *** Chapter 84: Pondering over Titan’s body Chapter 84: Pondering over Titans body Taking mini Titan back to Volton, I analyzed its core and my thoughts on it are two words. Mhmm. Absolutely impossible. Titans core is a softball sized magic crystal compactly drawn with layered type magic circle. I was able to analyze a part of it, but understanding its entirety would probably take 100-200 years. At any rate, a full copy was impossible. Maybe because its the core of an independent intelligent lifeform capable of thoughts, that should have been as obvious as obvious can get. Master, I wanna be able to talk to Titan-chan! Talk, huh~ It will be hard but Ill think of something. Yaaay! Thank you, Master! After saying so, Kaede ran to mini Titan. Takumi-sama, is it possible to transfer the core? Yeah, thats actually not that difficult. Lets take Titan for instance, stone was the suitable material in its surroundings, but if there was plenty of iron then it would have built a body out of iron. The superiority of Titans core was apparent even when it changed to mini Titan, despite it not choosing its bodys materials. Moreover, it has complete control in its bodys size and is able to change it of its own free will. When I compare it to the cores Ive made, Titans core can already be called a life-form. Reading and understanding even just a tiny portion of the magic circle in Titan-chans core is already difficult. Laeva groaned as she stared at my sketch of a small portion of complex magic circle in Titans core from when I had analyzed it. Cant help it. What I was able to analyze was just a small portion of it, but even then, it was already this complex. And so, what kind of body does Titan want?Alll latest novels on , about that............ As Sophia asked, what Titan wished of me is a truly a highly difficult request. What it wants is, first, a body slightly larger than the current mini Titan. And a 2.5 m to 3 m large Titan body that the mini Titan can dock itself into. If its Titan, maybe skill acquisition is also possible if it trains. The sword and halberd are good too, after all. Other than that, if Titan has a large shield, it would be the best Tank. A large shield might be acceptable. If Jumbo Titan is equipped with a large shield, it can probably guard everyone. A mace and a large shield then. Ill give things like swords and halberds[2] some thought Well have the Papeck Company prepare mithril and adamantite ores, yes? Yep, Ill have Laeva help with the refinement, after all. Yes, I will prepare the transmutation circles. Laeva said so then began preparing the transmutation circles. Sophia went out to make an order at the Papeck Company. I want to try going to a mineral dungeon. There might even be orichalcum inside treasure chests, you know? Maria has an interest in dungeons. I am the same. Dungeons are a mysterious space in this world. A mysterious place where monsters lurk and treasure boxes appear. Dungeon monsters leave magic stones and materials like those talked about in games and novels. Orichalcum, huh. Will the current me be able to work with it? If its Takumi-sama, then it will be all right! I dont think theres anyone else that can work with orichalcum besides Takumi-sama. Nah, youre exaggerating. Though, Im also interested in dungeons. I hear you can get a hold of different of materials, so lets go once things have settled down a bit more. Really?! Then I will look for information about every place with dungeons! Maria said so and ran out. ............ I said once things calm down though. It seems weve decided to go to a dungeon. I set to work revising the blueprints of Titans body. *** Footnotes: Image of Tetsujin 28-goIt said large shield but I think it should have been halberds Chapter 85: Titan body is High Performance Chapter 85: Titan body is High Performance To make Titans body, I had Laeva begin with the refinement of the mithril ore while I worked out the details in the design. Once I finish drawing the design, Ill begin refining the mithril and adamantite too. Fuu~~ To think refining mithril ore uses this much magic power. Refining adamantite ore consumes even more magic power, you know. Laeva uses three transmutation circles, Decomposition Extraction and Synthesis, and refining mithril ore little by little, but her magic power runs dry. Its painstaking work to draw precise transmutation circles with a special ink mixture with powdered magic stone. The consumption of magic power is large and Laeva doing the transmutation chantlessly is also difficult. Mini Titan is also in the workshop, toddling around to help move the ores. Mini Titans frame is made up of adamantite alloy. The case for its core, which is in the center of his chest, is made of mithril alloy. Golems, whether they use wood or stone, control their form and movement by permeating the material with their magic power. Thats why all the places in the body that move need to be connected to the core. If the bodys materials are mithril and adamantite, then its magic conductivity is high, so quick and delicate movement is possible compared to a body of stone and wood. Even though its a Mini Titan, the weight of its body made of adamantite and mithril alloy is over 200 kg. 5 magic crystals are arranged around its core and is covered by a case. There are mithril alloy wirings all around its eyes so it could fire beams. Alright, what do you think, Titan? About your new body. The, best. Master. Titan answered in an almost electronic voice. Right, another hardship of mine was for him to be able to speak. I somehow completed it after much trial and error, but Titan still needed to practice speaking. Titan, please check your body then. Ro, ger. Titan left the workshop and began checking his body in the garden. Takumi-sama, what will these chains be used for? Laeva asked, looking at the blueprint. Having finished refining mithril and adamantite ores, we started making the large titan body. Ah, that will be used for a mechanism. Strong adamantite alloy chains plated with mithril alloy. These are for Titans chains when they fly off. Rocket Punch. The chains are for retrieving the fists when they shoot out. Operating the arm is possible if the chain is connected, so it can be used as a wire anchor as well. Originally, shooting a weapon made of a lump of iron at a monster cloaked in magic power wouldnt have much effect on it, but it would if its a fist made of adamantite alloy. If a large-massed fist clad in magic power is shot, it could likely even break through dragon scales. What will you be doing with this large magic crystal? Laeva was, by no exaggeration, holding an enormous magic crystal the size of a baseball. If this were natural, something of this size would have had to have come from the likes of an old dragon. This one is something I created through by transmutation in alchemy though. Those are for its role as a magic tank, arent it? Two of them, yes. The remaining one will be used for strengthening the large Titan. It is a magic crystal dedicated to an enhancement magic formula that will strengthen the main frame and drive component of the large golem spanning 3 meters high overall, and would not yield to extreme movement. Is there a need to replenish magic power with the magic crystal for a magic tank? I plan on constructing a magic formula that would absorb mana from the atmosphere. But for now, I estimate it should be able to operate for 3 days on full power. ............ I think thats plenty. Because of its weight, the magic power consumed to operate the Jumbo Titan body is twice more than when it was a Stone Golem. Nevertheless, it is doubled because it isnt just a cluster of metal. With Mini Titans help, Jumbo Titans assembly proceeded smoothly. When Sophia and Laeva gradually became able of using Smithing magic, our work efficiency improved noticeably. I installed a moveable magic jet propeller on its back. StatusStatusName: Titan ( Takumi Irumas Familiar ) Race: Guardian Golem Age: 23,120 Level: 120 Condition: ??? Vitality: 12,800 Magic Power: 5,500 Strength: 2,800 Agility: 200 Stamina: 12,250 Dexterity: 150 Intelligence: 200 Unique Skills Reformation Lv8 Light of Judgment Lv3 Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv8 Physical Resistance Lv10 Magic Resistance Lv5 Active Skills Taijutsu Lv7 Bludgeon Technique Lv6 Presence Detection Lv5 Magic Perception Lv5 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Equipment: Rocket Punch Magic Jet Propeller *** Sphys Note: So, technically this is the end of Volume 2. Its quite abrupt but thats because this is the WN version which should have just kept continuing. Still, thank you for reading Volume 2 of the Greatest Alchemist. As always, Ill be taking a short break at the end of each volume. I have a lot I need to do, but Ill be back soon. Also, like I have said on the update post, because of a few reasons, I will probably be removing all the LN illustrations once I start Volume 3. So do check out Volume 2 Illustrations while its still available. Password is: supporttheauthor If in case the password does not work for you, try clearing your cache and try again. I heard this works for some people. If it still persists, idk how else to help. Book 2: Illustrations: Book 2: Illustrations: These images are available for free on Alphapolis. To view the remaining images, please support the author by buying the novel, or renting the chapters on the source site. Cover Takumi pats Kaede Please buy / rent the novel volume to support the author and have access to the remaining images. Chapter 86: Dungeon Attempt Chapter 86: Dungeon Attempt The adventurer party Wings of Norn advanced through the dense forest. We are underground but we can see the sky in the forest. Its truly a mysterious place. Yes, the environment changing when changing floors is nothing unusual, after all. Were in an ancient A rank dungeon in the outskirts of the royal capital in Valkyra Kingdom. Were trying to lure out an attack from the zealots, but above all, we were interested in the dungeons. Dungeon are ranked by degree of difficulty. From S rank, the highest difficulty, to D rank, made use of by average adventurers to earn their daily keep. Of course, the higher the difficulty, the more the materials and items in treasure chests become valuable. And so, having obtained the ultimate tank known as Titan, we came to the A rank dungeon Forest of the Beast King. It was a few days after completing Titans bodies. Coming home after finishing training at the Adventurers Guild and at the Knight Orders training facility, I made a proposition to everyone. I plan to challenge a dungeon. Umm, I do not mind going to a dungeon, but why so suddenly? We are being targeted by zealots, arent we? If we go to the dungeon, we might be able to lure them out, right? I was thinking we can beat them at their own game if were in a dungeon. ......So, Takumi-sama. Whats the real reason? Though, the reason I thought up for going to the dungeon didnt work on Sophia. Well, I want to see a dungeon. ......then please say that. Maria, Laeva, and I would not object. ......yes. So, that having happened, Maria searched for documents on areas close to the Royal Capital, and we decided to go to the high rank dungeon Forest of the Beast King. We had several reasons for choosing this dungeon, but one of the main reasons is that since its a high rank dungeon, there would be few other adventurers, so the chances of us getting caught into anything would be low. Another reason is that, according to Barack-san, gauging only by pure fighting strength, my party Wings of Norn is competent enough to challenge an A rank dungeon, and so he gave us his seal of approval. At any rate, were only at the 5th level but the variety of monsters that have appeared are a lot. Because its a forest dungeon, the variations of beast-type, insect-type, undead-type are aplenty. So thats how it is. Additionally, Orcs and Kobolds also appear. The levels of the monsters arent that high in the first level, so we killed them quickly and looked for the stairs going down, but I think the density of monsters would be hard for a basic adventurer. Zashi! Gyagyagyagya!! Sophia and I on the Ork Knights! We leave the rest to you Maria! Kaede! Laeva! Yes! (Okaaay!) All at once, Sophia and I broke into a run towards the Orc Knights. Kaede covered for Maria and Laeva. Stepping heavily, Titan charged. An Orc Knight swung its longsword downward at me. I dodged it calmly and hit its temple with my palm. Bafu!! I used Decomposition on the Orc Knights brain, and its body collapsed like a puppet whose strings have been cut. Next to me, Sophia swungTempest sideways and the Orc Knights top and lower half were bisected. Maria killed Orcs by swinging Explode, and Laeva burned Orcs to death with Fire Lance. The Orcs approaching the two were cut to bits by Kaede. Gaaaaaaaaaaan!! Titan defended against the Orc Generals sword with his shield. Gobaa!! A large mace crushed the Orc Generals head from above. So the boss of the 10th level is like this, huh. Well, I cant imagine us losing if it is something to this degree. Takumi-samaaa! Theres a treasure chest! As Sophia and I were discussing our thoughts on the boss battle, Maria informed us that a treasure chest appeared. There were no traps on the treasure box, and there were jewels, gold, and a few magic items of intermediate rarity inside. The magic items are not better than the ones Takumi-sama made. Well, it would probably sell for a high price if we sell it. For our dungeon attempt this time, we plan to go up to the 20th level. In the farther levels, the traps become brutal, so we judged that it would be too reckless for us currently. *** Sphys Note: Hi~ Thank you for reading~ So, RL and some preparations took some time, but Im back! As Ive mentioned in the update post, Patreon supporters get actual rewards now! Please make sure youre in a tier so you can receive those rewards~ What are they? Please check them out on my patreon. Supporting is 100% optional, so please dont feel pressured into doing so. p.s. I might have been really hungry when I made this chapter because one of the onomatopoeia said Bagooon!, but I missed the dakuten and read it as Bacoooon!. Lol, I dont even like bacon that much. Idle Talk 05: Idle Talk: Distorting Idle Talk 05: Idle Talk: Distorting Its been half a year since their summoning to Mildgard. Akira, Yamato, and Akane have been growing favorably. If compared to the average adventurers and knights in this world, that growth potential is likely eye-opening. In fact, Sydnias Pope Warvaal, as well as the officials of the Light God Faith were observing the summoned heroes with satisfaction. Whatever the case, the heroes are precious personnel that cant be increased. The cause for why the summoning magic circle is nonfunctional is still unknown. Akira-sama, where would you like to have a good time today? Will you go outside? Or stay in your room again? Lets seeee, how about we go to town today?Re?a?d new chapters on Yeaah! The two young men are being supplied with women. Ecstatic from the cajoling, Akira and Yamato were adeptly being recruited for a war of aggression titled the Holy War. Arent you two even a little bit embarrassed? With cold eyes, Akane reproached Akira[1] and Yamato. Whats this Akane, you want us to have sex with you too? Its an OK anytime for me. Yeah, if Akane asks then Im okay sleeping with her too. Smiling vulgarly, Akira and Yamato looked up and down Akanes body as if they were licking her with their eyes. You guys are disgusting, I dont want to talk to you anymore. From now on, unless its absolutely necessary, dont talk to me! Akane turned her back to them and left. It doesnt mean that an evil spirit can personally and directly cause something though. It cant create miracles or give divine blessing either. However, the evil spirit can distort the souls of people and countries that believe in it. Specifically, to gradually distort peoples consciousness to be more belligerent, and more degenerate. Furthermore, it can increase the numbers of powerful monsters. There is also the possibility that harm would befall the whole continent. But I am unable to interfere directly. Mildgard may collapse if I were to do that. If Goddess Norn, the god of creation as well as the main deity of the Genesis Faith, personally eliminates the evil spirit, the effect it would have on lower world[3] would be too great. Haa~, thats true. Would you rather reset Mildgard? What are you yapping on about? Why should I, the goddess of creation, imitate a god of destruction? A god of destruction doesnt exist in Mildgard. Dare to say, Norn is both creation and destruction. It is alright, Takumi-kun will definitely do something about it. Ah, Norn-samas favorite child? If I remember correctly, he is the child with a body personally created by Norn-sama, and was even granted excessive divine protection. I am getting the feeling that your manner of speaking was quite thorny, but Takumi-kun was a jackpot, right? Well, I would not deny that. I hope Norn-samas favorite will save the children of Mildgard. Saying so, Norn and the angel peered into the lower world. *** Footnotes: Author typo: it said Akane instead of Akira.Author typo: Should be university students, but says high school students.Should I use lower / mortal world? Since Norn is at the Divine Realm. Sphys Note: I reaaaally want to beat up Akira and Yamato =w= Just writing down what they say enraged me lol Thank you for reading~ As Ive announced last chapter, advanced chapters are now available on Patreon ^^ Chapter 87: 87 Chapter 87: 87 A Sabertooth Drake attacked with its 30 cm long fangs. Its a large lizard spanning a total length close to 5 meters. Although it has Drake in its name, it is not a species of dragon. Gakii! Titan pinned down the Sabertooth Drake with its adamantite alloy-made large shield and swung his mace on lizards head. Bokku! Zashu! Kaede matched Titans attack, cutting off its tail with her threads. Gyaaaaaaaaaa!! Now! Zashu! From the left and right of Titan who was restraining the enemy, Sophia and I jumped out and cut off the head of the Sabertooth Drake. A short while later, the Sabertooth Drakes corpse turned into a bead of light and vanished, leaving behind a magic stone and two huge fangs. The density of monsters sure got higher now that its the 19th level. Has no one been here in a long time? At my feet were magic stones and 30 cm huge fangs scattered about. Our encounter rate with monsters has been high since coming to this floor. From wolf-type to monkey-type monsters, or insect-type monsters like the Huge Mantis, a 2 meter praying mantis, to reptile-type monsters like snakes and lizards. A myriad of monsters have attacked us. Its a high difficulty dungeon, after all. With the exception of adventurers who have an objective, there might not be anyone who would explore to this level. While everyone went to collect the drop items, I checked the map. When the collection finished, we began walking to the probable direction of the stairs leading down. Its been 10 days since we began our exploration in the high difficulty dungeon Forest of the Beast King, and maybe because were exploring at such a high pace, so far, there havent been any attacks from the zealots nor were there any presences tailing us. Kaede and I detect monsters with Enemy Search, and then start fights with preemptive strikes and subjugate them. We explored the 19th level with a Search and Destroy tactic, and finally found the stairs going down. The 20th floor had lesser dragon-types like solo Lesser Wyverns and Lesser Drakes, and since it was a straight path to the boss room, we couldnt avoid battles. When we finally arrived at the entrance of the boss room, we took a break. Takumi-sama, please have some tea. Thank you, Maria. A quick and light meal to soothe our hunger and to prepare ourselves for the boss fight. The strategy is the same as always. Titan will cover the whole area and protect everyone with his big shield. Once we fire our initial volley of magic, Laeva and Maria, you will continue to use long range magic attacks. Kaede, guard them and if there is some leeway, do hit-and-run attacks. And for Sophia and I, well rush in from the left and right like the usual. Is this alright? Everyone nodded. Alright! Lets defeat the boss! Yes! (Okaaay!) Gogogogoooooo!! When we opened the massive doors and entered, from the thick fog appeared a monster over 20 meters long with 4 thick legs, and is covered in scales that would seem to repel half-hearted attacks. Yes, a dragon appeared. Earth Dragon! GUAAAAAAAA````!! The Earth Dragons roar reverberated throughout the vast boss room. Lets do this! Ice Lance! Fire Lance! Rock Lance! Wind Cutter! Spears of ice, fire, and stone, as well as blades of wind assailed the Earth Dragon simultaneously. Furthermore, Titan fired a laserbeam-like Light of Judgment at it. GYAAAAA!! The Earth Dragon screamed. Then magic power gathered in its jaws and blew a dragon breath. Titan defended against that breath with his large shield. The large adamantite shield Titan has is not just an ordinary large shield. It having physical and magic resistance is a given, and when magic power is circulated into it, it is able to put up a physical and magic barrier. Titan protected us from the breath with that. Having finished its breath attack, the Earth Dragon was bewildered when we didnt receive any damage. The fight after that was one-sided. Sophia and I used our magic spears; Titan used Shield Bash on the Earth Dragons head and pursued it with a mace; Kaedes threads obstructed the Earth Dragons movement; Maria and Laeva fired magic when they see an opening. I summoned Tsubaki from the Subspace, and everyone went on the offensive. Status Taijutsu Lv10 ( UP ) Fist King Technique Lv3 ( UP ) Matoujutsu Lv9 ( UP ) Enemy Search Lv7 ( UP ) Presence Detection Lv9 ( UP ) Stealth Lv7 ( UP ) Tame Lv3 Enhanced Physical Abilities Lv7 ( UP ) Magic Perception Lv9 Magic Power Manipulation Lv10 Magic Formula Control Lv6 ( UP ) Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv6 ( UP ) Water Attribute Magic Lv7 ( UP ) Wind Attribute Magic Lv7 ( UP ) Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Ice Attribute Magic Lv7 ( UP ) Lightning Attribute Magic Lv8 ( UP ) Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv7 Bestowal Magic Lv8 Alchemy Lv10 ( UP ) Smithing Lv9 Woodworking Lv8 Carpentry Lv5 Foraging Lv6 Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv8 Sewing Lv7 Cooking Lv4 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars Archenie Unique Species ( Kaede ) Drake Horse ( Tsubaki ) Guardian Golem ( Titan ) Titles Giant Killer Dragon Slayer *** Sphys Note: Chapter 88: Takumi Changes Job to Village Chief? Chapter 88: Takumi Changes Job to Village Chief? Having finished our first dungeon exploration without being troubled by the Zealots, we returned to Volton. Among the copious amounts of drop items, we sold off the unneeded ones to the Adventurers Guild and the Papeck Company. From the treasure boxes, the jewels didnt interest the girls all too much so we sold about half of them. There were massive amounts of gold coins too, so my fortune increased once again. A short while after, on a day we planned to take slowly, a summons from Margrave Volton arrived. Sorry for calling you out today. Without delay, I have a concern I want to request of you, Iruma-dono. I wonder if you are aware that the southern side of my territory, all the way to Triaria Kingdom, is an undeveloped land uninhabited by people? Yes. If Im not mistaken, since it is a ruined region with many monsters, I hear that it is land ignored by that Triaria Kingdom. South of Valkyra Kingdom, West of Lomaria Kingdom, North of Triaria Kingdom, there is an undeveloped land surrounded by three countries. On the east side of the continent, from the south of Samandour Kingdom up to the east of Gnomstoll Kingdom, there are almost no undeveloped lands that dont belong to any country, however, these savage lands enclosed by 3 countries is vacant. In the past, there was a time when Triaria Kingdom invaded to claim the territory, but they failed and the country went into decline. This was 600 years ago. Since then, Triaria had been taking its time recovering its national power. And so, while its not like I cant ask others aside from Iruma-dono, may I ask you to pioneer a village in an area 100 km south of Volton? ............Umm, didnt I just hear from you, the Feudal Lord, that this is a land that no country wants to be involved with, though? When I said that, Margrave Volton laughed. Ive heard the report regarding the outer walls of Bohd Village. Didnt you create sturdy protective walls in no time? There is a location with a river and a spring 100 km straight south from Volton. I want you to start developing a community centered on those water holes. As for the monster threats, apparently they think that a sturdy protective wall can be made quickly if its me. The undeveloped area surrounded by those three countries is said to be difficult for armed forces to directly march in. Margrave Volton said that it is a savage land where a few small scale monster nests have accumulated. Monsters sense human presences and gather towards it. It may be possible for a party of adventurers, but monsters would gather endlessly if an army was marching through. In the past, with Triaria Kingdoms attempt included, there had been no successful reclamation of this land. Because the monster encounter rate is high, many people are mobilized to build a base, which in turn invites more monsters in. Were they not able to put up a barrier? Iruma-dono, there is no barrier magic user able to put up an extensive barrier. In the time needed to build protective walls, they were unable to withstand the attacks from monsters. Even so, at 150 km south of Volton, perhaps because there are still few monster nests in the area, the number of monsters inhabiting it are not much different from the outskirts of Volton. Then why has it not been used? Honestly speaking, its not worth the cost. That area is undeveloped so if soil is not maintained in good condition, agriculture is not possible. Furthermore, there is no path from Volton to it either. Hearing the detailed discussion, theres more to this conversation. Its talk for the future. Please keep that in mind. Haa, then please include road construction work into the budget. Ooh! So youll also undertake the road construction. Alright, a budget will be issued by the Margrave Volton house as well. If all goes according to plan, we must also make a road to Lomaria Kingdom. From the planned land reclamation up to the frontier town of Lomaria Kingdom is apparently 300 km in a straight line. Once a highway connects Volton to the reclaimed land and then to Lomaria Kingdom, it would have large implications on the military and economy. We must have His Majesty make negotiations with Lomaria Kingdom. The discussion kept getting bigger and bigger. Returning from Margrave Voltons castle, I had the girls listen to todays discussion. It would be work using Earth magic for Takumi-sama and Maria, then myself with Spirit Magic, wouldnt it? Yup. I think Ill have Laeva, Kaede, and Titan be our guards. Master, I too, can manipulate earth. It would seem that since Titan was originally a Stone Golem, he can modify and strengthen stone and earth. Is that true? Then work will go well. Although it would be a day trip, it would be better to have food provisions, so Sophia and Maria went shopping. Laeva and I, after scouting the location of the unnecessary rocky mountains in the vicinity, had discussions on the blueprints of the town as we drew it. *** Footnotes: Regarding Tsubakis evolutions. The former Dragon Horse (oR) that I used as her classification will now be changed to Ryuuma. The new Dragon Horse (?饳?۩`) will be her current race, much like how her old race was Drake Horse (?쥤۩`). Sphys Note: Thanks for reading! This was a scheduled update, so I cant respond to comments immediately. Also, Ill be out of town for the weekend, so next update might be delayed because I cant work on it. See you all next time~ Still about Tsubaki. Nope. She did not turn into a centaur, sorry. XD Chapter 89: The Journey of a Thousand Miles Starts With a Single Step Chapter 89: The Journey of a Thousand Miles Starts With a Single Step Having been commissioned by Margrave Volton with the establishment of the reclamation village, I started by securing large quantities of stones in preparation for it. While Im getting the stones from the rocky mountains at the savage lands, Sophia and Maria started the construction work of the highway with Titan and Laeva guarding them. Working hard as my guard was Kaede. Oooh, youve made considerable progress. You guys sure did your best. Yes, I prepared the terrain with Spirit magic, and Maria worked on the finer details. Takumi-sama, I did my best! Thats amazing, Maria. Good work too, Laeva, Titan. Collecting the stones took me 2 days, and during that time, half of the highway was completed with Sophia and Marias efforts. Once I joined them, the work speed became much quicker and on the next day, a highway stretching 100 km from the town of Volton was completed. The width of the road is wide enough that large carriages can pass each other by, and the surface was 20 cm thick stone prepared with Earth Magic. Also, that surface was processed to make it difficult to slip on. So its here, huh. Theres definitely a river and a spring. The location we arrived at was a small hill with a copse surrounding it and a flowing river close by. If you look at just this, it would be the ideal location to make a pioneering village, wouldnt it? The reason Sophia said this was because when weve been using Enemy Search since we arrived and we discovered there were twice the amount of monsters inhabiting here compared to the outskirts of Volton. The density of monsters should have been lower here, but this is low right? Indeed. As one would expect of a land untouched by any country. With breaks in between, I made the curtain walls[1] using Earth magic to enclose the town-to-be. Gogogogoooooooo``!! Ah, its you, Dorn-san. Everyone of the pioneering people and escorts, thank you for your hard work. Quick to recover, the Knight Leader of Margrave Voltons territory Dorn-san demanded an explanation from me. Yes, first I surrounded it with curtain walls and a moat in preparation for monster attacks, so I think it will be safe unless dragons attack. The curtain walls have been completed to some extent, so a castle was built for the land readjustment and administering government affairs. Houses and barracks were constructed for everyone of the pioneers and stationing soldiers. Lastly, the agricultural land has been prepared to some extent. Well, the soil in the agricultural land is not my specialty, so Ill leave the rest to someone else. Ah, also the sewage system and drainage systems in this town have been completed, and each house has a Toilet Purifier DM installed. No no no, please wait, Iruma-dono! This fortress town, in this short amount of time, was completed by this number of people?! No, its not complete yet. The buildings constructed are minimal, and there are many areas that I want to revise. As expected, the time wasnt enough. We drank mana potions as we worked, but even then, we have our limits. Our levels went up and magic power capacities increased, but making a town in 1 month is still impossible. We went out in rotation to suppress monsters to relieve stress so there just wasnt enough time. No, this is plenty ridiculous. Together with the pioneering villagers, we brought craftsmen and materials for the towns construction. We were surprised by a completed town comparable to Volton when we arrived, No, I think it might be stronger than even Volton, the sole fortress town in the borderlands of Valkyra Kingdom. It seems we overdid it. Its too late to downsize it now, but its not a bad thing. The eternally noisy pioneers were guided to the houses, and the stationed knights were led to the barracks. Dorn-san, I will guide you to the castle. ............please do. Dorn-san seems to have abandoned his thoughts. I left the guiding of the pioneers to the girls and showed Dorn-san and a portion of the soldiers to the castle. *** Footnotes: High walls, curtain walls, etc are types of walls. All of which enclose the castle and the its buildings. More information on them here. In my case, I used curtain walls for the most exterior walls. High walls / castle walls will be for the hill. Chapter 90: Appearance of a Fortress Town at the South of Volton Chapter 90: Appearance of a Fortress Town at the South of Volton Is this a dream I am seeing? Today, this thought I had who knows how many times just kept getting stronger as I arrived at the site. The moment we, the knights, stationing soldiers, and pioneering villagers, left the south gate of Volton in the early morning, we had our first surprise. Not taking into account the highway leading to the southeast, a highway leading straight to the south was completed. It is wide enough for two large carriages to pass each other by and maybe because of the paved stone, even the shaking of the carriage was slight. Typically, the journey on an unpaved road stretching 100 km isnt too long, but it isnt something that even a Demon Horse could reach in a single day. Though it might be possible if it is the specially-made carriage pulled by Iruma-donos Ryuuma. We had estimated it to take 2 days, but we arrived while the sun was still high. Yes, we were supposed to have arrived at the land intended for the pioneering village. ......... What is that? I suspected my eyes had gone strange. That had to be the case. What was visible to me was an enormous fortress town protected by high walls that wouldnt lose to the one in Volton. As soon as we approached the castle, my surprise had gotten even larger. There lay a moat encircling the those high walls. There appears to be an aqueduct drawing water from the river, but it was likely made underground as there was nothing that could be seen above ground. We took the drawbridge at the northern gate. Once we entered the town from there, districts were arranged tidily along the main street and the ground was level. Above the small hill stood a castle surrounded by castle walls. Really, I dont know how many times Ive been surprised. The castle on the hill has a feeling of refinement. One could see it was not just from the beauty of its architecture, but also from its strong appearance. Ah, Knight Leader Dorn-dono. The pioneers gathered here lost all their possessions because of foolish nobles lack of policies. And they werent from just a single pioneering village. They were an assembly of people herded from three abandoned pioneering villages. The three villages felt resentment towards the nobles that lacked of policies who had shut their villages down, it is likely that nobles that possess compassion, righteousness, morality, wisdom, and honesty such as my master are rare. The pioneering people who had fallen to debt slavery were saved by Earl Rockford and my Lord. There were no elves, but their races varied from Humans to Beastkin, Dwarves, and a few Devils. Due to the nature of the pioneering village, many are fundamentally married couples and families, but a few widows exist. I must consult with Iruma-dono regarding the treatment of those individuals. Afterwards, we separated from the pioneering villagers and were shown the barracks, and the soldiers were astonished by the building. The residence of all the soldiers will be expanded in the future, but I believe it can house 1000 people for the time being. The barracks built is a large three-story building where 2-4 people can live together in a room. Several private rooms were made to be assigned to the commanding officers. Knight Leader Dorn, isnt this better than the Volton Castle? Yeah, there is no doubt this castle is stronger. And the castle can be used if the residents have to be evacuated. The castle on top of the hill and its walls were laboriously crafted, and the architecture of the castle was unlike what Ive ever seen before. There was no interior design and furnishing, but that is to be expected. I must report this to Godwin-sama immediately. The duties of the governor to be dispatched to this town are too heavy of a burden for a baron. At the very least, they would have to be in the class of a viscount. Truly, it is a luxury to be able worry about things going too well, isnt it? *** Footnotes: The Demon Race (Mazoku) will be changed to Devil race. I think its really just confusing in english if there are demon-like monsters and demons as a race. Chapter 91: A Wedge Town Chapter 91: A Wedge TownKnight Leader Dorn had returned to Volton from escorting the pioneering people to the reclaimed land, Dorn entered the castle to immediately report to Margrave Volton. Dorn, is the report written here true? Godwin verified with Dorn. That, too, is to be expected. It is because Dorn himself had seen it that it was believable, but having read the report, it couldnt be answered with a simple yes, it is.. The town is smaller than Volton in scale, and yet it is a large enough town that it can be considered a fortress town. Above all, a curtain wall and moat had been laid out. The strength of that towns defenses likely surpasses the town of Volton. Essentially, a fortress city is not a city that can be made to such an extent. But this is if were talking about Earth. For Mildgard where magic exists, as a result of using Earth magic to construct protective walls, large towns with high populace like the town of Volton exist. But even so, for a town to be nearly complete in just under a month, it is extremely absurd. Master, I believe going on an inspection once is a necessity. ............ I should start by seeing it with my own eyes, huh. Godwin nodded at the chamberlain of the Margrave House Xervus suggestion. So, Dorn, how many soldiers would be needed to invade it? ............ if the stationed soldiers number 2000 men like planned, it would be difficult even with 20,000 men. Once Dorn explained that the walls were bestowed with Harden and Magic Resistance, the number he gave out didnt seem all that strange. It takes no less than 10 times the soldiers to invade it or it would be impossible, I see. And if it were just ordinary soldiers, they wouldnt be able to do anything and will just lose. Iruma-dono is not all too aware of armies, but he appears to have imagined a town that could withstand an attack from tens of thousands of monsters. Can it be a wedge.........? Yes, it can be a wedge. Originally, the goal of a pioneering village in that area of the savage lands is to make a fortress in it in the future to keep an eye on Triaria and act as a wedge. Starting from the village surrounded by protective walls, a strong fortress would eventually be built. It would baffle Triaria should they invade Valkyra Kingdom and Yggurle Kingdom. And so, as a result of Takumis excessive enthusiasm, Godwin and King Lobos plans could be accelerated 10 years forward. I will send a correspondence to His Majesty that it would be better to have an inspection come from royal capital as well. Indeed. Because that town had emerged, it shows the possibility of possessing those savage lands. Having said that, Triaria Kingdom must pass through Lomaria Kingdom to attack that town, lest they be dominated by monsters by passing through such savage lands. Even they should have learned from their invasion of Yggurle Kingdom 50 years prior. At the time of the invasion at Yggurle Kingdom 50 years ago, Triaria marched through the savage lands, and by the time they arrived at Yggurle after much struggle, Triaria had lost no less than 10% of their soldiers overall. As a result of that, they had nearly lost the war with Yggurle. Since then, Triaria had many hardships rebuilding their national power over many long years. Likely even Triaria would not move carelessly. In one of the rooms in the castle on the hill, I was waiting for the woman Sophia will bring along. Practically speaking, even if I dont work for money anymore, Id still be fine, and Im continuously earning, so I have no objection to employing one or two people. At present, even Maria, who is entrusted with the housework, thought it was a good idea to hire some people because the number of things she does beside housework had increased. Sophia probably felt the same way. Yes, the beastkin woman is from the Rabbitkin. On her head were two long tawny ears that were slightly darker than her hair. Different from tribes like the Foxkin, Dogkin, Catkin, it seems they have retrogressed and did not have a tail. (Seriously, this world. The ratio of beautiful people here really is high.) Please, take a seat. That woman seems slightly haggard. She probably had hardships from their pioneering village being deserted. Perhaps her husband dying before her and her anxiety of not being able to see a future have accumulated. But even these did not undermine her beauty. Once we finished our self-introductions, I had a simple interview with the woman and decided to hire her as a maid. The womans name is Marnie. She is 24 years old and she lost her husband half a year ago. Having no other relatives, she came to this place with the pioneers, but it seems she didnt have the willpower to cultivate a field and live by herself. That was when Sophia called out to her and offered her a job as a maid while she searches for what she wants to do. Lets see, Marias responsibilities would decrease so I think its alright. Thats right, I have my adventurer work too, so Id be glad to receive some help. It seems even Maria is in agreement. Laeva doesnt have time to do housework, so if Takumi-sama and Maria-san are for it, then I support it too. Then hiring her is all right. Also, Takumi-sama, I would like it if Marnie is not entrusted with just help at the house but with your everyday necessities as well. Umm, why? With the intention of securing materials, we accept many requests at the Adventurers Guild. Wouldnt it be dangerous if she were to come along? is what I said. I think it would be tough for Marnie-san to be alone in a large mansion for many days. Ahhh, y-youre right. Marnie-sans husband, who died half a year ago[1], suffered from a serious illness soon after they got married and passed away not even 2 years into the marriage. She did her best to do her ill husbands part in the reclamation, but her husband passed away from not receiving direct medical treatment and the village being abandoned, so the thread holding Marnie-san together likely broke from the mental strain. One could say that by the time she realized it, she was here with other pioneering people. Then Marnie-san, please support us by working for our daily necessities. Lets discuss your salary, too. ...... please do. Following Sophias advice, Marnie was hired as a maid. I wonder if its because Sophia was from noble origins that its normal to have a maid constantly wait on us hand and foot. *** Footnotes: Raws say half a year ago a few paragraphs up, and suddenly 2 months ago here...and Im really not sure which is correct so, to keep it consistent, Ill just keep half a year since it came first. Chapter 92: Inspection group Chapter 92: Inspection group The pioneering villagers lives had normalized. In a building built by craftsmen within the curtain walls, an inspection group from Volton and the royal capital made a sudden visit to inspect the town. Ah! Margrave Volton, and even Viscount Portfort. I get Margrave Volton, but I was surprised that even the Prime Minister, Viscount Portfort, was here from the royal capital.Alll latest novels on a-dono, youve made yet another outrageous thing. ...... I said a fort would be great, but I cant call this a fort. They alighted the carriage and I showed them around the town on foot. Magic devices were installed in the septic tanks located throughout the sewers. Thats why, like in the Volton town, theres no unpleasant smell. Even the restrooms in the houses and barracks had been installed with the Toilet Purifier MD. Are the houses sold? Or are they for rent? Like the taxes, theyre loaned free of charge for three years. Would the additional immigrants be provided houses with that Toilet Purifier MD as well? Unlikely, as I will not always be here. The commission I received is almost over, so Im thinking of returning to Volton. Theyve begun sowing seeds in the agricultural land and the establishment of inns and businesses within the town are progressing at a quick pace. Even if the number of stationed soldiers increase, an additional barracks was already constructed. You could say my job has ended. Iruma-dono, until a governor has been decided, I can not stop you from coming and going between Volton town and this town for now, but we will begin the personnel selection with His Majesty and the bureaucrats when we return, so I would like some of your time. Saying so, Viscount Portfort wanted and commissioned me to work in this town for a little longer. Ah, of course we will give additional compensation, so dont worry. Naturally, cost of the Toilet Purifier MDs and the magic devices installed in the septic tanks will be paid for. Haa. This is about Marnie, but right now shes wearing a classic maid outfit. For Marnie whose default is high-exposure clothing, its too formal, but since she has more chances of coming out and meeting different people, I made her wear maid clothing for the time being. At any rate, the surprising thing was that she didnt wear underwear. There were many beastkin tribes around Volton, but their clothes werent much different from those of the human race so I was surprised by Marnies daring outfit. When it came to beastkin tribes in rural areas though, it apparently wasnt that unusual. Of course, nowadays she wears the underwear that Kaede and Maria make. There are many things that must be kept secret in iruma-donos household. For that reason, it is likely very difficult to employ people aside from slaves, so its better to be proactive when you are able to secure personnel. Fumu, I hear your battle potential is overabundant. As Margrave Volton and Viscount Portfort say, with the exception of slaves, its hard for me to choose people to add to my place. Hiring diligent people who work very hard like Marnie is like a jackpot, something I leave up to fate. Even if you mention our battle potential, were a group of producers. Naturally, I am one, and Sophia has become able to create simple magic devices. Maria and Kaede sew, and Laeva does alchemy and has recently dabbled in smithing. No, I heard from Barack that youre already a top party even in Volton. My word. So Iruma-dono is excellent even as an adventurer. Certainly, to be able to build a town like this in these savage lands, one must fight with monsters. How extremely talented you are, its enviable. Being praised excessively by Margrave Volton and Viscount Portfort, I somehow weathered that time of discomfort. When I finished guiding them around the town and castle, Margrave Volton returned to his town and Viscount Portfort to the royal capital. After the pair returned from the inspection, an influx of people and merchandise actively arrived at the city. I accepted a commission to construct the building for the Adventurers Guild and completed a 3-story stone building along the main street. A few days of arranging the interior. and the Adventurers Guild promptly started its operations. During that time, I got a commission to construct the building of the Commerce Guild. Business transactions increased, not to the extent of Volton, but it thrived to the extent of the capital of an unskilled earls territory. This town was named Wedgefort. This town is yet unknown to both Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire of Sydnia. And so, several months later, they learned an impregnable fortress had suddenly appeared in these savage lands. *** Sphys note: Yay! Its been 1 year since I restarted translating constantly since my last hiatus. xD Also, Im sick again so there might be delays on the next update. Sorry. Thanks for reading! Chapter 93: Spring of the 3rd Year Chapter 93: Spring of the 3rd Year Two years have passed since I came to Mildgard, and I turned 17. I travel back and forth betwen Volton town and Wedgefort, working hectically. Wedgefort town is bustling with adventurers and merchants, and I hear that the number of stationed soldiers there is close to 3,000. It was like the two years passed by in a flash. Receiving kindness from everyone at Bohd Village, I was able to prepare myself to live in this world. With the personality and policies of Godwin-sama, the lord ruling Volton, it was a good town easy to live in, and I understood very well that His Majesty is a wise king when he summoned me. I think Norn-san chose to send me to that place after considering the surrounding environment. These several months, Ive been making an effort to strengthen the Sword of the Absorber that Sophia and I use with the ores and ingots we got from the dungeon during our work breaks. The reason is because the ores and ingots we obtained contain a small amount of orichalcum. But it isnt much though, and not an amount that can be forged into a sword. So I thought to use synthesis to compound our swords. ? Absolute Sword (Zekken) Tsukuyomi A magic sword capable of absorbing the magic power of the opponent it cuts. The more magic power it absorbs, the sharper and more powerful it becomes. Strong Slash Self Repair ?Sacred Sword (Seiken) Amaterasu A magic sword capable of absorbing the magic power of the opponent it cuts. The more magic power it absorbs, the sharper and more powerful it becomes. Strong Slash Self Repair As a result, the sword bestowed with the Light attribute was the Sacred Sword Amaterasu. It deals tremendous damage to enemies that are unaffected by physical attacks like the undead. The effect of having been transmuted with orichalcum was that it raised the hardness and toughness by several degrees, boasting a cutting edge that would easily cut through adamantite alloy The sword blade shines a bright blue, and it was remade with a workmanship that wasnt inferior. Ill have Sophia use this sword. The other one, the Absolute Sword Tsukuyomi, which was bestowed with Dark and Lightning attributes, had become a slightly powerful magic sword. If one is even grazed by this sword, it is able to deal damage to the mind/soul*(?). Furthermore, it adds an extra paralysis with the Lightning attribute. Given that it still has the special characteristic of absorbing magic power, a fiendish magic sword was completed. I made Marnie-san, who works as a maid, always wear a classic long skirt maid outfit, but, while this is limited to within our house, its like the backlash was extreme when she wears her plain high-exposure clothes. According to Laeva, it is a disposition of the Rabbitkin to have a tendency for seeking a partner that is strong, and she intends to make me, a strong male, like her. I should discuss this with Sophia and Maria. Well, I definitely wouldnt be able to keep my reasoning. Sophia started polishing not only her use of the sword and spear, but also her attribute magic and spirit magic, and I think she is the most balanced in the party. Maria has risen to adventurer rank C, but her rank is just the surface as shes obtained the strength of equal to a top adventurer. Her skill at sewing has risen and she and Kaede are responsible for our clothing and underwear. Laeva has improved at alchemy. Shes reached the point where she can transmute chantlessly even if a portion of the transmutation circle is missing. And shes already apprentice level as a magic blacksmith. Her current adventurer rank is D. Kaede is still an excellent seamstress and she creates a clothing and underwear with a variety of designs with Maria. It seems she personally accepts work from the Papeck Company too. Titan commands the gatekeeper golems and specializes in being our bodyguard. Thanks to Titan, the gatekeeper golems performance has greatly improved. Tsubaki, who has evolved into a Dragon Horse, has no rivals around Volton. Even enemies who are difficult to damage with physical attacks die against the breath that Tsubaki acquired. Her running speed and stamina have improved, extending our area of activity. And lastly, Marnie-san. Compared to the haggard-looking woman she was when she had first arrived, shes now cheerful. She seems to be on good terms with Sophia and the others too. Apparently, shes taking lessons on self-defense dagger techniques and taijutsu from Maria. Once afraid of Kaede, Marnie-san has now opened up to her. And she appeals strongly to me. If a voluptuous woman with a dynamite body appeals to me with a passionate gaze, even I think it would only be a matter of time before the dam of my desires bursts. This is how the turbulent 3rd year started for me. StatusName: Takumi Iruma Race: Human Age: 17 years old [1] Job: Magic Swordsman Lv52, Fighter Lv50 ( Magus Lv38, Magic Bestower Lv62, Carpenter Lv64, Tailor Lv52, Alchemist Lv92, Blacksmith Lv82 ) Level: 87 Condition: Healthy Magic Formula Control Lv7 ( UP ) Light Attribute Magic Lv8 ( UP ) Fire Attribute Magic Lv7 ( UP ) Water Attribute Magic Lv8 ( UP ) Wind Attribute Magic Lv7 Earth Attribute Magic Lv10 ( UP ) Ice Attribute Magic Lv7 Lightning Attribute Magic Lv8 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv7 Bestowal Magic Lv8 Alchemy Lv10 Smithing Lv9 Woodworking Lv8 Carpentry Lv8 ( UP ) Foraging Lv6 Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv8 Sewing Lv7 Cooking Lv4 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars Arachne Unique Species ( Kaede ) Dragon Horse ( Tsubaki ) Guardian Golem ( Titan ) Titles Giant Killing / Killer Dragon Slayer *** Footnotes: Status age said Takumis age 16 instead of 17. Sphys Note: Update regarding pics: decision has been made based on comments. Images readily available in Alphapolis will be linked when appropriate for the chapter / end of the volume. Idle Talk 6: Idle Talk 6: Rehabilitation of the widow, Marnie Idle Talk 6: Idle Talk 6: Rehabilitation of the widow, Marnie I am Marnie of the Rabbitkin Tribe. I lived in an ashen world until recently. When I was 20 years old, I married my husband from a neighboring village. But it was far from living a happy married life. Cough, cough, sorry Marnie. Please get better soon, okay? My husbands body had been frail since his childhood, and he was bedridden from an illness soon after marrying me. Weve just immigrated to a pioneering village, so whether I wanted to or not, I had to do all of the physical labor, such as cultivating land and the like, by myself, working myself to the bone. Therein, the village I had desperately worked in to develop was to be abandoned, not even two years in. We were exempted from tax the first year, but from the second year, were suddenly subjected to heavy poll tax and inflexible tax on the harvest. Of course, there was no way everyone in the village could pay, and because of the drought that was happening simultaneously, the feudal lord announced the abandonment of the village. We of the pioneering village were picked up by Earl Rockford, and people of other pioneering villages who similarly failed were gathered and taken to Margrave Voltons territory. My husband died in his sleep the day after the abandonment of the village was decided. I lost my meaning and willpower to work. If I was asked whether I liked or loved my husband, I wouldnt know what to answer. Because this is normal for our community. Since I was a child, I taught by my mother and father that the love between a husband and a wife grows as they live together for years as a couple. Father and mother are no longer here either. Even in Lomaria Kingdom and Valkyra Kingdom where there is very little racial discrimination, we are regarded as an inferior race. I do believe that that is exactly what we, the Rabbitkin, are. Beastkin tribes have excellent physical capabilities so many are active as adventurers or soldiers. But that is for the battle-oriented tribes. The Rabbitkin like us are said to not be suited for battle. In fact, in Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire of Sydnia, there was apparently a history of the Rabbitkin being traded as pet slaves. But even Rabbitkin like us are capable with agriculture. Unfortunately, the pioneering village where we applied for marriage suddenly failed. We of the abandoned pioneering village were sent to the capital in the territory of Margrave Volton. The town of Volton had an unbelievable sense of cleanliness. Beastkin have noses sensitive to smells, but there was no unpleasant odor anywhere in town. The town was brimming with liveliness, and pleasant scents that Ive never smelled before wafted from street stalls. There it was explained to us what would happen from here on. By all rights, we who had not been able to pay the taxes had fallen into slavery. Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford had scooped us up from this. Thats why we intended to follow what were told. Everyone was of the same sentiment. Silence! Listen well to what will be explained from here on! The discussion was that, in a place 100 km south of Volton, a pioneering village surrounded by protective walls was under construction. We were told that the walls would be completed by the time we arrive. There, we would construct a village that would cultivate new land. Construction supplies and food until the harvest will be provided by the country. The escorting soldiers are to travel with us to the site and will be stationed there as they are. The people, with exception to myself, rejoiced when told we would be exempt from tax for the first three years. Yes, with exception to myself............. For me, I didnt have the willpower to start over from the very beginning in a new place. With no home to return to and having neither parents nor relatives, I was not able to rejoice with everyone. Thereafter, the pioneers, escort soldiers and knights, wagons loaded with materials, and craftsmen had assembled and departed from Volton town. We had been surprised at that first stage. A highway that extended straight south to the savage lands. The road was wide and was paved with a stone-like matter. Thanks to that, our travel on the carriage was very smooth and fast. Just now, I thought I just heard her say that Takumi-sama prepares their meals, but does a master prepare the meals of the slaves? Marnie-san, can you cook? Yes, I more or less learned from my late mother. Then theres no problem. The house is not of nobility therefore it isnt formal, and my master, Takumi-sama, is a kind gentleman so I believe it is a good workplace. And so, when I was lead into a room to be interviewed by Takumi-sama that same day, my initial thought when I saw him was that he was young. He was the man that the feudal lord trusted to construct this town, so I thought he was much older. If asked, Id say he was 16. He was 8 years younger than me, and a young man whose beauty transcended race. Even though I had just lost my husband recently, there was a silver haired young man in front of me that made me blush. This is also a trait of Beastkin, when a pairless woman has an outstanding man in front of her, she cant help but be attracted to him. Then Marnie-san, please support us by working for our daily necessities. Lets discuss your salary, too. ...... I look forward to working with you. I worked as Takumi-samas maid since that day. Hii`! Im Kaede, lets get along. Im M-marnie. I suppressed the involuntary shriek I almost let out. Kaede who introduced herself has a lower half of a large spider and her upper half is still a young girl, which I later learned was a monster known as an Archenie. Aside from her, there was also a talking golem made of metal. I was informed that both of them are Takumi-samas familiars. Alrighty then, lets take Marnie-oneechans measurements! Saying so, the beautiful human girl, Maria-chan, and Kaede-chan measured the size of my body. U-umm...... Dont worry, Kaede-chan and I have to make your clothes and underwear or it wouldnt do, Marnie-san. The size automatically adjusts to some extent because of an enchantment, but its better to get the correct size, after all. There was a variety of words that I didnt understand, but it seems theyll be making my clothes. The sample underwear I was shown was like a very beautiful work of art. It was a waste on a beastkin who grew up in a rural community like me. At that time, when I heard that this underwear and the clothes that everyone wears was made from the thread that Kaede-chan produces, the fear I felt for Kaede-chan lessened. Laeva-chan was a Beastkin like myself, but amongst the Beastkin tribes that had low magic power and were bad at magic, she was from a tribe whose specialty was being exceptional at magic, a beautiful girl of the Foxkin tribe. She is Takumi-samas assistant and was said to be studying alchemy and, most recently, even smithing. Sophia and the two others are Takumis slaves, but you wouldnt realize they were unless their slave marks were seen because they live like a family. And it became clear that Sophia-san and Maria-chan alternate sharing a bed with Takumi-sama. I asked Sophia-san if I should also attend to him, but her answer was a NO. Maria and I have given Takumi-sama our hearts and body. Takumi-sama said that it would be okay if we slaves were freed, but I still wish for a stronger bond than what we have now. It is likely that Maria feels the same way. Hearing that, I seriously considered becoming Takumi-samas slave. I decided to improve myself so that I might receive his affection one day. At that time, as heartless as it seemed, the image of my late husband disappeared from my mind. *** Sphys Note: Thanks for reading~ Still sick but surviving...kinda but maybe expect delays? Anywho, got any ideas where I can put the illustrations at? It will definitely not be on this site and imgur / similar image hosting sites. Chapter 94: Emergency Call Chapter 94: Emergency Call Even as the 3rd year rushes in, were still living our day to day lives developing, producing, training, and accepting requests over and over again. If I were to say a thing that changed, it would probably be that Marnie started participating in Barack-san and Dorn-sans training. Days passed since then, and I lost to Marnies desires. Theres no way I couldnt respond when she sneaks in at night. Sophia and Maria seemed to have been accomplices, and after that, they got along even better. Maybe because of that, Maria said Assassination techniques are indispensable for a maid, and its been decided wed prepare Marnies equipment. Marnie is a typical beastkin, having scant magic power and no aptitude as a mage. Moreover, I heard from somewhere that Rabbitkin were popular as pet slaves, but they are not suited for battle. Being in a party with me, who has Norn-samas divine protection, made it slightly better, but even then, she probably wouldnt become a first-class combatant, and I dont think Marnie wants that either. She has no problem as long as she isnt a hindrance to us. Which is something everyone acknowledges. Marnie-san is simply a maid, so how about a self defense magic item that she can wear on her body? Lets see, her weapon is a knife concealed on her thigh, and her clothing is the Kaede-made maid outfit so its defense is better than inferior armor. Laeva and Maria discussed the equipment Marnie would wear when she comes with us. In the garden, Marnie is receiving taijutsu and dagger training from Sophia. When we go out for a request, shell be equipped with a breastplate and gauntlets over her maid outfit, so if we reinforce that with the magic item Laeva mentioned, I think shed encounter less danger, even if just a little bit. Then Ill make a barrier type accessory, yes? Yup, Ill leave it to you, Laeva. The equipment prepared for Marnie is basically the same as our light armor. Furthermore, its defense was strengthened with the use of an Earth Dragons scale. Sophias Equipment ?Ranma Ryuus Light Armor ( Water Wind Attribute ) Light armor made from mithril alloy that carried Wind and Water attributes and has been reinforced with the scale of an Earth Dragon, crafted by an extraordinary Alchemist and Magic Blacksmith. ( Magic Attack Resistance ?Physical Attack Resistance ? Wind Magic Resistance ?Water Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Wind Magic ? Enhanced Water Magic ? Enhanced Agility ? Enhanced Magic Power )Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature RegulationEquipment Weight ReductionSelf Repair Marias Equipment ?Endo Ryuus Light Armor(Fire Earth Attribute) Light armor made from mithril alloy that carried Fire and Earth attributes and has been reinforced with the scale of an Earth Dragon, crafted by an extraordinary Alchemist and Magic Blacksmith. ( Magic Attack Resistance ?Physical Attack Resistance ? Fire Magic Resistance ?Earth Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Fire Magic ? Enhanced Earth Magic ? Enhanced Attack Power ? Enhanced Defense )Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature RegulationEquipment Weight ReductionSelf Repair My equipment ?Jinrai Ryuus Light Armor(Lightning Wind Attribute) Light armor made from mithril alloy that carried Wind and Lightning attributes and has been reinforced with the scale of an Earth Dragon, crafted by an extraordinary Alchemist and Magic Blacksmith. (Wind Magic Resistance ? Lightning Magic Resistance? Enhanced Lightning Magic ?Enhanced Wind Magic ? Enhanced Agility [Extra Large]) Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature RegulationEquipment Weight ReductionSelf Repair Laevas Equipment ?Kouenryuus Light Armor (Fire Light Attribute) Light armor made from mithril alloy that carried Fire and Light attributes and has been reinforced with the scale of an Earth Dragon, crafted by an extraordinary Alchemist and Magic Blacksmith. (Light Magic Resistance ? Fire Magic Resistance? Enhanced Light Magic ?Enhanced Fire Magic ? Enhanced Attack Power) Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature RegulationEquipment Weight ReductionSelf Repair Marnies Equipment Alright, I get it, so dont. Lyle-san spit and approached me. Umm, Ill give introductions. This here is Laeva, shes my assistant. In my party, shes a rearguard magic user. And then shes Marnie, my personal maid. Please treat me well. Ou, nice to m` that aint it! A maid!? What the hell!? Youre too noisy, Lyle! When I looked in the direction of the voice, there stood a red haired swordswoman wearing leather armor dyed red. Around her was a largely built woman equipped with a sword and a large shield, a black robed mage, a healer wearing a white hakama, and a female scout equipped with leather armor and daggers on both sides of her hips. Hanh? Tch, so its you, Merilda. What do you mean tch? That handsome-kun is the leader of Wings of Norn, isnt he? Im the leader of Crimson Rose, Merilda, this tanker is Vallarie, the mage is Sally, the healer is Paula, and the scout is Linda. The ones who called out to Lyle-san was everyone from the Crimson Rose , whose party name was brought up by Barack-san. I see, their name is like that because all members are girls. Im Takumi Iruma. This is Sophia, and next to her is Maria, then Laeva, and Marnie. Fu~n, I certainly get why Lyle would keep yapping. Merilda-san grinned widely and looked at me. Ou! So introductions are over, yeah?! Takumi, with your carriage and Tsubaki, youll reach Wedgefort in a short amount of time. Cuz of that, I want you three teams to go first. Have they been cornered considerably? No, the town probably wouldnt be defeated because of Takumi, but with it being resolved as soon as possible, it would show the durability of Wedgefort throughout the continent. I see, the walls of Wedgefort was indeed made to endure for a little while against a pack of dragon-types. Understood. Shall we head out then? Yeah, we can go out right away. Our preparations are also complete too. At this point, Dorn-san approached us. Iruma-dono, the Knight Order will also dispatch two battalions. But preparations will take some time, so Ill leave it to you until then. Yes, Ill do my best. We went to the south gate and I called Tsubaki from the Subspace. I took the carriage out of the Item Box and fastened it to Tsubaki. I had Heath-san and the rest get on and we started heading for Wedgefort at explosive speeds. *** Footnotes: Raws on LN and WN say attack power but I changed it to magic power because I believe these are typos and the attribute effects I know are Fire is attack power, Water is magic power, Wind is agility, Earth is defense. So it wouldnt make sense for it to have that effect.Unlike Maria and Sophia who calls Takumi Goshujinsama which is a very formal way of saying Master, Marnie calls him Danna-sama which can be translated as either Master or Husband. And Marnie is purposefully saying it because of that second meaning. Sphys Note: I hope this makes up for last weeks short chapter >w< Though, I dont really have control over the length of the chapters lol Also, sorry stuff came up yesterday and I have plans today so the chapter got delayed. Im literally on my way out so hopefully theres no problems. >< Thank you for reading! As for the images, I asked and received your opinions. All (paid) images will stay in Patreon now. The free images will be linked when they apply to the story or at the end of the volume like always. Chapter 95: Runaway Carriage Chapter 95: Runaway Carriage Tsubaki, who already became a Dragon Horse, is wearing her complete armor today. Merilda-san and her party shrunk away from the intensity of it.Discover new chapters at The three parties squabbled and poked fun at Lyle-san as they got on the carriage. Lets go, Tsubaki! Burururu!! Tsubaki began pulling away from the adventurers gathering by the south gate at explosive speeds. When the carriage started moving, I called Kaede out of the Subspace. Kaede immediately got on Tsubakis back. Inside the carriage at that time, all members of Crimson Rose were frozen stiff in surprise at the spacious living room. W-what is this? Merilda! The interior of the carriage is amazing! More than that, it barely shakes. Uwaa! Its a soft sofa! The members of Crimson Rose were surprised and excited. After all, aside from His Majesty, Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, and Papeck-san, no one else has this carriage. It was then that Heath-san asked what we would do when we arrive on-site. Okay, lets drop the carriage topic. Have you guys thought of a strategy? Not really. First well just scatter them with magic from inside the running carriage, and then Tsubaki will plunge in. After that, Ill leave Tsubaki and the carriage to Marnie and Kaede, expecting them to annihilate indiscriminately. Hm, that certainly cant be called a strategy. Heath, I think what the kids saying isnt wrong. We dont have a speck of coordination, so isnt it better for each party to crush a group of monsters? Heath-sans and my party are acquaintances, but weve never coordinated and fought together. And not even an hour has passed since we met Merilda-sans party. In this situation, we shouldnt be expecting things like coordination. That being the case, Merilda says that it would be better for each party to fight as a unit. ...... you have a point. Here you go, weve brewed some tea. Maria and Marnie brewed and distributed tea to everyone. Even the teacups are somewhat high class. Its something we made ourselves, so it isnt anything much. Tsubaki sped up and plunged into the monsters. Doga! Baakyaan!! Tsubaki hooked them to her horn, crushed them underfoot, and sent them flying with a ram. Kaedes threads danced freely, mangling the monsters. When Tsubaki did a U-turn, the members of the Lions Fang and Crimson Rose jumped out. We followed after them and charged at the monsters. We wielded the three magic spears. In the space opened from monsters scattering, Titan jumped out from the Subspace. His large shield smashed monsters flying, and the mace he wielded crushed monsters heads. Lions Fang and Crimson Rose already took their respective places and were each crushing monsters. Sophia changed from her spear to Ranmas Round Shield and Sacred Sword Amaterasu and entered the melee. Maria wielded her flame spear Explode and supported Sophia. Every time Explode was swung, the surrounding monsters burned. Laeva did a rapid-fire cast of Fox Fires from the carriages coachman seat. I took out the Ice Spear Ice Bringer, using it to mow down enemies and crush enemies with its butt end. Entrusting myself to the Presence Detection, Insight, and Evasion skills, and while also using the Stealth skill, I avoided attacks and sent them to their deaths. I was supported by the skills Body Control, Taijutsu, and Spear Handling. Unnoticed, I had Ice Bringer in one hand, and invoked Decomposition with my other hand and struck monsters with it. I was getting a grasp of the locations and situations Sophia and Maria, Laeva and Marnie, Tsubaki and Kaede were in as I swung the Absolute Sword Tsukuyomi and Ice Bringer. (Just what are those?!) Merilda received a shock when she saw Wings of Norn. Crimson Rose is a B rank party, Wings of Norn is a C rank party. She had no doubt that that the ones with the higher rank were themselves. That was, until this fight began............. First, the Ryuuma fires out a breath, its horn pierces, and it kicks monsters around. Riding on its back is an Archenie who mangles monsters with its threads. It was like a comical scene. A 3 meter tall metal golem appeared from who knows where and started rampaging. It wasnt a typical golem that moved simply, but was trampling down monsters with Shield Technique and Bludgeon Technique. And the pie?ce de re?sistance was Iruma, Sophia, and Marias fighting capabilities. She knew that those movements were highly skilled martial arts. And the weapons they wield are not at all common and gave off a sense of intimidation. Merilda decided to give up thinking and just face monsters. She could think about it as much as she wants later, after all. *** Footnotes: Raws said Meri, but the mage is Sally. Fox fires ( C Kitsunebi) is similar to the Will-of-the-wisp in English. Chapter 96: Resolved Chapter 96: Resolved The kinds of monsters marching towards Wedgefort varied from the relatively fleet-footed monsters like wolf-types, kobolds, goblins, to slow-footed monsters like orcs, ogres, tri-headed vipers, and bush lizards. I avoided one of the heads of the Tri-headed Viper that was trying to bite my foot while simultaneously trampling on it and invoking Decomposition, breaking that one head. The two groaning heads were each lopped off with my sword and spear. Even though an ogre approached the carriage Tsubaki was pulling to attack it, Kaedes invisible tough threads had severed the ogres supposedly tough skin from its bone. A pack of aroused orcs assaulted Sophia and Maria, but Maria brandished her spear and the upper and lower halves of several orcs were separated. Sophia handled her sword and shield freely, as if performing a sword dance as she sentenced the pack of orcs to their deaths. The members of the Crimson Rose were also being attacked by monsters like orcs and goblins, but with the support of the Lions Fang, they safely and steadily defeated them. Together with Titan, we did a lap around Wedgefort to clear monsters. Then we went close to the southwest section where the density of monsters was high. Even when Titans opponent was a troll much larger than him, he trampled it down with overwhelming power. With Titans Shield Bash, orcs became lumps of meat. Titan took some distance from me and attacked with the mace in his right hand. That swing turned the surrounding monsters into minced meat. With my Stealth skill and the effect of the Overcoat of Existence Concealment, I one-sidedly brought down monsters. Two hours have already passed since the fight started and the number of monsters had visibly decreased. The arrows and magic from the walls still continued to attack monsters. I fired magic when I could, charged with my sword and spear, and invoked Decomposition with my knees and the soles of my feet. Insight, Presence Detection, Body Control, Evasion, Stealth, and Enhanced Physical Abilities were fully manifested which raising my skill levels. My level went up too, consequently raising my attribute values, so despite going for stronger enemies, the speed in which I exterminate them increased. The Skill Swordplay has leveled up The Skill Swordplay has awakened the Skill Sword King Technique The Skill Spear Handling has leveled up The Skill Spear Handling has awakened the Skill Spear King Technique When swords flashed, heads of monsters would fly and their bodies would collapse. The strong smell of blood wafted in the surroundings, and monsters intoxicated by this started coming out. I stored the monster corpses that became obstacles into my Item Box as I went to support Sophia and the others. At that time, with warcries, the adventurers from Volton joined the fray. Now that this has happened, the state of the war instantly tipped to one side, and monsters were even running away. At that point, the drawbridge of Wedgefort lowered and the stationed soldiers made their debut. With it switching to a battle of annihilation, I chose the big game and strong individuals. Because the corpses of large monsters were a hindrance, I immediately store them into the Item Box. Heath-san and the others called out to us. Judging from their appearances, they had no large injuries. Likewise. Are you hurt? Nah, Crimson Rose had a healer so Im alright. Purification! I casted purifying magic, cleaning everyone off. Thanks. How amazing, you and your party. And you even have a pretty strong golem. The leader of the all-girl party Crimson Rose, Merilda-san, got closer. Arent those in Iruma-sans party the sacred warriors of the Genesis Faith? No, we have no relation to the Genesis Faith. I believe in Goddess Norn, but were not connected to the church. I wonder if us using Norn-samas name for our party name at our own convenience is unwise. Paula-san, the healer wearing priestess clothing, asked this, but could she have misunderstood us naming ourselves Wings of Norn? No, I believe there is no problem at all. Iruma-sans party name is not bad, but rather gives praise. Conversely, I would worry if one willfully uses it as an advertisement though. I see, then theres no problem if its like that. The Genesis faith, whom worships Norn-sama, offers a variety of conveniences, and they are tolerable to those who use it arbitrarily. Hey! Lets rest at the town! Its probably alright to leave the cleanup to the late knights and adventurers. Weve already worked enough. Lyle-san dragged his feet into the carriage. Haa~ sorry about this, Takumi-kun. Its alright, everyone please get on the carriage too. The sky began turning red and the smell of blood hung in the air. The cleanup probably wouldnt end in 1 or 2 days, but weve definitely worked more than enough. For the time being, our carriage began running towards the lowered drawbridge, so we could rest at Wedgefort. *** Sphys Note [14th March]: Not really good news but Im starting to run a fever (yes, again), so I dont feel well. Just in case, Im informing you all that the next chapter might be delayed. Sorry. That said, the second Current Character Status is linked to next so go right ahead if you wanna read it. Current Character Status 2: Current Character Status 2: Takumi Iruma Originally, he should have been dragged into the hero summoning, but Norn had sent him to Mildgard. Additionally he was sent 3 years before the heroes were summoned. In his time in Japan, he was a salaryman in his 40s, but he became a handsome, silver haired 15 year old in Mildgard. This is a special body that was personally made by Goddess Norn, with more blessing than a heros and has quite the cheat abilities hidden within it. The person himself thinks Ill enjoy the slow life as an artisan, but hes already become the top party in Volton. Name: Takumi Iruma Race: Human Age: 17 years old Job: Magic Swordsman Lv82, Fighter Lv76 ( Magus Lv56, Magic Bestower Lv72, Carpenter Lv54, Tailor Lv62, Alchemist Lv89, Blacksmith Lv86 ) Level: 112 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 970 Magic Power: 1,200 Strength: 580 Agility: 560 Stamina: 650 Dexterity: 580 Intelligence: 650 Unique Skills Appraisal EX Item Box EX ( Concealed ) Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv6 ( UP ) Insight Lv9 ( UP ) Poison Resistance Lv2 Paralysis Resistance Lv2 Evasion Lv9 ( UP ) Body Control Lv 8 ( UP ) Increased Magic Power Recovery Speed Lv4 ( UP ) High-speed Thought Process Lv4 ( UP ) Active Skills Spear King Technique Lv1 ( A superior skill awakened from the Spear Handling Skill ) Axe Technique Lv5 Sword King Technique Lv1 ( A superior skill awakened from the Swordplay Skill ) Throwing Lv8 ( UP ) Taijutsu Lv10 Fist King Technique Lv5 ( UP ) Matoujutsu Lv10 ( UP ) Enemy Search Lv8 ( UP ) Presence Detection Lv9 Stealth Lv8 ( UP ) Taming Lv3 Enhanced Physical Abilities Lv8 ( UP ) Magic Perception Lv9 Magic Power Manipulation Lv10 Magic Formula Control Lv7 ( UP ) Light Attribute Magic Lv7 Fire Attribute Magic Lv7 ( UP ) Water Attribute Magic Lv7 Wind Attribute Magic Lv7 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Ice Attribute Magic Lv7 Lightning Attribute Magic Lv9 ( UP ) Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv7 Bestowal Magic Lv8 Alchemy Lv10 Smithing Lv9 Woodworking Lv8 Carpentry Lv5 Foraging Lv6 Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv8 Sewing Lv7 Cooking Lv4 Divine Protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars: Archeni Unique Species ( Kaede ) Dragon Horse ( Tsubaki ) Guardian Golem ( Titan ) Titles: Giant Killer Dragon Slayer One who has surpassed the flood Sophia Sylphide Born to a low ranking noble household in Yggurle Kingdom, the country of elves. she was a knight that became a prisoner of war in the war between Yggurle Kingdom and Triaria Kingdom 50 years ago. Originally, she was in a position to be exchanged during a prisoner exchange and as compensation, but was sold to Valkyra Kingdom through a broker. As she was already in a state where she was disabled with a leg and arm missing and was cursed to be unable to knead magic power when she was purchased by Moulin Slavery Company, she remained unsold for 50 years despite being a peerless beauty. It is unknown why she was not returned to her country, nor why was sold as a slave. Purchased by Takumi, her missing limbs and ear were restored and the curse dispelled, she pledged her loyalty to him for the rest of his life. Sophias power grows more and more as the battle potential of the party rises. Her loyalty and affection towards Takumi just keeps on rising. Name: Sophia Sylphide Race: Elf Age: 82 years old Job: Spirit Mage Lv89, Knight Lv86 ( Warrior Lv100, Hunter Lv89 ) Level: 102 Condition: Healthy ( Slavery: Takumi ) Vitality: 566 Magic Power: 720 Strength: 406 Agility: 506 Stamina: 450 Dexterity: 340 Intelligence: 510 Unique Skills Spirit Eye Passive Skills Insight Lv6 ( UP ) Evasion Lv4 ( UP ) Body Control Lv3 ( UP ) Active Skills Sword King Technique Lv1 ( A superior skill awakened from the Swordplay Skill ) Passive Skills Active Skills Dagger Technique Lv5 ( UP ) Enemy Search Lv3 ( UP ) Presence Detection Lv4 ( UP ) Stealth Lv3 ( UP ) Magic Perception Lv1 ( UP ) Magic Power Manipulation Lv1 ( UP ) Water Attribute Magic Lv2 ( UP ) Earth Attribute Magic Lv2 ( UP ) Sewing Lv2 ( UP ) Cooking Lv4 ( UP ) Kaede A dying Poison Spider that Takumi had discovered near Bohd Village. She was tamed when Takumi had saved her life. When a path of magic power connected Takumi to it at that time, it evolved into a Killer Spider. After that, she evolved into an Archenie, and at present, shes evolving further. Spider Silk, threads that Kaede produces, has now become an indispensable item to Takumi and his entourage. Name: Kaede ( Takumi Irumas Familiar ) Race: Archenie Unique Species -evolving- Age: 7 (Raw says 5 but everyone else grew up by 2 years so Im adding 2 years) Level: 1 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 750 Magic Power: 820 Strength: 650 Agility: 650 Stamina: 450 Dexterity: 640 Intelligence: 420 Unique Skills Spider Thread Creation Passive Skills Poison Resistance Lv7 Paralysis Resistance Lv7 Spatial Understanding Lv8 ( UP ) Insight Lv7 ( UP ) Active Skills Thread Manipulation Lv10 ( UP ) Poison Creation Lv8 ( UP ) Presence Detection Lv9 ( UP ) Magic Perception Lv8 ( UP ) Dark Attribute Magic ( NEW ) Stealth Lv10 ( UP ) Sewing Lv8 ( UP ) Tsubaki A Drake Horse when she was tamed, and after repeated level ups, she evolved into a Dragon Horse. Her body got much larger and she acquired a Breath. Her running speed and stamina had also risen greatly. Name: Tsubaki ( Takumi Irumas Familiar ) Race: Dragon Horse Age: 5 Level: 20 Condition: Healthy Vitality: 620 Magic Power: 310 Strength: 570 Agility: 560 Stamina: 620 Dexterity: 200 intelligence: 220 Unique Skills Dragon Scales Lv8 ( UP ) Passive Skills High Speed Travel Lv8 ( UP ) Long Distance Travel Lv6 ( UP ) Physical Attack Resistance Lv3 ( UP ) Magic Attack Resistance Lv3 ( UP ) Active Skills Charge Lv8 ( UP ) Presence Detection Lv7 ( UP ) Magic Perception Lv6 ( UP ) Breath Lv4 ( UP ) ```````````````````` Titan A wandering Stone Golem, once a guardian of an ancient ruin. Upon being tamed by Takumi, he had been provided a body made of adamantite alloy and mithril alloy by his master. Name: Titan ( Takumi Irumas Familiar ) Race: Guardian Golem Age: 23,121 Level: 125 Condition: ??? Vitality: 12,820 Magic Power: 5,520 Strength: 2,820 Agility: 230 Stamina: 12,270 Dexterity: 170 Intelligence: 220 Unique Skills Reformation Lv8 Light of Judgment Lv3 Passive Skills Superhuman Strength Lv8 Physical Resistance Lv10 Magic Resistance Lv6 ( UP ) Active Skills Taijutsu Lv8 ( UP ) Bludgeon Technique Lv8 ( UP ) Shield Technique Lv4 ( UP ) Presence Detection Lv5 Magic Perception Lv5 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Equipment Rocket Punch Magic Jet Propeller *** Chapter 97: Wedgefort functions as a wedge Chapter 97: Wedgefort functions as a wedge The swarm of monsters that attacked Wedgefort have mostly been suppressed. The monsters that ran away likely wouldnt approach Wedgefort for a while either. After the battle, we stayed in an inn at Wedgefort and slept like logs until the afternoon the next day. Drastically leveling up, Marnie, whose status values were on the rise, was perplexed by her own change. ......Wow, its like it isnt me. Its because your level was low before that you instantly level up just by dealing the finishing blow, Marnie. Thats right, with this, you can make progress with dagger training, too. It seems that to Maria, a maid must learn to use assassination techniques at any cost. Just what could Moulin-san have indoctrinated in Maria? For the time being, I was thinking we could relax at Wedgefort, but theres no problem with that, right? Yes, we are in no hurry to accept a request. The requests were pertaining to are not the requests of the Adventurers Guild, but those of the Papeck Company and Margrave Voltons for magic devices and different kinds of potions. Now then, Im hungry so shall we go to the restaurant? Yes. Listen, Heath, I wanna know what type of guy that Takumi is. Mm? About Takumi-kun? I met him maybe around 2 years ago. I first met him when he came with us to Volton from Bohd, a rural village. At that time, the Papeck Company bought a bunch of things from him. I wonder if he was a blacksmith and a pharmacist. A blacksmith and pharmacist? He wasnt an adventurer? In the bar next to the inn at Wedgefort, Merilda, the leader of the Crimson Rose was asking Heath, the leader of the Lions Fang, about Takumi. The participation of Takumis group yesterday had been a shock to Merilda. Thats right. But the next time we worked together was when we went hunting for Treants in the outskirts of the Forest of Death, I think. You probably know Doganbo-san, the dwarven blacksmith living in Volton. It looked like he was going to dig for ores with Doganbo-san at Horuas, but that was the second time we worked together. Merilda could not believe her ears when she heard from Heath that, at that time, it hadnt even been a year since Takumi registered as an adventurer. Well, Treants are not that difficult of a monster, but they arent something for a newbie to hunt so soon after his registration. Well, Takumi-kun was hunting even in Bohd Village, so I dont think hes just a newbie. The image of Takumi yesterday was burned into Merildas eyes. Rushing into the middle of the monsters, moving freely as he clutched a spear in one hand and a sword on the other, defeating the monsters. Moreover, she lost sight of the flashy and violent Takumi at times during the battle. Suddenly monster blood sprays, then Takumi could be seen at that spot. The next moment, Takumis figure would disappear again. Merilda said that to Heath. Ah, thats probably the Stealth skill, right? If it was the Stealth skill, even Linda, who is a scout in my party, would have noticed, but it likely wasnt Stealth. Maybe, but I think he used a magic item that enhances Stealth. In actuality, its the effect of the cloak that even grants a +Inhibit Perception, but Takumi didnt discuss their equipment to anyone else aside from his household, so there was no way for Heath to have known. A magic item?! Maybe its Takumis own creation. Merilda could understand if it was found from a dungeon treasure chest or at an ancient ruin, but shes never heard of a magic item made by an artisan or an alchemist that has an effect to such a degree. After leaving his subordinate in charge with the post-processing and returning to Volton, Knight Leader Dorn went to the castle to report to Godwin the following day. In one room in the royal castle at Tivaal, the royal capital of Triaria Kingdom. Two men were having a private talk there. Can this town called Wedgefort be assailed? ........................ When the Minister of Armed Forces, Valacan, was asked this by King Mercules, he could not voice his opposition. Eventually, he opened his mouth and out came his words. Difficult......, no, that would be pretentious. I believe it is impossible. Firstly, marching through the savage lands is a suicidal act. If we were to circumvent it, the burden would be too great and unrealistic. We can not march inside Lomaria Kingdom either? If we were to do that, we would be at war with the alliance of Lomaria Kingdom and Valkyra Kingdom. It would be too perilous for our country, which has only just recovered from the liabilities from the war with Yggurle Kingdom 50 years ago. Yes, that is so. A heavy atmosphere circulated between the two. However, for such a large fortress city to suddenly appear in a place like that. With the large flood of monsters on this occasion, the monsters in their surroundings would settle down for a while. The matter regarding Wedgefort was taken in by Valkyra Kingdom. Nevertheless, it would likely be impossible for us even if we gather earth magic users. Isnt there a plan to recover from this hopeless situation? King Mercules sank into a sea of thoughts. At the Divine Empire of Sydnia, information that held a sense of impending danger was received. In a mere few months, the fortress town Wedgefort was completed? An impregnable fortress town with a firm foothold in savage lands? Pope Warvaal had a dazed expression as he read the report he received. Why Gods work did not occur at our country, but in that of the Genesis Faiths is something I do not understand. Musudan-dono, it is an exaggeration to call it Gods work. They must have mobilized a mass of Earth magic users. Prime Minister Musudans remark on Gods work was remonstrated by Head Magician Homer. That aside, is it not surprising that they resolved the matter of a flood of tens of thousands of monsters with seemingly no damage? Holy Knight Leader Packard learned from the report of a spy that the monsters were eradicated by the reinforcements consisting of adventurers who rushed in from Volton town and knights dispatched by Margrave Volton. He wondered what if it had happened in his own country, and cold sweats ran down his back unceasingly. It is a year until the hero summoning. When that happens, the time will come for the Divine Empire of Sydnia, the Light God Faith, to conquer the continent. The first imperial princess Elizabeth said to have a little bit more patience. Afterwards, when the detailed information came in, they learned that the adventurer party known as Wings of Norn had played a very large role in it. Thus Pope Warvaal and the others had gotten the wrong impression that the Wings of Norn were members of the Genesis Faith and had restrained themselves from carelessly starting a fight. Not sending in more zealots causing Takumis group to be able to have a peaceful time was an ironic result. *** Footnotes: In case it isnt clear why they ask if Wedgefort is a wedge, a wedge is technically a material having one thick end and tapering to a thin edge, that is driven between two objects or parts of an object to secure or separate them. So you can think of it as something that can stop something from moving, like a door stopper. But it can also be a simple machine that splits things apart, like an axe cutting through a log. In the novels case, Wedgefort is a very strong and secure door stopper against monsters and possible invaders. Sphys Note: Im grateful to people who point out mistakes, but please dont be rude and accusatory about it. Its really demotivating. Im sorry if this ruins anyones day / mood. In any case, lets all just talk about the chapter~ we dont need to be gloomy, Ive vented enough in the previous page! Thank you for reading and for the encouraging comments! ^^ Chapter 98: A brief time of peace Chapter 98: A brief time of peace Some time had passed since the large flood of monsters at Wedgefort, and were back in Volton. Actually, we were relieved from duty the day after the flood, but Marnie, whose level had suddenly risen, was eager to go out and Kaede, who had evolved from an Archenie to an Arachne, wanted to check her bodys rhythm, so we went looking for monsters around Wedgefort. Having turned into an Arachne, Kaedes spider lower half had gotten one size larger, and the appearance of her top half changed from that of a small child to one of a female high school student. Furthermore, she acquired Dark attribute magic, so she seems to be having fun with magic training. Since returning to Volton, we havent attended Barack-sans training at the Adventurers Guild. Currently, we train just by ourselves at the garden at home. Its been a while since weve had nothing to do. Since weve been so busy as of late, lets rest our bodies. Everyone, we have tea. Marnie and Maria had brewed some tea and brought it here. We baked cookies today. Let me see, ......yup, the smell of butter is nice. Cookies are tasty! Kaede evolved, but her mental age hasnt changed that much. Well, it cant be helped since its only been 5 or 6 years since she was born.[1] Really though, making butter and cheese had turned out well. Our menu has increased thanks to that. Previously, we enthusiastically bought large quantities of things at Quilbas. And from the milk we stored in the Item Box, we had success in the production of heavy cream, butter, and cheese. To coagulate cheese, we would have to use rennet that comes from the abomasum of calves and lambs, but if I remember correctly, I heard that there was rennet that comes from mold[2] used in modern times. For now, we used rennet retrieved from calves to make our first cheese. Kaede likes pizza! Then how about we make some with everyone again? I made a pizza oven[3] in the backyard to bake pizzas. We use a magic gas burner in the kitchen at the house, but I purposefully made a pizza stove that burns firewood. The smoke would give it a smoky flavor, wouldnt it? Still, these cookies are delicious. I wasnt able to eat sweet things back then. I want my brother to taste this, too. Laeva, cookies keep for a long time so wouldnt it be alright to send some? If you like, why not even cast a State Preservation enchantment on the box? Thats right, if thats the case then how about sending a variety of other foodstuff too? Eh!? Is that alright?ViiSiit for latest novels When Sophia and I said that its alright to send cookies made with plenty of expensive sugar and butter, Laeva was shocked as well as delighted. No, ale is fermented on the surface so its easy to make the machinery, and as for the wine, the taste still isnt there. Thats not the case. It is not the best wine, but I think it has a flavor between first and second class. Techniques for making alcohol is kept secret even in Mildgard. It is monopolized by a small amount of nobles and the church. Cheap alcohol like ale seem to be made everywhere, but I cant bring myself to drink lukewarm ale. After dinner, I filled the bath with hot water using magic. This is pretty much my job. I made it so that the bath in this mansion is big enough that 5-6 people can enter at one time and still be spacious, and Im in charge of filling it since I have plenty of magic power, and have both the fire and water attribute. Next, please raise your right hand. ...... yeah. Okay, I will wash the left hand. I will wash the back. Yep, lately Ive been taking baths together with Sophia, Maria, and Marnie. Originally it was either Sophia or Maria that entered, but before I knew it, it had been decided that wed enter together since Marnie arrived. Fuu~, baths definitely feel good. Its very luxurious, isnt it? Thats true, except for nobles, there isnt a habit of taking baths. In my village, the best we could do is bathe in the river. Baths arent common in this world. There doesnt seem to be anyone like me that would use magic to fill a bath. Theres probably a magic device that would fill and warm the water, but I was told that it would be too expensive that only high ranking nobles could have it. Then how about we make a magic device? Lets see, if that were the case, then the bath can be filled with water even if it isnt Takumi-sama who does it. In the bathtub that had room to fit four people comfortably, I slowly warmed myself up surrounded by beautiful women and a pretty girl. Please excuse me. Today, the one who entered my room was Sophia. Adding Marnie to the rotation, I had one day off. Thanks to the exceedingly superior body made specially by Goddess Norn, I overdid it today too. *** Footnotes: Author mistake again. She was 5 when Takumi first got her, and 2 years have passed since then so she should be around 7 years old... but I wonder if I should just follow what is written on the raws because the errors typically persist.General rennet information and the 4 types can be found here.An example of a pizza oven here. Chapter 99: Tremor of Magic Power Chapter 99: Tremor of Magic Power Welcoming winter in my 3rd year coming to Mildgard, I created a magic device that pours out hot water meant for the masses, and had put it on sale at Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Samandour Kingdom through the Papeck Company. Sales were promising and keeping the price low helped, but regardless of how big the bath is, a large magic stone is necessary, so it hasnt spread to the general public. Reaching a point where we could pause at production, we proactively accepted requests at the Adventurers Guild. Thanks to that, everyones guild rank rose, and weve become Voltons top party in both name and reality. In fact, Barack-san has made an approach about a promotion to A rank. However, even Heath-san and the others are B rank, so for me, someone whos been an adventurer for 2 years, to be promoted to A rank would be too conspicuous and goes too far. Thats why I requested to stay at B rank for at least a year.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m It has been a long time, Takumi-sama. Yes it has, Papeck-san. When we were relaxing at Volton, the president of the Papeck Company Papeck-san, whose physique is somewhat better than before, paid us a visit. Papeck-san, its rare for you to come personally. What can I do for you today? Yes, with the success of Wedgefort town, Valkyra Kingdoms ally Lomaria Kingdom wants a fortress in the savage lands and has a request. We will do the fortress? No no, that will result in Valkyra Kingdoms influence becoming too strong. An alliance is not one unless it is equal, after all. The commission they want Takumi-sama to accept is a highway from Wedgefort to Lomarias direction that is of the same standard as the highway from Volton to Wedgefort. At present, path from Wedgefort to Lomaria through the savage lands is a highway only in name. In reality, its a hairy animal trail. There is quite a distance from Wedgefort to Lomarias side, isnt there? Yes, it is around 300 km to Lomarias border. The fortress Lomaria is constructing is 50 km away from their national border, therefore they would like for Takumi-sama to lay down a 250 km highway. Its a considerable distance from Volton, but my Long Warp has improved quite a bit, so it doesnt consume that much magic power if its to Volton and Wedgefort. If we return to the mansion to sleep, we wouldnt have to go out of our way to camp. We warped to the outskirts of Wedgefort, then Kaede, Tsubaki, and Titan got out of the Subspace and they guarded us while we worked on the highway. The highway is compacted and leveled, the dirt surface is changed to stone, and paving the highway is being completed at our walking speed. On the 10th day of highway construction and monster subjugation, the location of the fortress that Lomaria is constructing came in sight. Weve finally reached it. Coming to this area, there are even fewer monsters. Maria and I were making the road while walking when, at that moment, we felt a fluctuation of magic power from far away. Wha!? What was that just now!? Eh?! Master! I sensed some gross magic power! Maybe it was because everyone in our party was proficient in Magic Perception that we felt it. And I realized the source of this fluctuation of magic power. (Theres only one thing that would require enough magic power to affect the whole continent. These days, Ive been having too much happiness with Sophia and everyone everyday so I got careless. Today three years ago was the day I arrived at Mildgard. Correct, this is the day the Divine Empire of Sydnia summoned the heroes. Im confident that what we felt just now was definitely the effect of activating the forbidden magic of hero summoning. And I somewhat understand why Norn-sama added an amendment so that this magic could never again be activated in this world. In addition to the act of kidnapping beings from another world, this magic brings about a strain to this world too. *** Chapter 100: Countermeasure meeting Chapter 100: Countermeasure meeting Having finished the highway from Wedgefort to Lomarias fortress, we returned to our mansion in Volton. I had Sophia and the others gather to talk about the fluctuation of magic power that happened when we were almost done with the highway construction. Sophia, Maria, Laeva, Marnie, I want you to swear to never tell anyone what Im about to say. Certainly. I am Takumis slave, I would not disobey Takumi-samas wishes. Thats right. Sophia-san and I are the same. Regarding Sophia and Maria, I trust that they wouldnt betray me even if I release them from slavery. Me too, I am much too indebted to Takumi-sama that it couldnt be put into words, so I would never tell anyone. I wouldnt talk even if I am tortured. No, if youre tortured, you can talk. I retorted Laevas extreme remark. I want her to take care of herself more than keep the secret. I am the only one that isnt a slave of MasterHusband. Therefore, may I ask you to make me your slave too, Takumi-sama? No no no, you dont owe me anything so you will not become a slave. I could see from Marnies eyes that her request wasnt a joke. It looked like she said it in earnest. No, Takumi-sama, I dont think it is bad. Marnie-san is a Rabbitkin. The Rabbitkin is a race prized by nobles and wealthy merchants as pet slaves. It appears that the Rabbitkin, whom are lacking in combat ability as Beastkin, are largely targeted in slave hunts. Despite the law and the doctrine of the Genesis faith prohibiting the discrimination and illegal slavery of Beastkin, and there are a few in this country and at Lomaria Kingdom, I believe that becoming Takumis slave is an option to guarantee Marnies safety. Sophia jumped in with that recommendation. Injuring or stealing anothers slave without reason. This is apparently a crime sentenceable with severe punishment even if one is a noble. I think that until Takumi-sama has the influence and power to go even against a high-ranking noble, this is necessary. But Maria, if I had to say, then Id want to set everyone free though. Of course, that is under the assumption that everyone would be at my side just as we are now. For the time being, I had everyone give up on the matter with Marnie becoming a slave so we could continue the discussion. When we were almost done with the highway construction just recently, everyone sensed the fluctuation of magic power, right? Has an occurrence like that happened until now? Everyone exchanged glances at my question and shook their heads. Sophia seems to have understood what I wanted to say. In this world, it is easy to understand that there is no enemy to mankind like those known as a Demon LordMaou. The DevilsMazoku are simply a race just like Humans and Elves are. Controlling monsters........., it doesnt happen. Rather, DevilsMazoku are a harmless race that live in small groups. With all that, what is the meaning in expressly summoning heroes? The cost of using forbidden magic just to exterminate monsters doesnt fit. They intend to start a war with other countries, dont they? Fighting power of a scale to start a war is impossible no matter how many heroes there are. I think its about terrorism, but............ A Light God Faith propaganda? Possibly. There would likely be a number of people that would be deceive by the jarring words of heroes. The radical zealots of the Light God Faith seem to love singing to the tune of a holy war, too. I felt really displeased with the likelihood of what Sophia said turning into reality being high. Even on Earth, be it in the past and present, theres been no end to strife related to religion. Especially when the number of people lessens, the more radical they become. I have no intention of concerning myself with war and religion, but I have a debt of gratitude towards Goddess Norn who had given me a second life. Above all, Margrave Volton and His Majesty are here and have warmly received someone like myself into the country. I dont want this country to be laid to waste. Thats right, we dont have to be in the forefront, but I want us to do what we can. I have the strength so its not that big a deal, but I wouldnt just stay silent and watch if everybodys peaceful lives were threatened either. But what will Sydnia do? Basically taking a waiting stance is vexing. If I can, I dont want to fight people from the same place as me though. It is likely that Japanese youth were summoned. I just wish that those Japanese, summoned as heroes, would act rationally. *** Sphys Note: Thanks for reading! Weve reached 100 (106 + 2ccs, but whos counting right?)! I fell asleep before I could set the scheduled post. Woops? xD Well, I woke up just now in a panic and hurried to make the post. lol Ah~ way to go for the 100th Sphy facepalm. xD Anywho~ I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Im heading back to sleep~ Chapter 101: Get Stronger Chapter 101: Get Stronger We decided on one plan. Lets get stronger so we cant lose to anyone! Yes! (Kaaay!) Going by my conjecture, we discussed that, whether Sydnia uses the armed might of the heroes for acts of terrorism or the zealots actively starting a propaganda with the heroes, we will get stronger so that we can adapt and respond to the situation when they target Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom. One is to raise our guild ranks. Once we become A rank and above, with just that, we cant be taken lightly, and our influence and freedom of action increases. At present, the number of adventurers A rank and above in this continent does not exceed 50. There appear to be 2 S rank adventurers. I am currently B rank, Sophia is likewise B rank, Maria rose to C rank, and even Laeva has risen to D rank. Marnie is E rank, but because her rank is low, I think it would be quick to raise. Our goal is to each raise our ranks by one. Another is that because Im bound to many royalties contracts, my presence at the Papeck Company and even the Commerce Guild continues to grow, so I thought I should also increase my influence on the economic front. In relation to the nobility, I think I have no choice but to believe in Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, and His Majesty the King. And when it comes to getting stronger quickly, theres only one thing to do. Zuba! Zashu! Takumi-sama! Leave it to me! Zuba! Right now were at the Forest of Death, a monster nest inhabited by strong monsters, close to Volton. We entered from the outer edge we went to before and were subjugating monsters that attack.Discover new chapters at If A rank monsters appear more frequently the farther in we go, then even we who find it difficult to level up can level up plenty. Fuu, how about we end things here and return for the day? I agree, even Takumi-sama and myself whove reached Lv100 rose by a few levels, so let us finish here today. Ive also reached 100, you know. And so, the ones who crossed Lv100 are 3 people, Sophia, Maria, and myself. Laeva is already 80, and Marnie is over 60, so weve done more than enough today. At this pace, everyone will be able to reach Lv100 before long. Yes, when that happens, unless it is something too great, we can get out of various traps and predicaments we may get caught in. So that I will not drag Master down, I will devote myself to this even more. Today, the red eyes of Marnie, the one who leveled the most, were sparkling and showing her eagerness. Even if the current Marnie was attacked by a slave-hunting thief, she could probably turn the tables on them. Now then, well transfer close to Volton, so everyone come closer. They dont particularly need to cling to me, but Sophia, Maria, Laeva, and Marnie embraced me tightly. Even Kaede, who can go into the Subspace, was clinging to me. Lets go! The next second, we transferred to an area where Volton town could be seen. We then walked and passed through the gate, then at the Adventurers Guild, we looked if there were requests for material delivery. If there were, we then accept the requests, and if there arent, we sell the materials. Thanking the gatekeeper golems, we returned to the mansion and everyone entered the bath. Maria, Marnie, and I made dinner. Once we finished the meal, we entered our bedrooms to get ready for an early day tomorrow. Even so, the rotation seems to be absolute. Its Marnie tonight. *** Chapter 102: The Heroes of the Light God Faith Chapter 102: The Heroes of the Light God Faith Were making progress with our plan to raise our strength. We spent everyday busily, like with the manufacturing and development of magic devices, and production of various potions and development of advanced potions. On one such day, when we turned up at the Adventurers Guild, Hans-san said that a notification arrived to all branches stating that the Divine Empire of Sydnia performed a hero summoning. Apparently there were 3 people, a pair of young boys and a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Has the Light God Faith said anything? Yep, theyve been saying how theyre the mightiest of all the countries for having summoned heroes, and the Light God Churches in Lomaria Kingdom and Valkyra Kingdom seem to be making rounds. A propaganda, isnt it? The Light God Faith wouldnt miss this opportunity to increase their influence in Valkyra and Lomaria, now would they? Wouldnt that be impossible since theyre racist? I think theyre that foolish to not understand that though. It appears the Light God Church plans to use the the heroes as publicity for a while. I imagine theyve probably just been summoned and are currently in the middle of being brainwashed since theyre young and naive. Theyll probably start moving for real once the heroes have been fully trained as weapons of war. After all, the heroes were like nuclear bombs and Sydnia had the launch codes. I still didnt know at this time that the heroes, who didnt receive Goddess Norns divine protection, were frankly not all that. But, I did gain something too. It was said that the 3 people summoned were two boys and a girl, but they didnt seem to be the Japanese with black hair and eyes. Did Goddess Norn make a mistake when she told me theyd also be Japanese or did Sydnia lie? Takumi-kun has a connection to the zealots of the Light God Faith but Im not that worried since youve caught them once. Theyll come to the royal capital of Valkyra, right? They probably will. Our country has few believers of the Light God Faith, after all. There will naturally be fewer believers of the Light God Faith in multiracial countries like Valkyra, Lomaria, and Samandour. The royal capital of each country has a church of the Light God Faith, but there werent that many other cities that had it. For feudal lords, theyd either similarly be human supremacists or theyre a greedy bunch that got money when a church of the Light God Faith was erected in their land. Moving along, there is a designated request from the Papeck Company for Takumi-kuns party as they always do because the Papeck Company loves Takumi-kun so much. Escort a merchant unit until the capital, but this request can serve as Maria-kun and Laeva-kuns rank up exam. Also, the Volton branch has recommended Takumi-kun and Sophia-kun to A rank, so if it is approved, you will publicly rank up to A rank at the the guild at the royal capital And so, its a nominated request, but what will you do? ...Id really rather not go to the royal capital right now, but okay. Tch, cant this carriage stop shaking? My butt hurts a lot. Akira Jinguji spouted abusive language. Still sore from yesterday? Lol A muscular young man with short black hair, Yamato Taiga, answered thus. THAT I WOULD EVER Slash. And then his legs. LIKE SOMEONE AS DISGUSTING AS YOU!? ARRRGH! you c-crazy bitch. Just wait till I get hea` Stab. She didnt stop. GAAAAAH. Slash. Stab. Slash. ... After what felt like an eternity, silence descended. Bloodied bodies lay strewn in the carriage. I was going to escape but I realized leaving dogs like you to become stronger will be bad for everyone. Akane looked at the bodies of her former classmates. She got along well with them when they were still on Earth, but this world had changed them, forming a crack in the bond they had, with the divide only growing larger as time passed. Sydnia had tainted them so much she could no longer see a hint of their former selves, and it made her heart ache. (The root of all this is Sydnia. The evil that they are must be stopped.) ... Witnessing the violent act done by her master Lulu, Akanes exclusive maid, was speechless. She had witnessed Akane grow increasingly hateful of the two and the country during the months she had been in Sydnia. But she didnt expect that their remarks would cause her master to snap, or that she would be capable of this. Lulu was overwhelmed with complicated thoughts and feelings. What should she do now? (I had a feeling something good will happen at Valkyra Kingdom. But maybe, this is better.) I need to leave now, will you come with me, Lulu? Following her rage instead of the Divine Oracle she received from Norn-sama whom the Genesis Faith worships, Akane destroyed the entire plot of the story. Previous | TOC | Next Hey, you got pranked! Click Next to get the real chapter! Sphys Note: Thanks for reading and Happy April Fools Day! Granted, its still march for most of the world, but its april here now, so thats all that matters! Perks of being in an earlier time zone is people arent prepared yet when you make a prank chapter xD In any case, despite it not being a custom where Im from, I reaaally wanted to do an AFD chapter because my friend said shes releasing one on her site and encouraged me to do the same. lol Sorry if you didnt enjoy it or find it entertaining. The real chapter can be found by clicking Next. P.S. This AFD chapter gave me the opportunity to stab the two fools. Oh the satisfaction. P.S.S. Apparently many people dont read my notes and didnt realize this was a fake chapter. xD Please read my ramblings sometimes! Chapter 103: 103: The Heroes are Misguided Brats Chapter 103: 103: The Heroes are Misguided Brats When we finally arrived at the royal capital, we separated from the merchant unit and headed to the Adventurers Guild to submit the proof of request completion. Congratulations. Takumi-sama and Sophia-san have ranked up to A rank, Maria-san to B rank, Laeva-san to C rank, and Marnie-san to D rank. Please look after your guild cards. Thank you. Receiving the reward for the escort request, our guild cards were updated and we were congratulated. Then, when we moved to the check the request board, it happened. The area around the guilds entrance got noisy, and when I turned to look, young people with black hair and eyes wearing flashy silver and sparkly armor, entered the guild with their attendants. Not wanting to get involved, I walked towards the request board, and Sophia and the girls followed. To come across them in a place like this, how unlucky of us. Those two boys and one girl are unmistakably Japanese. Yes, the heroes summoned by Sydnia. Oi, look! Its an elf! Amazing! Ooh! Akira, theres rabbit ears and fox ears over there! They talked in loud voices and I could hear their footsteps coming closer. Ah, these guys are no good. Oi! You over there! Haa, so troublesome. As someone who had been dragged into their hero summoning and essentially dying, I dont remember being called you. What do you think youre doing ignoring me!? Haa~, can I help you? I looked in the direction of the fool who addresses another in a manner thats too loud and oppressive. Youve got some fine women with you, dontcha? Ill buy them from you. Thats right! Well buy your slaves. I refuse. Well then, if that is all then please excuse us. Its gotten troublesome so I signaled to the girls with my eyes that were leaving the guild. I told you to wait, didnt I!? Dont think you can get away scot-free if you defy us! Be quiet and sell those girls to us! Thats right! If you dont want to get hurt, then do as we say! You guys! Stop it! Have you gone mad?! Dont disgrace yourselves acting like this! Shut up! Akane, you keep quiet! Fine jewels like these are hard to find even in Sydnia. Theyll be happier being our slaves than with that guy! The girl told the idiot duo blurting out thug-like lines to stop, but the two smiled vulgarly. It hasnt even been a year since these guys were summoned to Mildgard, so what happened to make these boys like this? One is handsome and the other looks like a cool athlete, however, their faces that were probably popular in Japan have completely changed to evil ones. The surrounding adventurers hurled angry shouts at the boys. Tch! Dont think youre getting away with going against the Light God Faith! The two boys and their attendants left the Adventurers Guild to escape. Everyone, my apologies. The girl left behind and her Catkin girl attendant apologized. No, you dont have to apologize. When I said that, maybe the anger of the surrounding adventurers lessened as they dispersed, going to the bar or the request board. When we started heading out of the guild, the girl called out to us. Umm, may I please have your name? I am Akane Misato. Leader of the Wings of Norn, Takumi Iruma. !! Surprised to hear my name, I gestured with my index finger to my lips before she could raise her voice. If you need me for something, we plan to stay at the Lakeside Hotel so, do it then. I said that to the girl and left the guild. Arriving at the royal capital of Valkyra Kingdom, we were captivated when we saw the magical spectacle of the castle seemingly floating on the lake. Afterwards, we went to the Light God Church to give our greetings, then Akira and Yamato started talking about wanting to explore the town. It would be a source of trouble if the two went alone, so Lulu and I went out to town with them. The royal capital of Valkyra Kingdom was very clean. I couldnt smell the awful stench that has been tormenting me since coming to this world. I heard this country began popularizing the Purifier MD. Akira and Yamato said they wanted to go to the Adventurers Guild. That reeks only of trouble. Sure enough, the two were guilty of it as soon as they entered the guild. Oi, look! Its an elf! Amazing! Ooh! Akira, theres rabbit ears and fox ears over there! There, a well featured silver-haired young man, a peerless beauty of an elf the likes that cant be seen on earth, a red-haired beautiful girl, a Foxkin beautiful girl, and a voluptuous Rabbitkin beauty could be found. After that, the idiot duo had been awful. Thats because he suddenly drew a sword and slashed at someone. Nevertheless, the silver haired young man, I dont know what he did, but Akiras sword was destroyed. He even threw down Yamato, who took a swing, easily. The idiot duo were enraged, but they turned meek when they noticed the seething adventurers in the immediate area had surrounded them. When the idiot duo gave a parting threat and stormed out of the guild, I apologized to the silver haired young man. There, I introduced myself and he also gave his name, but I almost exclaimed in my surprise. Takumi Iruma. His appearance had no Japanese traits, but he had a Japanese name Ive never heard elsewhere in this world. They were apparently staying at the high class inn, Lakeside Hotel. I decided to sneak away from the church and meet him. My Divine Oracle skill supported me on this. *** Chapter 104: 104: Circumstances of the Hero Chapter 104: 104: Circumstances of the Hero After the trouble at the Adventurers Guild, we arrived at the Lakeside Hotel. Unfortunately, there was no other available room but their best room, though our current selves had enough money to stay there for even a few years. Even so, Sydnias heroes were vulgar people, werent they? Yeah. They stared at us with their lecherous eyes. Thats right. They were particularly eyeing Sophia-san and Marnie-san like theyd taste them. ......uu, just remembering it disgusts me. The only one alright to look at us is MasterHusband. Sophia was disappointed at the heroes, Maria and Laeva remembered their unpleasant stares, and Marnie had goosebumps when she remembered. Master, those heroes are from the same place as Master, right? Having come out of the Subspace, Kaede ate sweets and relaxed as she asked. Yeah, its disappointing. Even if the girl called Akane is different, those two are impossible. I wonder if theyre aware theyre being called crooked heroes. Having the backing of a religious organization, how can they act like thugs? But theyre touring each nation as part of the Light God Faiths propaganda, arent they? Sophia asked strangely. Thats right. Theyll likely be the at the head. Indeed. In the first place, in countries like this where a variety of races live, the majority would not support the Human Supremacy doctrine that the Light God Faith sings praises of. Only Sydnia and Triaria would. Of course, the Elven country and Dwarven country have no church. When we were relaxing, we were informed of a visitor. Its probably the girl called Akane from a while ago. The ones who entered after knocking on the door were the young lady known as Akane and the 10 year old Catkin girl attendant that we had encountered at the Adventurers Guild. The Catkin attendant was naturally a slave of Sydnia, but she didnt have a slave mark but was affixed with a slave collar.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m The difference between the slave mark and the slave collar is that the slave mark is a slavery contract based on the laws of that country used to bind a slave. There is no life-threatening punishment even if an act violates the contract. On the other hand, if an order is defied or if the contract is violated, the slave collar tightens and takes the life of the slave. It is only used for criminal slaves in this country. For Sydnia, it seems it is standard to attach a slave collar to all slaves aside from the human race. Welcome, this way please. Marnie, who is wearing a maid outfit, led the young lady who calls herself Akane to the sofa. I will introduce myself once more. I am Akane Misato ߥ, no, Misato Akane_ . This is frank of me to ask, however, Takumi Iruma-san, you dont look Japanese, but are you a descendant of a Japanese ancestor summoned in the past? The young lady in front of me asked with a serious expression. Among the three summoned, only she realized the ulterior motives of Sydnia and was waiting for an opportunity to escape. Moreover, for those two to not notice is strange, but my heart is not hard enough to abandon these two girls. Dispel Kacha, the slave collar on the Catkin attendant made a sound and fell. ?! The collar! The collar is off! Eh!? Tears welled as Lulu-chan touched her neck. Akane-san was surprised and looked at me. Its better that that collar is removed. Th-thank you very much! I assumed it likely had good-for-nothing conditions on it, so I judged that it would be better to remove that slave collar. Like shed be strangled if she leaves a fixed range. For now until things settle down, it would be better if youre at the house I have in Volton town. Thats true. I believe it would give peace of mind since Titan is also there. Master, Kaede will also return to the house? Hiiih! Seeing the Arachne Kaede, Lulu let out a small scream. Even though Kaede has always been in this room, Lulu must have been so tense that she didnt notice. Dont worry. Kaede is my familiar so shes a companion. After that, I took Akane-san and Lulu-chan to Volton and entrusted them to Titan and Kaede[2], then I teleported back to the royal capital. (Now then, I have another job to do.) I wore the Overcoat of Existence Concealment, activated the Stealth skill and snuck into the Light God Church in the royal capital, left a parting gift for the hero party, and returned to Sophia and the others. Theyre temporarily sheltered at my home, but I think I should ask for the cooperation of people like Margrave Volton. My house is already being monitored by the zealots, after all. Im sure that right about now, the church officials were moving about in immense confusion. *** Footnotes: Dogeza C kneeling directly on the ground and bowing to prostrate oneself. It can be for pleading, asking for forgiveness, or respect. Example here. Now, these next examples are more.....desperate... LOL so to say. Attack Evasion | Ultimate dogeza (has to be one of my favorites). Typo. Says Akane instead of Kaede. Sphys Note: Thanks for reading~ Since many of us are recommended to stay at home, heres something for everyone to enjoy passing the time for FREE. BOOKWALKER and J Novel Club are giving everyone access to 50+ officially translated LNs [english] for the entire month of April through the BOOKWALKER app. Its available on IOS and Android app stores. Of course, not everything is free but it does still offer a wide variety of stories. So, do check it out in your devices app store if youre interested. (They also have it on web browser, but I prefer reading on my device). Anyway, Ive got this annoying headache that wont go away right now. So yeah, might be even less responsive. Stil, lets all try to stay good and healthy. >w< Chapter 105: 105: Religious Conflict Chapter 105: 105: Religious Conflict Inside the extravagant church of the Light God Faith in Valkyratos, the angry voice of a minister[1] resounded. What do you mean?! M-my apologies! The Light God Church in Valkyra Kingdoms capital was in turmoil. Of course they would be. One of the heroes they summoned after accumulating magic power for a long time, and even sacrificing who knows how many humans for, had vanished. They knew that she went out with her maid. There were people monitoring Akane to strangle the cute beastkin attendant wearing a slave collar, assigned to her should the girls stray too far from a church priest. They were around 10 in number. The entire surveillance personnel lost contact and did not return. The church had fallen into a panic. These surveillance personnel were dealt with by Kaede in secret. They disappeared from the royal capital, not knowing who killed them. Was this the doing of the Genesis Faith?! Compose yourself! A young priest showed his bare animosity of the Genesis Faith to the minister. He was remonstrated by the minister.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Oi oi, why is everyone all panicked? Akira and Yamato came upon seeing the church staff moving around in a fluster. Ooh, Akira-dono and Yamato-dono, the whereabouts of Akane-dono is unknown. Might you know where she could be? Wha! That bitch Akane ran away?! Tch, I was planning on making her my woman someday......... but she ran away. Yamato and Akira concluded that Akane ran away. Akira was aiming for Akane. Akane measures up to the standard of this world where many beautiful ladies and pretty girls existed. When they went to the same high school, they were a little bit closer, but since the summoning, theyve been in opposition many times. The problems were practically all from Akira and Yamatos side, but they themselves do not realize this. Yeah, cuz shes got a nice bod. Totally, I wanted to have a taste. The war Sophia participated in 50 years ago was officially a war of aggression between Triaria and Yggurle, but naturally, Sydnia was moving behind the scenes. In that war, we had been too hasty. Without preparation, an absurd enforcement of a long march through the savage lands was done to circumvented Valkyra and Lomaria. We must reflect on this. ............I heard that Valkyra and Lomaria have begun construction of forts in the savage lands. That is slightly incorrect. Lomaria has what could be called a fort close to their national border, however, Valkyra Kingdom had built a fortress city that can repulse tens of thousands of troops. Wha! Is that true?! When it comes to minister-class church officials of the Light God Faith, various information gathered. The fight between the fortress town Wedgefort and the tens of thousands of monsters was already known. And the obtained information was even detailed to some extent. An adequate analysis showed that it would likely be difficult for the entire army of Triaria to fell Wedgefort if they were to try. .................. The face of the priest turned pale hearing that. Of course it would. Sydnia does not have territorial greed, but they find it unacceptable for a country that encourages policies on racial harmony to build up its strength. That is because it leads to the decline of the Light God Church. Valkyra and Lomaria have begun to develop the savage lands which was essentially land riddled with countless numbers of small scale monster nests. This reclamation of the savage lands overflowing with monster nests was a feat no one had previously succeeded in doing over a period of many years. The city wedged into the wilderness, Wedgefort, had shocked the Light God Faith. Is there a possibility that the savage lands would be developed? Not in its entirety, but a trade route to Lomaria and a trade route to Samandour that does not pass through Triaria might possibly be opened soon. Wha?! Isnt that serious!? At present, for Samandour thats at the south of the continent and Valkyra to trade, there is a need to pass through Triaria. The savage lands on the west side of Triaria are too dangerous to be trade routes, but it would be different if more fortress cities like Wedgefort are built. And this is unacceptable to both Triaria and Sydnia. Well, it likely wouldnt happen anytime soon. For now, we must return to the imperial capital with the heroes and report to the Pope. Everything else comes after that. The minister assigned personnel to search for Akane and hurried their preparation to return to the imperial capital. *** Footnotes: ˾ C Dont know what to translate it to other than minister since Ive previously translated to priest. Im not knowledgeable on religious ranks and googling it didnt help me, because it said priests and ministers are in different religions and its more of an umbrella term so theres no ranking. But for the sake of the story, the church rankings so far from lowest to highest are priest minister pope. Chapter 106: Treatment of the summoned Hero Chapter 106: Treatment of the summoned Hero On the way back to Volton, inside the carriage pulled by Tsubaki, we were having a discussion regarding how to treat Akane-san. We would have teleported back if it werent for a request, but we still wanted to avoid suspicion by returning too soon after an escort request. If we were to consider the security between taking shelter at Margrave Voltons castle and my house, it would definitely be the latter. Indeed. The performance of the security golems has greatly improved thanks to Titan, and when Kaede is at the mansion, intruders and the like cant slip through. No one can escape Kaedes threads, after all! Certainly, because of Titan, the AI of the security golems have developed remarkably. Two golems are stationed at the gate, and another two go around on patrol. Together, the four golems protect the mansion. When Kaede is at the mansion, she encloses the mansion grounds with her threads to make a boundary. Few monsters can avoid this boundary. Also, given that Marnie-san and I are Beastkins, we have good ears and noses. Thats right, the Rabbitkin are primarily a timid race, so we wouldnt miss trespassers because of our large ears. Furthermore, when Laeva and Marnie are at the mansion, they could detect intruders with their sharp senses, characteristic of Beastkins. Living in Margrave Voltons castle would likely be stressful, too. Living in a castle is a high hurdle for a Japanese person. Although Margrave Volton is a friendly person, it would cause mental tension even then. The current Akane-san cant protect herself, can she? It would be desirable for her current level to double, at the very least. Its the same for the two other heroes; Their levels were low and it didnt seem like their status growth was being amplified by divine protection. Going by levels, their current strength is around the same as those of a full fledged adventurer, but thats it. Its probably at the level where one could or couldnt reach C rank. When I said that to everyone, Sophia and the girls denied it. Takumi-sama, thats different. Takumi-sama is extraordinary, but the people you acknowledge as companions and your familiars level up and gain skills easier. Furthermore, even our growth rate isnt normal. All things considered, I believe that this effect of the divine protection is also allowed because of Goddess Norn-samas favor. Thats right, Master, even a Rabbitkin like myself, who was looked down on by other Beastkin, had grown to a level where I can pass as a full-fledged adventurer. Indeed, if its just believing in another god, there wouldnt be a problem if it supports the peoples hearts. Human supremacy is where we are in conflict. At the end of the day, its really that. In the doctrines of the Light God Faith, God first created the sea, the earth, and sky. Then, on land, God created Humans in his likeness, and prepared plants and animals for their nourishment. Later on, a wicked god manifested and created monsters and fairies. Then Beastkin were born from animals beasts, and Elves and Dwarves were born from fairies. The Light God Faith truly believe that the races aside from Human race are beings created by the wicked god, and it was the Humans God-given mission to control and rule over the other races. In the Genesis Faith, after Goddess Norn created the world, she gave birth to Humans who have average abilities, Beastkin who excel physically, Elves who have high affinity with spirits, Dwarves who are stubborn and dexterous with their fingers, and Mazoku who have high aptitude for magic. Goddess Norns miscalculation was likely the outbreak of monsters as a result of having created a world where magic power exists. There seem to have been various causes for the monster outbreak. Animals and insects that changed after growing up in places with dense magic power. Ghosts exposed to magic power, generating undead monsters. Magic cores created from magic power condensing and binding to inorganic materials, turning into golems. Accidental opening of a dimensional tear bringing forth demon-type monsters. Under the influence of evil spirits, monsters such as Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, Trolls were created. Monster nests, land indelibly stained with thick magic power, were also a miscalculation of Goddess Norn. In monster nests, magic power accumulates so monsters spring forth. Furthermore, the with high reproductive capabilities of monsters, the speed of their propagation is quick, making monster extermination difficult. When a lot of monsters live in it, that land is affected by even more magic power. The history of mankind in this world is a history filled with battles to clean up monster nests and expand inhabitable land. Takumi-sama, lets make Overcoats of Existence Concealment for two first. Youre right. We also have to help them learn the Stealth skill. I think its the simplest countermeasure. Before long, the town of Volton came into view in the distance. *** Chapter 107: Liberation Chapter 107: Liberation When we finally reached Volton and returned to the house, we were greeted by Titan, Akane-san, and Lulu-chan. Were back. Was your stay comfortable? Yes, we were able to pass the time pleasantly. Lets discuss Akane-san and Lulu-chans circumstances from now on tomorrow. .........yes, please do. P-please! Akane-san and Lulu-chan bowed deeply. We took turns taking baths, and I called Sophia and the others to the living room afterwards. I had something I wanted to suggest to them. As a matter of fact, Sophia and I have been promoted to A rank adventurers. So I was thinking it would be fine now and made up my mind. Wouldnt it alright to release Sophia, Maria, Laeva from the slavery contracts now? The moment I said that, the complexion of the three quickly paled. ............would we be leaving Takumi-samas side?Discover new chapters at When Sophia asked in a quivering voice, I realized my words were lacking. Oh, dont get me wrong. I want Sophia and Maria to always stay by my side. Your liberation is a different story. Our adventurer ranks were already raised to A rank. With this, even nobles cant approach and involve themselves you girls so willy-nilly. Laeva too, I want you to stay as my assistant. The faces of the girls were evidently relieved when I said so. So thats how it was....... Certainly, I myself have become a high rank adventurer, therefore I can defend myself on the various matters that I had to shoulder for being an elf. Still, is there a need to go out of your way to release us? To say a need, huh. Marnie isnt a slave, is she? I was thinking that, if possible, Id like for Sophia and Maria to be on the same position too. I feel the same way. To me, Sophia-san is the first wife, Maria-san is the second wife, and I am supposed to be the mistress. F-first wife?! Me, the second wife!?! Dispel!Dispel!Dispel! I see, thats good then. ......U-umm, is it alright for me to not be wearing a collar? Lulu, who had been a slave ever since she was born, seems to have been greatly perplexed at her sudden newfound freedom. Its fine. Lulu-chan isnt a slave anymore. Nonetheless, it doesnt mean that youll be thrown out. Lulu-chan, lets search for the future you wish for with everyone, alright? ............y-yes. It cant be helped that her response was lacking any real feelings. Shes still only a 10 year old child, after all. And so, its not like Akane-san has officially defected from Sydnia, but I think you should talk to the King of this country. Because of that, I plan to explain the situation to Margrave Volton, and have Margave Volton report it to his Majesty. ...... the king and the nobles of this country, Valkyra Kingdom, are trustworthy? Akane-san anxiously asked a part of what worries her. I understand that anxiety well. If I didnt meet Margrave Volton and his Majesty personally, Id probably hesitate after being told that too. Its true that there are many good-for-nothing nobles, but at least I think Margrave Volton and his Majesty the King are alright. Iruma-san, youve met his Majesty the King? That Purifier MD is something I made, and its because of that that his Majesty summoned me. For the meritorious deed of keeping towns sanitary, I earned the opportunity to meet him and received a monetary reward. The nobles Im acquainted with are Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford, but both of them are friendly so I think you dont have to worry. When I said so, Sophia and Maria nodded. Of course, I believe that the safest place to hide in is at my house for now, so that wouldnt change, but this matter might become an issue between countries, after all. ......I understand. Please help us. P, please help us! Un, dont worry. Its alright to leave it to me. I told Akane-san and Lulu-chan, who were bowing side-by-side, that theres no need to worry. Maybe, if its Margrave Volton and his Majesty, theyd do well. Without delay, I made an appointment with Margrave Volton. *** Chapter 108: Takumi brings in trouble Chapter 108: Takumi brings in trouble By way of chamberlain Xervus-san, I booked an appointment with Margrave Volton, and its been 5 days since then. It was bad timing. Margrave Volton had business at the royal capital and I only received a reply yesterday when he came back to town. I was waiting in the reception office with Sophia when Margrave Volton and chamberlain Xervus-san came in. Its been a while, Iruma-dono. Yes it has, Margrave Volton-sama. I dont mind if you call me Lord Volton like usual or Lord Godwin. So, I heard that todays discussion is private so I cleared the room, but what is it about? The ever frank Margrave Volton sat in front of me, and a smiling Xervus-san stood diagonally behind him. Yes, the truth is that the other day, I went to the royal capital with the Adventurer Guilds escort request. Ou, I heard about it, Iruma-dono! So you were promoted to A rank. Being promoted to A rank in this short a time is a new record, you know. Master, you must not interrupt Iruma-dono. Ah, yeah, sorry. Continue. Xervus-san cautioned that the discussion was derailing greatly. Yes, in the Adventurers Guild at the capital, the heroes of Sydnia got involved picked a fight with me. There, I explained in detail of what happened to Margrave Volton. Actually, Sophia and I greatly exceed the limits of A rank adventurers in level. Heath-san and the others who were promoted to A rank a step earlier than us are at around Lv70. Moreover, the growth values of their status can be as much as 3 for each level up, but their ability growth is as little as 0 C 1. Mine grows from as little as 3 to as much as 5, while the girls grow in the range of 2 C 4. Theres a big change in our statuses with each level up. Furthermore, with a large correction to our skill growth, we dont actually fit into the framework of the A rank. Well, I dont think theres anything wrong being too vigilant. There are zealots in Sydnia, so we can only pray that neither they nor the heroes ever attack the Genesis Faith or hunt the other races. ...... that is indeed worrying. Frankly, its not just in our country. The church officials of the Genesis Faith in Samandour Kingdom have apparently been attacked several times. The criminals were unknown but............ Was it the fanatics of Light God Faith, the Kamui unit? That might almost certainly be the case. According to the information Margrave Volton had gotten hold of, even Samandour Kingdom, a region of the Genesis Faith where many beastkin reside, was attacked. Many citizens had been caught in it and there was a great number of casualties. Akane-san will be much safer in Volton than the royal capital, wouldnt she? Yeah, I will inform his Majesty, but for the meantime, I will have to trouble you to be her guard, Iruma-dono. That would be much more secure than sheltering them poorly at my castle or at the royal castle. ............ Indeed. Ill strengthen the security system of the mansion. I leave it to you. She was forcibly taken from a different world and separated from her parents and siblings. That heroine likely needs care, too. Do take care of her with Sophia-dono and the others. Understood. In this meeting, its been decided that Akane-san will be living in my mansion for a while so that Sydnia doesnt find out. As for me, I was thinking this is might be nice to take them to Bohd Village on this occasion. In any case, I need to arrange Akane-sans defense setup and Lulu-chans treatment. *** Chapter 109: It’s been a while, Bohd Village Chapter 109: Its been a while, Bohd Village Tsubaki advanced to the north on a furrowed road. I wonder if Vanga-san and Martha-san are doing well. Is Bobon-san making a hand pump? Takumi-sama, you seem very happy. I am. Theyre the people who took care of me before I met you guys, after all. Master! Kaede also excited to meet Martha-san! Oh right, I met Kaede near Bohd Village. But they might not immediately realize its you when they see the you now, Kaede. Muu~~! Kaede was all sullen, but the Kaede during that time in Bohd village was a monster spider I found from who knows where. The only thing that remained is the leaf pattern on her spider body. Kaede was popular with the village wives, so their impression of her might be strong. You met Papeck-dono there, didnt you? Un, the Papeck Company is large now, but I first met him when he came to do his periodic peddling so he wouldnt forget his initial resolution. From Bohd village to Volton town was 3 days on a carriage pulled by a normal horse, but its possible to arrive in 1 day on the carriage pulled by Tsubaki. But the sun is setting so were stopping to camp for the night before arriving to Bohd Village. Although I say its a camp since we take turns keeping watch, we sleep inside the carriage so its not strictly a camp. Sleeping on a soft bed aint camping! as Lyle-san would say. ...... its an amazing carriage. Whats pulling it isnt a horse anymore though. Its my first time seeing a Dragon Horse. To Akane-san and Lulu-chan, our carriage and the Dragon Horse Tsubaki seemed to have been surprising. We searched for a spot to camp in before the sun set completely, then Maria and I started preparing dinner. Eh?! Iruma-san will cook? Eh? Is it that surprising? Akane-san was surprised, but Im an artisan, and cooking is also a creation. I might not have said this to you, Akane-san, but my primary jobs are Alchemist and Blacksmith, and there are others but theyre also production jobs. Sewing and cooking are about making things, too.ViiSiit for latest novels No, an A rank adventurer with production jobs is strange. When Akane-san said so, Lulu-chan nodded in agreement. Is it that strange? I gave it a little bit of thought when Laeva asked how many days were staying. Margrave Volton said it would be alright if we relax and take it easy while they were gathering information. Maybe around 10 days. In that case, its okay. ...... as distasteful as this is to ask, are Iruma-san and everyone terrifyingly rich people? Your house is a mansion, you own this carriage, and above all, Sophia-san and the others were bought as slaves, werent they? ......y-yeah, well, I guess I have a lot of money. I bought Sophia and Maria to be my bodyguard and have someone I could leave the management of the house and other things to, and Laeva is my assistant at alchemy and smithing. Marnie isnt a slave. But Takumi-sama being a rich person is true. The sum from even just the royalties is nothing to sneeze at. Thought so. Sophia confirmed it and, for some reason, glowered at Akane-san. Akane-san, were a B rank party. Even with just the rewards from being adventurers, a mansion of that size is reasonable. ......We had almost no freedom since being summoned, so I couldnt trust in Sydnia from the beginning. I tried gathering all kinds of information though, like how Sydnias organization was shady, and there was nothing about their way of thinking that I could accept......... I guess a lot of things had piled up in her. I couldnt follow up very well for Akane-san, who looked to be in pain. I was just lucky. Norn-sama was overly protective of me, and everyone good to me when I arrived at Bohd Village. Akane-san and the others were still senior high school students[3]. How much grief is it to be forcefully separated from ones parents and siblings? I was an unsuccessful salaryman in my 40s whose parents had already passed and had no siblings, so I couldnt share that type of grief. I think my mental structure changed when I came here to Mildgard in this body. Thats why although I had feelings of aversion, I wasnt in disarray the first time I killed thieves and bandits. I changed so much from my time in Japan and I was scared of myself, but I adapted surprisingly fast. In comparison, I think Akane-san is at a level where she has to get physiological counseling if she were in Japan. We left early the next morning and reached the vicinity of Bohd village still in the morning. Ah! Akane-san, who was gazing outside the carriage, looked forward and exclaimed. That is Bohd village. What came into view was a village within nature. It was Bohd village, greatly expanded compared to when I was there. *** Footnotes: Aging / Curing meat info.Picking flowers C going to the restroom.Author keeps saying SHS, even though he first said theyre enrolled uni students so I guess thats what they are now. I wont make footnotes on this anymore. Chapter 110: Banquet (1) Chapter 110: Banquet (1) As we got closer, the panoramic scene of Bohd Village came into view. The size of the town seemed to have gotten twice larger than when I left 3 years ago. New protective walls were built in addition to the ones I made.Re?a?d new chapters on Wha?! Mo, MONSTER!!! The gatekeepers legs failed at the sight of Tsubakis large body equipped with her intimidating armor. When I made Tsubaki stop in front of the gate, people from the village came gathering at the gate to see if there was something going on. Ah! Aint that Takumi!? Guys! Takumi came back! Ooo! It really is Takumi! Here I was, wondering who came riding that amazing carriage. Takumi returned! Takumi! Ah! Vanga-san! As I sat on the coachmans seat. I heard a nostalgic voice. It was the hunter, Vanga-sans. Martha-san approached too. I got off the carriage, delighted at my reunion with Vanga-san and Martha-san. I was looking forward to the passionate bearhug-like embrace from Martha-san. So how is it, Takumi? The village got a lot bigger, didnt it? A sewer system was also established, right? Yeah, we got various purifying magic devices that Takumi made, and the number of people also suddenly increased in Bohd village, after all. We couldnt leave village how it was before. Ou! The carriage would be an obstacle if its left in a place like this! Takumi, bring it in quickly! Oh right! We left your cabin alone, so park the carriage there! Eh?! The cabin is still there? I was told that the cabin I used when I was under the care of the village was left as is. Thats because Takumi is the benefactor of this village. We left it so you could come back whenever you wanted. Hey! How long will you dilly dally there?! Tonight will be a banquet! Ooo! Ya got that right! Alright! Im gonna hunt some game! Vanga-san and the others dispersed from the gate front to prepare for a banquet. Takumi-sama, youre loved by everyone, huh. Yeah, they really received me well. Now then, lets move Tsubaki to the cabin. I moved Tsubaki in the direction of the cabin. Its not yet paved, but even the road had become clean and wide. The number of houses had doubled, and stores and workshops also lined the streets. In just 3 years, this development had been boosted by Margrave Voltons support and the investment of the Papeck Company. ...... its only been 3 years, but Ive missed it a lot. I stopped the carriage by the cabin and looked at my former dwelling once more. Takumi-chan is such a smooth operator, huh. All your women are beautiful arent they? No, nothing. Well, listen here~ Didnt Takumi-chan bring these beauty-sans? Yep, the wives mobbed and teased me. It was then that Sophia and Kaede came back. ?! Martha-san and the others froze when they saw Kaede. Ah, welcome back Kaede, Sophia. Were back Master, we hunted a lot of prey, you know? We have returned. Eh! Youre Kaede-chan, right? Eh, now that you mention it, her lower half is a spider. Martha-san, long time no seeee. Oh my! Youve become so cute! After that, Kaede was surrounded by the wives and they were being affectionate with her. They definitely wanted her threads. See? Sure enough, Kaede was kidnapped. Now then, shall we dismantle them? ............ as you say. After that, everyone but Kaede went ahead and dismantled the prey Sophia and Kaede hunted. As for Titan, I had him go out and check if there were any abnormalities around the village. Sophia and Kaede had brought back a lot of prey. The carcasses, majority of which were Blade Deer and Horned Rabbits, Rock Birds, Big Boar, and the like from this area, stored in the Magic Bag were dismantled, and the meat on their bones were sliced up. As the dismantling progressed smoothly, I began preparing to cook. There were a lot of people, so I wanted to cook something as simple as possible. If its barbequing, I can marinate and grill it. I made a stove for grilling with Earth magic. I received some wood and transmuted them into charcoal. I also quickly made a grill with my stocked iron ore using Alchemy, Earth magic, and Smithing magic. As expected of Takumi-sama. Your mastery of chantless Alchemy and Smithing magic is amazing! Well, its thanks to Norn-sama. Laeva had also been able to activate Alchemy chantlessly recently, but its still limited to simple alchemy. Mine was a result of the Norn-samas favoritism, so I was feeling guilty towards Laeva. Vanga-san also returned with some game and the entire village prepared for the feast. With the sun setting and the bonfire blazing, the banquet began. *** Chapter 111: Banquet (2) Chapter 111: Banquet (2) The banquet, which started with the setting sun, became lively as everyone in the village participated. Of course, about half the people here were people I dont know, but in this world where theres little entertainment, everyone gladly joins in when theres a feast. Entertainment, huh, ...... maybe I should give it a bit of thought. Ou, Takumi, rumor has it that you handle mithril, not to mention adamantite. Also, that Ryuumas armor is adamantite, right? Yes, our armor also uses mithril and adamantite. With an ale in hand, Bobon-san started talking to me. Is that so? Id also forge if Id got ingots of em mithril and adamantite though. Hey, between you and me, could ya lend me some? Maybe just an ingots worth[1]... The furnace in Bobon-sans workshop would only barely be able to handle, after all. Ooh, Im grateful. Drink, come on keep on drinking! In a good mood knowing hed get his hands on an ingot, Bobon-san offered me an ale, but that ale is the alcohol I provided. Ale sure is good if its chilled. Yeah, it goes well with the grilled meat. This sauce is tasty. With ales in hand, the village men bit into the one grilled meat after the other. Tasty meat! Fruit water is so sweeeet~! Sho gwooood!Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m The small children were enjoying the barbeque too. There are more children now than when I lived here. This is a good thing for the village. The previous Bohd village was in a state where it could be called a marginal village. It had no future if left as it was; Just awaiting the day it becomes a deserted village. Its a lively village. Sophia sat beside me, smiling as she watched as the lively villagers made merry. A mere 3 years ago, there were few people, and they werent as lively. The villages economy began turning around ever since the construction of the hand pump manufacturing workshop. The young couples also increased. The number of small children will likely also increase. Even so, increasing by another 100 people might be their limit. Itd be good if they can develop their land size, but there is no merit in making this place into a big town. On the other hand, there is the demerit of losing rare medicinal plants disseminated around Bohd village. A multitude of medicinal plants grow in this area. An Adventurer guild branch as a counteraction against thieves would be desirable, wouldnt it? Thats right. There are few strong monsters in this area so its the thieves and bandits that they must be vigilant of. The wealthier Bohd village gets, the higher the likelihood theyd be targeted by thieves and bandits. Even I couldnt afford to admire the moon and stars. I think I might have not had the mental composure to notice it, either. Even though Ive camped many times under the moonlight, I had not noticed how beautiful the starry sky was. I really am glad that we went to Bohd village at this time. At that moment, Sophia held my hand gently. The bewilderment of having been thrown into this world all of a sudden was too much for Takumi-samas heart, wasnt it? Please do not worry. I will always be by your side. ...... thank you, Sophia. Im counting on you. I held Sophias hand back. Sophia has been released from slavery too, so it would be better for her to return home once. Its not as if she could never return home ever again, like me. Sophia, would you like to return to your country? When I asked that, Sophia slowly shook her head. ............ No. I certainly do have feelings of wanting to see Mother, however, they would have already assumed Im dead, wouldnt they? ............ I see. But if we have the chance, lets consider going to Yggurle Kingdom. ............ okay. Fuu, its a village in such a remote region, but its a plentiful village. Marnie, whose face was dyed slightly red, sat on the opposite side of Sophia. Marnie, your village wasnt like this? Master, Bohd village is special. My village was poor and it could barely pay the annual head tax. Thats why we placed our hopes on the pioneering village, but............ Marnie volunteered for the reclamation village and it failed. Aaa! Thats unfair! Just when things were close to becoming gloomy, Maria turned up feeling slightly drunk. Then she sat cross-legged on my thighs. Uwoah! Hehehe She instinctively looked at Marnie, and together they laughed. Its a good night, isnt it? Yes. The banquet at Bohd village was an enjoyable night for us. And the clamor of the villagers continued late into the night, with men who drank themselves to sleep scattered here and there. *** Footnotes: That much is unreasonable is what was actually said but it wouldnt make sense in english with the next lines. Chapter 112: After the Banquet Chapter 112: After the Banquet On the morning after the banquet, the drunk passed out men sprawled all over the plaza looked like heaps of corpses. These men were dragged back home by their wives. We withdrew from the banquet late into the night, but it was a rare entertainment for everyone in the village, so they seem to have enjoyed themselves well into the morning. While brushing my teeth outside the carriage, I watched Vanga-san being forced along by Martha-san. ......G, good morning. Urp. Morning. Are you okay? Got a hangover? Who came out of the carriage unsteadily was Akane-san. She looks like shes suffering from a hangover. Should I bring out some medicine? Uuoh, last night, did I say anything weird? Un, its alright. Ho, t-then thats fine. A, awawa, g-good morning!F0lloww new chapters at Lulu-chan, good morning. Did you sleep well? Lulu-chan woke up in a fluster. Yesterday, she seemed to have been having fun with the village children. She was probably so hyped up until night that she went to bed late and overslept. Y-yes, I ended up waking late. Im sorry! Its okay, its okay. Everyone woke up late today, after all. I told Lulu-chan, who kept bowing her head in apology, to come eat breakfast. Lulu-chan hasnt yet broken out of the customs and values of her slave life in Sydnia. Thats why we must gradually acclimatize her. I went back into the carriage and ate breakfast with everyone at the table. Todays breakfast was made by Maria and Marnie. It was a simply bacon, eggs, salad, bread, and soup, but it was more of a luxurious breakfast in this world. Truthfully, I wanted coffee after the meal, but thats impossible right now so Im enduring. Even though Lulu-chan displayed her opposition to eating at the same table with us at first, shes now able to eat with us. She eats silently, but its clear to see from her happily wagging tail that she was enjoying it. Now then, what are your plans for the day? As we were drinking tea and relaxing after having finished breakfast, Sophia asked for todays plans. I didnt have anything planned specifically so I gave it a little bit of thought. Incidentally, Akanes hangover was fixed when I casted Cure magic on her and she drank hangover medicine. Ive already achieved my goal of meeting with Vanga-san and Martha-san, so I think Ill spend my time leisurely later. Thats why, you girls can spend your time freely if you have something you want to do. Kaede is requested by Martha-san and the others. A-ah, dont over do it. It would appear Kaede was being asked for thread by the village wives. U-umm, would it be alright if you could teach me how to cook as well? Yes, of course. Then how about we make Horned Rabbit stew together? Ill make the salad then. I will be making grilled horned rabbit skewers, so may I ask you to take out some soy sauce please, Master Husband? Will soy sauce, sugar, and mirin be okay? It seems Marnie will be skewering the horned rabbits and then grilling them. The meat of a horned rabbit has a similar texture to chicken so it would go well. When dinner was complete, Kaede finally came back. Master! So pooooped~! She plopped on my back and embraced me. Good job. Martha-san and the village wives demanded threads from you. huh? Uh huh~ We dont know when youll be back again they said, and stuck to Kaede really stubbornly. What is Kaede-chans thread? While I was gently stroking Kaedes head, Akane-sans curiosity had been piqued by the thread. Spider Silk is the highest class fiber in this world. In particular, Kaede can produce threads varying in properties like strength, thickness, and elasticity, and she also weaves stretchable cloth so its in great demand here and there. Does that mean all of Iruma-san and everyones clothes are` Yup, its all Kaedes spider silk. Akane-sans eyes sparkled. I learned from our conversation that the clothes we were wearing, from the materials to the design, had caught her eye ever since we were in Volton. All of our underwear are like that too. !! M, me too, may I have some too?! Akane-san took Marias hand when she mentioned underwear, appealing that she wanted them for herself too. The underwear Akane-san was wearing in Japan had already disintegrated, and she despaired at the underwear sold in this world. After that, when she learned that the girls underwear were just like those sold in Japan and that they werent inferior, it seemed like a force made her prostate herself to Kaede and Maria. Far from inferior, they were applied with various enchantments, so they were far more efficient than the underwear in Japan. In the end, Akane-san and Lulu-chans underwear would be made starting tomorrow while they discuss designs and color. At dinner, Vanga-sans family came and everyone enjoyed dinner together. The second night at Bohd Village went far into the night. *** Chapter 113: Security System of Bohd Village Chapter 113: Security System of Bohd Village Because I planned to stay at Bohd Village for 10 days, I decided to use this chance to strengthen the security system of the village. The protective walls had already been extended and strengthened as part of that. I plan to make security golems with Laeva today. Indeed, a village living abundantly in a remote region is rare, therefore it might perhaps be an easy target for thieves and bandits. Master, Kaede will rest in Subspace today. Un, you must be tired. Rest well. Then maybe I should ask Titan to make a stone oven so I can bake some pizza. Pizza! You eat pizza? Hearing Maria say the word pizza, Akane-sans eyes sparkled. I wonder if she didnt get to eat anything decent in Sydnia. She has extreme reactions when it comes to food. Then how about Marnie-san, Akane-san, and I make pizza? Lulu will help too. If I make a stone oven, the villagers can probably use it too. Now then, how many do we need? Wouldnt two at the gate be alright? ...... right, the village is small so two would be enough, huh. Laeva and I packed the golems that will be used for security with all sorts of specifications. The golems size, materials, equipment, and AIs capabilities. Lets make it 2m 50cm tall, with an adamantite alloy skeleton and magic steel exterior. Their equipment will be a spear and a large shield, correct? These security golems will prioritize protection so the large shields are a must. The weapon with long reach could be a spear. Laeva-sans alchemy is amazing. Its still not enough when compared to Takumi-samas alchemy. But I am Takumi-samas assistant, so Takumi-sama would be disappointed in me if I cant do something of this extent. Once Laeva nimbly finished transmuting the stone oven to withstand high temperatures like fire bricks do, she returned to golem making. Now then, lets make pizza dough. Yes. Maria and Marnie were given their individual magic bags. Inside it were lots of food, equipment, and materials stored away. Maria took out wheat flour from the Magic Bag and they began making the dough. Akane-san and Lulu-chan were also happily kneading the dough together, seemingly having fun. The fermentation time of dry yeast would quickly be reduced with alchemy, so they discussed what toppings to put as they worked. . Because they started working on a table outside the cabin, the stone oven that suddenly crafted was discovered by the village wives and it was decided that we would be having lunch together with Martha-san and the other wives. The village men left for work, so todays lunch would be an all-girls + me gathering. Having received thread from Kaede yesterday, each of the wives had brought produce, like vegetables or wheat, with them when they came. The wives clamored as the food came on plates. Laeva and I stopped working on the golems momentarily and made tables and chairs with the remaining wood. The village wives that came were not a lot but the furniture was not enough. Even so, not all the wives are here, but they might increase. The ones gathered here today are the wives and children I was acquainted with during my time here. Takumi-chan, sorry about this~ For you to feed us something rare. Right right, this is my first time eating this. Its alright. Even when we return to Volton, please feel free to use this stone oven. We explained how the stone oven is used with a demonstration. Since Im trying to make other things at the same time as the pizza to show everyone how to cook in a stone oven, theyll probably be able to use it properly even after weve returned home. After the lively lunch, Laeva and I went back to making the security golems. That being said, we work in the widened cabin so we simply went back inside. We completed the skeleton and exterior that day, and the remaining work was pushed to tomorrow. Engraving the core takes considerable time even for me. As we passed the time in Bohd village, not knowing if were on vacation or if were working, Sydnia was looking for the runaway hero. And the Kamui unit and the intelligence unit were receiving false eye witness reports in towns and villages in various countries. This was set up by Margrave Volton and his Majesty, which had caused chaos in Sydnia where they couldnt receive accurate information. As a result, Sydnia would have had to dispatch many personnel all over the continent, and that led to them effectively abandoning the hero pursuit. *** Chapter 114: Return to Volton Chapter 114: Return to Volton Given that Laeva and I were being particular making it, Bohd villages security golems took 4 days to complete. If other people heard that, they would be surprised it took only 4 days, but the two of us used Alchemy and Smithing Magic, and with Titans assistance, two golems in 4 days took a long time. The security golems are already guarding the village gate. Because of these security golems, this small Bohd village had obtained defenses excessively disproportionate to their means. On the remaining days, I began developing a magic device that would change Akane-sans appearance. Margrave Volton and his Majesty were spearheading the disturbance of Sydnia, but I had the idea that she should look like a different person even if she was seen. Even with just the hair color changed, her presence would change considerably. Thats right. If her face is changed, even we wouldnt know who she is. U-umm. As Laeva and I were discussing the specifications of the transfiguration magic device, the concerned party Akane-san called out to us, seemingly wanting to say something. Umm, can I become a beastkin or an elf too? Hmmm, ............ youd stand out even more. Yes. Thats the reason we waited until we were A rank adventurers to be released. Well, I had no qualms with being Takumi-samas slave indefinitely though. Oh right, there was even a war that stared because elves were targeted. It was Triaria Kingdom. The sole country in this continent that the Divine Empire of Sydnia is friendly with. Oo, Takumis cabi` it cant be called a cabin anymore, huh. That house will always be yours. Thank you very much, Vanga-san. Kaede-chan too, you must definitely come back! The village wives made a passionate and heartfelt appeal to Kaede, but knowing that they were after her thread, Kaede drew back a little. Well then, Vanga-san, Martha-san, Bobon-san, everyone in the village, thank you very much. We will definitely come back. Stay well until then. Pulling the carriage, Tsubaki began running. The people of Bohd Village waved their hands until we left and couldnt see us anymore. Theyre truly a good village. Right? I was really relieved that I arrived at Bohd village when I first arrived at this world. As she watched us move farther away from Bohd village, Akane-san said so earnestly. She had immediately perceived the evil intentions of the pope of Sydnia upon her summoning. After that and until her escape, Lulu-chan was the only thing maintaining the balance of Akane-sans heart. Compared to that, I was blessed with people around me, and I thanked Goddess Norn-sama for it once again. The 10 days in Bohd village was a refreshing vacation for everyone thanks to the genial villagers. *** Sphys Note: There may be delays in updates. Reason had been stated in update post. Also, sorry it was short. I have no control over length of chapters. Chapter 115 Chapter 115Chapter 115: Irreversible Scene of Carnage Two heroes remained in the Divine Empire of Sydnia. Akira and Yamato were pleased by the recent rise of their statuses. Theres no problem even without Akane. Yeah, the us nowadays are the strongest. In actuality, Akira and Yamatos levels went up, and their statuses were increasing. At the same time, a transformation of minds occurred. This phenomenon was happening throughout the Holy City, so when Pope Warvaal and Imperial Princess Elizabeths own minds started being out of place from their personalities, no one thought it to be strange. Also, the reason for Akira and Yamatos rapid increase of levels was an issue. The pair, together with Kamui, started an atrocity in the name of persecuting criminal slaves, as well as entering Samandour Kingdom illegally, attacking two villages there and massacring them. They no longer had the ethics and moral views of a modern day Japanese, and even in the world known as Mildgard, they had degraded to mere criminals. Its not known if the minds of the two heroes would become upstanding the instant their brainwashing comes undone, but they have stepped into a place they cant come back from. They ruthlessly fired magic and swung their swords at the villagers trying to escape. The massacre of villagers regardless of their gender and age was filled with insanity. Elizabeth, how are the heroes? Yes father, they are building their strength favorably. As of recent, they have been doing interpersonal training fights while cleansing[1] the pagans. Pope Warvaal asked his daughter, the First Imperial Princess Elizabeth, about Akira and Yamatos condition after Akane escaped. Then, can they move the cleansing of pagans to Valkyra or Lomaria Kingdom? ............ Let us see. In both Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, there are S rank adventurers. For the current heroes, it would still be too much for them. I see. ............ Indeed, not a year has passed since the summoning of the heroes. As expected it would be too premature for the heroes to take on S rank adventurers. In this continent, there are currently 3 S rank adventurers in existence. 1 in Valkyra, 1 in Lomaria, and 1 in Gnomstoll. Sydnia and Triaria have war potential comparable to A rank adventurers, but at the same time, there is a large divide between the A ranked and the S ranked. It is unimaginable on Earth, but in Mildgard where status and levels exist, a single S rank adventurer is a being capable of influencing the state of a war. If we are to carry out a pagan cleansing in Valkyra or Lomaria, we have no choice but to pretend to act as thieves and bandits. Our Light God Faith could not imitate mere thieves and bandits, could it? In Samandour, their raiding and slaughtering of the innocent village was no different from the conduct of thieves and bandits, but to Warvaal, the events in Samandour had already forgotten. At that point in time, Warvaal and Elizabeth were not sane, but no one noticed. Warvaal and Elizabeth discussed what country the next pagan cleansing, which would ordinarily be seen as an act of terrorism, would take place in. The Divine Empire of Sydnia is no longer a religious state, and reduced to being a monster nest. At the castle seemingly floating on the lake in the royal capital of Valkyra Kingdom. In one of the rooms of that strong and beautiful castle was a man whose glabella furrowed from the report he received. That man was this countrys king, Lobos Valkyra. Prime Minister Simon von Portfort was reporting information that came in from the intelligence division. Knight Leader Galahad von Bauer who was likewise sitting next to him could not conceal the anger in his masculine face. ............ huu, what is the Light God Church thinking? King Lobos sighed deeply. The information Simon brought was about the violence caused by Kamui and the heroes in Samandour Kingdom. Our land and Lomaria Kingdom are considered very likely targets as well, therefore I believe we must solidify the information sharing with Lomaria Kingdom and reinforce the patrolling security at villages and towns. Fumu, preventing illegal immigrants completely is difficult, however we must cooperate with the Adventurers Guild to reinforce the security per village. Simon and Galahad both understood that completely preventing the terrorists from entering the country was impossible. Thats because theres no way they could police the entire border. Furthermore, the information on the monsters activity in the surroundings of Sydnia and Triaria that was reported to Lobos held a sense of impending crisis, and an even further detailed report was being gathered. Shall we appropriate a special budget? Hm? Appropriate a budget? Simon, what will become of the money? Your Majesty, how about consulting with Iruma-dono? As your Majesty knows, Iruma-dono is currently protecting the hero who fled from Sydnia. As part of sheltering that hero, we manipulated information in the continent. During that time, Iruma-dono took refuge in a small village by the border, Bohd village. We were informed by the intelligence division that, there, Takumi-dono had constructed golems for security. Only a few days have passed since Takumi stationed security golems at Bohd village and that information had already reached Simon. Are they identical to the golems protecting Iruma-donos mansion at Volton? Yes, they likely have performance of the same level. Only, given that it is impossible to budget stationing golems at all villages and towns where soldiers are insufficient, I am of the opinion that there is a necessity for us to have Iruma-dono to devise another method besides the golems. Let us turn the reserve knights to security patrol. Anything is better than nothing. Fumu. well then Simon, consult Iruma-dono for countermeasures immediately. Galahad, intensify Knight Orders surveillance on the Light God Church.Ha! Contrary to Takumis desire to live peacefully, the world involves Takumi. ***Re?a?d new chapters on Footnotes: The word they use is actually more on repel or expel rather than cleanse. Sphys Note: -Finally, its here! My favorite feature in any site... Dark. Mode. I wont be blinded by my own site anymore xD [Mobile users might need to access the menu dropdown to click icon] -Comments can now be upvoted/downvoted, sorted, subscribed to, and images should show up. Your comment should be approved automatically if you use the same email as before. -More things may be added, who knows. P.S. some testing during upload days to make sure the site can handle the incoming traffic without slowdown. Gotta iron out those kinks. Chapter 116: 116: Large orders going every which way Chapter 116: 116: Large orders going every which way A few days after returning from Bohd village, we made Akane-sans armor and Lulu-chan changed into the maid uniform made from Kaedes Spider Silk. Maria and Laeva completed requests everyday to increase Marnies rank, as well for Akane-san and Lulu-chan who hadnt registered at the Adventurers Guild until now. It was also to raise the levels of the two who were no longer able to in the areas around Bohd village. On a day we thought our daily lives would continue with nothing happening, Prime Minister Simon-sama expressly visited me from the royal capital of Valkyra Kingdom. I came here today because I have a matter I must request of you, Iruma-dono. Once he was let into the mansion and sitting on the sofa in the living room, Simon-sama explained his reason for suddenly coming here. A request? Umu, I came to Volton with a request not many people should be involved in. ...... That is a matter about me that you dont want the world to know about, is it? As an A rank adventurer, Iruma-dono might not need to be secret any longer, but Iruma-dono as an artisan must be kept concealed. His Majesty, Margrave Volton, and Simon-sama have made it difficult identify the person who made the Purifier MD. Nevertheless, the zealots had targeted and attacked me, but it didnt mean that they were sure it was me when they did. They are people who persecute when in doubt. A troublesome matter had occurred, hasnt there? From there, the matter shocked not only me, but also Akane-san. Someone had attacked a village of believers of the Genesis Faith in Samandour Kingdom, slaughtering men and women of all ages. From the traces and modus operandi, the culprits were deduced to be the zealots of the Divine Empire of Sydnia and two heroes. It cant be, those two doing such a thing...... Iruma-dono, you had an argument with Sydnias heroes in the royal capital, didnt you? After that , I gave it some thought. Distributing a magic item that would form a magic barrier to everyone is unrealistic. It would be my own creation, but originally it would be a magic device that could only be obtained as a drop item in dungeons or an artifact from ruins. It would be too unreasonable to distribute it to all villagers. For our party, I tried to make the best equipment I could at that time without restraint, but equipment for the entire nation is still financially and workably improbable. By the way, how many golems should we make? ............ Wed like 100 of them. Well collect as much of the materials as we can, however, for what is insufficient, we would like for you to gather it by placing requests out at the Adventurers Guild. In relation to the cost, separating the price of the materials, we wish to request the price of each golem unit to be at 50 gold. 5 million yen to simply create a golem and inscribe a magic formula, huh. Is 5 million solely for the labor expensive? Or cheap? I never sold a golem so I dont know. Understood. Regarding the magic device besides the golem, Ill give it some thought after this. So I can begin the golem production, please prepare ores, ingots, and magic stones. For the magic stones, it doesnt matter what size it is as long as it isnt a scrap magic stone so please gather some. Ooh, Im truly grateful that you accept. Simon-sama took my hand with both of his and shook it up and down. However, they are golems simply for defense. Will it be alright if I configure it so that it cant be used for war? Certainly. Please create golems specialized in protection. I felt relieved hearing that. If the 100 golems that I make are used for war, they would be immense war potential. Supposing one golem is equivalent to over 20 average soldiers, then the golems could fight against 2,000 soldiers. If the golems were to fight together, the outcome would likely improve. A delivery date couldnt be set, but it would be too late if harm breaks out, so Laeva and I began manufacturing the 100 security golems with the materials we have on hand. *** Sphys Note: Thanks for reading! Please tell me if email subs / wordpress followers still dont receive notifications. I cant do much about WPF but I might be able to add a new email subscription.Follow the latest novels on Chapter 117: Not a Machine Empire Chapter 117: Not a Machine Empire In my mansion at the town of Volton, massive quantities of materials were brought in and Laeva and I were single-mindedly transmuting them in the workshop. Theyre 2.5m long and similar to the golems of Bohd Village. We created one golem-controlling core and made identical copies intently. Since its the economical version, the frame and exterior were uniformly magic steel. Magic iron ore and ingots were brought in for that purpose and we repeatedly used Extraction and Synthesis on the ores. A massive amount of ingots, enough that the floor seems like it would give out, was created. ............ will these ingots be good enough? Yes, shall we take a short break? Definitely, that was mentally exhausting. Since it was mentally straining to repeat the same process over and over, and because the ingots were completed, we decided to take a break for one day. Our Skill levels and Job levels steadily rose, but repeating the same process was boring, wasnt it? So true. I love working and creating things, but definitely not this. Even if we were manufacturing similar golems, Id have liked to make each golems different from the other. Starting the next day, if I was making the frames, Laeva would making the exteriors, and if I am making the exteriors, Laeva would make the frames so we wouldnt get sick of it as we manufactured the golems. Titan would sometimes help us with the masses of golem production. Do you have any ideas for a magic device aside from the golem? I havent quite thought of anything. What about you, Laeva? If distributing to individuals is improbable, how about establishing a magic device that generates a barrier at the churches of the villages and towns? Thats possible. While the security golems buy time, they activate the barrier magic device and take refuge in the church. For the deployment of security golems, one per village and two per town would be good. If there are many zealots, it might be difficult to even buy time. Golems and barriers. Ill think of other ideas besides these. Youre right. I will think a bit more too. We used Synthesis on the magic stones, transmuting them into large magic stones. Furthermore, we enhanced the purity and processed them into magic crystals. These will be used as cores and magic power tanksbattery .ViiSiit for latest novels The completely assembled golems are stored in my Item Box after I check their movements. As one would expect, theres no place to put a hundred golems in the mansion. What will we do about the enchantments? Guh! I was trying not to think about that.......... More or less, I plan to enchant them with Magic Resistance, Physical Resistance, and Self Repair. Whenever I think about how I need to enchant 100 golems, I become depressed. Though the economical security golems have physical resistance even without the enchantment, it doesnt have magic resistance so enchantments are necessary. It would be difficult to make it so they can use magic like Titan, wouldnt it? Titan is a special guardian core. He skillfully controls earth magic, and he develops. Master, if limited, magic, is it possible? Its certainly possible. Nevertheless, it can only shoot preprogrammed simple magic. But doing that for a hundred of them would go over the budget. Actually, the reason I wont employ long-distance armaments on the security golems is because they are not able to perform complex situational assessment of their surroundings like Titan could. If their companions and protectee are caught up in it, they wouldnt discern it. If its with melee weapons, it wouldnt be difficult to program it so they would only attack hostile forces so the protectees are not caught in it, but when it comes to long-range armaments, one must calculate the line of fire and even its aftereffects, so it is impossible for golems aside from Titan at present. Well, it doesnt mean Ive given up on it, though. Speaking of weapons, are the armaments of the economical golems still large shields and halberds? Yep, the large shield is indispensable. Im still at a loss regarding the weapon, but long weapons are probably okay. A spear, halberd, wooden pole, scorpion [1], bardiche. Hmm, should we still go for the halberd? If were to assume the battle will be outside, how about we go for a long-handled spear or a halberd? Down to the hilt it will be all Magic Steel, correct? Status Taming Lv3 Enhance Physical Abilities Lv8 Magic Perception Lv9 Magic Power Manipulation Lv10 Magic Formula Control Lv8 ( Up ) Light Attribute Magic Lv8 ( Up ) Fire Attribute Magic Lv8 ( Up ) Water Attribute Magic Lv8 ( Up ) Wind Attribute Magic Lv8 ( Up ) Earth Attribute Magic Lv9 ( Up ) Ice Attribute Magic Lv8 ( Up ) Lightning Attribute Magic Lv9 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv8 ( Up ) Bestowal Magic Lv9 ( Up ) Alchemy Lv10 Smithing Lv10 ( Up ) Woodworking Lv8 Carpentry ( Up ) Foraging Lv7 ( Up ) Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv6 ( Up ) Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv8 Sewing Lv7 Cooking Lv5 ( Up ) Divine Protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars Arachne Unique Species ( Kaede ) Dragon Horse ( Tsubaki ) Guardian Golem ( Titan ) Titles Giant Killer Dragon Slayer One who has surpassed the flood *** Footnotes: I guess a scorpion whip? Example here. If you know Ivy from Soulcalibur, it would be like that, too.Authors status copy pasta was a bit outdated. Fixed a few minor stuff. Not gonna tinker with skill levels because I dont know how much its grown. Im obligated to at least point out the biggest error being the Sword King, though. It said (Up) but didnt move from Lv1. Sphys Note: Hi and thanks for reading~ I tried adding a new email subscription. Hopefully it works properly. >< Chapter 118: Excellent Luck? Chapter 118: Excellent Luck? After adding Akane-san and Lulu-chan as members to our party, Wings of Norn , we headed towards the village close to the national border at the south of Valkyra Kingdom. Margrave Volton was charged with the delivery of the security golems to the villages and towns in the outskirts of the Volton territory. And our party, which had accepted the nominated request, is in the carriage pulled by Tsubaki, who is running the route from the southern tip of Valkyra to the eastern national border. The reason everyone, including Akane-san, is here is because Akane-sans hair and eye color have been changed and it is much safer to stay with us rather than leaving just her and Lulu-chan at the mansion at Volton. Im witnessing it but it really is fast. Well, she did run slowly when we went to Bohd. When we went to Bohd Village, we knew both the distance and approximate duration of the trip so we took it slow, but as one would expect, to move through the route marked from the south of Valkyra to the eastern border this time, Tsubaki has to run fairly seriously. Tsubaki looks delighted going for a long run for the first time in a long while too. S-so thats how it is. Despite the paths not being paved nor straight like the roads in Japan, our carriage barely shook. And feeling great, Tsubaki increased her speed too. Sophia examines the map we received from Prime Minister Simon-sama and directs us through the most efficient route as our navigator. Kaede is at her usual spot on Tsubakis back. If its Kaede, no matter how fast or violent the shaking gets, with the grip of her 8 legs and manipulation of thread, I have no worries of her falling off. Maria teaches Lulu-chan how to sew. The state of the underwear in this world had, thanks to our dissemination of Earths underwear through the Papeck Company, spread to the wealthy and ladies of the night, and the fashion boomed. Akane-san has said that her topmost worry when she came to this world was the underwear. Thats why when she realized that Sophia and the girls were wearing underwear found in Japan like it was nothing, she vigorously prostrated herself in front of Maria and begged her to make some. It seems Akane didnt have much talent for sewing, so Lulu-chan was learning how to sew from Maria in her place. In the carriage, Laeva makes low grade potions to distribute to each village. This is the request that Adventurer Guild Master Barack-san had asked; For us to supply 10 low grade potions to villages without pharmacists and priests as decided by the country. Since Akane-san and Lulu-chans ranks have gone up after registering as adventurers, I expect the contributions from this large a request will raise their ranks in one fell swoop. We are heading to villages and towns on the route to install the security golems and Barrier MD and explain how to operate them, ask for the signature of the person in charge like village mayor and governors, then move on to the next destination. Ooh, I see it. That village is South Boron, isnt it? While small, it does have a church. The village at the southernmost tip is finally in sight. It wasnt all smooth sailing until now. When we were installing security golems at villages and towns, the number of times that the lord who owns the town appeared with soldiers to seize the security golems wasnt just once. Of course, expecting such incidents, we showed the Kings decree and refused, but there were foolish nobles who resorted to violence even then. They probably thought theyd steal the economical security golem now and manage somehow or other afterwards. Taking care not to kill those guys, we took them down. I then opened a gate to the royal capital. The Knight Order led by Knight Leader Galahad-sama arrested the lord first then the soldiers and brought them to the royal capital. Having predicted such a situation, those with the authority to command the security golems were our party, Prime Minister Simon-sama, Knight Leader Galahad-sama, and His Majesty. And the only exceptions were establishing command authority for the Volton border territory to Margrave Volton, and the Rockford Earldom to Earl Rockford. I dont know the other nobles. After all, I cant evaluate the people I havent met. Finally arriving at the entrance of the village, Sophia and I paid a visit to the village mayor. Comrades, that is our next target. Purge the heretics to your hearts content. Men in black clothing nodded their heads in silence, lining up to disperse around the village. They tried to rush out simultaneously at the leaders signal. Gyaa``! Guh! Ugh! Did something happen? The leader was confused. As soon as he gave the signal to attack, his comrades collapsed. The mans eyes couldnt see anything, but before his confusion could subside, not even a single one of his comrades participating in the attack was left standing. Wha! What is happening! Almighty One! God will not do anything for you guys. Who is there?! Hearing the voice of a young man behind him, the man hurriedly turned around, but the mans consciousness fell into darkness at that instant. Is anyone injured? I returned to where everyone was while carrying the leader on my shoulder. We, together with Kaede, were wearing Overcoats of Existence Concealment and had learnt the Stealth skill. Thanks to the overcoats Inhibit Perception and Stealth skill effect increasing enchantments, the assailants had lost their lives before almost noticing us. No, everyone is safe. Are you keeping that man alive? Everyone came to me. Titan went around to collect the assailants. They need 1 person to interrogate, after all. Ill hand him over to Galahad-sama at the royal capital. Saying so, I then teleported to the royal capital. According to Galahad-sama, since the zealots wouldnt talk when they are in an interrogation, the man will be interrogated once he is enslaved. I quickly handed the man over to Galahad-sama and returned to everyone. *** Sphys Note: Thank you for reading. Discord is now public. https://discord.gg/4PRMjwH to join. Im not really active in chatting because Im extremely shy. >< But you are free to join. Discus, share stuff, or report site problems. Please make sure to read the rules, theyre very concise. Chapter 119: 119: Trembling Heart Chapter 119: 119: Trembling Heart Whether our luck was good or bad, we were in the village by chance when an attack by the zealots happened. Well, the villagers were undoubtedly lucky though. However, it seems the stimuli was too strong for Akane-san. It was probably her first time seeing people kill each other right in front of her eyes when we killed the assailants, aside from the leader, with no questions asked. Akane-sama, what is the matter? ............ N-nothing. Im a-alright.VIssi?T for the best novel reading experience Lulu-chan was worried for Akane-san whose face paled from the shock she received. Killing thieves and bandits without question is common sense to Lulu-chan, so it didnt look like she understands why Akane received a large shock. At most, she was probably thought along the lines of Maybe she felt unpleasant from seeing the corpses.. So the stimuli really was too strong for Akane-san, huh. As she was forcibly summoned from a peaceful world, I believe that adapting to this world right away is difficult. Showing mercy to thieves is impossible in this world. The victims would increase just by overlooking them. In that case, one might think that arresting them would be good enough, but its less difficult to kill an opponent with weapons and uses magic than catching them. Our party could have caught all of them, but it was too much of a risk and we didnt feel the need to, as theyve already slaughtered a large number of innocent people. We didnt feel there was any meaning in keeping them alive aside from gathering intelligence. However, I can say this because I am a person completely different from when I was Japanese. Even so, when I killed a thief for the first time, it was quite a lot for me. If one thinks about it that way, isnt it a big deal that Akane-san stopped at just turning pale? I approached Akane-san, asking if shes alright. Its alright to rest in the carriage if you arent feeling good. .................. its fine. Akane-san shook her head. I know that even if we keep them alive here and arrest them, the attackers will be sentenced to death. Thats the common practice in this world. You dont have to force yourself to accept it. Living as a person of this world in both body and mind was difficult even for me in the beginning. I do think that there are only a handful of people living in this world who wish to harm others. But to live as an adventurer, this is unavoidable. ...... Thats how it is. Thats why I tried to be an artisan, but............ Ive reached the level I can be called a full-fledged adventurer, so its something I couldnt help but do. Umm, when Iruma-san and everyone killed the attackers, I couldnt see everyone but...... Ah, Akane-san couldnt see, huh. Akane-san, all of us are wearing the same overcoat. Maria proudly held up overcoat to show it. Now that you mention it, you are. Fufu, you thought it was plain, didnt you? The truth is, this overcoat is super high performance. Maria gave an explanation of the overcoat were all wearing. Enhancing the Inhibit Perception and Stealth skills? Right, weve all acquired the Stealth skill. Not at Kaede-chan and Takumi-samas level, but me, Laeva-chan, Marnie-san are practicing the Stealth skill. Yes, thats why we can one-sidedly defeat enemies without being noticed. U-um, may I ask you to make one for Lulu-chan and I? Of course, Ill get them ready. I think Akane-san needs not just the transfiguration magic device, but also the Overcoat of Existence Concealment too, after all. Lulu will also receive one?! We also smiled when Lulu-chan, whos gotten more cheerful recently, was delighted. And so, while thinking up ideas for magic devices, we set up security golems and Barrier MDs in villages and towns along the national border. *** Sphys Note: Thanks for reading. Ill be removing the email subscription since its more trouble than its worth at this point xD I dont know why it wont work. So, Im sorry to those who subbed there. Ill delete the info stored xD For updates, I might just go with discord, so do join if you like. /invite/4PRMjwH Chapter 120: Akane heads forward Chapter 120: Akane heads forward We installed security golems and Barrier MDs in towns and villages as we ran along the national border of Valkyra Kingdom. And it seems there was a change in Akane-sans heart. Inside the carriage, she single-mindedly practiced Light attribute magic. Light attribute magic includes healing magic, purifying magic, barrier magic, and unique holy magic. As there are plenty of types she can practice even inside the carriage, Akane-san would drink the basic mana potions she received from Laeva whenever her magic power depletes, then she resumes her training once more. Her goal is to master the Light Attribute Magic skill and acquire the skills Magic Perception, Magic Power Manipulation, and Magic Formula Control. Apparently, Akane-san aims to be a rear guard job that depends on healing magic. Only, for the effect of the Overcoat of Existence Concealment to manifest fully, the Stealth skill is necessary, so she trains with Kaede when were camping. Since Akane-san possesses 3 attributes, she receives training from Sophia for Water and Wind attribute magic.Follow the latest novels on As for Lulu-chan, she trains one-on-one with Marnie, a beastkin similarly unsuited to magic. As the sun began setting, we, who werent able to reach our next destination, prepared to make camp for the nth time. Akane-san and Lulu-chan train hard even during these pauses. Urp, mana potions really do fill up stomachs, dont they? You got that right. When I was using alchemy and smithing magic, I worked as my stomach got so bloated too. Since Akane-san was patting her stomach as she drank the mana potion Laeva made, it seemed she didnt feel well. Be careful not to drink mana potions in too short an interval so it its efficacy doesnt drop. Mana potion and heal potion arent very effective when drank consecutively. It is essential to have a standard interval. Maria and Marnie prepared bread and stew, and everyone had dinner around the campfire. Uuu, I wanna eat but my belly is so full of mana potiooons~ You should eat even if just a little bit, Nom, nom, ish tashty. Theres rice?! As expected, Akane-san really got into it when rice was mentioned. I remember how I, too, couldnt calm my excitement for some time when I heard from Papeck-san[2] that Samandour produces rice. I also jumped in delight when I heard it from Papeck-san. I immediately had the Papeck Company import it. Good job, Iruma-san! Right? Now it it would be great if I can get my hands on kombu, but the question would be if my body can digest seaweed. Well, it should be fine if its dashi, though. Digest seaweed? Ah, the only ones who can digest seaweed are the Japanese. In Earth, the only ones who have an enteric bacteria capable of digesting seaweed were the Japanese[3]. Heee~, youre very knowledgeable. Akane-san gazed at me in respect, but Im just a salaryman in his 40s whos stocked up on various miscellaneous information. Would it be better if I study up on cooking too? Youre free to do so if you wish to. I basically like to cook. Maria likes to sew, so I think its good if everyone does what they enjoy. Each of us has a policy of doing what we ourselves want to do. Sophia always accompanies me as my bodyguard. Maria sews and cooks, while Laeva is doing her best at things focusing on alchemy and smithing right now. Marnie generally does housework and is, for some reason, proactive with nightly duties. It would be great if Akane-san and Lulu-chan find things they want to do, too. Its alright to take your time discovering what you want to do. Youre right, thank you. Akane-san, who turned into a beautiful blonde girl with the Transformation MD, appears to have resolved to keep on living in this world with her feet firmly on the ground. *** Footnotes: Added a few words to make things smoother in english. + More info on umami here.I was pretty sure it was from Sophia during one of their meetings, not PapeckA more detailed explanation here. Chapter 121: Hint Chapter 121: Hint The journey on the carriage pulled by Tsubaki continues. Given how we could teleport to the mansion in Volton at any time, we dont actually need to camp. There hasnt been a trace of attackers, but since Valkyra Kingdom doesnt share borders with Divine Empire of Sydnia, the harm might have come to Lomaria Kingdom. His Majesty was said to have alerted Lomaria Kingdom, but I imagine its impossible for every village and town to be vigilant in this current situation. Akane-san had become cheerful, as if she had overcome something. Oh, right. I have to address her as Akane without any honorifics. As Ive been calling her Akane-san and her calling me Iruma-san all this time, Ive been told we should mutually drop the honorifics. It might not look awkward since we appear to be the same age, but for my 40s salaryman self, addressing a female high school student without honorifics reeks of a crime. Around the time the end of the request to install security golems and Barrier MD approached, Laeva and I were still racking our brains inside the carriage. A strong barrier that obstructs the intrusion of unregistered individuals is possible, correct?F0lloww new chapters at Its possible, but that would turn the ins and outs of villages and towns into a downright mess. It would end up limiting the coming and going of peddlers and adventurers. How about requesting his Majesty to establish a vigilante corps at villages and towns? Sophia, I dont think a vigilante corps can arrest the zealots and heroes. I shook my head at Sophias suggestion. The zealots are like guys that have screws missing from their heads, but as one might expect from them conducting themselves as Kamui, many of them have topnotch abilities. I explained that hasty preparations will only increase the damages. If only theres one Kaede in every village, theyd be able to prevent any invasion. Master, Arachne same as Kaede are rare, you know~ Haha, youre right. According to monster ranks, Kaede has become an S rank Monster. Since shes also a unique species, her rank is essentially S+. If a monster like that were in great numbers, the people would have long been exterminated from this continent. There would be an effect even if Takumi-sama just prepares equipment, though. After installing the protective measures in a number of villages and towns, I wondered how the interrogation of the assailant leader was going, so I teleported to the royal capital and asked Prime Minister Simon. A transmutation in magic power? Umu, to be more accurate, we sensed a very small amount of miasma. ?! ...... miasma? Apparently, the interrogation that happened until the slave contract was performed did not end well. Apart from saying that he was a believer of the Light God Faith, they could not find out the contents of his directive nor the organization he belonged to. The moment they tried prying information out of the man forcibly with the slave contract, he died. It was likely that they had conducted some sort of sorcery beforehand. That aside, there was miasma. It was something impossible for a normal human. Miasma is said to be malicious magic power, but in reality, it isnt clearly known. There is a possibility that the miasma raises the physical abilities of those people. It appeared theyre resistant to pain and were able to move exceeding their bodies limits. When I heard that, I wondered if it was some kind of nasty drug. I dont know if it is a kind of curse, but if theyre enveloped in even a miniscule amount of miasma, then I might be able to develop a magic device along those lines. I see, a magic device that senses miasma, huh. If it can sense minute amounts of miasma, it would also lead to the prevention of monster invasions. Very well, Iruma-dono, immediately upon the completion of the current commission, please undertake the development of the magic device. If it is that magic device, it might be possible to distribute it as a set with the Barrier MD to even Lomaria Kingdom. Understood. In my discussion with Simon-sama, I am to undertake the development of a new magic device. And so, to finish the installation of the security golems and Barrier MDs quickly, I teleported back to everyone. *** Chapter 122: Miasma Contamination Chapter 122: Miasma Contamination Getting a hint from my conversation with Prime Minister Simon, I immediately went into the development of the new magic device. First of all, what is miasma? I only know it to be something that feels unpleasant. In the first place, as a Rabbitkin, I am not able to sense the magic power affected by miasma. Even so, I think Marnie-san can probably understand the unpleasant feeling if its strong miasma. Even Sophia, an elf proficient in magic, said she didnt know it that well. To Marnie, a Beastkin weak in magic, even sensing it is difficult. However, Laeva said that, since Beastkin have a keen intuition, theyll be able to sense it if the miasma is strong. In the end, monsters possess magic power more or less affected by miasma. And strong monsters appear in monster nests dense in miasma. Yes, on the other hand, since towns and villages are built on purified lands, there are no occurrences of monsters in those settlements even if the density of magic power is slightly high. One might ask If the land of the monster nest is purified, would the threat of monsters decrease?, but to purify the land of the magic power and miasma clinging to it, strong purifying magic is necessary. and that method is already more than a man can bear. So, I was thinking, if the zealots have a miniscule amount of miasma in their magic power, cant that be sensed? Sensing not the wavelength of the magic power but the miasma? Laeva pondered over it with a difficult expression. That, too, cant be helped. We dont understand miasma itself, and yet were talking about making a magic device that can sense it. Its no good until we can detect even the weak miasma, so well have to purify the settlements before that, huh. Lets finish this request quickly and return to Volton. Laevas eyes gleamed at the development of a new magic device. Yep, doing new things is fun, isnt it? Sounds of training spears cutting through air swooshed. Then a series of clanging from spears colliding resounded on the grasslands. Then I will accompany Laeva as her escort. Saying so, Laeva and Akane headed to the Papeck Company to make a delivery. Kaede had also disappeared to check the grounds of the mansion. Now then, maybe I should prepare for the development in the workshop. Entering the workshop and heading to the table, I thought of a mechanism to sense miasma. First of all, miniscule amounts of miasma are actually pretty much everywhere. After monsters pass by, an undetectably small trace of magic power is left behind. Of course, that magic power is encroached by a little bit of miasma. However, that amount is too minute to be sensed. Theres also no meaning in making a magic device that detects that. What I must definitely make is a magic device that senses the extremely small levels of miasma that zealots are enveloped by. In the first place, to afflict people with miasma, just what is Sydnia doing? It was so absurd I ended up muttering to myself. In the settlements that have churches, that tiny bit of miasma is purified at the heart of the church. Even without the purification, the miasma would disperse if its very little, so it has no effect on people. For the magic power of those guys called the Kamui unit of the religious state to have traces of miasma, I ended up doubting whether or not the Light God Church has the ability to purify miasma. I have returned! Welcome back, Laeva. How about the two of us try to come up with a miasma sensing magic device then? Yes, lets do our best! Laeva, who went to deliver potions in bulk to the Papeck Company, had come to the workshop. First we did repeated trial and error on the table in order to find a breakthrough on each point. Yet to grasp a clue, we tackled a project that I couldnt see the completed form of for the first time in a while. *** Chapter 123: Out to do fieldwork Chapter 123: Out to do fieldwork 3 days after coming back to Volton Town, the miasma sensing magic device have yet to be completed. Rather, it hasnt progressed by even 1 mm. There are several problems. Theres no miasma in Volton. Kaede, Tsubaki, and Titan who are monsters dont have that miasma tainted magic power. Whether that is because the disposition of their magic power changed when I tamed them, or if its because theyre not afflicted with miasma that they became my familiars, I dont know. Thats why, since there reasonably isnt any miasma at my mansion, we decided to go out for fieldwork. If magic power is thick in monster nests, itd probably be ideal for researching miasma. From Volton, we headed to a place in the direction of Wedgefort where theres a small monster nest. Despite going to a monster nest where monsters run rampant, everyone was in a picnic-y mood. We made packed lunchboxes. Also, having been a slave since she was born, Lulu-chan was excited for her first picnic. ...... Well, its not a picnic though. Takumi-sama, let the two of us do our best at fieldwork. ............ right. Only Laeva and I were in work mode though. Maria and Akane were having fun chatting with Lulu-chan. Since theres a lake by the small monster nest were going to, theyre apparently going to go fishing. I think the fish theyll catch are probably not normal, but since monsters have a tendency to be delicious, theyre raring to go. Theyll probably be fine if Kaede and Maria are there. The duty of being Laeva and my guards were undertaken by Sophia and Titan. Well, regarding Sophia, she rarely ever separates from me. Waaa~~! So pretty! I could hear Lulu-chans spirited voice. Although the lake isnt that big, it had a really beautiful scenery. If it wasnt close to a monster nest, it wouldnt be strange if it became a scenic tourist attraction. Tsubaki, unfastened from the carriage, was all carefree by the lakeshore. Few monsters in this monster nest would dare approach the Dragon Horse Tsubaki. Moving without feeling his weight, the 3 meter tall Titan was patrolling our surroundings to suppresses the monsters. Sophia was devoted to guarding diagonally behind me. In the monster nest where magic power`` or maybe I should call it manamagic source `` where mana is dense, its difficult to specify a location where miasma is thick. Master, let us have lunch. Roger, were coming. Carrying the rabbit tied up in Kaedes thread, we moved to the spot where the table and chairs were laid out. Sandwiches, beverages, and grilled fish caught from the lake were served. With a face full of smiles, Lulu-chan started the conversation. Takumi-sama! I caught lots of fish! Thats amazing, Lulu-chan. Was fishing fun? Yes! It was my first time fishing! Catching lots is really fun! Since everyone was at the table and Lulu-chan didnt seem like she could wait anymore, we decided to eat lunch without delay. Itadakimasu. Itadakimasu! Theres a Barrier MD installed just in case, but I asked Titan, who doesnt need to eat, to watch our surroundings, so were enjoying our lunch under the blue sky. To have a picnic in a monster nest, others would question our sanity, but thanks to Tsubakis presence, Titans patrol, and the threads Kaede had laid out, monsters wouldnt approach. Well, even if they come out, the monsters in this monster nest dont stand a chance against us, so we could eat lunch at ease. That day, we took a small break after lunch before heading back to Volton. Having returned to Volton, Laeva and I immediately made a cage for the horned rabbits and began our observation. Bringing the miasma afflicted monster into the town with no miasma was the right decision. When Laeva and I focused, we were able distinctly sense the miasma. So we could reproduce this in a magic device, days of repeated trial and error continued for a short while. *** Chapter 124: Completion of the Magic Device Chapter 124: Completion of the Magic Device The development of Miasma Sensor MD has entered its climax. Light attribute magic was useful for sensing miasma. Since miasma can be purified with the Light attribute magic Purification, it is also possible to utilize the properties of the Light attribute to sense miasma.Discover new chapters at All thats left is to pair it with the Barrier MD and its complete, isnt it? This took longer than I expected. While the other members were accepting requests at the Adventurers Guild and training hard, Laeva and I were secluded in the workshop. Akane and Lulu-chan were being taught how to sew by Maria and Kaede. They apparently wanted to make their own underwear. For Akane who is Japanese, she seems to have some reluctance in having someone make her underwear even if its between women. Lulu-chan said she genuinely wants to improve her needlework. If its a large town, multiple Barrier MDs must be linked or it wouldnt work. Indeed. Even in villages, one appears to be unreasonable if its large. If we use a large magic crystal, the coverage with one magic device seems achievable on a village, even if its a little bit wider. But if we use a large magic crystal, the cost would become too high. The Barrier MD that Takumi-sama made can last several months even on a trash magic stone, which is its selling point, after all. The scope of the barrier is small, but the current Barrier MD operates on even a goblins scrap magic stone. In terms of cost, its better to keep the level of the magic stone required low. However, since this magic device isnt targeted towards individuals, I believe that it would be better to pursue performance over cost. The magic stones are an issue, but theres also an issue with the precision of sensing miasma. The Miasma Sensor MD is more or less complete, but we have to decide at what amount of miasma the Barrier MD would activate at. If we set it to pick up even a small amount of miasma, it would likely malfunction repeatedly. Nevertheless, setting the sensor too insensitively and it would overlook the zealots, and that would defeat its purpose. Thats why we must keep adjusting it while looking for the best configuration. I dont think you can export the security golems to other countries, but there might have been inquiries from Lomaria and Samandour, the countries were friendly with, regarding the Barrier MD. ...... I understand. At present, a new Barrier MD is under development, so I think the number of victims will decrease if that is completed. Ooh, thats very welcome. Since Hans-san is aware that miasma was detected from the magic power of the zealots, I explained that an item, which can automatically activate the Barrier MD when it senses the presence of a fixed amount of miasma, is under development and will be completed in a few more days. Does that magic device require Takumi-kun to install it? No. I had to go because the activation of the security golems required my involvement, but the installation of the Barrier MD and Miasma Sensor MD is simple so it doesnt need to be me. That being the case, we might order a number of those to diffuse through the towns and villages in Valkyra Kingdom. I will make a report to Guild Master and Margrave Volton. For the budget, I think well probably discuss it with His Majesty. Ill complete it as soon as possible, and after testing to make sure there are no defects, Ill prepare for mass production. Please do. I think Lomaria and Samandour would probably want it too. Understood. Ill do my best. Leaving the Adventurers Guild, I continued my stroll with Sophia. From my conversation with Hans-san, I had feelings of impatience but I went out for a change of pace, so I decided to have fun with Sophia today. We peeked into various stores, buying and eating sweets, enjoying ourselves, then returned to the mansion at dusk. The Miasma Sensor MD and the Barrier MD that it links to were completed 3 days later. To check if there were defects, I used the captive Horned Rabbits and other monsters in an experiment. Inspecting the effects on the corpses of the monsters, there were no major defects. It was after another 3 days to get to preparing for production. *** Chapter 125: Sophia’s Return Home Chapter 125: Sophias Return Home The production of the Miasma Sensor MD and the Linking Barrier MD was doing well, and unlike the golems, we were even able to make an amount to provide samples to other countries in a short amount of time. Margrave Volton heard that the magic device capable of sensing miasma was completed. He commissioned for the same number that was made for the activated security golems that would immediately be installed in towns and villages, and weve finished making and delivering of the products. Although the problem hasnt been solved, our job is over for now and I decided to ask Sophia something that has been on my mind for a while now. Hey Sophia, since youre no longer a slave, havent you ever thought of returning to your country once? When everyone was relaxing and sitting on the living room sofa, I daringly tried asking Sophia. Thinking for a bit, Sophia began talking about the reason why she lived in the Moulin Slavery Company for 50 years. ............Takumi-sama, you have spoken of how I am of a household of Chevalier[1], and that I am a knight that served in the war of aggression against Triaria Kingdom, did you not? Yeah, at that time, I believed that it was normal for there to be talks of freeing the prisoners through a prisoner exchange and postwar preparations. Furthermore, Sophia, you hold a Chevaliers peerage, so theres no way your house would have forsaken you, is what I thought, so I felt something was out of place. ......I think Takumi-samas cognition is correct. Sophias story from that point was unexpected. Sophia being sold to the Moulin Slavery Company was said to have partly been the intention of her home. And that it wasnt out of ill intention. In those days, there had been a request from a viscount household to pursue me. Huh? Your household is of Chevalier peerage too, right? Arent your court ranks too far apart if its a viscount? Is that a normal thing in Yggurle Kingdom? In marriages between fellow nobles of Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, it could be called common practice to be within two court ranks of each other[2]. In recent years, there seems to be a trend of not regarding the partners court rank in Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, but I have heard that Yggurle Kingdom and Triaria Kingdom are strict in that regard. Yes. That is why the viscount household pursued me as a mistress. Wait wait, isnt that rude? Even though youre of Chevalier peerage, to not even be a concubine but a mistress is............ Yes, normally it would be an impossibly discourteous discussion even for Yggurle Kingdom. Furthermore, the other partys age is over 650 years old, and his legal wife and concubines sum up to 15 people, as well as already having 5 mistresses. I have to confirm just in case, but, Sophia, will you stay by my side as my guard from here on too? Naturally. Be it as your guard, or as your companion at night, I will not leave your side, Takumi-sama. If you tell me that with a serious expression, Ill get embarrassed. In the end, we all decided to go to Yggurle Kingdom. I want Sophia to meet her family, and Im also interested in the elven country. The elves in Mildgard live insularly in a location surrounded by trees, just like I had imagined. The name of Yggurle Kingdoms royal capital is Yggdrasil. It is said to be a city built beside the World Tree which reaches the heavens as its name reputes it to be. Given that that World Tree can be seen from the town of Volton, its enormity is understood as it towers over its surroundings and pierces the clouds. Indeed, it would be alright if I return home now. Both Takumi-sama and I are A rank adventurers, not even nobles would come forth high-handedly. According to Sophia, although Yggurle Kingdom is not bound by an alliance with Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Samandour Kingdom, they have established a trade and anti-war agreement. However, the Elven race have professed that they are the most excellent of races. That was bound to conflict with Triaria Kingdom. Although it is not similar to the doctrine of human supremacy where other races are completely unacceptable, there are those that have adopted the attitude of looking down on the other races. Well, if they dont cause harm to others just because they are of a different races, then its fine. I will protect Takumi-sama with this body of mine. Yup, Im counting on you. After that, we had fun discussing things like What preparations do we need to make? What will we do for the souvenirs for Sophias family?. *** Footnotes: 1. I had previously translated Sophias rank as Knight but considering how often the word knight is used, I decided to change the court rank Knight to Chevalier. 2. Knight is 3 ranks below Viscount Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial,_royal_and_noble_ranks Chapter 126: The Sylphide Household Chapter 126: The Sylphide Household A road wide enough for two carriages stretched directly through the sea of thick trees that towered over its surrounding. The road beyond was dotted with various towns and villages, both large and small. This is the Yggurle Kingdom, founded by Elves, the forest people. Sophia............ A beautiful elf woman muttered one word seemingly forlorn. Her long beautiful golden hair, green eyes, and face resembled Sophias so much that one would wonder if they were sisters. That too is only natural as that womans name is Freesia von Sylphide, Sophias mother. As it might be expected from a race known as the Elves, her appearance is youthful, and she could pass as Sophias sister. There, a male elf approached and embraced Freesias arms. Were you thinking of Sophia again?VIssi?T for the best novel reading experience ...... Dear, what could Sophia be doing? I want to go meet her with these legs of mine right now. Sorry, I am nothing but disappointing......... The mans name is Dante von Sylphide. Sophias father holds Chevalier peerage and governs two small villages. The Sylphide family are not Chevaliers with administrative or judicial power[1] , but Knights in charge of small territories. After the war 50 years prior, Dante became a Chevalier with rights to succession, but that conversely bound Dante. I heard that Sophia lost her hand and foot. Shes so pitiful, having such a disabled body for 50 years. I heard she lost her magic because of a curse. Ironically, it is fortunate how, because of that, Viscount Hordia lost interest in her, but its a complicated feeling. Yeah, welcome back Darphy. Father, Mother, were you thinking of Elder Sister again? Darphy was in disbelief, shrugging in dismay. To the young Darphy, his memory of his sister, Sophia, was faint. 50 years isnt long for elves. Even so, for Darphy who was but a young child, 50 years was enough time for his faint memory of his sister to fade away. I think its better for both Father and Mother to forget about Elder Sister now. Its been 50 years, and if I had become a prisoner of the enemy, I would commit suicide. Darphy! Darphy, the cause for Sophia falling into the enemys hands is because of the sealing curse placed on her by the subordinate of the viscount who was supposed to be her ally. It was not Sophias fault by any means. Freesia exclaimed and Dante defended Sophia, but it didnt reach Darphys heart. Darphy disliked his sister Sophia who had disappeared 50 years ago. The eldest son of the Chevalier Sylphide family made great efforts by himself. But when he enrolled at the Chivalric Order at the royal capital, there were many that members that would reminisce of his genius sister. In the Chivalric Order of the long-lived elves, many that remained were associates of Sophia during the time she was enrolled. They would talk to Darphy[2] about how brave Sophia was or how much she rescued her allies in the war with Triaria Kingdom. (Im sick of it. It would be better if Nee-san just dies.) And later on Darphy also learned from the staff of the viscount that the aforementioned Viscount Hordia coveted his sister, that she was sold to a foreign slavery company as a result of that. When Darphy heard that his sister had fallen to slavery, she was as good as dead to him. She didnt become the mistress of Viscount Hordia, but the thought of being purchased as a slave of a lowly Human disgusted him. He was right because she was bought by a human. Her relationship with Takumi is between man and woman, though. A war that began for selfish reasons had warped the heart of a very young elven child, driving him to detest the sister he loved. *** Footnotes: I guess these roles will be similar to noblesse de robe and maybe noblesse de militaire / de?pe?e for the other?Likely typo, raws said Dante, but prolly Darphy. Chapter 127: Homecoming Preparations Chapter 127: Homecoming Preparations What souvenirs would be good, I wonder? I imagine an accessory made by Takumi-sama would please even the elves. Having settled on Sophias homecoming, we were preparing for the journey and souvenirs for her family. Since Yggurle Kingdom and Valkyra Kingdom have a diplomatic relationship, it would not be difficult for us adventurers to enter.F0lloww new chapters at There would be no problems for you either, Sophia? ...... my associates from my time with the Chivalric Order will perhaps be in the royal capital, therefore I imagine it will be fine so long as we do not approach the royal capital. Well Sophia, you are no longer a slave, so I suppose itll be fine even if you meet your associates. There would likely be problems if we entered Yggurle Kingdom with Sophia still a slave, but Sophia, not to mention Maria and Laeva, have already been freed. Seeing their fellow countryman treated as a slave wouldnt give a good impression, much less if they knew that it is Sophia, a talented person who participated in the war as a knight of Yggurle Kingdom. It could become the worst of troubles. The rest is simply hoping that that viscount has somehow died. I dont know about that. He would be approximately 700 years old if hes currently alive, but an elfs lifespan is 800-1000 years, therefore the likelihood that he is alive is quite high. Nevertheless, a 700 year old would still be an elderly person, so I believe he would no longer continue meddling with me now. Would it be alright if I made an accessory? I believe Mother would be happy with it. If thats the case, would Status Abnormality Resistance to poison or paralysis and Magic Resistance enchantments be good? Many walk in the forest so Status Abnormality Resistance will be appreciated. Since Sophia gave her stamp of approval, I made a mythril alloy accessory. The design of the 2 cm wide mythril alloy bracelet were engravings of flowers and leaves in the image of an elf. There, small magic crystals of the water, earth, wind, and fire attributes were inlaid. Since the final product was well received by the girls, it would be great if Sophias mother would be pleased with it too. Until our departure, all thats left to do is to coop up in the workshop with Laeva to make potions that we would deliver ahead of schedule. In the meantime, Akane and Lulu-chan accepted requests with Marnie so they could raise their ranks even a little bit. They were accompanied by Titan and Kaede as their escorts, so theyll be fine even against lesser dragons. And so, with our preparations complete, we embarked on our first trip to a foreign country. *** Chapter 128: To Yggurle Kingdom Chapter 128: To Yggurle Kingdom The carriage pulled by Tsubaki was moving slower than usual on the highway. Yggurle Kingdom is situated to the northwest of Valkyra Kingdom, but they do not share national borders. Savage lands stretch out between the two countries. Thanks to that and the highway being unmaintained, it had been difficult for Tsubaki to pull the carriage. Even so, it still differed from the speed of a carriage pulled by a common Demon Horse. At any rate, the suspension of this carriage sets it apart from the carriages of this world. The quality of the ride is exceptional as well. If we continue to travel at this speed, how long would it take? Lets see, I believe we are likely to arrive at the national border of Yggurle Kingdom in 2 days. Sophia and I, sitting on the coachmans seat, were chatting idly as the carriage ran. Kaede was in her usual spot on Tsubakis back. Although Yggurle Kingdom has diplomatic relations with other countries apart from the Divine Empire of Sydnia and Triaria Kingdom, commerce isnt that frequent. Whether this is because elves are an unsociable race or not, trading companies are also limited, so the highway in the savage lands could barely be recognized as a road. Even so, this cant be called a highway. ...... this path is not much better than an animal trail. ............ my apologies. Elves are a secular race so trade is minimal, as such, the maintenance of the highway cant be done. Elves being a seclusive race is well known in Mildgard. According to Sophia, although they would not treat the other races as livestock like the human supremacy doctrines would, the elves consider themselves to be the most excellent of races. In itself, I dont think its a bad thing to be proud of your own race, but many elves appear to have a tendency of looking down on beings aside from themselves. Some of them, like Sophia, are unprejudiced towards the other race, and others are sociable, but the elves that leave Yggurle Kingdom and move about in the outside world are the minority. Then we might not be very welcome. My father is of Chevalier peerage, so we are not that different from commoners. I have a younger brother who is the heir, but I hope he didnt have hardships in the 50 years I was unable to return. Sophia appears to have a younger brother called Darphy. 50 years have passed, so he has surely become a splendid knight. According to Sophia, he hasnt turned 60 years old. The race known as elves grow no different from the other races until they are around 20, but they age at an exceedingly slow rate from there until they are around 500 years old. Since Sophias younger brother is 60 years old, as an elf, it could be said that he had simply moved on from being a boy to a young man. How amazing............ That forest is the national border of Yggurle Kingdom. The forest visible in the distance is much larger than the Forest of Death. Fuah~ A big treeee! Riding on Tsubakis back, Kaede raised her voice in excitement. Yes, much farther in the forest towered a gigantic tree. YggdrasilWorld Tree was visible in the mist. But its strange. Yggdrasil is that big of a tree, and yet we didnt notice it until at this distance. That is because of a barrier that covers the entirety of Yggurle Kingdom. ............ you can cover that range with a barrier? I was lost for words at Sophias explanation. A barrier that can encapsulate a country was beyond my imagination. How can I form a barrier that would span such a vast range? I cant even consider the mechanics of how to maintain it. The carriage pulled by Tsubaki drew closer to the thick and lush forest of the elves. *** Sphys Note: This chapter made me sad. Chapter 129: Forest of the Elves Chapter 129: Forest of the Elves We continued on the highway straight through Yggurle Kingdoms national border, an overgrown forest filled with all kinds of thick-trunked trees. Unreachable by the rays of sunlight, the road was dim and had become a green carpet except for the wheel tracks of carriages. Is there a process to enter this place? Yes, but it will be fine now that I am here. On the outer edge of the forest, we have a reason for stopping. We cant enter Yggurle Kingdom thats enshrouded by the barrier just like that. Sophia appealed to the spirits, and we received permission to pass the barrier. It is alright now. Let us be on our way. When the carriage moved at Sophias signal, I felt a sensation of passing through a thin film, and we were able to go through the barrier. Akane was surprised by the sensation of passing through the barrier. !! That just now was the feeling of moving across the barrier, wasnt it? It is completely different from the barrier Takumi puts up, but I get that its a strong barrier. Triaria started a war with a country that had a barrier of this magnitude erected? Takumi-sama, this barrier is not absolute either. The barrier breaks when it receives damage beyond its limits. Once the barrier breaks, it takes a long time to repair the barrier once more. The start of the war for Triaria Kingdoms invasion 50 years ago was sending a mage units to destroy this barrier. Yggurle Kingdom had chosen to meet the enemy outside of the barrier, and both armies squared off in the savage lands. The result was that Yggurle repelled Triaria, but the damage on Yggurle had also been great. For Triaria, this war had several objectives. Aside from securing beautiful elven slaves, it was to seize materials from Yggradsil, the World Tree that towered in the royal capital of Yggurle.F0lloww new chapters at You can collect rare materials from Yggdrasil? It is the World Tree, after all. As we traversed the highway in the dim forest, I learned of the war 50 years ago from Sophia. One of Triarias objectives that I felt was weak was their said motive of wanting elven slaves. Thus, as expected, Triarias true desire was the World Tree. They can judge from that distance that you are not a slave? Yes, though it was by way of the Spirits. Theyve always been watching Kaede, you know! Ah, are Arachnes conspicuous? Yes, it is a monster of a level that could annihilate a town by itself. When applying monster ranks, Kaede, a unique species of Arachne, has already exceeded S rank. Since she is a calamity-class monster, I could see why the border patrol of Yggurle was being vigilant. Even so, Spirits, huh. It certainly feels like there are many things flying around. Is this the presence of the spirits? We might not be able to move freely. Indeed. Ostensibly, moving independently is not censured. However, you would secretly be monitored. Well, I cant do anything about that so I gave up. They cant afford to not be vigilant of a foreigner who has tamed an Arachne and is riding on a carriage pulled by a Dragon Horse. Which reminds me, were inside the barrier but there are presences of monsters. Yes, the barrier is a barrier that protects the country from foreign races and strong monsters; Therefore, low ranked monsters live inside the barrier. We were travelling along the highway surrounded by the forest, but it seems I wasnt mistaken in sensing the presences of monsters far away. While we were chatting idly, the forest of a myriad of trees suddenly opened up, and a settlement or a farm village came into view. This seems to be the territory of the Chevalier Sylphide, situated at the border of Yggurle. When I was in Yggurle Kingdom, we lived in the royal capital as chevaliers, but I heard from Moulin-sama that they had been conferred territory after the war 50 years ago. Sophias return home was not at nostalgic royal capital, but at a tranquil farm shes visiting for the first time. *** Footnotes: They spell Elixir in Japan as ꥯ` or ꥯ` but it basically means the same thing. Chapter 130: Reunion Chapter 130: Reunion As we reached a village Elves live in within the Sylphide territory, we were in admiration of its view. As expected of Elves. They use Spirit magic for agriculture. ...... Indeed. I was born and raised in the royal capital, so I am not too well informed, but it is common practice for Elves to water and harvest with Spirit magic. The Sylphide household was granted territory after Sophia had become a slave. Even though it was a territory of two villages, as far as we could see, it seems the territory is being managed well. The field crops are plentiful, the golden wheat fields bathing in the sunlight were swaying from the wind. It wasnt just wheat fields inside the village, there were various crops and fruit trees being cultivated. Sophia mentioned that many of the crops are harvested quickly with the help of the Spirits. The villagers doing farmwork were glancing at us repeatedly and looking away. Half of them were observing us, who were different from the merchant units and peddlers from other countries, with inquisitive eyes. The other half were looking only at the Elf, Sophia, who is joined by humans and beastkin. Considering that this village, home to the mansion of the feudal lord of the Sylphide house, was located close to the forest of the national border, it likely wasnt appointed a responsible post. Since the scale of the village is small, it doesnt have much of a population either. I could imagine that the tax revenue would be strained compared to the time they were Chevaliers in the royal capital. While I was brooding, Sophia pointed to one building.Follow the latest novels on ...... That is likely the mansion of the Lord. That 3-story building was certainly larger than the surrounding houses; It was at a level that could barely be called a mansion. If I had to judge from the complicated expression on Sophias face, it was likely that this mansion theyre living in had fallen considerably in the ranks compared to the one they lived in at the royal capital. Fue~ Amazing~! But its wonderful view. Truly. Witnessing Elves do farmwork with magic, Lulu-chan exclaimed and Marnie was astonished. In front of our eyes, Elves were watering crops with Spirit Magic. Whether or not watering plants with magic is normal for them, I couldnt find an irrigation channel used in normal fields. Y-yeah, this isnt a dream, right? Dante and Freesia hurriedly ran out of the mansion. What they saw there caused them to go wide eyed and stiffen. That too is to be expected, as they saw a carriage pulled by a Dragon Horse theyve never seen before approaching. But the next instant, Dante and Freesias faces overflowed with joy. S-Sophia. The coachman clutching the reigns of the carriage was the child the two could only see in their dreams, Sophia. `````````````````````` Sophia! The male and female elves that came out of the mansion were calling out Sophias name and rushing over. Sophia jumped down from the coachmans seat, running to the pair. Father! Mother! Gasshi. The trio embraced each other tightly. Led by a man in his prime, who came out of the mansion and was probably a servant, we moved the carriage. Good for you, Sophia-san. ......yeah. Maria, who lost both her parents, was lonely, but she congratulated Sophia, who reunited with her parents, happily. I gently held Maria in my arms as we watched over Sophia. Beside us, a similarly lonely Akane was watching the parent-child reunion enviously. Marnie and Lulu-chan nestled close to Akane to comfort her. Akane left behind her parents in our previous world when she was forcibly summoned here. She herself likely understands that the probability of her returning home is low. Thats why I think her loneliness worsened all the more. Unlike me who lost my body when I came to this world, she feels she cant give up. I wish I could analyze the summoning circle and send her home if its possible, though. Laeva, whose family is well, and Kaede, who doesnt know what family feels like, were smiling as they watched Sophia and her family rejoicing at their reunion. *** Chapter 131: A Moment’s Gathering Chapter 131: A Moments Gathering In the emotional reunion, Sophias and her parents faces crumpled as they shed tears of joy. Father, Mother, I will introduce the master I serve and my companions that are like family. A-ah, pardon me. It is our first time meeting. I am Dante von Sylphide, a Chevalier. Beside me is my wife, Freesia. Since an aged elf whose age is unknown introduced himself as Sophias father, Dante-san, and his wife as Freesia-san, we promptly introduced ourselves too. I am glad to meet you, I am always indebted to Sophia. I am Takumi Iruma, and I work as an Alchemist at Volton in Valkyra Kingdom. She is Maria, and beside her are Akane, the Foxkin Laeva, the Rabbitkin Marnie, the Catkin Lulu-chan, and my Arachne familiar, Kaede. The moment I introduced Kaede, startled expressions surfaced from Dante-san and Freesia-san. They had not noticed Kaede until I introduced her. Though this was because Kaede erased her presence, it might have been inevitable that the bodies of the two stiffened after suddenly being faced with a calamity class monster all of sudden. Father, Mother, Kaede is our beloved companion. There is nothing to be afraid of. Is t-that so. Dear, shall we bring them into the mansion first? Y-youre right, Takumi-dono, though it may not be grand, I welcome everyone to our mansion. Please come in. Yes, then we will graciously accept your offer. Prompted by a servant of the Sylphide family, we were led into the mansion. I would once more like to thank you for saving Sophia. Having been guided into the mansion, we were thanked again by Dante-san once everyone sat down. He saw that Sophia was already freed from slavery. Above all, he could see that his daughters body, which he had been informed of being disabled, had returned to its previous state. That made Dante bow deeply to me. Not at all. Sophia always saves me as my bodyguard, after all. Dante-san said that Sophias younger brother called Darphy is a knight at the royal capitals Chivalric Order. I was informed that this was necessary to succeed as the next chevalier. As they drank tea, the parent-child conversation between Sophia, Dante-san, and Freesia-san did not cease. As if to fill up the 50 year gap. Are you able to take it slow? ......No, we plan to return in 2-3 days. I returned this time to let Father and Mother know that I am safe. I would like for Mother and Father to feel at ease because I am in the town of Volton, and that from the next time onwards, we will visit once in a while. ............ right, it is not too far if it is at Volton, so we can see you when we want to see you. Yes, we were also aware that you were in Volton but had not thought to meet you. Now, Sophia is a free woman, after all. ...... Moreover, we do not know who the offender who inflicted the sealing curse on Sophia which caused her to receive serious injuries and fall into slavery is. It is much safer in Volton than it is in Yggurle Kingdom. Dante-san was talking about was the war 50 years ago where Sophia was heavily injured and fell into slavery. The sealing curse was a chance for her to fall into the enemys hands at the time. Dante-san speculates that she was cursed by an ancient elven magic device. It is likely that the magic device was used during a fight so I would not notice. I dare say it was someone from the side of Yggurle Kingdom. Being cursed by her allies was beyond Sophias imagination, so she doesnt know who did it. Well, lets end that conversation there then, Freesia. Very well. Everyone, please stay at our mansion today. Thank you very much. That day, it was arranged so that we would stay in Sophias parents home. *** Chapter 132: Warm Welcome Chapter 132: Warm Welcome In the Sylphide House, a feast was arranged for dinner. Since there were many of us, I offered the ingredients from my Item Box. Takumi-sama, I will lend a hand with cooking too. Ah, I will help too. Lulu too. I will help with the cooking as well. The Sylphide family doesnt have an exclusive chef. A maid only in name and Freesia take on the preparation of meals. Seeing this, Maria, Akane, Lulu-chan, and Marnie said they would help. And so, I handed over a large amount of monster meats and stocked up ingredient stored in my Item Box. Seasonings in particular; It seems like they only use herbs and salt, so I gave Maria the soup stock I prepared when I had time. Meat, vegetables, oil, eggs, salt, pepper, soup stock, and the herbs prepared by Freesia-san. Yep. No problems here. I had the image that Elves were vegetarians, but Sophia generally likes meat. In the first place, Elves are famous for being excellent hunters of the forest, so of course they would eat the meat of their spoils. MasterHusband, I was thinking of making a bouillabaisse. Okay, Ill bring it out so you guys heat it up. I took out the pre-made bouillabaisse from the Item Box and gave it to Marnie. Meat dishes, fish dishes, salad, appetizers, and soup; All thats left is dessert. Sophia, Ill prepare the dessert. Takumi-sama will? Un, its simple, after all. Saying so, I headed to the Sylphide familys kitchen. Dante-san looked surprised, but it isnt that outlandish if he think about it normally. ............Sophia, Iruma-dono appears to have gone to the kitchen. Yes, Takumi-sama has the Cooking skill, so he cooks together with Maria-san and Marnie-san. ...... Ice cream. In the outside world[1], cold sweet confectioneries such as this exist. Ice cream, sherbets, pudding, and pancakes regularly come up to the dining table at our mansion, and we told Dante-san and Freesia-san that this is just at our house, but they were too engrossed with eating the ice cream that they heard none of it. That night, from the window of the room I was assigned to, I gazed at the outside scenery illuminated by moonlight. Maybe I was able to sense things because I had the Magic Perception Skill, I could feel a lot of presences that seemed like they were floating around me. ..................are these spirits? Takumi-sama seems to be liked by the spirits. A voice came from behind me, who was muttering to myself. The one who entered my room was Sophia. Youre alright not spending time alone with your parents? Yes, I am already an adult, and we can meet if we want to meet from now onwards, after all. When Sophia approached my side, she quietly snuggled up to me and we gazed at the scenery outside together. The Sylphide territory located at in the borderlands of Yggurle Kingdom, with only 2 small villages, was by no means prosperous, but I felt the time pass very pleasantly. To Sophia who was born and raised in the royal capital, it might have been a new place, but I think returning to her motherland and to her parents side had brought about a good effect in her heart. *** Footnotes: 1. This can also be translated as another world or outside world Sphys Note: And so, this is the second to the last chapter of the volume. That means, next chapter is the end of Volume 3. ? Chapter 133: Bewilderment of Yggurle Kingdom Chapter 133: Bewilderment of Yggurle Kingdom Not much time passed before the royal castle of Yggurle Kingdom was informed of Takumi and his companions visit to Sophias parents home. First, theyve been informed that the Dragon Horse Tsubaki and the Arachne Kaede who was said to be over S rank`` races which had no documentation of ever being tamed in the long-lived elves records`` had been tamed. Especially the Arachne Kaede, as it was not possible to predict how much damage it could inflict in Yggurle Kingdom where there are many forests. The people in the royal castle of Yggule were racking their brains on how to deal with Takumis group. Viscount Hordia who displayed his prowess in logistical support by leveraging his assets in the war 50 years ago, had risen to an Earl. The King intends to give consideration to Earl Hordia, formerly Viscount Hordia, who comes from a prestigious noble family with a long history. Forselty van Yggurle He has reigned over Yggule Kingdom as its king for over 200 years. Among the insular elves, he is said to be a wise king who promoted trading with Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, and brought prosperity to Yggurle Kingdom. Your Majesty, what shall you do to the people who appeared at the Sylphide territory? I will do nothing. The daughter simply returned home. It was an aged elf who inquired of Forselty. From the appearance of the aged elf, he is presumably over 700 years old. The man talking to Forselty was the prime minster of Yggurle Kingdom, Balza. A man who supported the kingdom for a long time. Our country does not prohibit the entry of adventurers. There is no action required from us. Well, that is so, however the return of Miss Sophia is slightly troubling............ Viscount` no, Earl Hordia, is it? Having aged much, he is still after that Sophia? If I remember rightly, that Sophia receiving serious injuries and becoming a prisoner during the last war was the deed of Earl Hordia. ............ Yes, as one would expect, there was no evidence that remained, thus he could not be held accountable. Furthermore, Miss Sophia receiving such a serious injury to the point she had become disabled was likely outside of Earl Hordias calculations. Owing to that, Miss Sophia must have been spared. That man is lustful, dissimilar to elves. Yes, had Miss Sophia been in perfect health, I assume he would locate her no matter which slavery company she was hidden in. Due to their longevity, the elven race has a low birthrate. Individuals advanced in age still full of carnal desire like Earl Hordia are few. Royalty and high ranking nobility have a duty to marry several wives, but elves that surround themselves with not just several wives but even mistresses like Earl Hordia likely did not exist. Earl Hordia slammed on his desk and continued scolding his subordinates. The information from the subordinate stated that Sophias disability was fixed, and that the Curse of Sealing was also dispelled. The fact is that the beautiful Sophia from 50 years ago had been brought back; Earl Hordia will not hesitate. Master, Miss Sophia had once been bought as a slave. More so after that, it appears shes serving a human now. It would be difficult to persuade her............ Are you a fool?! Who said to persuade her! I said to bring her here! Bring her here even if you must abduct her! However, they have already set out to return to their country and have left the country. Furthermore, the creature pulling their carriage is a Ryuuma. It is not difficult, but impossible to reach them in the savage lands. Earl Hordia fell into a fit of rage at his subordinate who only commented negatively. Take her even if you must chase them to the ends of the earth! Y-yes, I will make preparations immediately. Earl Hordia saw off his flustered, departing subordinate with a scowl. The subordinate had issued instructions to the dark guild theyre connected to in Valkyra Kingdom. Given how elves mobilizing in a foreign country would be too conspicuous, they always make use of the dark guilds of different races for their dirty work. This elderly man did not realize. The strength of the A rank adventurer. The significance of a monster exceeding S rank having been tamed. Regarding Earl Hordia who had lived only within the small world known as Yggurle Kingdom, he would realize that his long life was of no use whatsoever in the outside world. *** Sphys Note: And so, that marks the end of Volume 3. I will take this time to take my usual break. Ill be back in 1 week / 2 updates worth of a break, then coming on 3rd update (July 13-14 depending on where you are) for the start of Volume 4. ? p.s. IMO facts about Kaede are not really a secret at this point considering they never tried to hide it. lol Chapter 134: Monarch of Skulls Chapter 134: Monarch of Skulls While we were on our way back to Volton from Sophias parents home, Sophia suddenly stopped the carriage. Hm? Whats wrong, Sophia? ............ Something feels like its calling out to me. Its a very weak response, but......... it seems to be requesting to be saved............. I dont quite understand. It seems Sophia doesnt understand it well either. Sophia says that she thinks that whats asking for help isnt a person. But we have to go if it shes bothered by it. Then lets go if youre worried. If theres nothing there then its fine. If theres something thats asking for help then wouldnt it be good if we could help? Yes, thank you very much. We went off the road, altering our course and heading to the west. Travelling about 50 Km off the path, it smelled faintly of sea water. Were close to the sea? Does that means were at the western end of the continent? Ah, that is the place. Sophia, who held the reins, turned the carriage to a location that could be considered a village or a town from long past. That place had buildings which had already weathered with only their ruins remaining, a spring around 50 meters in diameter, and a river that flows out towards the sea. Water continues to gush forth even now, as the spring doesnt seem to have petered out. However, this is.................................. It became a monster nest[1]. Right. With the extremely stagnant air and thick miasma, Im confident that, among the monster nests that riddle these savage lands, the density of miasma here is particularly high. I cant see monsters in this concentrated miasma. Which means, ............ Everyone! Prepare for battle!! I jumped out of the carriage and hurriedly unfastened Tsubaki. Sophia and the girls leapt off the carriage with weapons in hand and were being vigilant. Akane, Marnie, cover Lulu-chan! When I yelled that out, from the surface of the ruins, out came Zombies, Ghouls, and Skeletons. Inside the Sanctuary Field, the Skeleton King shrieked agonizingly. Titan and Kaede opened a path. There, I swung Ice Bringer, routing the Skeleton Knights and General as I ran to the Monarch of Skulls, the Skeleton King. Mowing them down, stabbing them, and smashing them. Mixing up the Ice Bringer with taijutsu, I defeated the Skeleton Knights and General. The Spear King Technique Skill has leveled up The Fist King Technique Skill has leveled up I made free use of Insight, Presence Detection, and Evade skills to dodge the sword and spears of the slowly approaching Knights and Generals as I defeat them. The Insight Skill has leveled up The Presence Detection Skill has leveled up The Evade Skill has leveled up Requirements have been met. The Minds Eye Skill has been obtained I had become able to follow every single movement of the surrounding enemies quite clearly. The speed of my advance was accelerating quickly. Gaki!! My drawn Ice Bringer and the Skeleton Kings large sword caused sparks as they clashed. A long time since I last fought with a clearly superior enemy, I resolved myself to use everything Ive got. The curtains on the fierce battle between Monarch of Skulls and I, rise. *** Footnotes: 1. Author Typo: Wrote ħR C makagami C magic mirror, should have been ħ C makyou C monster nest Chapter 135: Spirit Tree Chapter 135: Spirit Tree Skeleton King manipulates its 3m+ frame faster than I imagined, and its swings were like a gale. Thanks to the Insight, Presence Detection, and Evasion skills maxing out and obtaining the Minds Eye skill, I could evade the tempestuous attacks of the Skeleton King and strike with Ice Bringer. The Skeleton Knights and Skeleton Generals who served the Skeleton King were taken on by Kaede and Titan. Sophia and the girls were annihilating the Skeleton Knights who couldnt move well in the Sanctuary Field. The Skeleton King needs to be defeated before the Sanctuary Field disappears. I enveloped my whole body in magic power more powerfully. Whatever the material of armor that is, the jet-black armor of the Skeleton King displays uncommon defensive power. Nevertheless, the movements of the Skeleton King were gradually worsening. The joints I stabbed were starting to freeze. I quickly moved in and slammed my left palm on the knee of the Skeleton King. Bakyan! The armor on its knee broke into very small pieces. I activated Decomposition with my left palm, destroying the armor. I quickly slipped by its side, looked back and struck the exposed knee with Ice Bringer. Thrown off balance, the Skeleton King collapsed and the earth shook. Going around before the Skeleton King could get up, I overloaded the heel of my palm with as much magic power as I could and released it on the face of the Skeleton King. Activating Decomposition, its head crumbled. The arms and legs of the Skeleton King, who was trying to get up, then lost strength, and it collapsed then and there. When the Skeleton King was defeated, the summoned lost strength, and when the light of the Sanctuary Field disappeared, all that remained were magic stones and armors scattered about. Are you unhurt? Im okay. Good work. Is everyone alright? The girls rushed to my side. Lulu-chan, you okay too? Yes! I leveled up lots! Magic stone aside, theres a lot of armor left behind too. Akane surveyed the surroundings, confirming that the Skeleton Knights and Generals dropped weapons and armor. How about we collect the magic stones and the seemingly usable weapons and armor? Roger! Yes. Akane and Laeva retrieved the magic stones and equipment. Sophia removed the armor of the Skeleton King, taking out a large magic stone. Takumi-sama, what was asking for our help was this. Aside from the magic stone, Sophia held out something that appeared to be a ping-pong sized plant seed. A seed of something? It says its the seed of the World Tree. Could Sophia hear the voice of the seed? The seed she held out was apparently the seed of the World Tree. The World Tree? What is the World Trees seed in a place like this? The World Tree, Yggdrasil, purifies the earth through the Earth Pulse. However, Yggdrasil, which is in Yggurle Kingdom, can not purify the Earth Pulse and the earth alone. It is impossible to completely purify this world where people and monsters inhabit, but without the World Tree, this world would be engulfed by monster nests. Therefore the World Tree produces a seed, which is a branch of itself, known as a Spirit Tree. It would seem that the abnormally strong Skeleton King took the World Trees seed into itself and evolved abnormally. I had won because I was inside the Sanctuary Field, but the thought that if had this not been an undead, but rather a different monster of the same rank made a cold sweat run down my back. Why did the Skeleton King absorb the seed of the World Tree? That we dont know. Originally, the World Tree bears peach-like fruits, and the seeds within are strictly managed by Yggurle Kingdom. So then, does this World Tree seed want us to do something? Yes, it says it wants to be planted in this land. However, it would like for us to share magic power of the Light attribute with it. For it to bud, it apparently needs Light attribute magic power. It originally didnt need it, but having been taken in by the Skeleton King, it had weakened from its strength being stolen and it was difficult for it to bud. With that being the case, Akane, Laeva, and I injected Light attribute magic power into the seed of the World Tree. Status Taming Lv3 Enhanced Physical Abilities Lv8 ( Up ) Magic Perception Lv9 Magic Power Manipulation Lv10 Magic Formula Control Lv8 ( Up ) Light Attribute Magic Lv9 ( Up ) Fire Attribute Magic Lv8 ( Up ) Water Attribute Magic Lv7 Wind Attribute Magic Lv7 Earth Attribute Magic Lv8 Ice Attribute Magic Lv7 Lightning Attribute Magic Lv9 Time-Space Attribute Magic Lv7 Bestowal Magic Lv8 Alchemy Lv10 Smithing Lv9 Woodworking Lv8 Carpentry Lv5 Foraging Lv6 Logging Lv5 Dismantling Lv4 Mining Lv4 Metalworking Lv8 Sewing Lv7 Cooking Lv4 Divine protection of Goddess Norn ( Concealed ) Familiars Arachne Unique Species ( Kaede ) Dragon Horse ( Tsubaki ) Guardian Golem ( Titan ) Titles Giant Killer Dragon Slayer One who has surpassed the flood *** Footnotes: 1. A few lines added to make the conversation better. 2. Some status information were outdated and have since been changed (not all though, since I cant really give accurate information). Chapter 136.1 Chapter 136.1 I started charging the World Tree seed with magic power first. The World Tree seed was like a dry sponge absorbing water as it continuously sucked up my magic power. ............ this is quite tough. Although Ive thankfully recovered magic power thanks to drinking mana potions after the fight, it seems even after absorbing almost all of the magic power that I, someone confident in the amount of magic power I possess, have. Then Im next. I leveled up considerably, so my magic power increased by a lot. Akane took the World Tree seed from my hand, and started to pour magic power into it just like I did. ...... uu, its still not enough? Then its my turn next. Even when Akane loaded it up to her limit, the World Tree seed still wanted more magic power. Laeva then started her turn. Ah! The magic power is overflowing, Any more than this and it wouldnt absorb it. A short time had passed since Laeva began charging it with magic power, the World Tree seed stopped absorbing. It seems that was enough. Next, it says it wants to be sown near the spring. Afterwards, we planted the World Tree seed into the spot Sophia had indicated. It would be better to water it, right?VIssi?T for the best novel reading experience Magically conjured water loaded with magic power gently watered the soil covering it. For some reason, my intuition tells me that it would be better to do that. This water isnt foul, but its not clean either, is it? With the defeat of the Skeleton King and its underlings, as well as the Zombies and Ghouls, and the purifying abilities of Sanctuary Field and the Purification spell, this land had become pure, which was unthinkable in the savage lands dotted with monster nests. I drank mana potion and rested a little bit, then invoked Sanctuary Field to encompass the spring. And so, the spring turned perfectly clear and pure. As I thought, it looks like it was polluted by miasma. The World Tree seed will likely bud easily now. Then while practicing our Light attribute magic, well purify this surrounding area, wont we? Having seen me purify the spring water, Akane accompanied Laeva and began purifying the faint remains of miasma. Now then, the retrieval of magic stones and drop items seems to have finished, so I was thinking wed go back to Volton once Akane and Laeva purification finishes, but at that time, there were signs of something moving, and I looked around. Wha?! The World Tree seed that I planted just a while ago had already sprouted. Furthermore, it had grown 1 meter in height right before my very eyes, and it even had 20 lush green leaves. The World Tree grows this fast? The significance of a monster nest becoming a sanctuary is something I dont know, nor do I need to understand. At the start, I had decided to install Holy Barrier MDs in this land. This time it will be one set of 6 magic devices. With Laevas cooperation, we installed the magic devices In the shape of a hexagram. Oooii~! Is your set up okaaay!? Yeees! Preparations are okaaay! Laeva and I proceeded with starting up the magic devices, and when the last magic device was activated, a hexagram of light stood out from the ground with the Spirit Tree in the middle. The light soon vanished, and I checked if the barrier had activated. The Holy Barrier stretched across the land in a circular form with a 200m radius from the Spirit Tree that was at its center. This barrier would not directly prevent the invasion of monsters aside from the undead. Its a magic device that makes an environment that monsters would avoid by purifying the land that had been a monster nest filled with mana and miasma, consequently changing the land to become one that monsters would find hard to approach. Alright! With this, the chances of it being invaded would probably decrease. It feels like sacred space, but even though the miasma is gone, its still a monster nest with dense mana, isnt it? With the work of installing the magic devices over, Laeva came over and asked the question that was on her mind. Thats right, its definitely a monster nest. Thats why it wouldnt be a barrier to monsters that dont avoid the Light attribute. Only, there are also cases of monsters who dont need miasma that can coexist with people. Representatives of those are Demon Horses and Ryuumas like Tsubaki. Kaede, a unique species of Arachne, is a monster that prefers miasma, but the moment she was connected to me by a path of magic power as my familiar, that disposition changed. Master, how about preparing a number of stone golems? ...... Youre right, I dont want monsters to damage the precious Spirit Tree. Can I leave it to you? Please leave it to me Since Titan had come to recommend stone golems to protect this place, I decided to entrust Titan with it, including the creation of the golems. The golems that Titan make can only act on simple orders and work, but assigning them to protect this place is enough. Titan created 4 stone golems and deployed them in the 4 cardinal directions with the Spirit Tree in the center. With this, if everything is normal then the Spirit Tree wont be damaged. And so, we discovered the World Tree seed from the chance encounter with the Skeleton King and purified the land that the Spirit Tree would grow in afterwards. However, we hadnt imagined at this time that this land would give rise to discord among a portion of the elves. *** Footnotes: 1. The previous sentence is actually ?ʹ롱 which uses a word with chin , and it means to boss someone around by using their chin to point. And so Lulu-chan asks if the Spirit Tree has a chin, but that wouldnt really make sense in english. Important C Sphys Note: Early chapter today because I have to sleep early. For the next 3-5 days, Ill be at a different city for a bunch of medical procedures (I wont go into detail about it), and so I most likely cant post updates during this time. I dont want to delay chapters again since I already made you all wait, so Ill at least still try. I hope to have your understanding on this. Thank you ? Chapter 136.2: Paradise of the Spirits Chapter 136.2: Paradise of the Spirits We regularly visit the location of the Spirit Tree, which grew from the World Tree seed. Sophia listens to the requests of the Spirit Tree and we continue to help do those requests. On one occasion, it wanted soil from Volton, and we planted a large amount of that soil around the Spirit Tree. On another occasion, it wanted the fallen leaves of a forest and told us to mix those leaves with the soil. It felt like weve become farmers. We travel from Volton to the site by teleportation. It seems that there are elves that wouldnt find it funny that a Spirit Tree growing outside Yggurle Kingdom. As much as possible., Sophia wanted us to travel by teleportation so we dont show our movements. Tsubaki runs around freely to reduce her stress once we arrive. ............ Still, not even 10 days has passed and yet, its amazing. Indeed. I suppose you could say its as expected of the Spirit Tree. That aside, Takumi-sama, the Spirit Tree requests magic power today as well. Having become a den of the undead, with its acrid spring water, withered trees, and barren soil where even weeds did not grow, that land now has clear spring water, a green carpet spanning the interior of the barrier, and young trees that had grown before we knew it. Above all, the Spirit Tree has grown to adapt to this world, much to my delight. Spirit Tree is already over 20m tall and its trunk is likely 1m in diameter. I approached the Spirit Tree and placed my hand on it, and pouring my magic power into it. This has already become a daily routine. Sophia said this was also the request of the Spirit Tree, and it continues to request things from Sophia. For it to grow quickly in this harsh environment, you could say its necessary and we couldnt refuse. While taking turns with Sophia, we poured in loads of magic power. When I poured in the magic power, multicolored flowers began blooming in the carpet of greens surrounding the Spirit Tree. Wha!? My surprise continues. As I was thinking so, I gazed at my surroundings and a mysterious spectacle unfolded. Rain-like water sprinkled the entire surface of bloomed flowers and grass. Lulu-chan ran around happily, but Akane was slack-jawed in surprise. Hey, is that also the work of spirits? Yes, an intermediate Water Spirit provides the plants with water. Spirits of the wind carry the seeds; Spirits of the water and of the earth raise them. This land can become the paradise of Spirits............or rather, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say it already is. Is it bad for Spirit Tree to be in a location unrelated to Yggurle Kingdom? About that, even by the World Tree, theres no water, land, and air as clean as what is in this land. ............ It would be bad if this is found. It seems the environment surrounding the World Tree has been deteriorating for several hundred years. If the flower could no longer bloom, the flower that cant bloom loses its ability to make fruits. In recent years, even if a ceremony is performed, the harvested World Tree seeds have been running low. I wonder if a Concealment Barrier MD is necessary. It would be better to prepare it. Since this day, I got stuck with producing a magic device that would hide this place. Thats not all, the requests from the Spirit Tree werent stopping. Such things as Purify a wider scope of land or collect seeds, and of course, there are requests to plant various trees too. Since I cant refuse when Sophia asks, I do everything the Spirit Tree says in the end. And by the time two months pass, in the land at the western edge of the continent, a paradise for Spirits that no one knows about was completed. *** Chapter 137: Manifestation Chapter 137: Manifestation At the time the movements of Sydnia in Valkyra and Lomaria quieted down, we still made regular visits to the Spirit Tree. That place that centers around the Spirit Tree changed in appearance with each passing day. The main actor, the Spirit Tree, has already grown into such a huge tree that youd have to look up. It uses two layers of concealment, Concealer MD and Perception Inhibitor MD, so the outside doesnt perceive the location. Furthermore, creating simple Stone Golems from a rocky mountain, I assembled a file of troops and brought them to that location of the Spirit Tree. I then removed their cores to use the stones. I changed the form of the stone with Earth magic and Alchemy, and after guaranteeing its strength, I constructed a stone house. Digging out a cellar with Earth magic, I established a Transfer Gate, connecting it to Volton so we can come freely anytime. Of course, in terms of security, weve registered our magic power so others cant use the gate. The house made of stone was constructed with Laevas help. It uses tempered glass-like wings of the Great Armored Dragonfly that boast its strength for windows. The interior uses Treant Wood extravagantly, affixed on walls, floors, and furniture like tables and chairs. We wont live here so this much is probably enough. No, its more than enough, I believe. When I said such as I looked at the stone house that wasnt different from the mansion in Volton, Sophia looked astounded as she retorted that I overdid it. In a short amount of time, the exterior of stone house built with free use of magic was covered in an ivy-like plant before we knew it, and it melded together with the surrounding landscape. While Sophia and I were looking at the completed house, Sophia suddenly started running towards the spring in a panic. ! Takumi-sama! Its a sign of a high rank spirit! ?! A high rank spirit? Unable to understand what she meant, I followed after Sophia. Catching up to Sophia, we finally reached the spring filled with clean water, when water whirled in the center of the spring and began to well up. Since I couldnt sense danger even with Insight Skill, so I decided to watch the development with Sophia. Before long, the figure of a person began forming in the swelling water. So, I have something to talk about with Takumi therefore I made an appearance in this place. ...... Is it a request? A request from a high ranking entity called a Great Spirit, I readied myself for what kind it would be. There is no need to be that on guard. I would like for you to continue continue doing the requests of the Spirit Tree for a while longer. Undines request was that she wanted our cooperation to make this land a true sanctuary. Aside from the location of the World Tree in Yggurle Kingdom, land where the Great Spirits like Undine can manifest apparently do not exist. The vicinity of the World Tree is a prominent environment dense in magic power and spirit energy. However, the pride of the elves is high and their disposition of scorning the other races in the shadows is hated by the Great Spirits. And so, they have not manifested for several hundred years. We know that the elves honor us spirits. Nevertheless, we spirits exist/live together in Mildgard. The influence of the several hundred years that the Great Spirits did not manifest was enormous. Monster nests spread, and the unpurified miasma ruined lands. Land where people can live in are few in this continent. Undine said that the speed in which land is purified and reclaimed, and the speed in which miasma overflows and monster nests expand are somehow balanced, but the current situation is one where it is unknown when that balance will break. And so, a sanctuary carries significance. A sanctuary will be made here, and we Great Spirits will manifest. At first the sanctuarys influence would affect the land around the sanctuary, but its influence would eventually expand to the entire continent. When I asked in what way, it was explained that when the balance of Mildgard tilts to the negative energy, the monster nests enlarge, while monsters increase and become stronger. Conversely, the sanctuary where the Great Spirits live in would turn Mildgards energy to a positive, then monster nests and would reduce and strong monsters would lessen. If its for the sake of the people of this continent, I am willing to cooperate. However, Undine-sama, will you live in these lands too? You can call me Undine. Thats right, I will live in that spring. This land will soon be bustling too. Though spirits with the ability to manifest are few, from the way Undine was talking, theyre probably going to increase from here on. The reason being that I was told to construct a smithing workshop. This land gathers Water, Earth, Wind, Plant, Light, and Dark Spirits, but Fire Spirits are few. It seems Undine wants a place where the Great Spirits of other attributes are able to manifest. At least Great Spirits of three attributes are the condition for a sanctuary. The current state of this place is apparently Sanctuary ( Provisional ). As a result, in addition to the Spirit Trees, we will run about to meet the requests from Undine. *** Chapter 138: One Great Spirit After The Other Chapter 138: One Great Spirit After The Other Since Laeva and I built the smithing workshop that Undine requested, the workshop and furnace had already been prepared. A few days after the workshop was built, an unusual phenomenon happened to the Spirit Tree. A significant presence travelled to the Spirit Tree, and a beautiful woman came out from its thick trunk. Wearing a tawny dress with leaves twined around, the long vibrant green haired beautiful woman, who appears to be the same age as Undine, was clearly not a person. My, if it isnt Dryas. There is no need to worry, she is the Tree Spirit Dryas. Has it been hundreds of years since weve met outside of the Spirit World, I wonder. When we were being cautious of the woman who came out of the Spirit Tree, Undine appeared and informed us of who the woman was. The Great Tree Spirit Dryas. Undine said that since the Spirit Tree was in this land, if she could manifest, it wouldnt be strange for the next to manifest to be Dryas. Uuunngghh, ahhhh~ its been a while since I manifested~ Dryas stretched and smiled at us. Dyras gives the impression of a sexy oneesan. Dryas, its been a long time. Oh, Undine, has it been hundreds of years? It hasnt been a long time. Still, for our first manifestation in a while to not be in the land governed by the elves, its quite ironic, isnt it? Indeed, the elves, who live by borrowing the power of the spirits, are lessening their show of respect for the Spirits, after all. Takumi-chan right? Thank you for nurturing the Spirit Tree. N-no, I only did what I could. Dyras who had been talking to Undine thanked me. This place, where the undead once strode, is now a carpet of greenery with varicolored blooming flowers, and a small copse made up of all kinds of trees we planted across the spring was completed too. As this land seemed to have become an environment Dryas found easy to manifest in, Dryas and Undine said it was only a matter of time before the Great Wind Spirit Sylph, who was the origin of Sophias family name, to manifest. That fact became a reality two days after Dryas appeared. Thats right~ Takumi-chan. When the water canal is complete, the greenery will extend to the surrounding land, you know. ............ yes, I understand. It seems this ditch will become a water canal. I was told that the canal water would continue to maintain its state without stagnation with Undines powers, and the greenery around the canal would spread. The range of the Holy Barrier has already been greatly expanded, with each expansion adding more magic devices. Concealer MD and Perception Inhibitor MD were the same. Nevertheless, when it officially becomes a sanctuary, even without the magic devices, it seems it would become a similar range to the current extensive range of the Holy Barrier, and Undine and Dryas want to bring it to that state quick. Initially, it was supposed to be a small range with the Spirit Tree at its center, and yet before we knew it, it had become something big. Its in the savage lands so theres no one there, but it was already too much for 4 Stone Golems to defend. Though Undine said that this was not at all a problem. There are 3 Great Spirits here, it will be alright even if a swarm of dragons come. And both Sylph and Dryas agreed. Would this be called the fearsome might of the Great Spirits? With the Spirit Tree at its heart, the land within was fencing in a 500 meter boundary by a water canal on one side, and a prairie of greens was starting to spread out on the other side. One day, a short grandpa appeared beside the Spirit Tree. Ho ho ho, what comfortable land. It pleases me. I will dwell here as well. Saying so, the grandpa who arbitrarily began living in the house of stone we made was, according to Undine, the Great Earth Spirit Gnome. And immediately following Gnomes arrival, a fire lizard manifested in the furnace of the smithing workshop. The fire is so small. You guys, use fire more! The fire lizard who said such to us was the Great Fire Spirit Salamander. With the four elements, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, as well as Tree, 5 Great Spirits are present. Beginning with Undine, everyone gathered at the Spirit Tree and lined up to form a pentagram with the Spirit Tree at its center. The next instant, Undine and the Great Spirits magic power swelled, and I witnessed the land be covered in sacred energy. According to Undine, this was the first time in 1000 years that a sanctuary was formed in this world. *** Chapter 139: Assembling Spirits, Departing Spirits Chapter 139: Assembling Spirits, Departing Spirits One day, an abnormal situation occurred simultaneously in various places in Yggurle Kingdom. This was the sharp drop in the numbers of the countless spirits that existed within the nation. There are still countless numbers of spirits gathered around the World Tree, but the decrease in spirits could clearly be seen in other places. The elves residing in Yggurle Kingdom were confused, and even when they tried asked the spirits for the reason, they didnt hear a definite answer. In Yggule, there are no more Elven Spirit Mages with contracts to the Great Spirits either. Consequently, there should be no one who realized that a Spirit Tree was growing outside of Yggurle and that it had become a sanctuary. The World Tree and the Spirit Tree are frankly All is One, One is All existences. Within Yggurle, the Spirit Trees that grew from World Tree seeds amount to three. The royal family, in the extensive history of the kingdom, has not been able to add more Spirit Trees besides those three trees. And when this new Spirit Tree was born, the World Tree and the three Spirit Trees in Yggurle had connected to it through the ley lines. In fact, at this point in time, the World Tree has handed over the fruits to the Spirit Tree in the sanctuary, and has stopped bearing fruit itself, but that matter is something Yggurle will notice only in the future. However, an excellent Spirit Mage will eventually notice. A location outside of Yggurle where spirits are able to gather, and many elves would run about, desperate to locate it. Forselty van Yggurle had received a report from Prime Minister Balza about the abnormal event that had suddenly occurred within the Kingdom. Fumu, a sharp drop aside from the contract spirits, huh............... this is a first. Yes, I believe it is the first time in the long history of Yggurle Kingdom. Forselty brooded with a grave expression. Balza too, as there was no way to do anything, he could do nothing aside from collect information. Father, I have returned. There came a beautiful elven woman who wore a captivating air of dignity. Forseltys third daughter, the third royal princess of Yggurle Kingdom who uses light attribute magic, Mimir, had come back from assessing the state of Yggdrasil. So, how was it, Mimir? ......yes, the spirits were flying about as per usual around Yggradasils surroundings. Fu~mu, your Majesty, do you happen to know the cause? No, the records of our royal family had nothing such as this written within it. Father, the condition of Yggrdasil was that it had regained the vigor it had lost in recent years. As Mimir had reported, under the effects of having been linked to the Spirit Tree in the Sanctuary through the ley lines, the World Tree (Yggdrasil) had grown in strength. To substantiate this, the barrier covering Yggurle Kingdom had strengthened. Pinpoint the location of the Spirit Tree. Find it at all costs. By your will. After that day, the spirit mages of Yggurle Kingdom dispersed to look for the Spirit Tree outside of their country. As if to sneer at the Forselty and the officials of Yggurle Kingdom, who had thought theyd immediately discover it, the location of the Spirit Tree wasnt found. When they finally found a suspicious location, two months had already passed. Youve found it, Balza!? Your Majesty, we have found a mysterious place, however it is not clear if the Spirit Tree is in that land. Hm? What do you mean? Frankly, the spirit mages who went out for the investigation could not approach the location. What do you mean by couldnt approach? So Balza told Forselty that the spirit mages were unable to the enter the place they discovered, but theyve confirmed that spirits could. How could that be? Are you saying that the spirits can enter the place that we Elves are unable to? Yes. Furthermore, I have received a report that strong sacred magic power could be felt from that land. Please let me investigate. At that moment, Mimir had volunteered. Princess, that place is in the savage lands. It is far too dangerous for the royal princess to go to. It will be fine. Despite all things, I am a spirit mage. ............fumu, Bring the royal guards from the Chivalric Order alongside you as your escorts. The worst wouldnt happen with that. Indeed. ............ The princess may discover something too. Maybe, if it was Yggurle Kingdoms treasure, an excellent spirit mage known as the Saint, Mimir. Forselty and Balza decided to send Mimir out with the royal guards of the Chivalric Order as her guards. *** Chapter 140: 140: The Rejecting Sanctuary Chapter 140: 140: The Rejecting SanctuaryWhen Mimirs party finally arrived at the location of the Spirit Tree, a curious spectacle stretched out. A green, grass covered plain suddenly spread out from the wasteland where even grass did not grow. However, even though the scouts of the Chivalric Order headed towards it, they couldnt move past that point. This, of course, is natural, as the area beyond this is where the security barrier of the Great Spirits was erected. That barrier is incomparably stronger than the barrier erected over Yggurle Kingdom. . This is, a Spirits barrier. As an excellent Spirit Mage, Mimir was able to sense the Spirits powers from the boundary. As such, she was bewildered. Why are the Spirits rejecting elves? Princess, we are still unable to advance further. A returning knight reported to Mimir. ...... I will try to proceed. That is unacceptable. We are unsure of what is there. Its dangerous! The knight hurriedly dissuaded her, but Mimir vaguely felt that she herself could go beyond this point. This is a Spirits barrier. It is not dangerous. Even so. The likelihood that I, too, will be obstructed by the barrier is high. Let us try what we are able to. Mimir instructed the knights to wait up to one day at the maximum should she be able to cross the barrier, and alone, she began to walk. Oh my, could that be a guest, I wonder. It would be fine if it is this child, is it not? It seems so~ Ill notify Takumi-chan~ The beautiful-type Undine and the amorous-type Dryas perceived Mimir approaching from outside the barrier. Ah! Princess! Mimir understood she passed through the barrier. The next instant, an unbelievable sight spread out before her very eyes. .................................... Mimir stood stock still, speechless. What filled her view was a surface carpeted entirely by greenery filled with flowers of various colors. And what her nation had been looking for, the Spirit Tree which towered approximately 50 meters high. Beside it was a spring filled with clean water, and opposite of it was a lush thicket of trees. Then she noticed a house made of stone. Tables and chairs were set up on its yard, and there were people drinking tea there. You Elves might be misunderstanding, but both the World Tree and the spirits are not the Elves. Eh! ........................... Hold on, Sylph, be a bit kinder. Hearing Sylphs remark, Elf Princess-sama was brought to tears. Its fine, there are many Elves that have been misunderstanding this recently. Sylph, there is a way to say it a bit kinder, so please. ............ What kind of land is this? This land overflowing with sacred energy, where the Great Spirits manifested, is...? Ah, this girl recovers fast. This is the Spirit Sanctuary. Wha!! Why?! Why this place and not Yggurle Kingdom? Mimir had received quite the shock from the spirits rejection of the Elves and couldnt agree to the Sanctuary being anywhere but in her country. With a weeping expression, she made an appeal to Undine and Sylph. We dont have a particular reason. Yes, if I had to say, then because the World Tree seed was coincidentally here and Takumi coincidentally purified this land, the Spirit Tree was provided an environment it could grow in. That is all. Indeed, if I had to add another reason, differing from the Elves who prepared environments where Great Spirits like us could manifest in, Takumi worked without calculating the profits and loss. No, I remember being ordered to do various work though. It somehow felt like Undine and the Great Spirits were being cold to the Elf Princess. Mimir increasingly grew teary eyed. To begin with, Spirits do not consider the Elves as unconditional allies simply because Elves just happen to have the aptitude for Spirit Magic. Ah, please stop already. Salamanders statement seems to have finished Mimir off. Overcome with surprise, she had turned white, you know? Seeing the terrible treatment of the Royal Princess of her motherland in front of her, Sophia seems to have chosen to become one with the air. Shes been erasing her presence since a while ago. As for the result, the Royal Princess Mimir of Yggurle Kingdom was informed that individuals without permission, no matter who they may be, will not be able to enter this land which is a Spirit Sanctuary that centers around the Spirit Tree. Furthermore, Mimir believed that the fact that the only beings allowed free entry are Humans, Beastkin, and monster subordinates was definitely not something she could report back to her country. She knew that it was a fact that would be difficult for the proud Elves, who frequently look down on other races, to accept. How should I report this to father............ The retreating figure of Mimir, who was trudging her way back out of the sanctuary alone, seemed awfully sad. *** Chapter 141: 141: Shock traveling to the Elf Country Chapter 141: 141: Shock traveling to the Elf Country Seeing the strangely glum Third Princess Mimir come out of the place with a barrier that barred entry, the escorting knights rushed over. Princess! Are you all right?! ............ Please hasten the preparations to return.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Yes, princess? Were returning to our country. Mimir said only that, leaving the knights baffled as she boarded the carriage. The perplexed knights reluctantly started their preparations to return, and the carriage Mimir was on headed back to Yggurle Kingdom. The carriage carrying Mimir hurried to the royal capital. The escorting knights were unable to ask Mimir, who wasnt in her usual mood, what she had seen inside the barrier. Passing through towns and villages without stopping, it was on the third day after leaving the sanctuary that Mimirs troupe finally arrived at the royal capital. Even the familiar World Tree piercing the clouds was a component that increased the current Mimirs worries. The Great Spirits have stated that the World Tree was not an absolute existence. As such, if the hubris of the elves continues to when the Spirit Tree grows large, there is a possibility that the World Tree could become a Spirit Tree and the Spirit Tree takes the place of the World Tree. The World Tree Yggdrasil and the Spirits were existences that were inseparable with Yggurle Kingdom. Even as they drew closer to the white royal castle near the World Tree, Mimir didnt feel relief in her return. After this, her dejection grew as she must report to her father, the King. Before long, the carriage carrying Mimir led by the Chivalric Order had arrived, and she prepared for an audience with the King. Forselty had changed the location for Mimirs report. Not an audience, but a private meeting of three people, the King, Mimir, and Prime Minister Balza in the council chamber. They had to prevent information leaks as best they could, as there was a possibility of the nobles behaving recklessly in fear of the information Mimir had brought back. Father, I have returned. Mimir, firstly, your efforts have been appreciated. Well then, Princess, have you found the Spirit Tree? .................................... Forselty and Balza displayed shocked expressions. Though Elves were supposed to coexist with Spirits, theyre unable to acknowledge the existences of manifested Spirits in their heads. The manifested Great Water Spirit Undine-sama, Great Wind Spirit Sylph-sama, Great Earth Spirit Gnome-sama, Great Fire Spirit Salamander-sama, Great Tree Spirit Dryas-sama have made that land a sanctuary, with the Spirit Tree at its heart. That land overflowing with miasma, once one of the monster nests over riddled the savage lands, has now become a place filled with sacred energy, clean water and air, with Spirits flitting about. Forselty and Balzas understanding could no longer catch up. Originally, Elves exist alongside the Spirits, however, even if they were told that a Great Spirit had manifested, it would commonly be taken as too unbelievable. ............ Listen, Mimir. Lets say the sanctuary of the Spirit Tree is true. Is it alright for you to say that a World Tree seed was brought to that land and had coincidentally sprouted, and as a result, the Great Spirits had manifested and created a sanctuary? Your Majesty, if the Spirit Tree exists, and the spirits created the sanctuary, would it be an exaggeration to call it our territory? Fumu, you could say that............. If we consider it as increasing our territory in the savage lands, it would lessen the Spirits within our country in the short run, but it would be a positive in the long run. Mimirs head suddenly ached. How would you govern a place no one could enter? Before that, do you now only consider Spirits as tools to be used? Fuu, Father, Balza, how do you plan on entering that place? Undine-sama and the Great Spirits are by no means the ally of the Elves. Mimir sighed, and relayed the Great Spirits words verbatim. The faces of the King and Prime Minster paled before her very eyes. The relationship of Elves and Spirits is nothing more than the Elves coincidentally having the ability to hear the voices of the Spirits and the Spirits helping them out. ............ What do you mean? Mimir, the World Tree is not an absolute existence? Y-your Majesty, the barrier of Yggurle Kingdom is largely due to the powers of the World Tree and Spirits. At this rate, the barrier would disappear. To say nothing of the barrier, the leaves and dew of the World Tree are ingredients for advanced potions and had become a main export in trade with other countries. When the pair finally realized the gravity of the situation the Elves were currently in, Mimir had felt depressed. (Ah, we Elves are receiving punishment for living arrogantly, arent we?) Mimir knew of the depravity of the Elven nobility. Virtuous nobility existed among them, but there were many high ranking noble houses with no interest in anything but factional rivalries and amassing wealth. (Above all, the inclination to scorn other races is, alas, almost within all elves.) Mimir, the recovery magic user known as the Saint, had many requests for healing from many nations. However, she was also aware that they charge a large sum doing so. As she didnt warn them not to do that, it might as well be her committing the same offense. In the end, at the request of the King and the Prime Minister who could not accept the facts, Mimir is to head to the Sanctuary once more, and negotiate with the Great Spirits. Leaving what to negotiate to someone else completely, Mimir wondered if this country would really be alright. *** Chapter 142: 142: There Is A Fat Pig Among The Elves Chapter 142: 142: There Is A Fat Pig Among The Elves Among the information Mimir had brought back, there was reportedly one Elven woman allowed entry into the Sanctuary. Earl Hordias persistence was considerable as he had tied that Elf to Sophia. He immediately dispatched a scouting party comprising of 20 subordinates. `````````````````````````````` Haa, Im an Alchemist and Blacksmith though. Diligently working on the waterway and moat of the Sanctuary, it felt like I changed job to construction worker. Whats wrong? Alchemists and construction worker are no different. Its easy to live in the Sanctuary because of Takumi-chan, so keep at it. Undine and Dryas worked me hard. Sylph selfishly made Lulu-chan her playmate, and Gnome makes Marne massage his shoulders. Salamander confined Laeva to the Smithing Workshop. Im sorry for Sophia and Maria, but they had to take care of the Spirit Tree. The question Does the Spirit Tree need assistance? still stands though. Akane is taking lessons on sewing from Kaede. This place is rich in plant based materials, and combining that with Kaedes threads, they weaved and dyed various textures of cloth. Dont say youre worn out. Its thanks to Takumi that the Sanctuary has extended considerably. About that, its good that the land has spread out, but will the barrier be alright? The remark Undine made about the widening of the Sanctuary made me question if the barrier would be alright. As to why, the size of the barrier I put up with magic devices at the start and the current size of the Sanctuary is over 4 times larger than before. Its alright, even though we may appear this way, we are the Great Spirits. Shes right, Takumi-chan. If the Spirit Tree grows to the same level of the World Tree, it would be easy to cover a country of that size with a barrier~ Undine and Dryas laughed away my worries. Its good if itll be alright, but that and me working hard every day on civil engineering work are unrelated. These days, weve been living 50-50 in our house in Volton and our house here. Takumi, you are the apostle of Norn-sama, arent you? We are similar to Norn-samas subordinates so arent we comrades? I think cooperating is only natural though. Eh! I am Norn-samas apostle?! Sure Ive received various good things to the point that its overprotective but............ ah, crap! Saying that much, starting from Sophia and Maria, everyone aside from Kaede and Titan looked at me with surprised expressions. Mimir immediately understood that she was being beckoned over to the Spirit Tree of the Sanctuary. The escorts were obstructed by the barrier, unable to advance, and only she could walk forward. The scenery changed completely when she passed through the barrier. From outside the barrier, only a dreary scenery where not even a blade of grass could grow could be seen. The moment she entered the barrier, the large Spirit Tree had leapt into her view. There was a spring filled with clear water, a carpet of greenery blooming with various flowers, and a thicket with all sorts of vegetation behind the spring. On the table and chairs in the garden of the stone house creeping with green ivy, she was able to confirm that the Great Spirits and a human young man were drinking tea. Mimir gulped in tension, and resolved herself to walk. At that time, in a place far from Mimirs escort knights, there was a group attempting to invade the Sanctuary. Tch, the Spirits are useless. The visible scenery is probably an illusion, but can this strong, complex barrier be destroyed? Hiding their faces using masks and uniformly wearing black clothes, the group was the clandestine task force of Earl Hordia, instructed to abduct Sophia through sheer strength. When the unit does work behind the scenes, it seems they understand that Earl Hordia house is up to no good, but no one could complain about the rough use of force with Earl Hordias bribe this time. Everyone launch attack magic! At the male leaders command, various attack magic were fired at the barrier. There were only Elves with high aptitude with magic, and a multitude of fairly high-powered magic had hit the barrier, but all of it had disappeared before the barrier. Tch, Spirit Magic wont activate! The impatient ruffians were a unit that had performed plenty of Earl Hordias dirty jobs, but as one would expect, they were unable to do anything against the barrier formed by the Great Spirits no matter how much time had passed. Immediately afterwards, a phenomenon occurred where the people of Earl Hordias household had all lost the use of Spirit Magic. Flustered by the losing their hearing for the spirits voices, the people had begged Earl Hordia in tears, but Earl Hordia himself had long since not cared even if he couldnt hear the Spirits voice, and had responded with What of it?. Having lost the ability to hear voice of the Spirits, Earl Hordia would be ridiculed as an Orc hiding in the skin of an Elf. *** Chapter 143: The Relationship of Elves and Spirits Chapter 143: The Relationship of Elves and SpiritsKnowing there was a group trying to enter the barrier by attacking it from the outside, the Spirits and I had paid them no attention and faced Yggurle Kingdoms Third Princess Mimir across the table. Please, let us talk while having tea. T-thank you very much. Maria made tea for everyone. Fuu~ how delicious. Maria is skillful at brewing tea. Youre right~ Thank you very much, Undine-sama, Dyras-sama. Since everyone was taking a break, I had asked Princess Mimir for the important matter she had returned here for. If I didnt, she would be unable to speak from the tension. So, how may we help you today? Y-yes. At present, the Spirits in Yggurle Kingdom are decreasing. Furthermore, individuals lost the ability to hear the voice of the Spirits and are unable to use Spirit Magic. As such, this may be a truly impudent request, however, please stop taking any more Spirits than this from Yggurle Kingdom. And I would like to ask if there is a method the individuals whove lost the ability to use Spirit Magic could somehow do? Though she looked bitter, Mimir had earnestly appealed the words that the King and the Prime Minister had probably told her. My, how unfortunate. The Spirits gather here because this is a comfortable place. We do not take them here. Also, they lost the ability to use Spirit Magic? Is that not the result of having been had been careless with their interaction with the Spirits and continuing to use them like tools? Now now, Undine-sama, the Princess might have been told to say that. Fufu, in any case, hasnt the Elf King spoken of this Sanctuary being his territory? Did Dryas words had hit its mark? Mimirs complexion had turned pale. Since she looked too pitiful, I addressed her kindly. Princess-sama, this place isnt owned by anyone. If Im forced to say, then this is the land of the Spirits and the Spirit Tree. This land was a monster nest in the miasma-encroached savage lands that was purified by us, and was coincidentally made into a sanctuary because the Spirits liked it. As people that could hear the voice of the Spirits, you understand, dont you? ............ Yes, I understand. However, when the King was told that the World Tree might be replaced, he was unable to make calm judgments. Haa~ We said that the World Tree might be replaced, but it will not happen anytime soon. I expect this Spirit Tree will not grow to the size of the World Tree for another 100-200 years. When Undine said so, the expression of the Princess didnt look well. To the elves, 100-200 years likely isnt considered long. W-would that be alright?! I have a bad feeling about this, somehow. My trouble sensor was sounding out. Sure enough, Dryas looked at me smilingly and started saying outrageous things. Then Takumi-chan, one additional mansion please. Additional? One house for us spirits to live in, and one hose for the Princess to come stay in. .................. I will be building two? Just when I thought I could finally research potions with materials given by the Spirit Tree, its another carpentry job. Takumi-sama is a carpenter? No, Im an Alchemist and at times a Blacksmith. So the Princess wouldnt misunderstand, I corrected her at the speed of sound. Isnt that fine? If you build two houses, well give you mithril ore to use for your transmutation pedestal............ Gnome will. Haa~, I understand. In this place where materials obtainable from the Spirit Tree were in their best condition, I had intended on creating a variety of potions. Since the rank of the potion transmuted are affected by even the temperature when combining materials, a transmutation circle was necessary. A transmutation pedestal is a large table made of a mythril alloy plank affixed onto a stand, on which Ill draw a transmutation circle. Only Laeva and I were eager to do these minute works. We have patience, after all. The size and number of rooms can be the identical to Takumis house. By a Japanese standards, they had demanded what would normally be a house that be in the category of palatial residences. Are the Spirits free? Or is it because they are free that they are Spirits? The Princess has no antagonistic feelings towards Yggurle, but she had decided not to report to the King and the Prime Minister that she was basically given permission to enter the Sanctuary. About the bunch that attacked the barrier from the outside using magic, they were being investigated by Sylphs subordinates. We had just planted a seed, but is it just me or had it turned into something earth-shatteringly important? *** Chapter 144: The Expanding Barrier and Sanctuary Chapter 144: The Expanding Barrier and Sanctuary The unit that Earl Hordia dispatched had left, and Princess Mimir temporarily returned to the royal capital. Answering the request of the Great Spirits, I ended up constructing the mansion of the Spirits in the area close to the spring which was near the Spirit Tree. In addition to that, Ive decided to build the house Princess Mimir would be staying in on the opposite side of our house. In terms of their locations, the Spirits Mansion was closest to the spring, then our house was a little distance away, and the mansion that Princess Mimir would be staying in would be constructed farthest away from the spring. Haa, the trivial interior design can be left to someone else, right? Yes, but the bed will be fluffy, wouldnt it? I also want a fluffy bed~ I can sleep on anything. A hard bed would be sufficient for me. It can be dangerous if I suddenly burn up, so a stone bed would be good. Undine and Dryas wanted fluffy ones, Sylph wasnt picky, and Gnome wanted a hard one. Hes old so could his hips be hurting? Lastly, Salamander wanted a bed made of stone. Haa, the Great Spirits are self indulgent.Discover new chapters at Leaving behind the mansion construction, I had tried asking about what was on my mind. In doing so, Undine had a look of someone whose hidden prank had been exposed. That aside, didnt the size of the Sanctuary randomly grow wider? Oh, you knew. As a matter of fact, if it is simply by extent, it is already wider than the town of Volton, The west side had extended 200m further, including the sea. The north, south, and east have also expanded. I was absolutely shocked. It had spread so much in that time. We teleport to the Sanctuary mansion when we go to here so we didnt realize. Huh?! As I said, the barrier expands that much. Is that alright? Expanding that much. Its fine, it will not overrule the barriers of countries such as Yggurle. Still, arent the strengths of the barriers different? Since the barrier has the power of us Great Spirits and your magic devices, that much is simple. Afterwards, I visited the southern side, and there was a slightly elevated mountain there. It was incomprehensible. For a mountain to be created all of a sudden. It looks like Gnome did his best. Yes, he said it would become an excellent ore deposit~ Haha, the Great Spirits sure have some unbelievable powers. Moving on, we headed to the east side, and there was a meadow there. The thicket in the north is Dryas, the spring in the middle is Undines, the mountain containing an ore deposit in the south was Gnomes, and the meadow in the east is Sylphs. These locations showed the strong influence of the Great Spirits. Or rather than saying that, it would be better to say that their respective followers manage each location together. I looked around and made my way back to the mansion built on the open area in the middle. Its way too big, Undine. Its around the size of a small country. Better too big than too small. Undine said something absurd. Its expanded this much, I wonder if the Inhibit Perception MD and Concealer MD I made still work. Compared to its original size, it was 10 times larger than before. Hmm, it doesnt cover it entirely. Even so, it is able to cover approximately 70% of it. Its amazing. What did the Great Spirits want to do with this land? Could it be to make a country for Spirits? I couldnt see it, but I could sense lots of spirits in this land. I tried asking Undine what they wanted to do with Sanctuary. From this land, we want to adjust the balance of the continent, which had collapsed. According to Undine, people risked their lives to increase livable land and purified the reclaimed monster nests. But this progressed slowly. The threat of monsters was one reason, but after people gather in countries, fellow countries and fellow people fight each other. Blood flows in war, and the miasma in monster nests spread. They purify and corrupt at the same time. The Spirit Tree in this Sanctuary is purifying the Earth Pulse. Slowly, we would like for the Spirit Trees to increase within the continent and purify it. Particularly since I had thoroughly cleansed this land, Undine said that if coupled with the Spirit Trees power, in 300 years, it might be able to cleanse the savage lands from the southwest to the northeast sections of the continent. As expected, spirits have no concept of lifespans. They dont feel 300 years is long. Ill help with what I could. *** Chapter 145: 145: Sanctuary Capriccio Chapter 145: 145: Sanctuary Capriccio By teleporting between the gates in the basements of our Volton mansion and Sanctuary mansion, were able to develop the Sanctuary without anyone knowing. Once were done with development, Laeva and I go into potion research. This was difficult. The order of mixing things, quantity, and temperature when mixing. That while redrawing transmutation circles many times over, we did trial and error repeatedly, looking for a near optimal process. Of course, because the transmutation circles were all written by hand, Laeva and I were starting to have tendonitis. Hey Takumi-sama, what is everyone else doing? Hm, Sophia is talking to the Great Spirits, Kaede and Maria are making swimsuits for everyone, Akane seems to be taking lessons on how to cook from Lulu-chan and Marnie. Even after coming to the Sanctuary, the rhythm of our lives didnt change. Having breakfast after training first thing in the morning, then we each do the things we want to do. Regarding the training everyday, the dilemma of whether an artisan needs to do combat training or not is something I have. Swimsuits, huh. Im getting more and more excited to swim at the beach. Its so tempting. Sophia-san and Marnie-san have said theyd go the sexy route. Hou, Im looking forward to it. My upper lip inadvertently stretched. [1] Since Princess Mimirs return, the nobles of Yggurle Kingdom had dispatched troops several times. Especially persistent were the individuals from the Earl Hordia household, who had lost the use of Spirit Magic. The territory-less nobles de robe Earl Hordia has no personal army. Few knights and soldiers were under his employ and for that reason, he sent people from mercenary guilds and dark guilds to the Sanctuary. He states that his reason is not out of desire for the Sanctuary but to obtain Sophia, unlike the King, Prime Minister, and high ranking nobles. However, the movements of Yggurle Kingdom are, of course, known by other countries, and Triaria Kingdom has dispatched troops for reconnaissance. Since there was a cease-fire agreement[2], they had taken their distance from the armies of the nobles of Yggurle Kingdom and have started their investigation on the Sanctuary. When that happened, it had led to Valkyra Kingdom who is near the Sanctuary, and its ally Lomaria Kingdom and lastly, even Samandour Kingdom, which is facing the sea at the south of the continent, dispatch reconnaissance teams. The armies of 5 countries have established garrisons at the outer edge of the Sanctuary. These armies procure their food supplies from the fortress town in the savage lands, Wedgefort, so Wedgefort was booming. Despite being outside of the barrier, the desolated savage lands on outer edge of the Sanctuary where each army garrison was established had visibly become a green grassland from the sacred magic power and energy that leaked out. That is one of the reasons why the personnel from each army stay here. When armies from multiple countries are stationed like this, problems caused by the small monster nests that dotted the savage lands appear. Ah, this is an Iron Golem. Of course, it wasnt just a normal palm strike. This time I didnt useDecomposition but Synthesis. The black luster of the Iron Golems body turned red. Each time the Iron Golem struggled, it made creaking sounds and there was something that peeled from its body and dropped bit by bit. Changing the location of my palm strikes several times, the movements of the Iron Golem soon stopped. Even when Titan and Kaede undid their restraints, the Iron Golem was unable to move. Just to make sure, Titan hit it with a finishing strike before it could recover, and the Iron Golem collapsed as if crumbling to pieces. Master, the color of the Iron Golem changed. Thats the color of rust. As expected, it seems an Iron Golems movements stop when its entire body rusts. Kaede[3] picked up the golem core from the collapsed Iron Golem and brought it back What I used on the Iron Golem today was not the decomposition of the iron, but transmuting with iron with oxygen that can be found anywhere. It might not be effective against magic metals, but it was effective against the Iron Golem. The Iron Golem which changed into iron oxide had collapsed just trying to move its body, and as a result, was unable to do anything. Its a skill that would be effective against Living Armor and Dullahan. Wouldnt it be effective on the equipped armor and weapons that people use? Well, it would, but almost all armaments can be cut up by the weapons we have. Originally, forcibly transmuting to interfere with an opponents magic power would be extremely difficult. Compared to forcefully using Decomposition on a monsters brain, binding oxygen to the golems body is far more difficult. Yep, I know that its just hard to use so Ill take that as a good thing. Still, its absolutely woeful how whenever a slightly more powerful monster comes, one of us has to deal with it. Id have to come up with something. It would be great if the stationed troops leave, but theyll stay here for a while. *** Footnotes: 1. Imagine it kinda like the duck face but not as obnoxious. Or if youre trying to hold a pencil on your upper lip but without the pencil. 2. Correct me if Im wrong but this isnt the case according to earlier chapters. 3. Typo. Raws said Akane instead of Kaede. Chapter 146: Those That Slip Through, And Those Repelled. Chapter 146: Those That Slip Through, And Those Repelled. During the time I was busy with living a double life in Volton, on one such day by the Spirit Tree in the Sanctuary, Yggurle Kingdoms Princess Mimir arrived with a maid after a long while. Yggurle Kingdoms King and Prime Minister have somehow given up on this land, but the information had already been disseminated to the nobles within the country. There are also others aware of the Spirit Tree, adventurers and illegal organizations dreaming to strike it big were eyeing this land. The materials of the World Tree are strictly managed by Yggurle Kingdom and arent distributed generally. And going by this fact, if they get their hands on the materials of the Spirit Tree, it is unknown just how high that could be sold for. It was truly a nectar that attracts the avaricious. The troops of various countries were still stationed on the outer edge of the Sanctuary. No country has, of course, made any accomplishments, and there were countries that wanted to withdraw on the monetary front, but its become a game of chicken with other countries. Though, thanks to that, Wedgefort is receiving the benefits............. On one such day, something that stumped us on a decision had appeared outside of the Sanctuary. Undine had noticed beings approaching the outer edge. ............ How troubling. This was unforeseen.Discover new chapters at , it doesnt seem like theyre bad children~ About that, you guys know? We are still the Great Spirits, you know. Besides, matters related to the good and evil in people can be left to Nyx and I. ............ Bad people cant enter the Sanctuary. The ones who took over the selection of individuals who could enter the Sanctuary after Sylph were the two pillars Light Spirit Selene and the Dark Spirit Nyx who had just manifested just the other day. Selene is a beautiful woman with characteristically glittering lovely blonde hair, and Nyx had the appearance of a refreshing young lady with beautiful black hair. With them, the existing Great Spirits in this Sanctuary were now seven pillars. According to Undine, the manifestation of this many Great Spirits has no historic precedence. Selene and Nyx are spirits that specialize in sensing the good and evil within people so its fine to leave it to them. Well then, let them in for now. Since Undine has given them her stamp of approval, weve decided to meet them first. Still, its good how they managed to arrive here safely. I will prepare food. Then I will lend a hand as well. Lulu will help too! When Maria stood up to prepare some food, Marnie and Lulu-chan followed to help. At that time, a female voice greeted us, and a pretty Oneesan was in front of us before we even noticed. You must be tired. You did your best coming here safely. You must be hungry. Come this way. That voice pervaded our splintered hearts, and before we knew it, everyone started crying. When we were living in the slums, no matter how hard it was, no matter how hungry I was, I didnt cry. But that me now had tears along my cheeks. Embracing Sara and leading the other small children by the hand, we were taken to a mansion. Ah, Im glad to be alive. ```````````````````````````` Well, Im beat. Its fine, Takumi. Those children were raised in an environment where it couldnt be helped if they go astray, and yet have miraculously grown to be pure and upright. ...... yes, theyre very good children. I think its a miracle how the thinning children wearing visibly worn out clothes managed to arrive at the Sanctuary. Selene and Nyx said it would be fine and let them pass, so it would probably be alright for me to do what I can. Maria, give the kids a bath when theyre done eating. We dont have clothes their size, but could you girls do something with the clothes that had been prepared for Lulu? Master, Kaede will make clothes for everyone right away! Lulu will help too! Kaede said shed make the clothes for the kids and Lulu-chans tail shook in eagerness as she would help too. Un, then could I ask you to do so too? Leave it to me! (Please) In any case, I had to discuss this with Undine and the Great Spirits. We cant afford for anything malicious to ever live in this Sanctuary. The purification of the Earth Pulse is progressing thanks to the Spirit Tree, but that might hinder it. It might be better to prepare a place for people to live in by the sea. Un, that is acceptable. Since we cant throw those kids out, I agreed to Undines suggestion. Ill have to do my best with carpentry work again...................... *** Chapter 147: Dealing with the Orphans Chapter 147: Dealing with the Orphans Unable to turn away the kids that risked their lives to come to the Sanctuary, and also for the Great Spirits who had accepted them, I had to think of the kids futures. Kaede and Maria were busy making clothes for the kids. The older kids helped while being taught. Marnie and Lulu-chan were occupied with making large amounts of food. Laeva was busy with smithing and alchemy. Especially so because transmuting advanced potions without a transmutation circle was challenging. The only ones free were Sophia and Akane, but they seem to be busy helping the Great Spirits? Master, please give, up and, let us make, the houses. Mm, right. As a result, Titan and I built houses with Earth Magic. One would have been enough for those kids, but Undine says that we will need a number of them so I was told to make a lot. The location chosen was an open lot of land slightly seaward from center. Frankly, I had planned on leaving the children in an orphanage in Volton, but the Great Spirits, for some reason, opposed it.Follow the latest novels on Building a one-story house made of stone was no longer that difficult. If I split the work with Titan, it wouldnt take that long to create enough houses for a largish village. We had put off adding the interior, windows, and furniture though. Since a river flows from the spring to the sea, they wouldnt be troubled for water, but just in case, I dug a well and established a sewer system and septic tanks as well as installed Toilet Purifier MDs to prevent the pollution of the Sanctuary. For starters, well do the windows and furniture tomorrow. I will, entrust the glass to Master. Yep, gotcha. Since it would be dangerous if the kids fall into the well, I had installed a hand pump from the start. I had also prepared a field close to the constructed house. I want the kids to work together to do the farm work. Id be happy if the eldest ones, Wappa and Colette-chan, rise up and lead the younger children. When I came back to the area by our house, the tiny Catkin girl Sara and human little girl Shirona were playing around and chasing a butterfly. It brings a smile to my face just seeing the small children frolic with their short legs. When they had struggled to reach the Sanctuary, they were unable to move from hunger and fatigue. But, maybe because of the kids amazing vitality, once they had been given food, cleaned in baths, and properly rested, they had grown healthy in a few days. The father-like Cat Sith walked up to me in a waddle, fell on both his knees and bowed. Please, we implore nyou. Please nyallow us parents and children stay here. Please nya. Pease, nya. The mother and children stood by the father. It looks as if I made the Cat Siths kneel in front of me. Please raise your heads. The fact that you are able to pass through the barrier to this Sanctuary means that the Great Spirits had deemed you acceptable. Please be at ease. For now, well prepare a warm meal for you. Marnie, Maria, could you do that please? Yes. Well then, everyone head this way please. Marnie and Maria ushered the Cat Sith family. Hey, what are the Fairykind? They are largely bound together with Elves and Dwarves, however, the Cat Sith are more close to fairies than them, and they are a rare species few in numbers in this continent too. According to Undine, the Cat Sith are not as powerful as the Elves and Dwarves. They seem to be a quiet and docile race, and their numbers are said to be decreasing in recent years. Certainly, I havent seen them even in Volton. They are fundamentally a race that make small settlements and live in hiding. Still, it appears that lands they can live in with peace of mind are scarce. The connection between the spirits and fairies is strong, and Undine had said that she wants to shelter the virtuous Cat Sith. I have no objections to sheltering the Cat Sith pursuing a place to live in. Actually, since I could ask them to take care of Wappa and the kids, the Cat Sith couple are a godsend. However, this small current turning into a large muddy stream was something I couldnt imagine at the time. *** Footnotes: 1. Cat Sith C /cat-sith-celtic-mythology/ 2. Puss in boots reference Chapter 148: The Fairykind assemble Chapter 148: The Fairykind assemble Undine, were you the one that casted Inhibit Perception on the Fairykind? It wasnt me. It was us! Since the Cat Sith family came to the Sanctuary, two more Cat Sith families had taken refuge here. No matter how I think of it, they couldnt have passed through the barrier without being noticed by the stationing troops, and yet the troops didnt show any indication of it. So when I asked Undine about it, the Great Wind Spirit Sylph and Great Light Spirit Selene said it was their doing. The children of the Fairykind have a strong connection to us. Especially since there are no bad children among the Cat Sith so its alright. No, I dont have a problem with it. But just how long will I be building houses, was what I was thinking. Yes, at the Great Spirits instructions, I had expanded the area by kids house on the western side. Right now there are more houses here now than in a poor village. A public bathhouse will be built upon taking the hygienic environment of the kids into account. The members of first Cat Sith family that reached the Sanctuary were the father Mabbo, mother Poporo, 7 year old elder sister Miri, and 5 year old little sister Lala. They have become familiar with the first sheltered kids, and Mabbo-san and Poporo-san cared for Wappa and the kids. Then, a bearded old man with a beer barrel-shaped body passed through the barrier and entered the sanctuary. Wha?! Doganbo-san! Why are you here?! Right, carrying a large bag and plenty of luggage on both hands, it was the blacksmith from Volton, Doganbo-san. Whats this, so you really were involved in this, Takumi. I will be living here! No, I dont get what you mean though. I heard from the fire spirits that the Great Fire Spirit and the Great Earth Spirit are here. So, as a Dwarf, I must have my workshop here. It seems its not only the Elves but also the Dwarves that can hear the voices of the Spirits. Dwarves have a high affinity with Earth spirits and Fire spirits, and many of them work as Blacksmiths and Miners. Doganbo-san apparently heard about this place from a Fire Spirit too. Afterwards, meeting Salamander and Gnome, Doganbo-san was so moved that he kneeled and cried, and the Great Spirits were taken aback. That night, Doganbo-san and I were soaking in an open air bath and Doganbo-san asked for something unreasonable. Wouldnt it be good if you didnt need to buy alcohol in Volton? Right, every night, the Great Spirits drink copious amounts of alcohol that I supply. Im not convinced. I finish my work at Volton quickly, construct houses and fields in the Sanctuary, and resupply the daily necessities and provisions of the kids and Cat Siths. Undine had said that the Spirit Tree is supplying its materials and Dryas offering the rare materials from the thicket and forest she manages to me, so am I not making a profit? And that its just as she says, but............... I have a feeling Im just being pushed around. After taking a bath, I had a cold drink and talked to Sophia and the girls about the days events in the living room of our house. Hey, Sophia. What could the Great Spirits be doing? Could they be using me to do something in the Sanctuary? I tried asking Sophia, an elf with high affinity with Spirits and a user of Spirit Magic. I understand that the Spirits wanted to make a Sanctuary centered around the Spirit Tree, but I dont know their goal. Slightly troubled, Sophia looked hesitant to talk as she relayed her guess. ...... By way of purifying the land, I believe that their largest objective is the expansion of peoples living space in this continent. Their safeguarding of children and the Fairykind certainly is unusual for the spirits who live as they please though, so I do not know. Hmm, expanding the livable areas by purifying monster nests is good, but they arent doing this in the savage lands unrelated to any existing nation because they intend to make a Spirit-oriented country, right? Spirits have no need for a country, so I do not think that is the case. However, their intention might be to create a vessel for the oppressed people. Reflecting on that, I then stopped thinking about it. It might not be possible to understand the ideals of the inhuman Spirits. Still, Doganbo-san had come here, so it wouldnt end here, would it? Yes, its unclear how many could come out of the barrier, however, I imagine that the flow of the Fairykind and oppressed Beastkins heading towards the Sanctuary can not be stopped. It was a course of events that anyone could grasp. First, Elves who lived outside of Yggurle Kingdom headed for the Sanctuary. Next, children from crowded orphanages risked their lives and went for the Sanctuary. Miraculously, the people advancing through the perilous savage lands had not been attacked by monsters or thieves. It was as if the Spirits were watching over them. *** Chapter 149: The Intent of Respective Countries Chapter 149: The Intent of Respective CountriesTowering high, a white walled royal castle seemingly floated on the lake at the heart of the royal capital of Valkyra Kingdom, Valkyratos. Within it, Valkyra Kingdoms King Lobos, Prime Minister Simon, and Knight Leader Galahad were having a confidential discussion. Matters particularly important to the country were discussed by these three so that other nobles could not interfere. And so, are you certain that a World Tree seed had sprouted in the savage lands and is growing up as the World Tree seedling? Your Majesty, it is not a World Tree seedling, it is called a Spirit Tree. Its location is by the west coast, close to the west of Wedgefort. It appears that the location, which was previously a monster nest, had been covered by a barrier that does not allow entry. It was reported to Lobos that what was once a barrier that covered only a small village is now a barrier with a scope that could even cover the entire royal capital, and that no one is able to see what was within. Soldiers from Valkyra were also dispatched to scout, but, of course, since they couldnt enter the barrier, they could not advance with their investigation. If the Spirit Tree comes into their possession, their gains would be immeasurable. Currently, materials for all kinds of advanced potions were difficult to obtain in places aside from labyrinths. Until now, they could only obtain materials from Yggurle Kingdom in small quantities, and at irregular intervals. It isnt unjustifiable for any country to extend its feelers. That didnt change for Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, and theyve dispatched soldiers and established garrisons on the site. Furthermore, not only Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire of Sydnia, but even Samandour Kingdom, which was located at the southern portion of the continent, had sent out reconnaissance teams. The only country to not mobilize is the Dwarven country, Gnomstoll Kingdom. Thats probably because only Dwarves were there. They have no interests aside from mining, smithing, metal working, and alcohol. Still, a portion of the Elves and the troops of Triaria Kingdom attack the barrier, but it seems they have had no results. Elves likely want to say that the Spirit Tree is theirs. It is agreed upon by the nations that the rights over the savage lands is to whoever reclaims the land, and they seem to be in a hurry. Still, Simon-dono, who could it be that put a barrier over the land that is said to have that Spirit Tree ? Knight Commander Galahad raised the innocent question towards Prime Minister Simon. No country in this continent has received a report of any individual being able to cross the barrier. Barriers are not something that generate naturally, after all. In the information I have acquired from my elven connections, it was because the Spirits have manifested. I have not heard of Spirits manifesting. Is that true? Your Majesty, even the Elves are unable to enter the barrier. There wouldnt be any confirmation. Originally, purified land would be something any country would desire oh so desperately, but only this nations circumstance was different. The main forces of the Holy Knight Order find it difficult to approach the barrier. Pope Warvaal and four people, Prime Minister Musudan, Head Magician Homer, Sydnias Holy Knight Commander Packard, and Imperial Princess Elizabeth, were having a private discussion. And so, that land which rejects us is overflowing with evil? Yes, Pope-sama. It would be difficult for the Holy Knight Order to approach. As Packard had reported, even the most rank and file soldiers have a tendency to dislike approaching the barrier. That is because, the closer they are to the heart of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, the more they are encroached by miasma. The people themselves are not aware that theyve been encroached by it though. Father, would it not be alright for the Divine Empire of Sydnia to leave those savage lands be? ............ you are correct, it is quite distant, and much like the materials of the Spirit Tree, there is nothing impossible for us to procure. Warvaal agreed to Elizabeths proposition. From the start, in this nation where there were many users of Light Attribute Magic, the Pharmacist Guilds abilities were not effective. There was little meaning in pursuing savage lands located too far west from the center of the continent. Indeed. It would be best for us to avoid showy movements because we are building our strengths. And, theres that. With low grade potions appearing on the market for cheap prices in Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, it was difficult to secure large sums of offerings using recovery magic. Furthermore, the propagation of the Light God Faith is not advancing, so a reorganization is urgent business. Well, maintain a watch over the movement of each country. Understood. Elizabeth and the others nodded at Pope Warvaals request then returned to their respective tasks. Those at the heart of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, Pope Warvaal and his subordinates, were not aware that they have already changed to existences that avoid pure land. They did not realize that the heart of their empire was a polluted land that contravenes with sacred land. *** Chapter 150: A Day In the Peaceful Sanctuary Chapter 150: A Day In the Peaceful Sanctuary A small spotted Cat Sith was eating sweets on my lap.F0lloww new chapters at She is the 5 year old younger sister of the first Cat Sith family that came to the Sanctuary, Lala. At first, Lala had a fear of strangers, but she soon got along with Wappa and the kids as well as become familiar with us. Particularly, tiniest Lala had come together with the Catkin Wappas younger sister Sara and the Human Colettes younger sister Shirona and were often stuck by my side. Theyve gotten quite attached. Delicimeows, I have not eaten sweets this tasty nya! Now now, the area around your mouth is getting dirty. Lala was single-mindedly eating cream puffs while on my lap. Shirona and Sara were also seated at the table, and likewise engrossed in eating cream puffs. Since I couldnt find vanilla beans for the choux pastry and custard cream, I felt it wasnt very good, but its started becoming popular with the Spirits, starting from Undine, and with Sophia, Kaede, and the girls. Takumi-shama. Lala will help, so Lala wants to eat meowr tasty sweets! Hmm~, then Ill have to think of something again. Sara too, Sara also wants to eat nya! Shirona also wants sweets! I get it. Sara and Shirona had also pleaded, wanting to eat more sweets. Even though they were in the middle of eating it right now. In this world, given how a sugar-like item can be collected from dungeons aside from a plant similar to sugarcane, sugar can be procured. But theres no mistaking its high price. We stock up on large quantities of ingredients and seasonings, but the Great Tree Spirit Dyras, Great Earth Spirit Gnome, Great Water Spirit Undine, and Great Light Spirit Selene have begun growing sugarcane. Naturally, the reason is so we would make sweets. Only Gnome wants us to use it for alcohol, it seems. Ive also noticed him giving Doganbo-san some sort of instructions. Lala is so happy nya~ Sara is lucky to eat food 3 times a day until Sara is full nya~ Shirona is happy to sleep in a soft bed! Its alright. This Sanctuary has the Spirit Tree and the Great Earth Spirit Gnome, you know. And if I, the authority on vegetation, am here, its inevitable that the fields and orchard will turn out this way. Puffing her chest with pride, Dryas asserted so with a self-satisfied look on her face. By the way, in the fields, the grains can soon be harvested. Well, I understand fruit trees not being forced, but wheat is reaped when harvesting, right? And you can plant it again immediately afterwards? If we did that, the vigor of the land would soon be dry up. I remember being asked by Gnome to catch small fish in the sea and turn them into fertilizer. So, I asked Dryas Wouldnt the nutrients of the land be lacking if we harvest year round?, and she said`` A bit of fertilizer is necessary for each harvest. But this land is filled with the power of us Great Spirits, so it is mostly fine. ............so anything goes. One of the reasons Dryas and the others made the fields and orchard is apparently to shelter the Fairykind that live quietly in hiding, like the Cat Siths. And aside from the Fairykind, they also want to save orphans, like Wappa and the children. The Spirits are fundamentally good beings, so it cant be helped that they wish for such. There are apparently spirits that have been encroached by miasma and have turned into evil spirits who enjoy evil, but they normally come to their natural end with time. And that said, please make more buildings for dwelling. I dont know what you mean by that said, but I just have to add more buildings, right? I couldnt do anything about Dryas sudden request so I just gave up. Im sure the number of people would increase even more from here on. I want an upright adult ally. *** Footnotes: 1. Lots of typos. Lala was Lulu, and Shirona was Sara. Sphys Note: Hello. My modem died for some reason so Ill need to wait until my ISP can replace it, which might take some time. I apologize but please expect delays. Chapter 151: The Beer Barrel Types Chapter 151: The Beer Barrel Types We were busy leading double lives in Volton and the Sanctuary. Today like most days we headed to the Sanctuary, when I had thought to go to the place the kids and the Cat Siths live, but a building I dont remember was under construction. At the heart of the construction was the Dwarven blacksmith, Doganbo-san. But similar beer-barrel figures had increased by 3 people? Was the foundation work completed by Gnome? He seemed like he was giving instructions to Doganbo-san and the other Dwarves like a site foreman. The building is a fairly large, simple warehouse-like structure.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Hey Gnome, what are you building? Oh, Takumi? We have taken this plot. This area will be used for alcohol brewing. When I asked Gnome who was acting as the foreman, he said that they were constructing a building for making alcohol. Mm, well, thats alright since Ive heard about it vaguely, but why did the Dwarves increase? Listen Takumi, dont make light of the Dwarves. You see, Dwarves would suddenly appear out of nowhere and gather at the place where there is a possibility of making the best alcohol. What the hell, thats scary. Maybe because I was thinking that, Gnome hurriedly made a follow up. Nay, be at ease. Strange fellows wouldnt pass through the barrier of the Sanctuary. I think those who come to savage lands in the western edge of the continent just for alcohol are plenty weird though. Whatre ya blabbin on about, alcohol is most important. Thats right, Takumi, dont you want to drink alcohol of potent spirits? Haa, the Dwarves love for drinking might be the influence of the spirits they worship. Even Salamander cut in. So, what alcohol are you making? And so what you came up with was the Sanctuary? Is it not allowed? With the Princess asking with upturned eyes, and a request from Sylph and Dryas, I didnt think I could say anything but yes. In the first place, I thought that the masters of this Sanctuary are the Great Spirits, but for some reason, the Great Spirits have a conspicuous behavior of giving me the right to decide. Well, well have them help with the orchard work. Lets have the children consult the Dwarf and Cat Sith wives. Thank you very much. The relieved Princess Mimir then grumbled about Yggurle Kingdom. Yggurle Kingdom is the only Elven country, and many of the nobles from ancient times continue to be distinguished families. Furthermore, there were many pointlessly conceited elves who think themselves to be superior to other races. But there was a portion of the Elven nobility that has a tendency to look down on the poor despite being fellow Elves. Princess Mimir looked sorrowful as she explained. Even though she was revered as the Saint in her country, she was tormented by the feeling of powerlessness everyday. We will, to some extent, accept people in poverty as long as they are not criminals. Still, not too many. Is that true?! Thank you very much. With this, we will be able to aid the children from crowded orphanages and the poverty-stricken widows caused by the war 50 years ago. Although theyre Fairykin, would it be fine if the number of people increase too much? I asked Undine, who just so happened to be near. I was just thinking of that too. Takumi, please build a church of the Genesis Faith in the center of the Sanctuary. We could tell Mimir to prepare a priest. Will that be alright? Yes, well then, a splendid church please. It seems I must build a splendid church. I wonder if I could get Doganbo-san to help. *** Chapter 152: Producing Alcohol with Magic Chapter 152: Producing Alcohol with Magic The Elven mother, Melty-san, began managing the Sanctuary Orchard, and her two children, the sisters Melanie and Malorie, help with the grape harvest too. It was at that time. Absurdities from Undine and Dryas were waved at me. Takumi, please make some wine. Because I want to drink it soon, Takumi, make it using magic. I was dumbfounded for a moment from sudden selfishness thrust upon me by two of the Great Spirits. Well, I can reduce the fermentation time with magic, but in the end, the natural yeast has to take its natural course. Which yeast could give the wine good flavor, that I dont know. Even so, youre okay with that? Right, transmuting the raw materials and shortening the time for making wine is possible with alchemy, but the taste is a different issue. We will manage so it will be fine. We have wine that has taken ample time as well. Thats fine then, I guess. You want to drink that bad, huh. Obviously. Youre making wine from the grapes grown in the sanctuary. It will, without fail, have a special taste, so Im looking forward to it. Although that contained her feelings, the crops and fruits grown in the Sanctuary were all remarkably delicious. They were definitely not normal produce. Actually, I cant recommend making wine with magic. Although the first reason is that I wouldnt know the flavor of the wine, the process of the yeast and sugar turning into alcohol is a mixture of multiple complex reactions that give the wine its flavor. My knowledge and experience is overwhelmingly lacking to recreate that with magic. Well, the typical fermentation can be entrusted to someone, so its fine as long as I make a portion for Undine and Dryas right? So you understand it well. Truly a good child you are, Takumi. Its regrettable you are a human. As I listened to Undines strange compliment, I thought about the tools Id need. A wooden cask is essential. I needed to make a large cask for the fermentation. A wine pressing machine is also necessary. I thought about this and that in my head and Undine hurried me into making the wine with magic. In any case, were short of hands if were gonna tackle genuine alcohol production, so I decided to put the thinking on hold. Yes yes, I get it~ Having the newcomer elven family` Melty-san, Melanie, and Malorie` assist me, we harvested grapes. We squeezed the gathered grapes using a hurriedly made press machine. Can I do this right~ I cant help but worry~ I transmuted the juice of the pressed grapes, breaking down the sugar and altering it with by invokingFermentation. The grape juice in the container was engulfed in light. ............ h-how is it? Should I strain it with a cloth? Just in case, I strained in a cloth once I was sure the reactions were over.VIssi?T for the best novel reading experience Normally it would lie idle in the cask, wouldnt it? What reactions could be happening in the maturation? I think it could be reproduced with alchemy, but I dont get it so its impossible. I stored it in several casks, and placed them inside a maturation warehouse. And there, not only Undine, but Sylph, Dryas, Gnome, Salamander, and even Selene and Nyx came rushing in. So? Is it done? Takumi-sama, you seem quite active a well. The ones who greeted me were the president and head clerk of one of the companies in Volton, Papeck-san and Thomas-san, who were curiously in a walk. I met them when I came to Volton and had been in their care, but lately Ive been so busy that weve had few chances to meet. So, the two of you went out today? Yes, I just wanted a little bit of wood. Oh my, if Takumi-sama wants some wood then wouldnt it be Treant Wood? If my memory serves me right, did you not hunt for a large amount of Treant Wood yourself? It seems Papeck-san remembers the time we went hunting for Treants in the outer edges of the Forest of Death, but Ive used all of it on making furniture and buildings in the Sanctuary. No, I want oak wood today. Oh, oak wood, is it............? Though impolite of me, may I ask you to tell me what it would be used for? Yes, Im not making anything particularly different. I just want to make casks, after all. Hearing my answer, it felt like Papeck-sans eyes shined. Takumi-sama, are you aware that even though it is called oak wood, there are types? Eh! There isnt just one type of oak wood? Who would have thought that there were various types of the same tree, I never would have guessed. Yes, the place they are taken from are different. The oak woods obtainable in Volton are three types; White Oak, Cecil Oak, and Common Oak. Afterwards, Papeck-san walked together with us to a lumber dealer while explaining the different types of oak wood. ?White Oak Having few leaks, it is the most stable cask material among the three types. It has little tannin, and is well known for having plenty of vanillin and oak lactone (sweet). ?Cecil Oak It has relatively few tannin, and comparatively more oak lactone (component for the aroma of whiskey and the like). Rich in aromatic components such as polyphenol, it is well balanced. ?Common Oak It is rich in tannin and polyphenol, and has especially small amounts of vanillin and oak lactone. I question why Papeck-san came along with us, but his extensive knowledge had been a surprise as we walked, and we arrived at the largest lumber dealer in Volton town. Papeck-san had definitely sniffed something out. *** Footnotes: 1. In case you get isekai-ed with alchemy skills, be prepared with this in depth explanation on wine making! A small thing to note as well, from my searching, an easy way to remember the terms is that Maturation = wine processes before being bottled; Aging = time after being bottled. Most of the terms here can easily be googled for more information. please refer to Scathes comment for a bit of info Chapter 153: Merchants are scary Chapter 153: Merchants are scary Looking at it, having arrived at a lumber dealer in Volton`which was our goal` is great, but for some reason, Papeck-san was beside us and Thomas-san was slightly behind us. (Hey, about Papeck-san, I have a feeling hes sniffed something out.) (Is it not likely that he had vaguely realized the purpose of the Oak Wood?) Now then, Takumi-sama, this store is one that I am acquainted with, as such, I will guide you. As Sophia and I were whispering, Papeck-san took the lead to show us around the store. My my, for the president of the Papeck Company to come himself, what business do you have with us today? Ah, shopkeeper. Takumi-sama here wishes for Oak Wood, therefore Ive come to show him. Oh my, then I shall guide you. The shopkeeper of the lumber dealer was overly courteous towards us, who had been guided personally by the president of the Papeck Company which had grown into a large, well established company. There, I was shown the three types of Oak Wood that I heard from Papeck-san, but I couldnt decide which one would be good. Which do you think is good? My apologies. Despite being an elf, I am not well informed on the varieties of trees............ I had assumed that forest dwellers known as Elves would know more about it than I would, but when I asked Sophia, she said that since she had spent all her time training with a sword and bow, her knowledge on trees and vegetation were only to the level of knowing their names. It cant be helped. Lets just buy all three types of Oak Wood. We can only try them out. Indeed. It might be better to have an acquaintance of mine in Yggurle Kingdom provide techniques once as well. Sophias acquaintance is apparently an Elf with experience in wine making. With the graces from the World Tree and the Spirits, Yggurle Kingdom was abound with crops and fruit trees, so naturally they produced wine from grapes. Yggurle Kingdoms wine is famed as a high class item in the continent. Still, for now lets buy the three kinds and return home. Excuse meee! In the end, I purchased a good amount of the three kinds of Oak Wood. Takumi-sama, would you like to have some tea? Please, if you have the time, do come by the company.Discover new chapters at Eh! Norn-sama?! Sophia looked at me incredulously. Of course she would. It would be blasphemous if the God of Creation is asked something like that. But if its Norn-sama, then I think it would be fine. We immediately dropped by the church in Volton. Entering the church, we mixed in with other people praying. (Norn-sama, please tell me. Is there a way to mature wine with magic? Even a hint is fine so I could make the wine that the Spirits have asked me to make, so please teach me.) Really, Takumi-kun, just when I thought its been a while, its not something you ask the Creation God. Good grief. Immediately after I started praying, I hear Norn-samas voice inside my head. Wine maturing, you say. Sheesh, what do you think of gods? Well, fine, Ill tell you if you offer me delicious wine. (I will! By all means, please let me offer it to you.) In the first place, Takumi-kun, you have the Time-Space Attribute, dont you? You also have the Subspace for the familiars. Make a Subspace for maturing wine, then accelerate the flow of time. It uses more magic power, so its a method that I dont think anyone but you can do though, Takumi-kun. (Thank you very much, Norn-sama!) Then I look forward to the wine youll offer. Norn-samas voice faded away. I rose from my praying stance. Fuu. Were you able to receive the oracle of Norn-sama? No, Norn-sama will get mad if we call stuff like this an oracle, you know. Well, she did tell me the solution. I want to try it out right away so shall we return to the Sanctuary? Yes. Unfamiliar with the taste of delicious wine, I could only pray I make something decent. Id likely be scolded by Norn-sama if the wine I offer is unpleasant. *** Chapter 154: It seems it’s delicious Chapter 154: It seems its delicious About the outcome, the creation of the Aging Subspace at Norn-samas advice was relatively simple. I made the Subspace, a separate space from where Kaede, Titan, and Tsubaki stay, then I crammed the wine we produced there and accelerated time to advance three years per hour. As Norn-sama had said, its magic that has considerably bad energy efficiency, one hour almost bottomed out my magic power. In order to see how long wine needs to age, I prepared 4 types that progressed three year, six year, ten year, and fifteen year over several days. Now then, I had asked Undine and the Great Spirits to evaluate it but................... Kyahahaha! So deli~cious! Hey! Gnome! Keep it down!Alll latest novels on Kyahahaha! It had become a banquet for the Great Spirits. Taking four casks out was a mistake. Even Spirits get drunk. Spirits have said that they are fundamentally alright without eating, that its a kind of entertainment. Nevertheless, it seems the wine is delicious and are more or less to their liking, but the ones over six years were favorable. Apparently, the decade old ones are good, but it takes 3 days to accelerate it by that much. It wouldnt take as many days if I drink mana potions, but Im still of the opinion that I dont want to make this my job. Among our members, I had Sophia and Marnie sample them too. And I also had Melty-san, the elf I asked to manage the orchard, taste it. The result was that the Sanctuary grape wine had received an assessment of tasting like heaven. Takumi-sama, its extremely appetizing. I have never drank wine this delicious. I dont understand the flavor of the wine but it is very tasty. True, its really good. No, Akane, you cant drink right? Before I knew it, even Akane was trying it out. Takumi-shama, does wine taste good nya? Its a grown ups drink so its too early for you girls. Do you want to drink apple juice? I wanna drink! Sara also wants nya! Shirona too~! Alright, then Ill prepare it. There were apple-like fruits in the orchard. It looks like an apple to me, but in the orchard here in the Sanctuary, it bears fruit regardless of the season. Also, because I dont know its name in this world, I called it an apple. Melty-san, who manages the orchard, is drinking wine, so I asked Marnie and Maria to pick some apples. I squeezed apple juice for everyone. This apple juice is the best Ive drank, even after including my previous life. Its refined sweetness thoroughly in balance with the sourness is exquisite, and while its a given for the children, Akane and Lulu-chan were also surprised when they drank it. Even Kaede, who normally doesnt eat much vegetables and fruits, had taken a liking to the apple juice. Taaaasty nya~!! So gooo~ood! Lala, Sara, and Shirona had faces full of smiles as they gulped down the apple juice. We normally use sugar and honey in our daily lives, but both of those are very expensive luxury items. To Lala and the kids who had led impoverished lives, they rarely ate sweet fruits. Afterwards, Wappa, Colette and the other kids were treated with apple juice, and we had promised to let them eat dessert made with these fruits next time. Dezart is food nya? A monsters name nya? Only, I couldnt make Lala and Sara understand the word dessert. *** Footnotes: 1. Aquavit information here. Chapter 155: It Would Seem They Want Grains Chapter 155: It Would Seem They Want Grains This is bad! Takumi! The moment I got up the stairs from the basement of the Sanctuary mansion with the Transfer Gate and went out, Doganbo-san, with his short legs and looking like he was at his wits end, ran up noisily and jolted me. Wai- Please wait! Whats wrong? What happened? The distillation machine and building are done, and theres a surplus of casks made by you. But, but, we forgot the ingredient, barley! My body lost its strength when I heard that. You didnt prepare it, did you............ Of course I wouldnt, I came here with luggage in one hand. The only things I brought were work tools. ............ Well, I had thought that would be the case, but the Dwarves had increased by another 3, havent they? Theyre the same too, arent they? Yeah, Gotton and the others. They journeyed over a great distance to come here. Like myself, they had only brought their work tools and camping equipment. Haa, but it would be difficult to have a grain field so soon. Cuz, theres not enough people. Even Gnomes assistance has its limits. In the first place, to have made distillation machines and constructed an alcohol brewing workshop without ingredients, how careless of us. Moreover, I dont have knowledge on whiskey either. Scotch whiskey came from barley, was it? I dont get it at all. It cant be anything but grain native to the Sanctuary, right? Of course! Gnome-sama and Salamander-sama will drink the alcohol, you know. For starters, well try it to the extent of the number of people here right now, but please dont expect too much. Even when I began moving to a different section to till it, Lala and the girls ran around the already tilled field. Is it alright even if I buy the seeds? Dryas and Sylph intend to use their retainers to collect it, but there is no issue with purchasing the seeds themselves. It only becomes a special grain when its grown in this Sanctuary. While I was tilling the remaining three sections with magic, I asked Gnome about todays plans. Its fine even if I leave it to Dryas and Sylph, but buying it is faster, after all. Still, it would be suspicious if I start in agriculture though. Cant we rely on your spirit retainers for the farm work, Gnome? Impossible. We Spirits are fundamentally free, after all. Furthermore, with the Spirit Tree and us Spirits powers, the crops and fruits taken from this land become special. Well, you have a point. Manpower is of no concern. The free Dwarves are coming to gather. Granted, the only ones who can pass the Sanctuary Barrier are the upright ones. Rather, why do they come arbitrarily? I couldnt help but wonder how they know to come to this land in the western end of the continent. But the reason for that is but a simple story. What are you saying, the Dwarves are Fairykin. Of course theyd hear it from the voices of the Spirits. Ah, right.................. After which, even the Elves increased before we had realized. Somehow the Fairykin were gathering. I might have to build housing again. Additional drainages, septic tanks, and purifying magic devices would be needed too. Im really thankful for the abundance of clean water. I wonder why, but be it in Volton or in the Sanctuary, my work increases one way or another. *** Chapter 156: Mission to Samandour Kingdom Chapter 156: Mission to Samandour Kingdom After I made the barley field that Doganbo-san, the Dwarves, and Gnome had asked me to, I left the seed sowing to them. Garagaragara................ If I had to say where I am right now, Im sitting on the coachmans seat of the carriage that Tsubaki is pulling. The carriage is roaring noisily through a trackless path at abnormal speeds. If it werent for Tsubaki and the repeatedly magically remodeled carriage, it wouldnt be rideable at all. This happened when I went to the Sanctuary three days ago. While I was doing farmwork and storehouse and house construction at the Spirits behest as always, an urgent request came from Undine. Could you save those with a connection to my retainers? Umm, this is a bit too sudden, I dont understand what you mean. Here in Mildgard, in addition to the Elves, Dwarves, Cat Siths, there are races also known as Fairykin that have a deep connection with us Spirits. The little ones asking for Takumis help are also Fairykin, but as you know from seeing the Cat Siths, the Fairykin races apart the ones who that have their own countries, like the Elven country Yggurle Kingdom and the Dwarven country Gnomstoll Kingdom, are often given unfair treatment.Follow the latest novels on In my talk with Undine, she wants me to go to the sea close to Samandour Kingdom to meet some people to protect them. And those Fairykin protectees were fish people, the Mermaids. If they are fish people, cant they travel by swimming to the sea west of the Sanctuary? Impossible. The waters encompassed by this Sanctuarys barrier are safe because monsters dont approach, but there are plenty of strong sea monsters outside the barrier. Recently, the barrier on the seaward side has expanded, covering a 500m range from the coast. She said thats where the mermaids will be sheltered. Still, I had to ask Undine if the lower halves of the mermaids would be an issue. Rather than the lower halves of men and women, theirs were of fish, so wouldnt land travel be difficult? But wouldnt a land route be challenging? If the mermaids lower halves are always that of a fish, then I would have thought of a different method. The Mermaid race are able to humanify their lower halves. The gills on their necks can be changed to that of a humans, so they will be fine even in a human town. When I thought about it more after that, I realized that the only route we could choose is through savage lands dotted with monster nests. That having happened, we prepared provisions and silently departed the Sanctuary. The stationing troops didnt notice us. As expected of the magic of the Great Spirits. I also installed magic devices with a concealing effect on the carriage, but the effect from only that is weak, after all. This time, Laeva is staying at home. I entrusted the wholesale production of potions to the Papeck Company, and the alcohol brewing equipment like the Dwarves distillers and pressing machines in the Sanctuary to her. Also, the members this time are usual members ............ although its not just us. Nya~! So fast nya~, Takumi-oniichan! Rock Paper Scissors! Youll face that way nya! [1] Ah! You lost! Sara-chans win! The frolicking little girls and uneasy older brother and sister. The Cat Sith sisters Miri and Lala. The Catkin siblings, Wappa and Sara. The Human sisters, Colette and Shirona. The three sets of older siblings and younger sisters had come along. In this harsh world, travelling is impossible for commoners. Thats why I understand the the delight and the bewilderment of these kids. When they heard from Lala that we were going to Samandour Kingdom, they demanded to come. I ended up saying OK as a reward for the kids doing their best at their usual work. When stared at by moist, round, cute eyes, one just cant say no, right? Tsubaki advanced through the undeveloped, trackless path, but maybe because her level increased, her speed and stamina have improved considerably, so it seems wed arrive earlier than planned. *** Footnotes 1. Jankenpon! Achimuite hoi! C its just like rock paper scissors, but with a twist to win. Example here. Chapter 157: Spectacular View of the Table Mountains Chapter 157: Spectacular View of the Table Mountains By two thirds of our journey to Samandour Kingdom, nearing its national border, we could see the Table Mountains towering high on the left. ............so those Table Mountains were in the savage lands.Discover new chapters at Indeed. At elevations of over 1000m, the Table Mountains have summits that stretches out as flat and level ground, but there apparently isnt anyone who has climbed to those summits. When I was in blank amazement at seeing several table mountains lined up, Sophia courteously explained. Funya~! So big~! Weird meowntain! The top is flat nya~! Woow~! How do I climb that? Ah, its really great. The trios eyes were sparkling as they viewed the table mountains for the first time. When compared to the existing 3000m plateau, the Guiana Highlands, I wonder if these are a reduced version of the place. But I havent seen the actual Guiana Highlands, so the seeing the table mountain scenery to my left is more than enough to move me. When a different world is this formidable, I suddenly want to question Norn-sama for nearly an hour about what makes up the continent, like the Table Mountains in this place. If there are waterfalls here, then Ill call it Angel Fall. The Table Mountains ascent is 1000m perpendicularly. Climbing up to the top is probably impossible for the people of this world. That would be different if there are races that can fly in the air though. The forest at the foot of the mountain is deeply concentrated with mana, there is no doubt it had become a monster nest. It became evident there were many monster presences when we did a wide area presence search. Do adventurers not come this far to explore? I dont believe so. Given how the monster nests here are small and there are monster nests of a similar scale much closer to town, I cant imagine why they would purposefully cross the national border to come to a small monster nest. Its just right for Shirona! The little girl trio have taken their spots, sitting on my lap. Lala, get down from Takumi-oniichan nya. Dont wannya! Miri-oneechan can also sit on Takumi-oniichans lap nya! The older Cat Sith sister, Miri, warned Lala, but Lala wasnt paying her any mind. Wappa and Colette also cautioned their little sisters Sara and Shirona, but it doesnt seem to be showing any effect on the little girl trio. Its a bit hot when young children whose body temperature is high cling to me, but since the three are in a good mood, its fine. Karikarikari............................ Inside the carriage, the sound of pencils scribbling on paper was audible. Hmmm~, its hard............ .............................. Wappa was staring at the numerical calculation written down in the paper. Miri and Colette were silently working out the problem. During this trip, the three elder siblings, Wappa, Collete and Miri, were taking reading, writing, and calculation lessons from us. If they know how to read, write, and calculate and they think they want to live outside the Sanctuary in the future, it would be easier for them to get a variety of jobs. At any rate, this worlds literacy rate is low, if one can calculate with the four rules of arithmetic, I heard theyd be in great demand in places like companies, the Commerce Guild, and government offices. Of course, having been raised in the slums and in their short lives, Wappa and the kids were unable to read, write, or calculate. Its only natural since no one was there to teach them, and just surviving everyday was the best they could do. Three days after entering Samandour Kingdom, being guided by the spirits, we arrived at the coast where the mermaids lived in hiding. *** Chapter 158: Though the Mermaids were protected Chapter 158: Though the Mermaids were protectedAs we kept cutting across Samandour Kingdom, it soon began smelling like salt water. The west of the Sanctuary also faces the sea, but its like the south sea has a somewhat sweet, tropical scent. The seaaa nyaaa~~!! Mister Sun is so briiight nya~! Howaaa~ lots of water~ The little girl trio cheered in excitement when they saw the sea from the carriage. Uwaa, cool. ..................so big. Its blue, vast, and pretty. It seems that even Wappa, Colette, and Miri were impressed seeing the sea for the first time. Takumi-sama, it seems we are steadily getting closer. Got it, I think well be fine since we can activate Perception Inhibitor MD, but lets be careful so we arent noticed. Just as I was took over as the driver, the Wind Spirit told us through Sophia that were close to cove where the mermaid protectees were. The location the Spirits guided us to was a small cove. The mermaids likely came here after escaping from monsters. This is already in the border regions of Samandour Kingdom, a place where there were no villages or towns close by. Originally, they would live close to where people inhabit so they could find a male to pair with, but with the recent monster activity, they had to escape to this small cove. Maybe because its a place untouched by human hands, the cove was really beautiful. With directions from Sophia who could hear the voice of the Spirits, we walked closer to the waters edge. Leaving the little sister trio playing by the ebbing and flowing waves to Wappa, Colette, and Miri, we waited for the mermaids to make their appearance. There were several responses in Kaedes and my wide-range Presence Detection. Master, it looks like the mermaids are here. Yep, theyve arrived. One by one, twelve long green and light blue haired mermaids, the elder half being in their 30s and the younger half as young as 5-6 years old, emerged from within the sea and approached us. Both my Enemy Search skill and Kaede, who is best when it comes to enemy perception among us, sensed it. Sophia, evacuate all the mermaids to Tsubakis carriage! Ha! Fluna-san! Everyone! Hurry this way! Sophia guided the clueless mermaids to shelter. Our group had already switched to battle stances. Its not a monster thats in this shallow cove. Did it think there was a lot of prey here? I took out Ice Bringer from the my Item Box and waited. Having come back, Sophia readied Tempest and Maria took out Explode; The three of us were ready to fight. Marnie took a bow in her hands, and Akane prepared her magic. Lulu-chan was made to come with Fluna-san and the mermaids. Zazazazaazaza`````````!! We began hearing the sounds of large waves. This cove is supposedly shallow, so it should show up any time now. Its here!! Zaabaaaaaaaaan!! The open-mouthed gigantic figure that appeared from the sea had a serpentine body with dorsal and pectoral fins, with a probable overall length of over 30 meters. A Sea Serpent. The Sea Serpent is a lesser dragon species like the wyvern, but because of its large body and the fact that fighting in sea is difficult, it is often treated as a higher middle rank monster. Whether or not it sniffed out the scent of the mermaids or us, it raised its enormous sickle-shaped neck and attacked with its large open mouth. *** Chapter 159 Chapter 159Chapter Title Our response to the large Sea Serpent that came from the sea was fast. Maria borrowed power from her Fire Magic Spear to lob ten-odd boosted Fire Lances towards the Sea Serpent. Connecting to this, Akane and I shot Fire Lances at the same place. As the large blazing white spears of fire pierced into the Sea Serpent, a thundering roar occurred alongside a steam explosion caused by the Fire Lances. GYAAAAAAA````!! The Sea Serpent screeched, its gigantic body rising to the surface from the blast.Follow the latest novels on Titans large, black, lustrous body came flying out of the Subspace. Doshu!! Titans fists shot out in high speed, its chains entwining itself around the Sea Serpent. The Magic Jet Propeller on his back roared as he pulled the Sea Serpent out of the water. Kaedes threads twined around the landed Sea Serpent. Master, I want stakes! Gotcha! At Kaedes request, I hammered stakes around the landed Sea Serpent using Earth magic. Kaede sewed the Sea Serpent onto the stakes with her threads. Seeing the Sea Serpent tied down onto the earth, just like the protagonist of Gullivers Travels, Fluna and the Mermaids were astonished. Well of course they would be. To the mermaids, coming across a Sea Serpent equals everyones deaths, after all. Something I later heard from Fluna-san was that adult mermaids are capable of running away from the Sea Serpent. However, for Fluna-sans group who had taken along the children, someone would likely fall prey to the monster. Fished out from water, the pitiful Sea Serpent was bound to the land without being able to do anything and could only twitch the tip of its tail. Now then, how about we have Lala and the kids throw stones at it? Will we raise their levels? Yeah, this is the perfect opponent. Fluna-san and the mermaids will attack next. It would also be a bonus if they raised their level for the long carriage travel ahead. It looks like Sophia understood what I wanted to do by not finishing off the Sea Serpent. If Wappa, Colette, and Miris levels increase, their work at the Sanctuary would be easier. Ooi! Come here everyone! I called out for the kids to come over. In front of the gigantic Sea Serpent, Lala and the kids were scared as they clung to my back. Even so, as their curiosity was irrepressible, their heads sneaking a peek every so often was adorable to watch. Takumi-shama, its a big snake nya. Scary face nya. What will you do, Takumi-oniichan? Although Lala, Sara, and Shirona were all hiding behind me, they couldnt stop looking at the scary thing. Wappa and the older kids cautiously approached. ......... funya. Hya. The kids became dizzy and seemingly intoxicated when their levels suddenly rose. It was a phenomenon where a body is unable to keep up with the sudden increase in status. Theyd recover if they rest for a bit. When I looked around, apart from our party members, everyone was slumped on the floor. Okay, lets dismantle the Sea Serpent. That Sea Serpent, could it be delicious, Master? Lulu will also help nya. If its dismantling then I can do it. Kaede and Lulu-chan immediately said theyd help me with the Sea Serpent dismantling, so Kaede began collecting the threads and Lulu started peeling the scales. Though shes not good at cooking, Sophia can help with the dismantling, so she began processing the large body. Its exactly noon, so how about we do a barbeque? Then I will make preparations. Ah, Ill help out too, so Takumi-sama, please take out the portable grill[1]. Having obtained ingredients and saying that we should have lunch, Maria and Marnie began preparing for a barbeque. Cutting up the Sea Serpent meat, I placed it on the BBQ grill we use for camping. Although the seasonings were only salt and pepper, the Sea Serpent is still a species of dragons, so it was still exquisite even with just those. Hagu, hagu ........................ Good~ So good! Lala and Wappa sank their teeth into the meat in a daze. Having been able to eat proper meals since coming to the Sanctuary, Wappa and the kids who had been underweight now had figures of plump children. Even so, Dragon type meat was still a first for the mouths of the Cat Sith and Catkin. It is not like the Earth Dragon, is it? Yes, the fat is quite light. Sophia said that the Elves would prefer Sea Serpent more, so we decided to bring the meat back as a souvenir for Princess Mimir. In any case, we cant eat all of it so well store the rest in the item box. Fluna-san and the mermaids ate the meat of the monster that always targeted them with great joy. They munched on the grilled meat with such vigor, it was as if they havent eaten for some time. When we return to the Sanctuary, it would be a good idea to have another barbeque with Undine and the others. *** Footnotes: 1. It says gas burner / portable cooking stove, but for this scene, lets go with grill. Chapter 160: Considering Transportation Methods Chapter 160: Considering Transportation Methods It is quite a distance from the south end of Samandour Kingdom to the western end of the continent. If Im being honest, I want to teleport back, but theres too many of us so thats not possible. Taking this into consideration, Id have liked to establish a Gate, but it would be better if Im a little bit more prudent in having a base at Samandour Kingdom. When I questioned Fluna-san in detail, there were several more groups of mermaids living in the southern area of the ocean. However, they have no interaction with Fluna-sans group and were apparently large groups. Still, any group would be troubled by the brutal activity of monsters. Arent there large ships that wouldnt lose to monsters? In Samandour Kingdom, there appear to be small trading ships that go to a small continent in the south where Devils(Mazoku) live. As expected, Sophia is well informed. The three countries in this continent that face the ocean are Samandour Kingdom, Gnomstoll Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom. However, the seaside of Gnomstoll Kingdom is a sheer cliff face with no port. Yggurle Kingdom faces the northern sea, but as it could barely be used for salt-making, it isnt a terrain that was suited for a port. In this continent, only Samandour Kingdoms southern seas had several ports and their trade with the continent of the Devils (Mazoku) is said to be profitable. If Im not mistaken, the seas to the west of the Sanctuary seems like a place that could be a port, right? Yes, there should be a bay with deep waters on the southwest side. If I remember right, theres a spot south of the place I think could be for salt-making that looked like it could be used for a port. If it were before the Sanctuary was made, it couldnt become a port because of the monsters, but since its inside the barrier now, it might be alright to make a port with a shipbuilding dock. As I pondered over the ships structure and propulsion mechanism, its like I had already settled with building the ship, but I cant help it, I always want to make something since Im an artisan. The construction of large ships in the Sanctuary would intensify the countries aggression for it if they find out. As I thought............, the Sanctuary has Perception Inhibitor MD and the Great Spirits barrier, so they cant infiltrate the Sanctuary, much less confirm what is inside, but thats not possible for a large ship. Indeed. I believe that the Perception Inhibitor MD is somewhat effective, but it would be difficult to conceal a large ship cutting through waves. I know, right? But would it be enough for avoiding monsters? When we return, Ill discuss and design the large ship with Laeva and Doganbo-san. Whether or not it would be possible to materialize it is something well think about afterwards. Since Im saying wed build a large combat vessel in this continent where battleships do not exist, it would be necessary to ask various people for advice. At any rate, I was wondering if I could build it because, while Ive ridden ferry-type ships, Ive only seen destroyers from afar, but I have a feeling that I could probably make it somehow, thanks to my rising level, growing status, and various skills groups. Im now looking forward to going back to the Sanctuary. ***Follow the latest novels on Chapter 161: The unknowingly increasing inhabitants and the start of the design Chapter 161: The unknowingly increasing inhabitants and the start of the design On our journey to protect the mermaids in Samandour Kingdom, the return trip is half the time compared to the outbound trip. When we arrived at the Sanctuary, the kids all ran back home. Theyd probably talk about the trip and the Sea Serpent. I hope it would become a good experience for the kids. Ah, Takumi, youve come back. Welcome back~ ...... Yep, Im back. Undine. Undine had greeted me in a light tone, but I could see the Elves and Dwarves working hectically. ............ they increased? Sorry, though its not like you mind much. Those children were oppressed in Yggurle Kingdom, and I had invited them. Sylph came flying to Undines side, informing me of the reason why the Elves increased. Ou, youre back. I asked my apprenticeship senior to come here, but you wont mind, right? ...... Ah, yes. Ou, youre Takumi? Im Golan. Ill be in your care here too. In return, you can call me for anything. I can do anything, from smithing to carpentry, metalworking, and even leather processing. A Dwarf older than Doganbo-san pounded my shoulder and gave his greetings. It was at a level that would break a normal person. Afterwards, Doganbo-san informed me of the reason why the Dwarves had increased. This time, the new Dwarves in the Sanctuary were all considerably skilled as they had once been apprentices brought up to be craftsmen. Still, they desire to live the remainder of their lives doing what they like. When the rumors spread of the Sanctuary, the land of the Spirits, they wanted to live the rest of their lives in the land where the Great Spirits live. One of the Dwarves that arrived to the Sanctuary this time was Golan-san, the senior of Doganbo-san, is said to be known as Godcraft in Gnomstoll Kingdom. With the increase of the Dwarves, the alcohol brewing seemed to be making progress. Not that it really concerns me though. Since the Elves also increased, the orchard and wine making has been left to them. Its all about alcohol. For some reason, everyone is enthusiastic about drinking. Since that probably came from the Great Spirits, it couldnt be helped so I give up. The Elves increased by twelve people, and the Dwarves by five. Once merged with Doganbo-san and those after him, there was a total of nine Dwarves, while the Elves, including Melty-san and her kids, numbered at fifteen. And from there, including the Cat Siths, its become the scale of a small village. Well, the increase in skilled Dwarves is a godsend to me so this is good. I can get them to help me design the ship. So, Undine, what about the Mermaids that live in different waters from the ones we sheltered this time? ......hm~m, it seems theres monster activity everywhere. Damages done by ferocious monsters are already emerging. Id like for Takumi to save them if possible, but as you would expect, making numerous round trips would be difficult. Listen Takumi, the southern mine will cover the magic iron and mithril. The adamantite and orichalcum are still scare and have some ways to go. Then should we use magic steel and mithril alloy for the hull? Takumi-sama, when considering magic resistance, I believe it would be better to attach monster materials for the hulls armor. Indeed so. Then wouldnt it be excellent if we use a Sea Dragons leather and scale? I think its size would be more than enough too. Is there even a Sea Dragon close by? When we were talking about monster materials for the armor, Undine asked what we think of Sea Dragons. Sea Dragons are gigantic aquatic dragon type monsters whose length goes over 100m. The Sea Serpent we defeated is like a baby in comparison as it has a remarkable difference with its status as a dragon. Will that be alright? Sure, I have no objections to the armor of the hull if its a Sea Dragon, ............ but its a Sea Dragon, you know? Leave it to me, it is for my retainers this time. I will cooperate. Sophia, you understand, dont you? Eh, y-yes. I will do my best. It seems Undine will display the power of a Great Spirit with Sophias Spirit Magic. If thats the case, well have no problems even if we hunt Sea Dragons. Shes a Great Spirit, after all. Then well be attaching the Sea Dragons leather and scales on the exterior of the hull. Well also use its bones and magic stone. Also, I think we can also use the Sea Serpent materials for the interior and part of the exterior. Ah, we do also have a Sea Serpent. Afterwards, when I talked about the harbor and shipbuilding dock with Gnome, he said that he will have these constructed by the Dwarves with free hands. Please make the the shipbuilding dock large. Fumu, entrust it to me. Gnome immediately got off his seat and left. Now then, about the design of the ship............ We started on the design of the large ship. Humans, Dwarves, Beastkins, Elves, and Spirits have joined forces and the plan to make a ship that wouldnt lose to the menace of monsters of the ocean has begun. *** Chapter 162: No, I really think that’s impossible Chapter 162: No, I really think thats impossible Starting the design of the large ship, I concentrated drawing the plan. Doganbo-san and Golan-san went to collect ores from the mine in the south. There were many things that were necessary to plan out for the ships exterior, controllable pitch propeller (CPP), and magic turbine. Additionally, including the planning, the construction of the large ship will take time. Thats why we have to do it alongside our other projects in the Sanctuary............. Aside from the ship construction, I was busy with house construction, field clearing, infrastructure maintenance, and alcohol brewing. Then Undine, together with Sylph, called me who was stuck to a desk. I found it. Well lead you from here on Takumi, Sophia, then Kaede-chan should be on standby in Takumis Subspace. Sylph can carry two people. You found a Sea Dragon? Thats right, I was thinking that it will take an instant for Sophia to bring it down using me with Spirit Magic, but Takumi will be essential in the recovery and have Kaede-chan secure it just in case. Now then, lets go quickly! Ah, yeah, well get ready immediately. You dont need to prepare. Okay, lets go! Undine forcibly got me off the desk, then Sylph covered Sophia and I in a swirl of wind. The moment after I thought my body was floating, I shot up towards the sky with intense momentum. The mysterious thing was that I couldnt feel any wind pressure. It seems Sylph was protecting us with wind.Alll latest novels on Upon reaching several hundred meters high in altitude, we were momentarily suspended, then once again accelerating at intense speeds but horizontally this time. Uwaaaaaaa``!! The place we arrived at after an hour was a 360 view of ocean as far as the eye can see. Have Kaede-chan on standby. Still................... As expected, I dont know what to think of killing a Sea Dragon so simply. Its fine, to a Great Spirit, dragons and goblins arent much different. Still, stop treating it like that. The Sea Dragon, a creature in the upper ranks among the dragon species, looked so pitiful. It somehow felt like a wine and dine, but it raised Sophia, Kaede, and my level well. Now then, were returning. Sylph, please. Leave it to me! Wai, slowly! Uwaaaaaaa``!! Sophia and I were on the ground exhausted when we returned to the Sanctuary. We didnt feel wind pressure, but that was too fast, Sylph. It was also troublesome after that. Its great that we were able to hunt the Sea Dragon, but dismantling a gigantic monster over 100 m long was too much for just us. I conscripted Titan to assist in the mass production of golems, and we somehow managed to get it done with additional help from Doganbo-san and the Dwarves, the Elves managing the orchard and wine making, and the small-bodied Cat Siths. Though, actually, the ships design isnt finished yet so the dismantle parts will stay put in my item box for now. The Sea Dragon was being disassembled on the beach west of the Sanctuary. Though the older kids like Wappa and Colette were feeling frightened, the younger kids like Lala, Sara, and Shirona squirmed close to the Sea Dragon and excitedly tapping its large body. Afterwards, as if par for the course, we had a barbeque. It was more successful than the Sea Serpent barbeque we had just recently. It seems dragon species taste much better the higher the status. The Elven parents and children were also happy eating it. Fluna-san said she had mixed feelings about the reversal of having a scrumptious meal made of Sea Dragon, a monster which had been hunting them before. Doganbo-san, Golan-san, and the Dwarves were responsible for mining ores in addition to the alcohol brewing. We obtained Sea Dragon scales, leather, and bone. We need to secure Treant Wood too, but the crucial design was a considerably high hurdle we couldnt progress through. The Controllable Pitch Propeller and Magic Turbine in particular were making smoke come out of my head. *** Chapter 163: I can’t devote myself to designing Chapter 163: I cant devote myself to designing Now then, the ship I have in mind is an extra large warship spanning 100m in length, 18m in width, larger than even the Carrack or Galleon, large ships from the age of exploration, as well as the ships in this world by a wide margin. The overall design, unlike the warships of this world, is supposed to be SF-like, but I was fixated on adding a stern tower. I think the people from my generation in my previous world would understand, but a certain space pirates space battleship had a stern tower like that of a Galleon even though it was a space battleship[1]. I loved that ship that had a Jolly Rodger. Well, the ship Ill make cant fly in the sky though. As for the design of the ship, it was a pleasant miscalculation that Golan-san was a first-class shipbuilder. Apparently, Samandour Kingdoms Magic Ship is his work. It was but a godsend that I consulted Golan-san at the start, though I couldnt get the Great Spirits to concentrate. The Spirits do as they please. Hey hey, Takumi, there are kids heading for the Sanctuary. I think they wont last even 2 days in the savage lands, so pick them up please. ...............see? Its the usual thing you sprung on me, Sylph, but......... Haa, well, I know I have to go though. Where are they? The fact that the Great Spirit Sylph had asked me to protect them means that those children are qualified to enter the Sanctuary. If so then I wont hesitate. At any rate, for them to head to the sanctuary by even passing through the dangerous savage lands... The life of the street children in this world is severe. I cant possibly not want to protect children abandoned by their parents, lord, and country. We need a plan to prevent children like these from running to crime, rather, we should protect them from being victimized. I hastily put on my usual overcoat, leaving the Sanctuary together with Sophia while being guided by Sylph. With high Stealth skills and wearing Overcoats of Existence Concealment with Inhibit Perception and Enhanced Stealth effects, we were undetected by the troops stationed in the outer edge of the Sanctuary. In fact, when we activated the presence-erasing Stealth skill and with the effect of the overcoats this time, the soldiers didnt perceive us. When we take the kids back, well return by teleportation so theres no need to worry. Having left the sanctuary, we repeatedly used Short Warp and, with Sylph guiding us, rushed to the place where the kids were at. 10 children were walking on the grassy plains of the savage lands. Every child was skin and bones, wearing tattered clothes, and didnt even have any footwear. The eldest is Tom. He is a 12 year old boy, with a 7 year old younger brother and 5 year old younger sister, Rod and Julie. The three siblings worked together to live. When their parents were alive, they were still okay even though they were poor. That went amiss when their father was killed when he had been attacked by thieves. Their mother worked without sparing time for sleep to raise their 3 children left behind. Having worked too hard, she eventually harmed her health and contracted a disease. The repeatedly overworked mother soon lost her life. Tom wasnt permitted to grieve the loss of both his parents. He worked earnestly for cheap wages, doing odd jobs in town like carrying baggage to support Rod and Julie. Driven out of the home they lived in, they snuck into abandoned buildings and lived there. The children here were all street children with similar circumstances. As the eldest, Tom became their leader and they helped each other to live, but that life has its limits too. As Tom was dumbfounded, someone suddenly called to him and he let out a weird sound in surprise. When he turned his gaze towards it, there was a kind-looking silver haired oniisan and a very beautiful elf oneesan smiling. Haa, Im glad we made it. When Sophia and I ran to the actual location at Sylphs guidance, the kids had been surrounded by Forest Wolves that were just about to attack. I hurriedly covered the children with an attributeless Barrier magic. When Sophia confirmed this, she instakilled the monsters by using Wind Cutter simultaneously. It would have been good if we rescued them a little bit earlier. If we had, then the kids wouldnt have felt afraid. I saw Sylph when I was thinking such, and she had an expression that said we saved them so isnt that a relief?. Well, its out of the question now. Sophia and I approached the kids and, as best we could to not scare them, called out to them gently. You alright? Fue?! The boy was surprised. He was carrying a small girl on his back, but the girl was dead tired. When I used the recovery magic Heal and Cure several times, her complexion improved. Is anyone injured? U-um, thank you for saving us. Even so, it would be difficult if situations like this increase. Theres no way we could respond to all of these, and its unsettling to think that children played by the Spirits might appear. Takumi-sama, the children seem to be weakened, how about we take them back first? Ah, un, youre right. As I was brooding, Sophia urged me to teleport them. Yup, shes not wrong. Taking the kids, I teleported to the Sanctuary. *** Footnotes: Reference to Space Pirate Captain Harlocks ship, Arcadia. Image here.I added the line And yet...nothing. because I really thought it was missing something without that. Chapter 164: First Spirit Conference Chapter 164: First Spirit Conference After we came back to the Sanctuary via teleportation and cared for the weakened kids `` with the girl named Julie doing well and no longer sick``, we decided to have a conference with the Great Spirits. I think that at this rate, people coming for the Sanctuary would increase endlessly. We were lucky enough to be able to save the kids this time but............VIssi?T for the best novel reading experience Passing through the savage lands riddled with many small monster nests, a person would be fortunate to arrive at the Sanctuary. Exhausting their strength on the way and falling prey to monsters, individuals unable to reach the Sanctuary would likely appear too. When I pointed this out, Undine also seemed to be of the same opinion that the current trend is not good. Certainly, that is so. The half-baked stationed soldiers are also a hindrance. We have to think of something. To me, I do not think that there are enough Dwarves that have gathered. After all, we are making alcohol. Gnome had said that there werent enough Dwarves, and we cant deny that. For some reason though, no matter how far they are, they still catch wind of this place. The Dwarves will be fine. I imagine theyll kick around any monsters by themselves as they come here. And in the first place, people who were not guided to the Sanctuary cant come. Then Elves will be fine as well. Princess Mimir is also there, and Yggurle Kingdom should have plenty of orphanages. Well, even then, that kingdom also has families like Meltys that cant survive there. Sylph was giving a nonchalant OK to leaving the Elves be. Sure theyll be fine if they use Spirit Magic, but I think an unlucky family could still fall prey to monsters. Before that, why did the Sanctuary expand this much? What? You dont even know why? It has been decided, hasnt it? Ask the spirits. Sylph and Gnome had faces saying How is it that you do not know this?. Well, thats because, normally, the only ones who can hear the voices of the Spirits were the Fairykin like Dwarves and Elves. Wappa, Colette, and the kids are Catkins and Humans though. Those children are the children from towns in remote regions of countries that we know have stationed their troops here, arent they? Really, those children truly are lucky. In the end, were leaving things as is. They said not to worry about the Fairykin. This doesnt mean that there are no evil people among the Fairykin though. That lecherous Elf aiming for Sophia is still continuing to make futile efforts to go through or destroy the barrier. Well, while it is a matter of course, the Fairykin qualified to enter the Sanctuary, a land connected to the Great Spirits, wouldnt commit misdeeds. In the first place, the Great Spirits have a unified opinion about those who cant hear the voice of the Spirits, even if they are Fairykin. The beings known as the Great Spirits are objects of worship similar to gods, especially so to the Fairykin. Sophia is better now, but at first, her attitude was stiff towards Sylph and Undine. Shes still slightly nervous though. For the person on Valkyras side, I gave that persons name. Should I try talking to Lord Volton? That might be a good idea. If its Margrave Volton, you will likely have an upright discussion. It wouldnt be with the so-called royal faction, but their connections are deep. My work just keeps increasing. The stationed troops of various countries didnt notice, but the Sanctuary is gradually spreading out. Right now, it is four times the size of the town of Volton. The soldiers havent realized that theyre slowly being moved outward. The Great Spirits seem to want to make this land into a small country in the future. They show no signs of reining in their tendencies. Also, I think we should call Princess Mimir to discuss this together, so we will call her here. ............summoning the princess of a country.... Well, lets just go with Its the Great Spirits so it cant be helped. Nevertheless, I have a feeling that this discussion is getting bigger and bigger. I wonder if a Spirit King or something would come out and govern this land. To be negotiating with a high ranking noble... I just want to concentrate on making the ship..................... *** Footnotes: Dryas and Takumis first uses kana(ե`), second uses kanji(). I think Ill use Faerie to differentiate with Fairykin (N). Chapter 165: Can’t you do something about it? Chapter 165: Cant you do something about it? From the Gate in the Sanctuary Mansions basement, I teleported to the Gate installed in the basement of the Volton Mansion. I immediately made an appointment with Margrave Volton, getting a promise to meet. Haa, no matter how I think about it, this isnt my job, is it? Still, the Great Spirits do not have contact with Human countries. They are free, after all. At my grumbling, Sophia implicitly stated that it couldnt be helped. Even so, I think the Elves would be suitable as the Spirits representative though. From the worst of the impressions that they have of the Elves, such as with Earl Hordia, I doubt the Great Spirits would negotiate with other countries through the Yggurle Kingdom as their mediator. Haa, thats the noble obsessed with you, right? Though Yggurle Kingdom doesnt have soldiers stationed on the outer edge of the Sanctuary, he continues to send in private armies. The troops stationed just outside the of the Sanctuary were there for investigative purposes, but Sophia said that the sole group continuing to attack the barrier pointlessly was the private army dispatched by the porcine noble, Earl Hordia. Anyway, Margrave Volton-sama and Earl Rockford-samas towns have orphanages, so the children were from other territories, werent they? Indeed. Our goal is to have Margrave Volton appeal to the King to make a law obligating the establishment of orphanages. Both Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford were devoted to tackling the poverty within their territories. Even so, it is currently difficult to counteract the growing slum district. This time, only Sophia and I came to Volton. I have asked our remaining members to look after the newcomer Mermaids and the recently rescued kids, Toms bunch. Were walking towards the white castle in the middle of the town where the Margrave lives. It would typically be a good idea to take the carriage, but our carriage is way too conspicuous. Though, rather than the carriage, its Tsubaki who has too much presence, so using the carriage to move around town is troublesome. She is too intimidating. Sophia and I were gestured into the parlor room, and as we were waiting, Margrave Volton entered with Chamberlain Xervus-san and Knight Leader Dorn-san in tow. Long time no see Iruma-dono, youve been quite busy as of late, havent you? Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. So, is it about the Divine Empire of Sydnia? Owing to the Barrier MD that Iruma-dono supplies, attacks by those people have been reduced to zero. You have my gratitude. Just when I thought I havent heard anything about the zealots of Sydnia recently, they inform me that the damages done to Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom have practically stopped occurring. The Light God Faith too. Their believers have been decreasing in our country, Lomaria, and now even Samandour. Theyve been quiet lately. I see. Well, todays matter is different though.Discover new chapters at argrave Volton had apparently assumed that Sophia and I came to talk about the zealots that acted violently for a period of time. Though I was indeed curious about that too. Well, I would like to ask you for something different today............ Theres still more............ Margrave Voltons face showed that he was worn out. Yes, actually............... I had talked about how the children, who lost their parents from towns without orphanages, heard rumors of the Sanctuary. Prepared to lose their lives, they passed through the savage lands and reached the Sanctuary. After that, I mentioned the oppressed Fairykin, who capable of hearing the Spirits voices, that headed to the same place the orphans went to. I also told them that, at present, there is a hurdle known as the Great Spirits assessment which must be passed to be able to cross the barrier. It was very fortunate that we safely sheltered the kids, but from here on, I cant imagine we would be able to rescue all of them. The current Sanctuary also has the rare Fairykin, the Cat Siths and Faeries, so I conveyed the policy of not being able to enter and leave normally. ......certainly, free entry and exit is risky. Indeed. There are likely individuals who hunt Cat Siths and Faeries even among the citizens of our country, which is open minded towards the various races. ............how about this? Establish gateways in Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, Yggurle Kingdom, Samandour Kingdom. Dorn-san had proposed we make gateways to manage the entry and exits of the barrier. Fumu, that might be possible. Wedgefort and that place arent too far from each other. We can use it as a stopover. It is necessary to make it well known that only those deemed acceptable by the Great Spirits may pass through the barrier. Rash children must be prevented from entering the savage lands and losing their lives. Margrave Volton and Xervus-san already accepted the matters regarding the Sanctuary and have now begun talking about how it would concern them. ............umm. Ah, sorry. In any case, this matter must be discussed with the King, and the Kingdoms of Lomaria, Samandour, and Yggurle. Hearing of Fairykins stories about the Spirit Tree, there will be a portion of each country that move to their desires for the materials, after all. Your Excellency, a unit from our army will patrol around the Sanctuary and Wedgefort. Then I will inquire as to which of the noble families have not established orphanages. Dorn-san promised to patrol the savage lands. This will reduce the number of children of Valkyra Kingdom heading to the Sanctuary from being stranded or attacked by monsters. Xervus-san said he would investigate the noble families and towns without orphanages in Valkyra Kingdom. Iruma-dono, we must have a talk with the King. So that really is how it would be. Im not a noble or anything, so why? Why do I get dragged into these things? Sheesh, Ill end up half thinking its a curse. *** Chapter 166: Trial and Error Chapter 166: Trial and Error Having come out about the Sanctuary to Margrave Volton, Ive been feeling somewhat light these days, concentrating on the ship making. I can concentrate. The ships body was making progress, but I worked with the Dwarves on the plan for the Controllable Pitch Propeller and Magic Turbine. Controllable Pitch Propeller (henceforth CPP) is a rotating screw propeller which enables forward and reverse movement. It is technology that is normally installed into modern destroyers and large warships. However, while I know its general mechanism, its difficult to design it from scratch. I want to be able to complete it with the cooperation of Golan-san and the Dwarves somehow. Fumu, I understand that the screw rotates something and gains propulsive power. The so called CPP switches from forward and reverse by altering the direction of the rotation. Fu~mu, Ill reflect on this properly. Golan-san raised his voice in admiration as I made a simple diagram and explained it, but I just happened to like the military types in my previous life a bit. Thats why the ship that came to mind, at first, was the Atago class destroyer. I was thinking we need to make models and test the Magic Turbine and CPP screw. Ah, I am also of the same thought. I also want to verify the shape and number of propellers. We must also include the analysis of the rotation method of the propellers. Ou! Leave it to us! Thumping his chest with his brawny arm, Golan-san took over the model creation and testing. Golan-san grabbed the theoretical blueprint and walked to the workshop the Dwarves built for themselves in quick steps. I went into designing the ships main body.Follow the latest novels on Actually, for making the ships body, I was thinking of adopting methods uniquely applying to this world. The structure is relatively simple to try, and the creation method will be Alchemy, which is from my main Job. Im planning on calculating and preparing the needed materials, then build the majority of the hull with alchemy. The interior and stern of the ship will be worked on manually by the Dwarves, but Ive chosen to process the finer parts and Sea Dragon materials with alchemy too. The development of the CPP is a difficult voyage. For the propeller to rotate, I need to test various things, like hydraulics, No attribute magic, and Wind attribute magic. I even made a pool for testing, testing tiny model ships repeatedly. Then Akane and Lulu-chan called Laeva. Laeva, lets go quickly. We have a lot to do today. Yes, understood. Well then, take care and have a good day. Were off! See you later. Akane waved, then walking to the mansion basement where the Gate is established. Laeva hurried out of the workshop to ask Fluna-san and the Mermaids. The Gate is an improved version of the Time-Space magics Long Distance Transfer magic device, and it is available to even individuals that do not have the Time-Space attribute. Of course, it has a specification where unauthorized people cant use it because of the magic power authentication, but by holding hands with authorized people like Laeva, Fluna-san and the others could also teleport using the Gate. Wappa, Colette, and the kids had also been brought to Volton a few times, having them help with the shopping. Haa, I want to go out and take a break too, but Undine said to do this as soon as possible. Indeed. We want to shelter the Mermaids from the south of the continent as soon as possible, after all. Lets do our best, Takumi-sama. I dont know if Sophia was consoling me or if she was encouraging me when I grumbled idly, but she called out to me. Were in the Sanctuary workshop so I dont need guarding, but Sophia never leaves my side. Youre right. Ill keep at it! With my discussions with Golan-san about the design, the ship eventually became 100m long and 20m wide. It needed many more components that needed to be designed apart from the engine and the CPP, and those blueprints need to be completed. This is the consequence of my choice not to use sails though. The specifications of facilities that could be built at a later date, like various interior designs, dining halls, bathrooms, hatches, etc, were to be discussed with Sophia, Marnie, and the others. Wanting personal rooms, or wanting a full bath and not just a shower in their room. Anytime there was a request, the blueprints increase. Im having fun planning as I imagine a variety of things though. *** Chapter 167: Hull Construction Chapter 167: Hull Construction The ship building is entering its climax. That said, nothings taken form yet though. The ores acquired from the mine Gnome manages at the south of the Sanctuary are aplenty, and curiously enough, because the Great Earth Spirit Gnome and the numerous Earth Spirits that congregate here, the ore veins wouldnt be exhausted. Thanks to that, the amount of ore needed to build the ship that the Dwarves and I are working on together had been mined. The CPP will use adamantite alloy in consideration of the strength of the shaft. The material for the propeller also needs to be strong, so it would likewise be adamantite alloy. Gnome and Titan cooperated to construct the shipbuilding dock. In that dock, Laeva and I drew an enormous magic circle. I thought Id challenge myself by transmuting a fusion of metals and the Sea Dragons bones, scales, and skin using alchemy. Ive never used alchemy in this big of a scale so Im anxious about its success, but theres a probability that it would. The synthesis of metals and dragon materials will be carried out with the assistance of the magic circle, and the ships form and structure will be made based on the image thats been burned into my brain. There were many types of materials to be used, and in order to reform the alloys used depending on the position, the size of the magic circle had inevitably become enormous. Takumi-sama, my inspection was okay! Thanks! Its okay here too! With papers with the magic circle drawn on it in hand, Laeva and I checked if the 30m-ish magic circle had any mistakes. We took our time drawing it out, but especially so as we were being very scrupulous with the check. Fuu............ alright! I began pouring magic power into the magic circle, causing light to rise from the 30m wide diagram. Then, while holding a clear image in my head, I invoked Alchemy. Kuh! The consumption of magic power was staggering. I hurriedly drank a mana potion and held the magic stone. The materials stacked like a mountain started being wrapped in light, and a torrent of light soon swallowed all of the materials. The materials floated, swirling above the magic circle, turning into a gigantic cocoon of light. Drawing from the magic stone, and replenishing with mana potions, I concentrated magic power into the complete magic formula. Once the magic stone ran out of magic power, my magic power steadily left me. The swirling cocoon of light slowly changed form. The contours of the light began taking the form of a ship. When it became a 100m long, 20m wide gigantic ship, the light grew even brighter, then it turned into a bead of light, vanishing into the empty sky. After the light disappeared, it revealed a gigantic ship tinged with the same blue of the Sea Dragon scales. The moment I confirmed that the ships construction was a success, my consciousness faded away due to exhausting my magic power. *** Chapter 168: Stern Tower Construction Chapter 168: Stern Tower Construction When I came to, I was on my bed in my room in the mansion at the Sanctuary. Are you awake? Y-yeah, were you by my side the entire time, Sophia? How long was I out? One night. One night has passed since you created the ship with alchemy, and it is now morning. I see. Then how is the ship? If my memory serves me right, I think I made a blue hull. Im pretty sure that I lost consciousness after I inspected the completed blue hull. Do not worry. Golan-san also did an inspection, and it was made according to the blueprint. I see, thats a relief. I got up from the bed and stretched. My body is still a bit sluggish, but aside from that, there were no problems. Im hungry. Marnie and Maria are preparing it. Will you eat at the dining room? Or should it be brought here? Lets eat at the dining room. When I went to the dining room, everyone looked relieved. I felt guilty since I seem to have worried them a lot. Dont overwork yourself, okay? I was so worried. Sorry, sorry. Ive worried Akane and Lulu-chan too. I apologized to Akane who was already seated and Lulu-chan whose hands stopped serving. Takumi-sama, please take your seat quickly. Are you fine with black tea, MasterHusband? Yeah, Maria, Marnie, sorry for worrying you too. Yeah, Im counting on you. Undine-sama is rushing for the completion of the ship. Is that so? Sorry about that, I even rested for 3 days. Whatcha ya sayin? You made a ship this enormous with alchemy, it would have taken us half a year, you know? Theyd be able to make it in half a year......... Dwarves are amazing. The stern tower construction is advancing at a quick pace with the Dwarves and Dryas help. The handling of the wood was done by the Elves, wasnt it? Yes, as we are woodworkers, we are pleased to be of help. Isnt that right, Rosalie? Yes, if our abilities can be useful to everyone, how can we not be glad, Vaudeville? The complex and delicate carvings on the stern tower were done by new residents of the Sanctuary, the spouses Rosalie and Vaudeville. In Yggurle Kingdom, they mainly did woodworking and carvings. While being coached by Vaudeville-san and Rosalie-san, I also started sculpting the stern tower. Golan-san and the Dwarves have applied strengthening enchantments to the already durable Treant Wood. Instead of window glass, the wings of a monster known as the Great Armored Dragonfly were used as windows and were given enchantments with Physical and Magic resistance. Furniture like tables, sofas, and chairs, as well as interior designs like carpets and curtains were being made by Kaede and Maria. With the help of the Dwarves and Elves, the stern tower was completed in 10 days. In my spare time during the construction of the stern tower, I transmuted two shafts for the CPP screw and the Magic Turbine. The bridges pilothouse is done. Afterwards, when I thought that the ship could go on its maiden voyage once we lay treant wood on the deck, build the ships hold, the large public bath, and guest cabins, I realized I forgot something important. We didnt think of any weapons............ We built a strong ship because sea monsters are gigantic and powerful, but I forgot to come up with the crucial weapons. *** Footnotes: 1. Space Pirate Harlock was a manga series that ran from 1977-1979 and anime was on 1978-1979. Chapter 169: Maiden Voyage Chapter 169: Maiden Voyage Just when I thought the ship was close to completion, I realized that I had forgotten the armaments which could be said to be indispensable in this world. The main point is that these aquatic monsters are strong at Water magic, right? Undine launched a Sea Dragon out of the water and Sylph finished it off some time ago though. True, but the Fire attribute is unreasonable at sea and Earth attribute would also be difficult. Many of the aquatic monsters are weak to the Lightning attribute, but in any case, there are few magic effective against underwater monsters. Undine also thought that it was difficult. Wouldnt it better to strengthen our defenses rather than offense like this? Through barriers? I nodded to Laevas question.Follow the latest novels on A device that forms a barrier in an emergency might be essential. If were talking about an underwater attack, then a torpedo? Its risky to limit the attacks to only be underwater though. Then again, currently the chances of anti-surface battles are low, or rather the possibility has eternally been zero. After all, there shouldnt be any battleships that exist, aside from the one Im building. ......if its Dark attribute magic then the waters influence would be minute. The Great Dark Spirit Nyx informed me in a whisper. I see, Dark attribute magic might be possible. Also, while its power lowers a little, the influence of water is less on attributeless magic. Undine informed me that attributeless magic isnt affected by water very much. Though when she mentioned attributeless magic, Ive only ever used it for Shield and the like so I didnt know how I would go about it. I increased the output of the Magic Turbine, raising the speed. Passing 10 knots (approx. 18.5km/h), 20 knots (approx 37.0km/h), 30 knots (approx. 55.6km/h), the ship cruised at speeds close to 40 knots (approx. 74.1km/h). As I praised myself internally for this gigantic ship being able to cruise at 40 knots, I examined the power consumption. The amount consumed by 40 knots is a lot. Decreasing to 30 knots. At a cruising speed of 30 knots, the magic power consumed and the magic power saved by the Magic Collector are equal. Fumu, we need to verify whether the Magic Turbines consumption is good, or if the Magic Collectors performance is good. Although the magic power from the enormous magic crystals powers everything in the ship, we introduced a system that replenishes the power of the magic crystal by collecting the mana in the atmosphere. It looks like the power absorption and consumption of 30 knot cruising speeds balance out. 30 knots on water is quite fast. It cant drive automatically, so Golan-san and I alternate taking the wheel as we head south of the continent. Really, it would be great if it had an autonomous thought computer like the ship that a certain space pirate rode in. Well, that one was more like a Friend, though. Still, its not like theres absolutely no way to do it. Titan is a special existence, so something of that extent is impossible, but with the use of a golem core, a ship capable of listening to simple commands might be possible. I wonder if it would be okay if we make improvements on the ship, as well as the equipment, bit by bit. Yeah, a ship of this sort is a first for me too. Well have to make improvements as well as fix problems. I was worried about monsters, but when a giant shark-like monster hurled itself at the ship and bit at it, it didnt amount to anything against the barrier and the ship was undisturbed. The ship cut through the waves, continuing in the dark waters once the sun had set. Maybe from too much excitement, the kids were tired and already sleeping. Fluna-san accompanied us as the Mermaids negotiator, but shes swimming in the large public bath right now. I imagine our members are relaxing on the sofa in the captains cabin at the stern tower. The only ones in the pilothouse on the bridge were Golan-san, Sophia, and me. But this was too boring. I need to implement automatic driving as soon as possible. *** Chapter 170: A Violent Earthquake travels to Samandour Kingdom Chapter 170: A Violent Earthquake travels to Samandour Kingdom The voyage to protect the Mermaids in the south of the continent was progressing smoothly, and at Fluna-sans directions, we were approaching the area where the Mermaids are hiding. During the voyage, we encountered monsters large and small, but most of them ran away due to the size of the ship. A portion of the enormous shark-type monsters often attacked, but their corpses floated to the surface after colliding with the ship repeatedly. These ferocious monsters truly stump me. Also, I discovered a problem while voyaging. That is.....................too much free time. At least I, personally, dont know what to do with my free time as we cruise in open ocean with its unchanging scenery. Golan and I were on the helm in the pilothouse, and even if that wasnt the case, Wappa and the kids played a game of tag inside the vast ship. Maybe I should have made a recreation room. In my previous life, I think the the ferry I once boarded had a recreation room and game arcade. Although, making a large public bath was the correct choice. Everyone, more so the kids, had fun in the spacious bath. After a few boring days, we went around the areas of the ocean south of Samandour Kingdom where the mermaids lived. Fluna-san became our point of contact. We had her say If you so desire, why not migrate to safe seas west of the Sanctuary?. Surprisingly, every group of mermaids wished to migrate. It was the same for us as well, any group would be scared to live in these waters where monster have increased and become more ferocious. All the Mermaids said that if there are safe dwellings, they certainly wish to be taken along. I see, as expected, they were quite cornered. Thats why Undine hurried us. Yes, many of the girls who couldnt catch prey are in poor health, and I imagine they couldnt even have a day where they could sleep without risking their lives. The sheltered mermaids slept like logs after being given food. It must have been a long time since they last slept in a safe place without needing to be vigilant. Having been able to shelter the mermaids of the southern continent safely, we headed back to the Sanctuary feeling relieved, but it was only a bit later that we realized that we hadnt gone so far as to consider that our gigantic sail-less ship could be seen by surrounding countries, such as Samandour Kingdom. In an especially extravagant room in the royal castle of Samandour Kingdom, a man of excellent physique in his prime was sitting on a high class chair and drinking wine. And then, loud footsteps could be heard from the hallway and knocking resounded from the door to the Kings room. In the harbors located in Samandour Kingdom, Mega Sharks are called Demons of the Sea. They are monsters that have sunk several ships to their watery graves. Krakens, Sea Dragons, and Sea Serpents seldom appear in shallow waters, but Mega Sharks would seek prey in shores of sandy beaches without hesitation. Which countrys ship is it? For what reason did it appear in Samandour? Its nationality is unknown. The Kingdoms Valkyra, Lomaria, and the Sydnia Empire are landlocked countries. And for Yggurle Kingdom, it is difficult to imagine Elves leaving by way of ocean. Although the likeliest possibility is Gnomstoll Kingdom, they do not have a location to construct a harbor. Gnomstolls side is a sheer cliff. Even so, isnt it feasible for the Dwarves to construct a harbor through force? How many years would it take to mobilize a mass of excellent earth mages to............. Nevertheless, they certainly are the most likely to have. Dispatch additional Shadows to Gnomstoll Kingdom. Yes, by your will. Monterey left at a quick pace. Alone once more in his room, Valdebeut swirled the glass in his hand, but he rapidly sobered up. Samandour Kingdom faces the vast ocean in the south, if the gigantic ship capable of disregarding monsters invades, the nation might possibly be invaded easily. On this continent where navies do not exist, it was inevitable that Valdebeut envisioned a future of being one-sidedly trampled upon. *** Chapter 171: Shock travels across the world Chapter 171: Shock travels across the world The shock from the appearance of the gigantic sail-less ship on the coast of Samandour Kingdom travelled not only in Samandour Kingdom, but to the entire continent. Of course it would. If there was a ship that wouldnt lose to the menace of monsters, expanding to different continents would become feasible. Even landlocked countries would go so far as to forcibly possess a harbor in savage lands in their desire for that ship.Follow the latest novels on And the information regarding the gigantic sail-less ship brought back by the intelligence division was earth shattering to the nation of craftsmen which boasts their technological strengths as the best in the continent, Gnomstoll Kingdom. Convinced that Dwarven craftsmen had something to do with that ship, Gnomstoll immediately gave a command to investigate all workshops in the country. However, even when they investigated all of the workshops, they couldnt gather even a fragment of information relating to the ship. How is it that we are unable to gather information? Your Majesty, we will broaden our search to even the retired craftsmen. Although larger than a Dwarf, with thick limbs, an impressive beard, and a beer-barrel shaped physique, he is rightly a Dwarf. This countrys king, Austen[1], is also an excellent blacksmith. And he had the skill to be called a master craftsman. However, he hasnt set foot in the castle workshop these several years, nor has he personally examined the state of the city workshops. As such, he had missed the chance to hear the voice of the Earth and Fire Spirits. And more shock traveled to the center of Gnomstoll Kingdom. Although retired, the craftsmen such as Gnomstolls most valued individual, the famed Godcraft, Golan, disappeared. Where did Golan-dono go!? Ha, in line with this, we have acquired information from many craftsmen during the investigation. And?! The retired veteran craftsmen vanished from the country. The reason they disappeared from their workshops was soon discovered. They heard the voice of the Spirits? Should that not have been normal for us Dwarves? However, Your Majesty, have you heard the Spirit-samas voices recently? Now that I think about it, I had not made my way to a workshop in recent years, but...... how is this related? Indeed, there are apparently plenty of Fairykin unable to enter as well. In the report, the private armies dispatched by the nobles of Yggurle Kingdom tried desperately to pass through the barrier, but neither were they unable to pass through the barrier nor break it. Yet they continue to struggle futilely even now. That information was corroborated by the reports from scouts dispatched by Valkyra Kingdom. Would Iruma-dono be able to make the esteemed Great Spirits kindly assent to negotiating? Then, we must bear that in mind in the negotiations. Your Majesty, will we be increasing the stationing soldiers? Increasing them would be overly hasty. It would be provoking Lomaria and Triaria. Galahad proposed to increase the troops stationed by the Sanctuary. They might be able to have effective control over the surroundings of the Sanctuary if things go well, but Lobos denied it. They dont have to worry about Lomaria, but if they increase their stationed troops, it might cause needless trouble with Triaria. Hed like to avoid military conflict near the Sanctuary. Simon, send a letter to King Lomaria. To King Yggurle as well? Yeah, but by no means will you send one to Triaria or Sydnia. Understood, then I shall coordinate an urgent conference for three countries. Depending on the situation, I think we should involve Samandour as well, but they are quite a distance from the Sanctuary. Furthermore, as Samandour is a nation that has diplomatic relations with Triaria and Sydnia, it would be better to hold a conference with Lomaria and Yggurle first to prevent information from circulating to the Triaria and Sydnia. The discussion between the King, Prime Minister, and Knight Commander had developed into a tri-nation conference. The central figures of Yggurle Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, who had been brought a conference request from Valkyra Kingdom about information on the Sanctuary, were assailed by frustration and bewilderment as to how Valkyra Kingdom obtained information about the Sanctuary. As a result, there was a surge of intelligence units from various countries sent to Valkyra Kingdom. *** Footnotes: 1. In the LN, kings name is Govan/Goban 2. Typo, said Yggurle not Gnomstoll Chapter 172: Tri-Nation Conference Chapter 172: Tri-Nation Conference In the royal castle boasting a history of thousands of years under a titanic tree that pierces the heavens, King Forselty mentioned Valkyra Kingdoms proposal for a tri-nation conference to Princess Mimir. Listen, Mimir, do you know why Valkyra Kingdom, which cant hear the voices of the Spirits, learned of information inside the Sanctuary? Given how Mimir is the only individual in Yggurle Kingdom that could meddle inside the Sanctuary, Forselty was baffled as to why Valkyra Kingdom proposed a conference regarding the Sanctuary. Moreover, the contents of the letter speak of grasping information within the Sanctuary. Despite this, Forselty himself has not gained much information from Mimir. It might have been inevitable that Forselty was reproachful towards Mimir, his daughter. Who knows, I find it difficult to ascertain. Father, I have nothing to say with matters regarding the Sanctuary. If the esteemed Great Spirits say that I could talk to you about it, then that would be different. Forseltys expression turned miserable at Mimirs indifferent attitude. It would seem that Elven king, who is over 500 years old, is weak against his youngest daughter. Kuh! Mimir had turned cold after going to the Sanctuary. And so, will you accept the conference, Father? Haa, I have no choice. We have the World Tree, as such, we are not charmed by the Sanctuary in terms of materials, however, I can not bear the Great Spirits being in a land that disregards interactions with Elves. Mimir grimaced at Forseltys manner of speaking, but to Forselty, other than interacting with the Great Spirits, he had no interest in the Sanctuary. Mimir was convinced that Forselty would likely never be able to pass through the Sanctuary barrier. The tri-nation conference that Valkyra Kingdom accosted will take place in the town closest to the Sanctuary, Wedgefort. The conference was coincidentally attended by the prime ministers of each country, signifying the importance of the matters concerning the Sanctuary to their respective countries. The conference was progressing courtly, the three countries have made several agreements. The three prime ministers ` Simon[1] of Valkyra Kingdom, Balza of Yggure Kingdom, and Drehd of Lomaria Kingdom ` representing their countries are holding a meeting regarding their handling of the Sanctuary hereafter behind closed doors so as to not leak out information to Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire of Sydnia. Presently, there are limited individuals capable of passing the Sanctuary barrier. Whether or not they are nobles, or even the king, those not deemed acceptable by the Great Spirits will not be allowed entry. Conversely, I have information that they are accepting children unable to subsist even in the slums. In light of this, any country assuming the Sanctuary is their own is the height of folly, and my country believes it to be advisable to build a loose and amicable relationship. With the influence of the Sanctuary, the land surrounding it is being purified even if its a monster nest with thick mana, and clean land is expanding. We thought it would be beneficial for the three countries to establish a town that they wouldnt claim as their own there. Are you saying that we should build a neutral town that would be a hub of the Sanctuary, Wedgefort from Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingodm? I see, nobles and large companies that are unable to enter the Sanctuary can take action in that city then. Building a town close to the Sanctuary was not a bad idea for any of the three countries. Frankly, the three all very much want it to be part of their territories, but they knew that too much greed would be a bad move. And they began talking about a provision for the poor to get rid of the recklessness of the children as Takumi had wanted, considering towns and villages above a certain size to be obligated to establish an orphanage, and arranging for a border patrol to protect people heading to the savage lands. Afterwards, the conference continued quietly. As per the agreement of the three nations, they will cooperate in the establishment of a town on the east side of the Sanctuary, then do things such as construct embassies in that town. However, they didnt talk about what to do about the contact for the Sanctuarys side on this occasion. However, Prime Ministers Drehd and Balza were confident that Valkyras side has connections on the Sanctuarys side. Balza, in particular, knows that Princess Mimir from their country could enter and exit the Sanctuary, but she couldnt be relied on to do that. The princess declared that she would not act for her country, after all. Balza also thought that this could not be helped. To the Elves whom are Fairykin, the Great Spirits are being that take precedence over a country. The finer work-level decisions will be done at a later date in Wedgefort again, and the tri-nation conference that day ended. *** Footnotes: 1. Typo. Author wrote Simon as Monterey for a lot of the chapters C fixed in LN. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 We returned to the Sanctuary after sheltering the Mermaids from Samandour Kingdom. They numbered slightly over 200 people. The Sanctuary barrier had expanded greatly, which of course extended seaward as well. Its radius is now 15km and what was previously 200m from the beach is now over 800m within the barriers range. The stationing soldiers of various countries were gradually being moved by Gnome so that they wouldnt notice, but as expected, it seems they have. That said, they still cant do anything about it. The Mermaids houses were under construction near the beach, and I think theyd be able to fish and whatnot in safe waters that monsters wouldnt approach. The Sanctuary barrier blocks monsters but lets fish pass through. The sea that predators cant approach had become a bountiful fishing ground. Dwarves also increased, with some being retired craftsmen and their spouses, and were working energetically. It doesnt feel like theyre past their years because, although not to the extent of the Elves, the Dwarves were also a race of longevity. The Elves multiplied as well. I am told that Princess Mimir brings along young families that want to immigrate from Yggurle Kingdom. I later heard Dont mind it from Undine and Sylph. Itll probably be fine if the they were people that have passed the Great Spirits check. Im not the supervisor of the Sanctuary though. And even the Cat Siths had increased. It seems the Cat Siths of this continent were heading to the Sanctuary. According to the Great Dark Spirit Nyx, the race known as Cat Sith were virtuous and gentle, so they had no choice but to live in hiding in this world. Thats why basically all Cat Siths will be accepted, is what I was told. Still, as I said, I am not the Sanctuarys supervisor though. Of course, I wouldnt be. If people continue to increase, Ill have to think of a way to maintain the order in the Sanctuary................ Its already the size of a big town. I came and went from Volton and the Sanctuary, continuing a busy lifestyle for some days. And so, this is a rare occasion that Im walking alone in town. Zashu Guh. Intense pain ran from my side. Hearing continuous sounds of cutting wind, I endured the pain and jumped sideways. The next instant, a drawn sword glistened in the spot my neck was at. The pursuing sword tip shaved at my upper arm. I took quite a large distance to reorganize myself for a moment. Kyaaaaaa!! Screams were raised from the surroundings at the criminal act done in broad daylight. I promptly used chantless Heal several times. I then dodged the sword that chased after me, but my bodys movements were strange. It felt numb and I was hit with dizziness. (Whats this? My wound should have been healed............poison!?) As I was in town, I didnt use my sword or spear to figure out the connections behind the attack, so I intended to go easy with a non-lethal attack. A quick on-the-spot examination showed that the muscle and bones on the mans entire body was tattered beyond the damage my attack had dealt. If we consider the poison-coated sword he was using, there is no doubt that it was a crime targeting Iruma-dono. What we are unaware of is the why his body is all tattered though...... It certainly felt out of place. His swordsmanship skill and body skills were bad, and yet his sword speed was pointed and his movements were fast. I then tried remembering the assailants movements, but I could imagine that the burden on his body was great from his irregular movements. But could a human move beyond their bodys limits? And above all, had this been a first-class warrior that took me by surprise, would I have been fine? When I thought so, I felt a cold and unpleasant sweat run down my back. Iruma-dono, please follow us to the Orders station for the detailed account for now. It would also be necessary to investigate this attacker fully. Yes, I understand. I headed to the Knight Orders station in Volton town. The result of examining the attackers body was that he didnt have anything relating to his background in his possession. We dont even know if he was a citizen of Valkyra Kingdom. If he was a citizen of another country, he should have had identification papers, and yet he only had a little bit of money and the poison-coated sword so we didnt learn anything. It seems the poison was also unique. Because I had resistance to poison and status abnormalities, I had enough time to cast detoxification magic. It would have been checkmate if I didnt have Light attribute magic. The mans cause of death was speculated to be damage caused by the continuous movements that exceeded his limits. His entire muscular system sustained damages, and many of his parts brutally snapped apart. The bones of his hands and feet were in tatters. Iruma-dono, we will investigate a bit more on the mans corpse, but perhaps nothing more will emerge. We will provide an escort until you reach your mansion today, so please wait a while. Thank you very much. I likely wouldnt be attacked multiple times in one day so I thought that a guard would be unnecessary, but I quietly accepted their good will. The thought that Sophia and the girls would probably be worried left me dejected. We didnt discover a single thing about the attacker either. The only thing I know is that it was an attack that targeted me. With a knight on either side, I returned to my Volton mansion from the Knight Orders station. Seeing the torn and blood-stained shirt, as if a matter of course, I was surrounded by Sophia and the girls. It was a storm of scoldings. ......it wasnt even my fault. Afterwards, I was prohibited from going out alone for a while. *** Chapter title Assailant Chapter 174: Scolding Takumi Chapter 174: Scolding TakumiRight now, I am surrounded by everyone in the mansion living room. Yep, Im being surrounded. Takumi-sama, am I not your escort? Even if you say it is the town of Volton, I find going out by yourself to be a problem. ......yes. Right, even if the zealots have been quiet recently, Takumi, you are being targeted while Lulu and I are hidden, wasnt that too careless of you? ......yes. Master, at least Kaede should be on standby in the Subspace. MasterHusband, your body is not just your own. ......yes. Yep, its scolding time from Sophia, Akane, Kaede, and Marnie.Alll latest novels on When I returned wearing a bloodstained shirt, I went through surging waves of questioning, and even after explaining the details of the attack, I was sentenced to scoldings for a long time. And I had to do it in seiza. There shouldnt have been anything like seiza in this world, but when Akane said Takumi, seiza!, I ended up in seiza from a conditioned reflex. However, rather than me being careless, it was true that I had an opening this time, so in the middle of it all, I resigned myself to accepting sermons from everyone. Haa, well, its good that Im safe, but I wonder if I should move around with Akane who can use Light attribute magic......... I dont mind going with you, but I am not as much of a combat-type like Sophia is, so I feel like it would turn out to be the opposite where Takumi would have to protect me. Mm, thats true. Ah, about that, if its poison then you have resistance, and you can manage using detoxification magic by yourself somehow................ Moreover, I believe Akane is well enough to fight. After all, she is a hero. When I tried to give a weak rebuttal to the overprotective Sophia, she glared at me so sharp I could almost hear it. Sophia is scary. After two full hours of sermons in seiza, I, like a newborn fawn from the trembling of my legs, was finally allowed to sit on the sofa. Haa, that was merciless. W-well, I guess yeah. Even Marnie was astonished, saying How carefree can you be?. At any rate, even though his battle type skills were crude, his speed and power were abnormally high. It would be dangerous if a first class user had that mysterious power up. Yeah, its just as Sophia says. And that assailant died, didnt he? Did you find out anything from the corpse? Sophia had the same impression I had from the assailant. Even now, my back still stiffens from the thought. Then Akane asked if we checked the assailants body. Thats what we did, but the assailant himself didnt have the air of an adventurer and looked like a regular person. Aside from the sword, he had no equipment. Then I hit him in the torso with my elbow while holding back, but in the end, he died. After that, we did a quick examination on his corpse in the Orders station, and the bones and muscles in his entire body were tattered and crumbling. A person that isnt even a warrior destroyed himself by going beyond his limits? It may or may not have been self destruction, but he was moving until he fell. Asked by Akane, I recalled the situation at the time while trying to think if there had been anything strange. Thinking back on it, the sword swing speed and my reaction speed was not something to panic about when compared to my mock battles with my companions, and once I calmed down, I could cope with it even while humming. I was careless to have been taken by surprise, and my lack of actual experience in interpersonal fights had come back to bite me. Forcefully lifting the limiter of a persons body. Perhaps it was something like that. Though, whether it is with drugs or magic, I dont know............ If its magic, it would already be a type of curse. A murder machine that moves until their own body is destroyed. Taking that into consideration, Triaria Kingdom and crime syndicates became options as well. In any case, since our information is too little, after we talked about a lot of things, the outcome was that we could only be more careful for our own safety. If I think of who is suspicious, Sydnia, Triaria, factions within this country, or those that could employ criminal syndicates and the like, Id end up suspecting everyone. Haa, jeez, I want to stay in the Sanctuary and go into retirement. *** Chapter 175: Moonlight Owl Chapter 175: Moonlight Owl In the border of Triaria Kingdom lies a large city. A deserted pub exists in the slums there. In the cellar of that pub, three men were having a private talk under an overhanging dim lamp. ......so, what I am saying is, the dispatch failed. We can try again, but the target would be wary. Itd be better to not do anything now and wait for things to cool. Fumu, it would seem the target is stronger than expected. So, how were the effects of the drug? The person who received the report from the subordinate-like individual was a seemingly kindhearted slim man in his prime who had the presence of a president of a company somewhere. This man is the boss of the dark guild Moonlight Owl. The dark guild Moonlight Owl is a gigantic criminal syndicate rooted in this continent. Its headquarters is in this city located at the border of the Triaria Kingdom. Compared to the three kingdoms Valkyra, Lomaria, and Samandour, the nobles corruption runs deep within Triaria Kingdom, having more work for criminal syndicates like the Moonlight Owl and their connections with the nobles are thick. A dark guild is an illegal criminal syndicate. Assassinations, drugs, thievery, illegal slavery, robbery[1], they are an organization that move secretly in the shadows of this continent. The effects of the drug were tremendous, but the guinea pigs body was unable to endure it. Since it is a precious sample, we had intended to retrieving the corpse that had been brought to the station of Margrave Voltons Knight Order, but unfortunately, there were no knights in Margrave Voltons territory that would fall for money. As such, we have given up on the retrieval. As if expecting it, the boss nodded at the report of the man with an owl tattoo on his upper arm. Well, that cant be helped. Now leaving that aside, itd be unreasonable unless we ask the client for a fee increase. Thats right. I did not see it firsthand, but I can say the targets abilities exceed our guess. If the drug is perfected, Triaria would probably want it. Yeah, well sell it as high as possible. Those guys are getting poor recently. And we the Moonlight Owl would use it in disputes with enemy organizations. We wont sell it to the Divine Empire of Sydnia? When the guard mentioned the Divine Empire of Sydnia, the boss face directly soured. Im not having anything to do with those wackos crazed about their strange god whove been violent everywhere. Theyre doing their own research to make their own insane fighters. Theyre madder than us. I see, no curse befalls those that dont interfere with a god, isnt it? Then, I will contact this times client that gathering information on the target will take time. If they complain, I will demand an increase in the request fee. Fumu, then Ill leave it to you. The dark guild Moonlight Owl. They only targeted Takumi at the request of a noble, but in the near future, the fate of their organization would surely come to an end. The fact that Takumi incurred injuries in the latest attack angered Sophia and the girls more than Takumi had ever imagined. Furthermore, since the sword was coated with poison that was most certainly fatal, the women who love Takumi dearly had united, determined to crush the offenders completely. *** Footnotes: 1. Theres a difference between robbery and thievery. Information here. 2. A proverb similar to Better to let sleeping dogs lie. Chapter 176: Women’s Wrath Chapter 176: Womens Wrath A few days passed after repelling the attacker. I entered the shipbuilding dock in the Sanctuary and began making the improvements. This time, Ill only be doing simple improvements like furnishing it with detailed upholstery and magic devices, but its hard because the ship is gigantic. Refurbishing the ship isnt my only job though. Because the Mermaids increased by over 200, its absolutely necessary to construct their dwellings. They can go on land even though theyre called Mermaids and they said theyd be glad to live by the seaside, so were building the Mermaids residential area by the seaside with the Dwarves help. Its the Sanctuary, so Ill be safe even without Sophia guarding me, so I was in full operation by my lonesome. However, it would seem that Sophia and the girls were holding a meeting comprising the female group which included the Great Spirits. And I dont know what the meeting is about. They didnt tell me. We would like to discuss how to deal with the attack on Takumi-sama the other day, as well as predicting threats in the future. On a large table situated in the garden of Takumis mansion in the Sanctuary, Sophia started the meeting after confirming that everyone was present.Alll latest novels on I believe that we were also careless because we let Takumi-sama by himself saying it was in Volton city. Yeah, they struck at the opportunity when Sophia who was always by his side was not there. In response, Akane took the fact that the incident happened on the rare chance that he went out alone gravely. In actuality, the assailant attacking Takumi when he was alone was entirely a coincidence, but Sophia and the girls, who had no way of confirming this, had concluded that it happened because Takumi was alone. I heard the circumstances in detail, and it is probably a type of drug. I believe it is safe to conclude that it is not magic, curses included. If Undine-sama says so then it is certain. That being the case, regarding the origin of the drug, I think it would be impossible to investigate it at this point in time. Sophia and the girls believed that if a Great Spirit says it isnt a type of magic or curse, then it almost cant be wrong. There are magic spells that could strengthen physical abilities, but Undine says that it is hard to imagine a magic that could be kept up even as the movements tear muscles apart and cause complex fractures on bones. She said that magic cant be maintained with intense pain. So its drugs............, that means it is a considerably large organization. Then I will request the Tree Spirits to try gathering information as well. When Sylph mentioned that she would use her familiar spirits to collect information, Dryas also undertook the information gathering using her Tree Spirit familiars. We will have them accept punishment for harming Takumi, the Protector of the Spirit Tree, Friend of the Great Spirits, Keeper of the Sanctuary, and Guider of the Fairykin. Undine declared so in a compelling tone. If Takumi had been here, hed be fine with the friend of the Great Spirit, but he would probably be bewildered as to when he became the protector of the Spirit Tree, keeper of the Sanctuary, and guider of the Fairykin. Those guys who hurt Master are unforgivable. Yes, I can not pardon those after Masters (Husband) life. When Kaede and Marnie said so, Sophia, Maria, Akane, and Laeva agreed. Then well annihilate them as soon as we find them! Ooou````!! The women rallied at Undines spurring shout. The attack on Takumi in Volton sparked the wrath of not only those tied together with him in body and mind` Sophia, Maria, and Marnie`, but also Laeva, Akane, Lulu, and the familiar, Kaede. Furthermore, the injuries sustained by Takumi, the man who made the Spirit Tree sprout, built up the foundation of the Sanctuary, and the guardian of their followers, had angered the Great Spirits as well. This was the moment that the future of the Dark Guild Moonlight Owl , which boasts being one of the largest in the continent, was sealed. *** Chapter 177: The Retaliation Commences Chapter 177: The Retaliation Commences Why? I wonder to myself why things turned out this way. Right now, I am touring the large cities in Valkyra Kingdom. Were going around the country through Tsubaki and my teleportation magic. The start of this was when Sophia and the girls talked about eradicating the people who attacked me. Including Undine and the Great Spirits, our girl group apparently held an emergency meeting and decided to retaliate against the opposing force. Without delay, Sylph made use of her Wind Spirit retainers, Dryas asked the cooperation of the Tree Spirits, and even Gnome used his Earth Spirit retainers for intelligence gathering. As a result, they seemed to have identified the organization that attacked me, and Sylph says shes sure this is probably it. When I saidNo, probably wont cut it, she replied with Theres no problem being wrong with a criminal syndicate, you know.. Watching that exchange, Sophia and the girls were of same opinion and nodding. And we arrive at the present. That criminal syndicate appears to have bases set up extensively in Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, Samandour Kingdom, and Triaria Kingdom. Even the Spirits didnt discover the headquarters, so they decided we would go around and crush the bases inside Valkyra Kingdom. This organization looks like it has extremely inhumane occupations, like thievery, murder, unlawful human trafficking............. Have I been dyed by this world too? I wasnt unsettled getting rid of them. If they are left to do as they please, good people would only meet harm. Promptly deciding what is evil is common sense in this world, but as someone whos beginning to accept that, I feel my views on ethics and morality as a Japanese is becoming exceedingly weak. Unlike me whose body changed from my previous life, it feels like Akane, a normal high school student, is adapting much faster. Women are so resilient. There is a bar in the outskirts of a slum in a city in Valkyra Kingdom. This bar where no respectable person approached is one of the bases of the dark guild Moonlight Owl. The dark guild Moonlight Owl is an organization that has bases all over the continent and works regardless of its legality or illegality. That was one of the bases that suddenly became the hunted. The syndicate bases were going around crushing are of the dark guild called Moonlight Owl, and theyre said to be the largest dark guild in the continent. Margrave Volton said that His Majesty wants to take this opportunity to eradicate the influence of Moonlight Owl within Valkyra Kingdom with the intention to inspect the documents like the ledgers left in the bases to crack down on the nobles and companies involved in crimes. From the day we demolished the first base, all bases of the Moonlight Owlin Valkyra Kingdom were destroyed within one month. The headquarters of Moonlight Owl in a border region of Triaria Kingdom was slow to realize the development within Valkyra Kingdom and ended up losing their position in Valkyra Kingdom. The boss of Moonlight Owl , unable to grasp what happened at the beginning, had sent subordinates to their bases in Valkyra Kingdom many times, but all of them had been apprehended by Valkyra Kingdoms intelligence division whom had been monitoring the already exposed bases. Even so, he never thought that the impetus for all this was triggering Sophia and the girls wrath after Takumi was attacked. *** Footnotes: 1. How could he have seen the skills of Sophia and Maria back then, then? Chapter 178: Boss of the Owls Chapter 178: Boss of the Owls In the headquarters of a dark guild in the border region of Triaria Kingdom, leaning on a chair with a look of disappointment was the boss that leads the criminal syndicate Moonlight Owl. There was a peculiarity on the ears of the man called Forbach. They were long, pointed ears different from those of a humans. Yes, Forbach, the boss commanding the Moonlight Owls, is an elf. From his appearance which looks to be in his prime, it could be surmised that he is far from being 100 years old. Sighing, he put on the ring that had been placed on the table and his characteristically long ears changed its shape to that of a humans. For the elf Forbach to lead as the boss of a dark guild in the human supremacist nation Triaria Kingdom, it was necessary for him to falsify his race with an Illusion Ring. Having been exiled as a criminal in Yggurle Kingdom, Forbach used the Illusion Ring to falsify his race and ran to Triaria Kingdoms underworld. And for many months and years after that, he trudged on muddy waters as he steadily climbed to the top. In the process of rising in the underworld, Forbach had gotten involved with every possible kind of criminal act. Having continued to fight in the forefront for many years, Forbachs elven-like body was covered in an armor of muscle. In exchange, Forbach lost the voice of the Spirits. He had lost Spirit Magic, which is the elves strongest asset. Spending his long elven life with violence, Forbach had built up the dark guild Moonlight Owl as the continents top organization. Moonlight Owl gains income through every possible criminal act, but a chief factor of those earnings are drugs. As they handle production to sale, they used it on the assailant that attacked Takumi with the aim of improving on the drug that would increase a bodys capabilities dramatically. Developed over several years through repeated human experimentation, the drug which causes the user to be numb to pain as they continue moving until they self-destruct was a failure. No matter how many disposable people they have, if it was known that consuming that drug causes death, even the tip of the members would run away if they knew theyre disposable. Kon kon Are you making progress with that mission? Were in the middle of reinvestigating the targets data again, but were unable to gather information because the target is elusive and now weve also lost the bases............ Continue gathering information on the target even if you have to increase the number of people. Also, find out why this happened to all the bases at this time. Yessir! The guardsman left the room. Forbach leaned on the back of his chair and closed his eyes. He supposed that the attack on the young man and the recent base crushing incident are not directly related. The assassination attempt on a lone young man who isnt even a noble wouldnt have led to the shut down of all their bases in Valkyra Kingdom. The result of the simple investigation on the targeted young man is that he is an excellent magic device craftsman. Those magic devices had drastically improved Valkyra Kingdoms sanitary circumstance and the economy is booming. Just that wouldnt have led to the destruction of all the bases. Forbach descends into thoughts of bewilderment as he couldnt reach an answer. There was no way the organization would have ever realized that this series of events was started because of Sophia and the womens anger towards the organizations assassination attempt on Takumi. *** Chapter 179: The observation group passes by Chapter 179: The observation group passes by Because of the girls wrath, all dark guild bases within Valkyra Kingdom had been crushed and their members apprehended. 10 days after, based on the interrogations and investigations done all over by the Knight Order and Intelligence division, they figured out that the bases were used by the dark guild known as Moonlight Owl. The activities of the Moonlight Owl became clear after that, and that brought about mayhem within Valkyra Kingdom. It had come to light that the dark guild and several noble houses were connected. The King, Prime Minister, Knight Commander, Minister of Armed Forces, and Minister of Finance were moving about without sleep for several days. There was no issue dealing with the noble houses with connections to the dark guild that were low in ranking. However, some among them were even Earls that hold administrative and judicial positions so the royal palace was in turmoil. The houses that couldnt simply be removed were obligated to retire the head of their household and fined heavily. As for the truly unpardonable houses, the head of their household are subjected to death by hanging and their possessions seized. For that reason, we had more free time than the three countries, but its been decided that they would observe the Sanctuary. They dont know whether they would be able to pass through the barrier or not until that time comes. The representatives of the countries were told this, but theres no way no one would be able to go in, right? The representatives of Valkyra are Prime Minister Simon[1] and Margrave Godwin Volton. Coming from Yggurle Kingdom are Prime Minister Balza and Princess Mimir. Meanwhile Prime Minister Drehd and King Lomaria had come to personally represent Lomaria Kingdom. The party first observed the outer edge of the Sanctuary. They discussed the location of the city-to-be and its scale. Such as how far the construction should be from the Sanctuary, or what materials and personnel should be allocated by which country. They also discussed things like the space and location of each countrys embassy in detail. Hooh, are the Spirit Tree and the Great Spirits Sanctuary ahead? It does not look like there is anything there. How terrifying, this barrier of the Great Spirits. King Lomaria, for you to have come personally...... What, I would like to know even a fragment of the secret to the rapid expansion of Valkyra Kingdom. Valkyra Kingdoms Prime Minister Simon started a conversation with King Lomaria who had been looking in the direction of the erected barrier. King Lomaria looked towards Princess Mimir and, as she is the only one among them that knows what is inside the Sanctuary, asked her for information on it. Not long after they saw the forest and copses, they arrived at the heart of the Sanctuary. ............was this truly the barren savage lands? It is overflowing with pure energy. King Lomaria murmured at what came into view, and Prime Minister Drehd expressed surprise regarding the overflowing pure energy. Unlike their expectations, this environment was not a forest-type monster nest, it was true wilderness. As a matter of fact, from the moment they stepped past the barrier, the scenery had changed completely. An expanse of lush grasslands then further ahead were knolls covered in blooming flowers in various colors, and when they arrived at the heart of the Sanctuary, there was a spring filled with clean water and near it towered the gigantic Spirit Tree. What was most surprising were the two splendid mansions erected there. King Lomaria had surmised that the mansions standing at the heart of the Sanctuary were the mansions of the individuals governing this Sanctuary. Since Princess Mimir knows that the mansion is owned by Takumis group, she was composed. But Prime Minister Simon and Margrave Volton, who guessed it was Takumis, actually saw it, they were once again made to realize that he is an important figure to this Sanctuary. A mansion built slightly farther away is one I am renting personally. Therefore let us rest momentarily before the observation. My word! You also have a mansion, Princess? Balza, please stop. When Princess Mimir was about to lead them to the mansion she personally stays in, Yggurle Kingdoms Prime Minister Balza was astonished that their princess had already secured a foothold in the Sanctuary, growing jubilant as he was one step ahead of the other countries. Despite Takumis mansion weighing on the minds of the observation party, at Princess Mimirs lead, they headed for her mansion. *** Footnotes: 1. Typo, Simon is still written as Monterey. Chapter 180: Found Chapter 180: Found After having a break and drinking the tea brewed by the attendant at Princess Mimirs mansion, the observation party immediately boarded the carriage to observe the Sanctuary. The northern side has an orchard as well as a forest and thickets with various medicinal plants, therefore I will guide you to the west and south sides. Princess Mimir gave an explanation in the carriage. Because the carriage might not be able to travel in the north and the east is where they had passed through, they will only tour the west and south. The village in the west where the Cat Siths and the children reside came into view. The number of Human and Beastkin children increased in the village. They were toiling in the fields with the Cat Siths. Watching the children and Cat Siths inhabiting the continually expanding village, King Lomaria asked Princess Mimir. Every child is smiling. Were all these children sheltered in the Sanctuary? Indeed. These are the children that the Great Spirits had picked up. The children looked happy working. Little children were playing in the vicinity. Their complexion looked very healthy too. King Lomaria and Valkyra Prime Minister Simon observed this with complex expressions. Margrave Volton had established orphanages in every town or village in his territory, but he knew that in the territories of other noble houses, there were many that didnt, so he felt the same. They left the village and approached the sea. And this time, a settlement with many erected houses close to the coast came into view. They were able to see some mermaids fishing in the sea. They also grasped that the numbers were quite high within that settlement. That settlement is the place where the sheltered Mermaids live. I believe that they number nearly 250 as of now. Mermaids, huh............, this place has nothing but rare races. Your Majesty, it is difficult for these rare races to subsist in the outside world. Surprised by the rarely seen races, King Lomaria and Prime Minister Drehd thought about the currently existing harsh life of the rare species in their own country, deciding to reexamine the present state of these races there when they return.Finndd the newest novels on They headed south from the Mermaid settlement. From the sandy white beach, it became more and more rocky until finally, they arrived at a place with an artificial port. There, the gazes of the observation party moved from the carriage to the coastline, and they all froze, wide-eyed and mouths hanging. An enormous shipbuilding dock built on the harbor and a gigantic sail-less metal ship was moored there. Seeing the gigantic ship that exceeds this worlds common sense with their own eyes, the people who could be said to be at the top of their countries couldnt hold back the cold sweat that ran down their backs. Im so glad that my country does not face the ocean. If this can trade by way of sea which hasnt been feasible until now, I would definitely want this ship............ Valkyra Kingdoms Simon and Lomaria Kingdoms Drehd timidly sounded Undine out for the purchase of materials. Lets see, Mimirs place has the World Tree so they wouldnt need the Spirit Trees materials, would they? H~mm, the Spirit Tree is still young so the amount would be little, but if you are fine with that, how about bartering food, seasonings, and building materials for it? Yes, that is of course welcome. Our country also agrees to those terms, and we would like it if we could discuss the exchange rate separately. Our Yggurle Kingdom had come only to declare that we are not hostile against the Great Spirit-samas. ............ You Elves and we Spirits have maintained a close connection for a long time. However, there are also Elves that sit cross-legged[1], and dont naturally show respect. Yggurle Kingdoms Prime Minister Balza was afraid that if he loses his hearing for the Spirits voices, he would lose Spirit Magic. Actually, even at this time, soldiers and mercenaries sent by a certain carnivorous elderly elf are searching for a way to pass through the barrier. T-that is... please pardon us. Even His Majesty is unable to hold that mans reins, and Yggurle Kingdom is struggling against him too...... Balza was sweating and making excuses about Earl Hordia. At first, Earl Hordia struggled to hide his affiliation to the soldiers and mercenaries at the barrier, but now, he is brazen and doesnt hide it as the private army of the House of Earl Hordia attack the barrier and attempt to lift the magic formula. Well, there are fools in any country. Next time, you all will be allowed to bring one civil official with experience, as well as an attendant and two knight escorts to pass through the Sanctuarys barrier. Undine-sama, will it be alright for a knight to pass through? Princess Mimir asked in concern for the inhabitants of the Sanctuary when Undine gave two knight escorts to accompany them. Its fine. If its that amount of knights, then Takumi and the others will be able to deal anything that happens. Undine-sama, what is a Takumi? Hearing the name Takumi coming from Undines mouth and then once more from King Lomaria, Margrave Volton and Simon grimaced. While thinking unpleasant thoughts about the unfettered remark of the Great Spirit, Margrave Volton decided to give up because continuing to hide matters about Takumi is impossible anyway. As her cheeks grew stiff, Princess Mimir believed in her heart that she had erred by Takumi, who is in a neighboring mansion. *** Footnotes: 1. In Japan, when sitting on a chair, it is impolite to cross your legs. Whenever youre talking to someone who you dont know well or who is senior to you, you should basically not cross your legs. A discussion about it vs other cultures here. 2. Title is actually: Takumi, found. Chapter 181: Keeper of the Sanctuary Chapter 181: Keeper of the Sanctuary Since I heard from Margrave Volton that the observation party of three nations would visit the Sanctuary this day, I confined myself to the mansion obediently. Apparently, the three countries held a conference in Wedgefort after I told Margrave Volton about the Sanctuary. After that, I made Princess Mimir the point of contact for today, but Im also hiding because I dont want to stand out. Well, the mansion is in the best location in the Sanctuary so I know its kinda impossible to continue hiding, but Id like to refrain from meeting the big shots of the three countries. Since I was doing things like making potions, thinking up weapons or magic devices to equip the Magic Ship with in the mansion workshop with Laeva, I didnt get bored. By the afternoon, I was relaxing in the living room with Sophia, enjoying cookies and tea made by Maria when Lulu-chan, who is wrapped in black maid clothes, informed me of a visitor. Takumi-sama, Princess Mimir-sama is coming. Mimir-sama? Huh? Shes a member of the observation group today, isnt she? I headed to the foyer to greet her, and when I opened the door, there were people I recognize and people I dont that were staring at me from behind Mimir. U-umm, Princess Mimir, this is...... the heck? Please forgive me, Takumi-sama. As I was freaking out, Princess Mimir lowered her head very deeply and apologized to me. Now now, I thoughtlessly mentioned Takumis name. Mimir didnt do wrong. Undine............ When Undine didnt look even the slightest bit guilty, I ended up suspecting whether this was on purpose or not.F0lloww new chapters at So this mansion really was Iruma-donos mansion. Does this mean that Iruma-dono is in an important position in this Sanctuary? Margrave Volton-sama, Simon-sama, no, Im not in an important position here. You dont have to try to deceive them anymore. Yes, Takumi is called the Keeper of this Sanctuary, or the Protector of the Sanctuary and Guardian of the Spirit Tree. Seeing Sophia and Titan protect me, even Margrave Volton who I am friendly with had stiff cheeks. After that, I got a self-introduction from the man with a strange aura. Who would have thought the King Lomaria himself would come as part of the observation party. Is it fine for both the king and the prime minister to leave their country? And then, despite being my acquaintances, the prime minister of Valkyra Kingdom and Margrave Volton introduced themselves and greeted me, and lastly the prime minister of Yggurle Kingdom did the did the same. Iruma-dono, for you to drink normally with the Great Spirits, I wonder, what is your relationship with them? U-umm............ When I was at a loss on how to explain, Undine cut in. Ill introduce you properly. Takumi is the Guardian of the Spirit Tree, Keeper of the Sanctuary[1], Protector of the Sanctuary, and there are many other names, but you understand, dont you? Wha?! The Keeper of the Sanctuary is not an Elf, but an ordinary Human?! Prime Minister Balza of Yggurle Kingdom, the elven country, looked shocked as he asked. Princess! Were you aware of this?! ......Balza, Spirits are not just the power of the elves. The Spirits are here for the sake of the world. Our Spirit Magic is merely borrowing their power. Despite this, if I had imparted the fact that Takumi-sama is the keeper of the Sanctuary to the country, fools such as Earl Hordia would surely invade. That moment would be the moment Yggurle Kingdom would lose the protection of the Spirits. I will take this opportunity to give you advice. It would be in your best interest to not think of attacking this Sanctuary as a country or try to bring Takumi into your country. .................. When Princess Mimir told Balza not to get the wrong idea, Undine drove her point into the representatives of various countries. A dream-like land unexposed to the threat of monsters, thieves, and war, with crops growing bountifully and resources aplenty. For the people of their respective countries, it was something they oh so desperately want, but the Sanctuary is a place where the Great Spirits control who can come in and out of the barrier. Even if they know that there is no way for one country to obtain this eden right now, they likely couldnt give up. Everyone aside from Yggurle Kingdoms prime minister sank into silence. After that, in the delicate mood, while consistently talking harmlessly and inoffensively, we talked a bit about the agreement for establishment of a town close to the Sanctuary. And so, the first Sanctuary observation finished and the observation party was sent back using Princess Mimirs carriage. *** Footnotes: 1. I think this might have been a typo, raws said Spirit Tree instead of Sanctuary. Both work, but Ill put in Sanctuary for consistency. Chapter 182: Leading To Chapter 182: Leading To In a solemn church with stained glass and sculptures, the leader of a religious organization in extravagant clothing and a man who took up the position known as Pope, Warvaal was talking to a beautiful woman in private. Well then Elizabeth, how was the drug from the dark guild? Yes Father, the drug sold by the dark guild Moonlight Owl is undoubtedly a powerful medicine like they had explained. However, should we reduce the dosage, it could be used on a believer if their body is clad in a certain amount of holy energy. Pope Warvaals conversation partner is his daughter, First Imperial Princess Elizabeth. She commands the Kamui unit to punish the pagans and heretics of the rival gods. The management of Jinguji Akira and Taiga Yamato, two of the summoned heroes, is also Elizabeths job. And the intelligence division of the Kamui unit that Elizabeth leads made contact with the dark guild. That dark guild, Moonlight Owl, sold them the drug that raises a bodys physical capabilities abnormally. Capable of making a soldier fight without feeling pain, that drug currently has many demerits, but the result of their experimentation shows that if they reduce the dosage on a person clad in dense holy energy, it wouldnt lead to the breakdown of their body. The holy energy they are covered by is actually miasma, but as they are worshipers of an evil spirit, it could technically be called holy energy. The miasma-encroached Kamui unit (Zealots) have now devolved into beings closer to monsters. Theyve come to have sturdy bodies that can effectively consume a small dose of the physical ability-enhancing drug that the Moonlight Owl supplied. Fumu, then it appears to be useful. Could you tell them we will buy all they have? Yes, since I feel it requires a slight bit more improvement for the heroes to use it, I will convey to them to continue improving the drug. Lately, the movements of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, or rather, the Light God Church have been difficult to state. Things were not going well for Kamuis mission against subhumans and heretics. An unusual Barrier MD has appeared on the market, and for some reason, it targeted the Kamui unit of the Light God Faith and repelled them. Its not as though they couldnt forcibly tear down the barrier, but the damages to their troops were many. Even so, because the Light God Churchs purchase, the drug wasnt for nothing. Aside from narcotics, it would become another mainstay for us. Fumu, that drug......... lets call it Demonicine[1]. It would sell even more if its as addictive as narcotics. Well, we need to think about how to improve on that too. A messenger from the noble that requested Takumis assassination was pressing them about it, but the target was extremely elusive, and his actions were unpredictable. Because of this, the guild wanted a substantial retainer fee. It wasnt too much, but Forbach judged that the targets abilities werent worth the current pay. Leave the target be for now. Prioritize improving the drug and increasing production. True, that target doesnt seem to be in Volton all the time, so thats good idea. Unlike his appearance, the guard covered in armor-like muscles with scars all over his body has actually been in the intelligence faction supporting Forbach as his right hand man for many years . By supplying Demonicine to the Light God Church, theMoonlight Owl had given birth to the wars between the countries with creed on racial harmony and Human supremacist countries. *** Footnotes: 1. ħa- Mayaku / sort of a play on words with a Mayaku which means narcotics/opium/drugs etc. Cant really translate it into english well. 2. Also, the contradiction between what they said before and now about associating with Sydnia... lol Sphys Note: And so, this is the end of Volume 4. Thank you very much for reading! As always, now that I have finished a volume, I will have a week off updates, and will be back 3 updates from now. Chapter 183: Scolding the Great Spirits Chapter 183: Scolding the Great Spirits The day after the observation party visited the Sanctuary, I complained to Undine.VIssi?T for the best novel reading experience That was unfair, Undine. I didnt want the countries higher ups to know about me. Oh, didnt the people from Valkyra know anyway? Then wouldnt it have only been a matter of time before the other countries knew even if I had stayed silent? My complaint didnt concern Undine in the slightest. Sure, I knew that if I built the mansion at the heart of the Sanctuary, I would sooner or later be exposed, but I wanted to be excused from meeting the higher ups of the countries so suddenly. Because of that, King Lomaria learned what I look like, and Yggurle Kingdoms Prime Minister was glaring at me or something. He definitely didnt like the fact that Undine said that I was the Protector of the Spirit Tree and the Keeper of the Sanctuary. Should I leave the elf alone? Haa, Undine and Sylph are one thing, but I would have liked it if Dryas stopped them. I wanted Dryas, who seemed to be the one with common sense(?) among the Great Spirits, to stop Undine and Sylph, but............. Right, it might become a bit inconvenient outside the Sanctuary. It might be slightly troublesome in Volton Town, but there would be no problem if you are in the Sanctuary, no? Just as Undine says, a surge of merchants and nobles coming to the mansion in Volton would be frightening. Moreover, I had only just recently been attacked by an assailant, and I have a feeling this would create more cause to target me. Since that attack, with walks in Volton being a matter of course, Sophia positively never left my side, even when in the safety of the Sanctuary. Kaede had even strung up a thread barrier. And Titan is always on standby within the Subspace. Haa~ Ill refrain from going out in Volton. Isnt that just perfect? Id like to ask you to complete the construction of residences and facilities. ............the Purifier MD and Toilet Purifier MD have completely been out of my own pockets though. Dont be so stingy. Takumi, you have a lot of money, dont you? Well, I guess its alright if theres hope to make rice, shoyu, and miso. Are rice(?), shoyu(?), and miso(?) that delicious? Sophia who had been refraining herself by my side the entire time asked in wonder. Seeing me in unusually high spirits at being able to reproduce Japanese food had perplexed her. To me, theyre comfort food. Ah, I see, of course it would be. Elves likely also have their comfort food. She understood with my explanation. Actually, I got the Mermaids to get Kombu (I think its kombu) and Iwashi (its taste is similar to iwashi too). The dashi issue has also been cleared. Kombu and iwashi looks and tastes like the original so I called them that, but the people of this world dont eat things like kombu and they only use small fish like iwashi as fertilizer. I hadnt been able to complain to Undine and Sylph properly, but, well, its fine. *** Footnotes: 1. Koji explained here. If you are interested in other the ingredients, google-sensei can help~ 2. I will probably switch around with the name of ingredients that are more common like soy sauce in the future. Products distinctly from Japan like miso and kombu will be kept with Japanese names. Sphys Note: Thank you for patiently waiting! Weve now started Volume 5, and finally, Takumi gets a reward for all hes done for the Sanctuary~ Chapter 184: Chapter 184: There are four seasons in this world. The season now is spring, a splendid fully blooming cherry blossom tree standing in the garden of my mansion in the Sanctuary showcased its light pink flowers. Spears strike at the petals falling down. The trajectory of the swings accurately aimed at the small targets swaying irregularly. Each time, a small petal would split into two. Ei! Honya! Nya Nya! The Cat Sith sisters Miri and Lala imitated our spear swings using sticks. Besides them, the Catkin siblings Wappa and Sara and the Human sisters Colette and Shirona had likewise picked up sticks for spears and have been learning by imitating our morning training for some time now. After morning training, I recalled yesterdays events while sparring with Sophia and talked with unbelievable delight. Oh gracious Dryas. To be able to grow rice seeds regardless of seasons! Its called a rice paddy because it is flooded with water, is it? From the center of the Sanctuary to the east side, a paddy field was made in a day with Dryas, Gnome, and Undines powers. In this Sanctuary, spices starting from herbs to capsicums, peppers, and Japanese peppers can easily be obtained because of Dryas. However, these spices are rare commodities outside of the Sanctuary and theyre expensive as a result, so restaurants and the like in town basically just use salt for seasoning. These are things that everyone can obtain in the Sanctuary, so I imagine everyone has grown to have a discriminating palate, unable to have a return to the olden days of having only salt and a few herbs. So when I told them Id be making a new seasoning, everyone unanimously cooperated. Since there is wine in this world, wine vinegar also exists. But I also want rice vinegar. We make use of oil that is similar to olive oil too. Still, we havent gotten to making oil yet, so we have to buy it at nearby towns for the time being. Well consider it if the people here increase more. And, par for the course, sake distillation was spearheaded by Doganbo-san and Golan-san. And so, the kinds of alcohol made in the Sanctuary will become 4 with wine, whiskey, ale, and now sake. It seems theyll be able to make distilled liquors from sugarcane and sweet potatoes before long. Well, Im not too familiar with the taste because I only drink ale, wine and the like, so I think its fine if Doganbo-san and the drinkers do as they please. In the 10 days for the rice plants to ripen (which is just too fast no matter how I think about it, hence why I cant help but feel weird about it), I made the thousand tooth thresher and rice polishing magic device. The mechanism of the thousand tooth thresher was simple, but I made several prototypes of the rice polisher so it would be a magic device that can remove the hull of the threshed rice and blow it away with Wind magic, and also get rid of the rice bran. Id like to test them after the rice harvest so I can perfect the magic device. Everyone looked at me strangely as I gleefully worked on the thousand tooth thresher and Rice Polisher MD, but this is the one thing I cant help myself with. *** Footnotes: 1. A thresher removes the grain or seed from the chaff/stalk/straw. It looks like this or this. Chapter 185: The Beginning of the Tri-nation Joint Venture Chapter 185: The Beginning of the Tri-nation Joint Venture While I was rejoicing over the ripening of the ears of rice, the joint venture of the three nations, Valkyra, Lomaria, and Yggurle, had begun. Mobilizing a mass of mage users specializing in Earth Attribute from the three nations, theyve begun constructing a highway from Wedgefort to the Sanctuary and as well as the foundation works of the town. Each nation dispatched their knights, suppressing the monsters in the vicinity with their might so as to not hinder the construction. The three nations each provide 1/3 of the funds to begin the establishment of the town in the savage lands. Small they may be, monster nests dotted the savage lands in great numbers. Although strong monsters rarely come out of them, it doesnt mean there are no monsters living in the savage lands but outside the monster nests. As such, from time to time, Kaede and Tsubaki would thin out the monsters without being discovered by the knights. This joint undertaking seems to have significance as it would stimulate the participating countries economy. Because the creation of a town is a public works project, a large amount of money will shift. Building materials such as stone and wood have been ordered equally from the three countries companies, and the moment the safety of the laborers was guaranteed, they continued to gather from the three countries. The gathered people have already made a workers settlement, as well as a garrison for the knights, thus creating a town of temporary cabins and many tents. Merchants also gather where people gather, and so countless of them have already gathered to do business with the knights and laborers. They have a plan for the highway to be up to the Sanctuary, arent they a bit too rash? Now now, I understand what youre saying Takumi, but those people are also desperate, so it cant be helped. Like Yggurle Kingdom, they are planning on a highway from their country to here.Follow the latest novels on When I said it with a slight frown, Undine showed her understanding of the three nations franticness. Still, its only been a couple of days since the observation party returned and the eagerness of the three countries to have secured and mobilized this many people makes me draw back a little. We erased our presence as we watched the many, many people working. Specifically highway and the high walls that would become the ramparts of the town that were being completed at a quick pace with Earth Magic. They have mobilized many mages that use Earth attribute magic, havent they? Yes, the Elves are also invoking Spirit Magic, so it appears that the three countries have brought their own people. In Yggurle Kingdoms case, there is a mage division that specializes in Earth attribute and Wind attribute Spirit Magic. You said Right now, which means there were bad ones before. It was a long, long time ago. At that time, Sylph manifested and defeated it. Yep yep, it was 1 hit with a Wind Blade, you know. .................. Takumi-sama, I believe this is only natural for the Great Spirits. The Ancient Dragons scales that had excellent physical defense and magic defense was done in in one hit. The Great Spirits are amazing. To Sophia, it was only natural. Now now, dont space out, youll make the bulwark, wont you? Ah, yeah, youre right. Okay, tell me where to build it. Leave it to me! At the end of the day, I went around the Sanctuary to determine the area to be enclosed by the walls. Ill have Maria and Titan who can use Earth attribute magic help out. *** Footnotes: 1. and o are both read as Ryuu, which means Dragon. I think the author meant it as something like Western dragons(o) [think Fafnir] and eastern dragons () [think Shenron] to differentiate body shapes. Chapter 186: Building Walls Chapter 186: Building Walls With Undine and Sylphs encouragements, weve decided to build a wall around the Sanctuary. Maria, Titan, and I were working together to build an 8m tall, 1m wide wall with a moat on the outside. gogogogogogooooo``!! The ground rose, taking the form of a wall, and the soil changed to stone. Since the wall will encompass the surrounding of the Sanctuary by a wide margin, its range was many times more than the tri-nation collaborative town and Wedgefort. Cant Gnome lend a hand with this? Fufu, Gnome is occupied with alcohol. Undine who was watching us make the bulwark informed us where Gnome was. But Undine likewise wants to drink alcohol, so she wouldnt tell Gnome anything.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Its not like its a competition with the tri-nations town construction, but I ended up competing a bit. Okay! Lets finish this in 10 days! Yes, Ill do my best! Roger, Master. Three people(?) began building a wall with the same image in mind. Our escorts were Sophia and Akane, while Kaede mounted Tsubaki and were going around suppressing the monsters in the surroundings. Since there werent many monsters that come out of monster nests, nor did monsters which like miasma especially draw near the Sanctuary, Kaede[1] ran around the vast savage lands with Tsubaki and went hunting for meat for the people of the Sanctuary. Forbach feels something is out of place with the involvement of Yggurle Kingdom, his homeland. As to why, he cant believe that Yggurle Kingdom who truly thinks that Elves are superior beings is joining hands with Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, nations which uphold racial harmony, to carry out one venture. Ah Boss, that reminds me, it seems that there are rumors of a paradise on the western end of the continent going around in the towns and villages of Lomaria and Valkyra near the savage lands. Its apparently a paradise protected by a barrier that criminals cant enter. Also poor people like street children and the racially discriminated seem to risk their lives and head west. ............a barrier, huh. To Forbach, when barriers are mentioned, he recalls the large-scale barrier covering his homeland. The barrier of his homeland that would never let him pass through ever again. Shango, gather information on that paradise. That barrier might be related to Yggurle Kingdom. They might not be connected, but get people to the Light God Faith and Samandour too. Yggurle Kingdom might be complicated, but I will try to gather information through merchants somehow. As for the church officials, they will do anything for money. Saying so, the male subordinate left the cellar to issue orders. The newly built Wedgefort does not have any dark guild bases at present. For some reason, its management is strict, the inspection of entries and exits of the town are also rigorous, and they thoroughly crack down on criminals. Its probably precisely because its a new town that this is possible. Margrave Volton, who governs Volton town which is a place dark guilds have difficulty moving in, has entrusted the town to someone. The base shutdown within Valkyra Kingdom might have some connection. Ill definitely make them pay for the bases. Forbach speculated that the main constituent for the three nations joint venture was Valkyra Kingdom. The shutdown of their bases likely also had some sort of connection to what was in the west. It was Forbachs mistaken reasoning, but as a result, the dark guilds in the continent took notice of the savage lands. *** Footnotes: 1.Typo: Raw says Akane instead of Kaede. Chapter 187: Homesickness Chapter 187: Homesickness The day has finally come.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) The drooping ears of rice have turned golden. Yes, thanks to Dryas-sensei, the rice had ripened in a mere 10 days. The Sanctuary walls are still underway, but rice is way more important so this was inevitable. Now, lets harvest! Ooou``! The children that shouted while raising sickles custom-made by Doganbo-san for children were Lala, Sara, and Shirona, the little girl group. As Cat Sith, Catkin, and Human, they were of different races but they are the little sister group that gets along well. Miri, Wappa, and Colette, the elder sibling group were also helping out. Master! Kaede will do the sheafing, okay? Thank you, Kaede. Kaede will tie up the bundles of rice that well harvest with her own thread. And there was a person here that was so happy she was brought to tears. ...... its rice, Ill be able to eat rice. Good on you, Akane-sama. Thanks Lulu, lets do our best to harvesting the rice. Yeah nya! Akane, a Japanese girl abducted to this world, was unable to have a decent meal in the Divine Empire of Sydnia. Since living with us, shes been able to eat delicious food, but as expected, there wasnt Japanese food. Since the paddy field itself wasnt that vast, with the Elf Melty-san and her children helping, harvesting came to an end relatively quickly. In reality, the grains should be sun dried, but I asked Sylph to dehydrate it. After threshing and polishing, I saw the shiny white rice, and in the several years that Ive lived here, it was only then that it struck home. Just like Akane, my eyes watered as I stared at the white, polished rice. Takumi, make miso and shoyu! Ah, yeah, I wouldve even if you werent so desperate. Itd be a prototype but I think itll be passable thanks to Dryas. Eventually, Maria and the other two helped. The pork shogayaki, red rockfish nitsuke, miso soup were done. On todays table, since people aside from my party, namely the Great Spirits, the children who helped with the harvest, and Melty-san and her children, were to be seated, the table was extended and chairs were added. Itadakimasu! Itadakimasu. I tried a sip of the miso soup. Yup, it turned out good. Ill give the taste of miso a passing mark too. So good. Then I took a mouthful of rice. Takumi-sama, are you alright? Ah, yeah, I-Im fine. Unknowingly, tears ran down my cheek. Having worried Sophia, I grew embarrassed. When I glanced at Akane, she was shedding tears while gulping down the rice. Takumi-sama, its tasty nya. My cheeksll fall off nya. So goo~ood! It looks like the its well received by the little girl trio. Everyone said that both the pork shogayaki and the rockfish nitsuke were delicious. Gnome had especially enjoyed Japanese food and he said that from now on, hed like us to make it once in a while. It was highly rated by the Great Spirits. In a good mood, I used the rice bran to start making takuan and tsukemono. I wonder if I could ask Dryas to make sticky rice too. Yup, my dreams are expanding, huh. *** Footnotes: 1. Hagama C traditional rice cooker made of cast iron with a wooden lid. Example here. 2. Most foodstuff mentioned here are common enough, or easy to find on google. ? Chapter 188: The northern forest is vast Chapter 188: The northern forest is vast The popularity of rice fairly good, and its been decided that the paddy fields will be used continually to make more. The day after I was deeply moved by being able to eat rice and miso soup after a long time, I went back to wall duty. For some reason, Maria said that she and Marnie would do research on the uses of soy sauce and miso, and she left. In doing so, Titan and I were left to do the work, but when Titan uses Earth magic continuously, he doesnt need to be charged but it does take time for him to recover magic power. He also served as my escort, and in the end, I did most of the work. Starting wall construction from the south east side, I worked on extending the bulwark to encompass the barrier to the north, but I noticed something weird after a number of days. So, while it isnt that she accompanies me all the time, since Undine was here, I asked her. Listen, Ive gone north quite a bit but I havent reached it, did it by any chance get bigger again? Oh, you finally realized. The east nearly didnt change so it was difficult to notice, wasnt it? Wha, that means......... Fufu, the positions of the east and south are fixed, while the north and west expand. Perhaps because youre building a wall, this will be the last. I cant trust the words of the whimsical Great Spirits even one bit. Now now, Takumi, youre also to blame for this. Im also to blame? You made our tongues learn of delicious alcohol, cooking, as well as desert, didnt you? It had enthused Dryas, and she raised all sorts of fruit trees and spices. Just recently, she said shed have a hand in a type of mushroom called a shiitake(?) that you talked about. I kinda understand her reason, but theres one thing that I absolutely have to ask. The Spirit Tree isnt at the center anymore if the north and west expanded, ......is that gonna be okay? It was a miscalculation, a miscalculation. Its pretty much in the middle so its fine. If anything, it wouldnt matter even if it was on the edge of the Sanctuary, but wouldnt that be inconvenient in many ways? ......a reason like that............ As we continued inward, the scenery changed to a forest that seemed like it came out of Princess Mononoke[1]. This is the innermost part of the forest, you can see many Plant Spirits, right? See, you say. I am not an elf, so I know theres a lot of them but...... This place does not only have Plant Spirits, water comes out of the spring so there are many Water Spirits too, and many Wind Spirits frolic on the trees. There are Earth, Light, and Dark Spirits as well huh? Fufu, yes, earth, light, darkness, everyone is needed for an abundant forest. If the forest is managed by Dryas, I have nothing to say. Nature is important, and if the ecosystem is managed by the Spirits, I think that that too is another form of nature. Spirits are beings of nature, after all. Afterwards, Dryas and I discussed what animals would be introduced into the forest. Insects that would not harm the forest are essential, she said. Butterflies are beautiful, but its larva is harmful. Its a different story in this forest. Larva eat leaves, but they eat the leaves that had better fallen off. No way, the caterpillars prune? Primitive living things that live within the Sanctuary are largely affected by the sacred magic power of the Sanctuary. They receive the sentiments of the Spirits. Dryas insisted that the trees that would have died in my previous life will be fine as long as they are in the forest of this Sanctuary. As a result of my discussion with Dyras, its been decided that we would travel to capture animals and release them into the forest one time. The first candidate is the place we saw en route to Samandour Kingdom, the Table Mountains. It would seem that without the hand of man, its a treasure trove of rare plants, animals, and monsters. Im looking forward to it now. *** Footnotes: 1. Princess Mononoke is a Studio Ghibli film, I highly recommend it. Chapter 189: Table Mountains, again Chapter 189: Table Mountains, again Since we only passed by the Table Mountains before, we decided to investigate it at least once. Riding the carriage Tsubaki pulls for the first time in a while, we headed south at full speed. Traveling with us were our usual members and Sylph and Dryas. We didnt bring the pipsqueaks this time. In the first place, wed be exploring monster nests, so of course we couldnt take them along. At such a time, having something on her mind this entire time, Sophia asked a fundamental question. The Table Mountains are fine, but how would we climb that high, vertical mountain? A reasonable question. Itll be okay, Ill go up alone then teleport you guys. As you would expect, the only one who would really be able to climb that would be Kaede, after all. Yep, Ill make footholds using attributeless magic Shield, while using Wind magic concurrently, otherwise I think it would be impossible to climb. Finally, the Table Mountains which was over 1000m high in elevation and the vast forest at its foot came into view on the left side. This is probably the biggest monster nest in the western savage lands. To pass through the forest, Tsubaki returned to the Subspace because her body is too large, the carriage was stored in the Item Box, and everyone checked their equipment. My weapon will be the Zekken[1] for the first time in a long while. Sophia is equipped with her sword and circle shield, Maria with her usual spear, Kaede is at the lead with her claws, Marnie with twin daggers, and Laeva with her staff that can be used as a spear as well. Akane who seems to be devoted to being a rear guard is equipped with a staff, and Lulu-chan is wearing a breastplate over her maid clothes and has a war hammer modelled after a mop. With everyone wearing their respective mithril alloy-made armor and matching overcoats, our preparations are complete and we pushed through the forest as we headed for the Table Mountains. Because Kaede would instakill assailing monsters with her threads and claws, we typically dont get a chance. Master, the monsters in this forest are not so strong, huh. Are the bugs also okay? H~mm, I think theyre generally safe except for ants, but well only go for butterflies and the like this time. If its things like butterflies then small birds can eat both the larvae and adult form, after all. And bees, you can make the Elves do the beekeeping. Then well need small birds too, wont we? Master, leave the small birds to Kaede! Youre right, Kaedes so great, catching small birds is a simple feat if its you, Kaede. Ehehehe`` When I caressed Kaedes head in a grand manner, she was extremely happy though abash. Afterwards, we continued safely through the dense forest. If we headed straight for the Table Mountains, we would have probably reached it in 2 days, but we did extensive research of the forest at the foot of the mountains as if we were biologists. It was not just animals and monsters either, we found plenty of new plants as well, so we had Dryas check them. She would explain each time as we travel, so we ended taking a whopping 4 days, double of what we had scheduled. *** Footnotes: 1. Typo. Raw says Sword of the Absorber, but those swords were actually already upgraded to Absolute Sword (Zekken) for Takumi and Sacred Sword (Seiken) for Sophia in Chapter 93. Chapter 190: The summit is otherworldly Chapter 190: The summit is otherworldly It really is suspended in the clouds.Follow the latest novels on Will you really be alright on your own? Itll be fine, Ill be back soon. Having finally reached the base of the Table Mountains, we gazed at the summit from the bottom of the steep, vertical cliff. Alright, see ya! Telling everyone so, I made very small horizontal magic barriers Shield, stepping on them to soar up high. Gain distance with short range teleport and wind supported jumps at times, I steadily rushed up the hill. I had climbed 1000m in height within 5 minutes. The spectacle spreading before my eyes is completely different from the surface, the many puddles of water within the grasslands mirrored the clouds and the gigantic boulders scattered about were covered in moss. There were no tall trees, just shrubs that Ive never seen before. As expected, being 1000m higher, of course the environment would change. Oh, I have to pick everyone up. I teleported to the bottom of Table Mountains, and Kaede jumped on me. Master! Master, that was so coooool! You went bounce bounce bounce to the sky! Its barrier magic, so I think youd be able to do it if you practice, Kaede. And you also have your threads too. Kaede will practice! Okay. Now then, everyone, hold onto me. Yes. Upon confirming that everyone was in contact with my body, I teleported to the summit of Table Mountains. Fuu, as expected, when teleporting everyone in one go, the magic power consumed was too extreme. It looks like Undine and the others are selecting monsters and animals to take back. Hey Selene. Theyll be come gentler if they live in the Sanctuary? Among the monsters, if herbivorous monsters were cleansed of miasma, they would not proactively attack people. Hee~ I remember being attacked by Horned Rabbits. Horned Rabbits are carnivorous, after all. Even so, I dont think it would go into that much of a frenzy if its inside the Sanctuary, so besides being a carnivore, it wouldnt become too aggressive. ............so they really were carnivores. Dryas began collecting seeds and bulbs by influencing plants that can be grown even in the Sanctuary. Sylph said shed catch small birds and flew away. How free they are. I already knew this, but the Spirits really do as they like. We looked for a place to camp in, then set up our tents. Once we were settled, we would explore the top of Table Mountains. We talked about thoroughly investigating this land, which may very well be a place that no man has ever set foot in. Laeva had become engrossed in cultivating samples. Apart from making things, she has a strong spirit of inquiry. She happily took notes while foraging plants. Preparing food was entrusted to Maria and Marnie, leaving Akane and Lulu-chan with them as their escorts, and the remaining members explored the area surrounding the campsite. Because this place is the way it is, there doesnt seem to be large animals and monsters, huh? Indeed. There are small birds, animals, and monsters. On the predator side, there are birds of prey. The ground probably elevated with tectonic shifts. For the remaining small animals and monsters to survive, they probably had to develop characteristics unique to this place. Theres the question of whether the evolution of living beings in this world is the same as on Earth, but at the very least, the flora, fauna, and monsters in this place clearly have different characteristics from those at the base of the Table Mountains. The plan is to spend two days exploring the land, as well as catching living beings and foraging plants. Lets give it our all tomorrow onwards! *** Chapter 191: Biotope Chapter 191: Biotope As we explored the summit of the Table Mountains, we collected enough information to make a field guide. I steadily grew enthralled, and I assembled plants and animals in my head, feeling the urge to make a large-scale biotope. Dryas seems to have focused on collecting aquatic plants and endemic species of flowers. Sylph caught pairs of various types of small birds and placed them in hurriedly-made cages. Undine placed various types of aquatic bugs and small fish in a prepared fish tank, which was then stored in my Subspace. The Item Box cant store living things, so I ended up building another subspace separate from the one Kaede and Tsubaki live in. Laeva foraged for all sorts of medicinal plants. Since these were plants never before seen, she trembled in excitement at the various experiments and verification shed do. There was something strange that happened with Kaede.Finndd the newest novels on Shes being followed by small spiders. Theyre that highly intelligent? Even if they are monsters, it was still a bit off. Master, Kaede made followers! Y-yeah, so it was that. Will you be taking those spiders back home with us? Yup! I see. Ha, haha, I wonder if thisll be fine. Its okay! Kaede will train them properly! Yep, spiders are said to be useful insects, arent they? This will be okay, right? There were about 10 small fist-sized spiders riding on Kaedes spider back. And, for some reason, they were waving a foreleg as if they were greeting me. That fact that we now have another thing that would make nobles target us is something I would never say. Hey, what do we do about mouse-types? H~mm, mice multiply explosively, so if left as they are, it is likely that they would go out of the forest and damage the orchard and fields. Lets go with squirrel-types. Well, wouldnt it be fine even if we do it at another time? We dont have to do things all at once. Thats true too. When I asked about introducing mouse-types to become prey for the raptors, she was worried about something. Then because Sylph gave some rare advice, we decided to do it next time. Should we give the meat of the monsters we hunted to Sophias Thunder Eagle? Id like to prevent the rare small birds from being preyed upon. We began the our withdrawal operation, foraging plants and catching animals, and checking the monsters conditions as we stow them away into the subspace. Well then, come closer! Were going! I teleported to the base of Table Mountains. From here, well leave the monster nest forest, but the reason we purposefully didnt teleport and are walking out is to catch the animals and forage the plants that we had our eyes on. Since it would take time to catch, forage, and then return to the Sanctuary, we decided to do these on our way back. It was at this point that we caught the squirrels. The Great Spirits and I had decided that the deer and wild boar will be for next time. Thus our first flora and fauna acquisition operation for the Sanctuarys forest and grasslands has ended. Im sure the Great Spirits will make me go out again. Releasing animals and monsters in the forest and grasslands is fine, but Id like to increase number of people who would manage the forest and grasslands. I strongly do. *** Chapter 192: The Sanctuary brimming with life Chapter 192: The Sanctuary brimming with lifeAfter returning from Table Mountains, we released the small fish, aquatic plants, and aquatic bugs into the reservoir and the waterway, and let the rabbits loose in the grasslands. Squirrels, small birds, and reptiles were released into the forest and copses. In addition, worms and insects such as earthworms, centipedes, and beetle larva have been released all over the vast land, from the grasslands to the forests and copses. Kaede seems to have let her underlings do as they please within the Sanctuary. The strength of the low and mid rank Spirits defending the Sanctuary is stronger than you thought, isnt it? If its like this, the forest and grasslands wouldnt be ruined even if the plants and animals multiply. If you really think about it, as we Great Spirits have manifested, even an absurd matter would be alright, wouldnt it? What you just said, I would have liked it if you said it sooner. Undine stated such while we were checking the state of the Sanctuary which had begun increasing in lifeforms, but if that had been the case, I could have brought them in without worrying about all sorts of things. After that, we released various kinds of birds, mice, snakes, horned rabbits caught from the forests and plains in the savage lands into the Sanctuary. The Elven people have been told that they could hunt rabbits too if they get the OK from the Spirits. At the top of the food chain in the current forest is the Thunder Eagle. Butterflies fluttered about on blooming flowers of various colors that were also the dwelling of the Faeries. Then we released carnivorous monsters, such as Wild Cats and Green Foxes, into the grasslands and forest. According to Dryas and Undine, land is encroached by miasma by the activity of monsters and henceforth turns into a monster nest. However, the Sanctuary has a high purification ability. Far from encroaching the land, the monsters are even purified, so the aggressiveness of monsters is suppressed. Even so, it does not mean that it is absolutely safe, so do complete simple barriers over the residential areas, okay? Yep, well, I was already thinking of doing that much anyway. Now that hunting is possible in the forest and copses, the Beastkin and Elves are delighted. The fact that meat can now be secured from within the Sanctuary is a big deal. With dwarven-crafted bows, the people specialized at hunting in forests and grasslands emerged. Since Mermaids fish, the Elves and Beastkin hunt, adding that to fact that the farming is doing well, it would be best to build a storehouse for food reserves. And so, while doing residential construction, waterway and sewer establishment, land cultivation and irrigation servicing, as well as road maintenance in the Sanctuary like always, I had a thought. Because Kaede and Sophia have tamed spiders and eagle monsters, wouldnt it be good if I was able to tame a monster that can manage the grasslands and the forest? Well, Kaedes might not have been tamed though. It slipped my mind, but Kaede herself is a monster. I wonder if a wolf-type monster would be good. Why this all of a sudden? Sophia asked about my sudden unrelated mumblings during construction work. Err, I was just thinking, wouldnt it be a great idea if I could tame a familiar that I could leave the management of the forest and grasslands to? Wolves in particular would act with a pack, be they monsters or beasts. If I tame an alpha male, itd be the same as getting a whole pack. Well, certainly, a wolf-type monster will be more than enough to deal with the rabbit and deer-type monsters currently in the Sanctuary, so I do believe it is a good idea, however............ my Gloam is here. So you named it Gloam, huh. That Thunder Eagle of yours. Still, wouldnt it be too much for Gloam, one bird, to do? And the time it would be with you would decrease too. That wont do. Let us tame wolf monsters. It feels like Sophias character is wavering. Oh well, time to go look for a wolf. *** Chapter 193: A New Familiar Chapter 193: A New Familiar The role of finding an alpha male wolf-type monster was undertaken by the Wind Spirits. Their toll is my magic power. Apparently, for reasons I do not know, its delicious. And so, information relating to a wolf monster came from the Wind Spirits. Without delay its been decided that some people would go. Besides myself and my usual escort Sophia, the members today are: Akane, who says she has always wanted to have a dog ever since she was in Japan, and Lulu-chan, Akanes attendant. A wolf monster is different from a dog, you know. And were not going to buy a pet. I know. But wolves are from the same family, right? I want to cuddle with it! Akanes nasal breathing was very rough as she said strange things. Now that I think about it, there was a time when I saw her be disliked when she tried touching Lulu and Laevas ears and tails. Itll be our first time going to the monster nest so we couldnt teleport. So this time as well, Tsubakis carriage ran at explosive speeds in the savage lands. Inside the carriage, I opened the topic of Akanes excitement with her. Umm, by any chance, do you plan on taming a wolf monster, Akane? Thats right! Cuz~ Takumi, you have Kaede, Tsubaki, and Titan, dont you? Even Sophia managed to tame a Thunder Eagle, isnt that too enviable?! Akane-sama, your true intentions are leaking nya. Akane seems to be envious of Sophia who has tamed a Thunder Eagle which she named Gloam and is affectionate with. According to Kaede, monsters do not have feelings. They can interpret words, thats why theyre cute. Listen, youre aware that you wont know whether you can or cant tame it, right? I know that! Thats why Im gonna ask Kaede-chan to help me! Familiars would not make contracts with just anyone. Theres also compatibility with the target monster, so if Akane does not have the quality to tame it, it would be impossible no matter what. No matter how I think about it, theres no chance I wouldnt be able to do it. Akane was already thinking up names and was muttering all sorts of them. Haa, this time I think I should focus on support. As she listening to the voice of the Spirits, Sophia acted as our navigator, and the monster nest we arrived at was a grassland-type monster nest. Kaede, if we find the wolf monsters, can you catch the whole pack including the boss? No worries. Leave it to me, Master! Right, even though the Shadow Wolves feel larger than the normal wolf, the Luna Wolf is bigger than the lions and tigers I remember in my past life. What!? Youve got a problem with my Ferryl?! Ah, the taming succeeded. So youre giving it the name Ferryl, huh. ......nope, Im not complaining. It was then that Kaede rescinded her threads, and restoring her erased presence and suppressed magic power. Because it would be an annoyance if other monsters come, I cut off the effect of the Overcoat of Existence Concealment and released slightly coercive magic power so I could make my presence known rather than erase it. In doing so, I knew that the monster presences that I sensed became more distant. Still, it looks like just that much is already inexcusable.......... Kyan, kyan. As soon as we did, the foolish Shadow Wolves and even the Luna Wolf posed submissively, exposing their stomach to Kaede and I. Wa-wait! Why is Ferryl showing its stomach too?! Im its master, arent I?! Akane-sama, please calm down! Lulu-chan pacified Akane who was getting agitated. Exchanging looks, Kaede and I erased our presence and suppressed our magic power. ......Kuuu~~n I wonder if theyre scared. Master, it cant be helped. These guys are weak, so its normal for them to be scared of Master and Kaede. Monster ranks were arbitrarily set by people, but they were surprisingly accurate estimations of monsters statuses. And a Luna Wolf is C rank, while Kaede is above S rank. There is a clear difference in strength even with just one rank different, so for Ferryl and the Shadow Wolves, Kaede is probably a being that they must never oppose. Ive instructed Ferryl to command the Shadow Wolves. Particularly a strict warning to not attack the people of the Sanctuary. Takumi, could you transport them with Subspace? Sure sure. When I opened the entrance to the Subspace I used during the time I created the biotope, the Shadow Wolves entered the Subspace at Akanes command. Huh? Ferryl isnt entering the Subspace? Its fine if it enters the carriage, right? Err, the carriage is spacious so its fine, but were teleporting back, you know. ............now then, lets go back with teleportation. Yup, lets go. Passing on a retort at Akanes grand gloss-over, we teleported on the spot and returned to the Sanctuary. *** Chapter 194: Laeva’s pet Chapter 194: Laevas pet This is unfair! With fox ears twitching and a tail puffed up, it seems shes mad. If Sophia-san and Akane-sans turns had come, shouldnt the next be Laevas?![1] Yep, now that Sophia and Akane had gained familiars, she complained that she most definitely wanted a familiar herself. But Laeva, arent you busy? This and that are different! Laeva, who would routinely sell potions she produces by the bulk to the Papeck Company, also has her own study and training so shes probably the busiest among us. With those being the case, I said that a familiar might be impossible for her, but that seems to have flipped some sort of switch in her. As if she changed into a different person, the usually meek Laeva fiercely insisted on it. Haa~ I guess it cant be helped. Do you already have a monster youd like to have? Fu fu fu, youve done well to ask. Laeva likes cats. Cats? Even though youre a fox? Wait, thats not it, its a monster, right? She doesnt want to raise a regular cat, right? When I asked her about that once more, apparently a large leopard or tiger would be good. Now then, let us be on our way! Wait a minute, Ferryl is Akanes wolf, but I want to see its condition. Then Laeva will be be waiting in the mansion. I await your hasty return!Finndd the newest novels on Ah, yeah, okay, Ill be back soon. Having lost to Laevas pressure, I hurriedly went around on Tsubaki to check how skillful the Shadow Wolves and Ferryl are. At present, a significant amount of rabbit, deer, and boar monsters as well as normal animals live in the Sanctuary. As a result of numerous catch and releases, their numbers have increased quite a bit in the forest and thickets in the north and the grasslands in the east. The squirrel and mouse-type animals and monsters inhabit the forest and thickets in multitudes. Owls and falcons that prey upon them also nest within the forest. The Shadow Wolves led by Ferryl are making that large expanse of land the place they hunt. If Im remembering right, a wolfs turf is incredibly wide even on Earth, wasnt it? Still, a few more predators might be necessary. Sophias Thunder Eagle is also here, but I should consider Laevas request to be a godsend as well. When we reached the site, a cocoon-like thing was dangling around before our eyes. With Kaedes threads wrapped all around it with only its head exposed. It was hanging on a tree, but even so, the monster growled without concealing its hostility. It seems to be a monster called a Serval. Takumi-sama! Laeva has taken a liking to this little one! Okay, then it would be better to intimidate it a bit at the start. Well wait until you can tame it so its fine even if you dont rush. Ill do my best! A Serval is a large cat monster with a slim figure meant for speed. It also understood that the cat lover Laeva had a different look in her eyes. Since Servals are monsters that make forests their turf, it would be perfect in the Sanctuary, wouldnt it? Thats right. Ferryl and the wolves marked a vast expanse of the grasslands as their territory, but they only cover the area around the copses. After that, although Laeva had a somewhat hard time taming the Serval, she safely made it her familiar. Seru-chan[2], fufu, youre the best! ............so she named it Seru-chan. ............its surprising just how she used it without changing a thing. Well, Laeva looks happy so I think its fine. However. Although we had intended for the Serval to make the forest its territory, Laeva had it wait by her side constantly. Thanks to that, Kaede has to do the culling until we procure a monster that can be at the top of the forests food chain. *** Footnotes: 1. Note: Laeva addresses herself using her name. 2. 륦? = Serval, = Seru. Technically she just shorted Serval, which is read Serubaru in Japanese, but I wanted to make it a little bit more of a nickname. I also would typically change the name/spelling of things in this novel to differentiate it with Earths counterpart, but Seruval sounds weird to me. Chapter 195: Takumi makes a musical instrument Chapter 195: Takumi makes a musical instrument One day, while the preparation of the forest and grassland environments of the Sanctuary were still ongoing, the development of the Sanctuary is still the same as ever, but now that its come to a point where I could take time off, I thought I should make something a bit different from the usual. I shouldnt use a magic device to reverberate sound. Gathering a variety of trees, I tried making several types. Im making necks, heads, bodies, the accessories. What I was thinking of making are musical instruments. Among them is the guitar, my only hobby in my previous life. For electric guitars though, its impossible to recreate pickups and the like without magic devices, and I have to make an amplifier magic device too. Thats why Im making an acoustic guitar first. The strings were several types that I had asked Kaede to make. Id like to try making a bass and a piano next time so it would be best to have all sorts of string. While I was working alone in the Sanctuary workshop, Sylph suddenly came out of nowhere and looked about. I swear, this Great Spirit is the embodiment of curiosity. Hey Takumi, is that a lute? Hm? Ah, Sylph. This is an acoustic guitar. Acoustic guitar? Ill let you hear it when its done. Really? Im excited to hear it. After saying so, she left all of a sudden. I put it together, tuned it, and tested it out by playing a song. Naturally, because I didnt know the songs of this world, I of course played the songs I liked in my past life. Its been a while so my fingers didnt move well at first, but maybe because this body is much more excellent, I was able to play better than in my previous life before long. When I was playing American folk style and UK guitar songs, this time, Salamander came all of a sudden and said to make an instrument that can make louder sounds. Music is a blast! (No, that should be Art is a blast![1]. Not that this world would get that reference though.) Now then, what instrument is loud? With Doganbo-sans help, I made a drum set. And so, after showing the simple 8-beat and 16-beat rhythm, Salamander seemed to have taken a liking to it and demanding to make a room for practicing. Hey, go make an environment where we dont have to worry about our surroundings. Thats fine and all, but it would be better for music to be enjoyed with everyone. Practice is for that very reason, isnt it?! Mm, thats true. I reluctantly constructed a building that includes a soundproof rooms for music practice. I had a feeling were going to need it anyway. So you can play music instruments too, huh Sophia? Yes, though it was only to a degree, I had taken lessons as a show of nobility. Takumi, do a concert! You always appear without warning, Sylph. Little ones playing musical instruments are increasing, and the Sanctuary needs amusement, you know. Indeed Takumi-sama, I agree with Sylph-samas idea. Like always, Sylph abruptly suggested we hold a concert. And Sophia supports this. Yup, she wants her own performance to be heard, huh. What will we do about the composition? There are classics from ages past that can be taught, and youve played all sorts of things on the guitar, right Takumi? Ive never heard such tunes. Thats why we should leave the composition to Takumi. No no no, I cant produce sheet music. Dont we have an expert? Muu~~ When I said it would be impossible if they allocate even the music to me, Sylphs cheeks puffed in displeasure. Takumi-sama, there are band maestros[3] in Yggurle Kingdom. Naturally, there should be composers as well, so what if we request a collaboration? Thats it! Theres no Elf that would refuse a request from us Great Spirits! Uwaa, so youre gonna use your standing to force them into coming. If this is settled then Ill call them! As soon as Sylph said this, she disappeared. ............shes gone, will this be alright? Maestros are employed by the country, arent they? It will be fine. I believe that even royalty would not be able to refuse Sylph-samas request. Now then, I have practice as well. Saying so, Sophia cheerfully headed into a soundproof room designed for music practice. Leaving me behind all by myself. *** Footnotes: 1. Referencing Deidara and his catchphrase Geijutsu ha bakuhatsu da! / Art is a blast!. 2. A real music hall. This blog post should show it in detail. Its really a work of art. 3. Are all master musicians maestros? Im clueless about music. Chapter 196: The Maestros have come Chapter 196: The Maestros have come Ohhh, my gosh. How magnificent. For a paradise like this to be in this world. Three Elves trembling with emotion shed tears upon seeing the concert hall and rehearsal building and were offering prayers to the Spirit Tree. ............who are these? They are famed maestros in Yggurle Kingdom who were summoned by the familial wind spirits at Sylph-samas instruction. Even you know them, Sophia? Yes, they are Pacherbal-dono, Chupan-dono, and Beethoban-dono. ......whats with those knockoff composer names? Is something strange? No, its just me. As we observed the three, they finished praying and rushed over to us. You are the custodian of the Sanctuary, are you not!? What a wonderful concert hall and rehearsal facility! Why, why had you not called us sooner!? Pacher! Thats not all! There are numerous instruments we do not know! How come you not invite us sooner!? Chupin! The instruments are one thing, but listen to the music theyre playing! What have we Elves been doing for the thousands of years?! Wait! Please calm yourselves! Managing to calm the three overly excited Elven maestros down, I requested that they provide the musical arrangement and scores. ............youre right. Shes exactly right. I can easily create musical instruments with my imagination because of my maxed out Woodworking Skill and Metalworking Skill. I remember how it was for me before, I just played the guitar and I obtained the Recital Skill at a decent level. Iruma-dono, please respond to Akane-donos request. The violin is by all means necessary. Still, Akane. Will you be organizing an orchestra? Isnt that impossible? Its impossible with how things are right now. But dont worry. Sophia changed from the clarinet to an oboe, and the lacking instruments will be Takumis and Laevas. An oboe? When and who made that? Please forgive me. Well, if its not me, then it can only be Laeva. I wouldnt blame her though. Thats why Ill be asking you to create the additional instrument. If you cant do it then the arrangements cant progress. Please! After saying all the things they wanted to say, Akane and the maestros left. Whats with that. Certainly, when it comes to orchestras, there are various formations, and there should be 2 of each flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. Also 2 of each horn, trumpet, and trombone, I think. Then a timpani, the 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello, kontrabass................ Looks like were going to die of overwork. This is because Takumi-sama made a guitar. Mm, thank you for your very accurate analysis. Yes, I am getting my just deserts. *** Chapter 197: The singing voice of the Spirits Chapter 197: The singing voice of the Spirits Ive been instructed to make as many instruments as possible to form a full orchestra, as well as expand the rehearsal facility. By who? Everyone. What even is an oboe? What is a bassoon supposed to sound like? I do know the general shape of woodwind instruments though. Things like the trumpet and trombone were made partially or entirely made with alchemy, so although I had to tweak those several times, I didnt have too much trouble completing them. However, take the trumpet for example, only the mouthpiece is made of brass and the sound varies depending on the material of the body............. Creating the instruments Ive seen in my old world from Akanes crappy blueprints and sketches was really tough. Even now, Im still not confident its correct. Also, there were more Elves that have had music training than I expected. Perhaps another blessing of the skill system, the Recital Skill doesnt choose instruments. Speaking in extremes, if you can play the piano well, then you can play the trumpet well too. The Recital Skill is a cheat-class skill. Only, leveling up the skill is hard. And there are many individuals among the long-living Elven race that have spend several decades polishing their skills, so there are plenty of people with high Recital skill. They are able to adapt to the new instruments too. Wait, that aside, the Sanctuarys inhabitants increased this much before we realized. Yes, the Spirits are gathering the poverty-stricken and suffering individuals especially in Yggurle Kingdom and immigrating them to the Sanctuary. Mimir-sama is the person supervising this. Mimir-sama, you say? Is it alright for the princess to help the citizens of her own country escape? Yes, it is at the Great Spirits discretion after all. Haa, so thats why the Elves increased. Right now, Im inside the concert hall listening to the orchestras performance while checking the acoustics of the hall. Being told by Sylph that only the best acoustics would be acceptable, I listened to the orchestra play over and over again from various areas in the hall. This concert hall has 3000 seats, including box and balcony seats. In the beginning, when I was hesitant to reproduce the stained glass dome ceiling of the Palau de la Mu?sica Catalana with its degree of difficulty, Great Wind Spirit Sylph and Great Light Spirit Selene half coerced me into it. So, having changed my mind because doing it manually would be unreasonable, I made a miniature stained glass ceiling using alchemy. After that, I experimented on the miniature version plenty, like adjusting the tint and revising the patterns, taking on the challenge. We received a message from Doganbo-san that the exterior sculptures will take 2-3 more days to complete. Then maybe the concert will be around 5 days after. No, guests from the three countries will arrive in 10 days, so it will be after that. ............since when did we have guests? It feels like this is becoming more and more serious. Will the guests be higherups? And so, 10 days later, visitors` along with their attendants, escorts, and the carriage drivers` began making their appearance at the Sanctuarys concert hall. The kings of each country seem to have unending interest for the worlds first concert hall, a structure overflowing with artistry. Seeing the sculptures and ornaments inside the hall, and the large stained glass ceiling, they looked absolutely astonished and impressed. The guest seating was filled, and amidst the murmuring, the performers appeared on stage and began their preparations. The last to make his entrance was the eldest Elven maestro, Beethoban. He bowed to the audience then faced the orchestra and raised the conductors baton above his head. Beginning from Elven classics, it then shifted to orchestral arrangements of the widely known tunes of this world. Then Canon was performed. It was followed by Ode to Joy which was when beautiful women dressed up came out and began singing alongside the performance of the orchestra. The beautiful women were the Mermaids whose specialty is singing. And then, a mysterious noise began blending in with the mermaids singing. From the stained glass-covered ceiling, lights of all sorts of color started becoming visible. The mysterious sound eventually filled the hall with music. ............the singing of the Spirits. When I muttered this, Sylph and Undine who were seated at the same box nodded their heads in affirmation. Rainbow-colored lights danced within the hall. The singing of the Spirits was in harmony with the orchestras playing and the mermaids singing. The magical lights and torrent of sounds blessed everyone, be they Human, Elf, Dwarf, Beastkin, Mermaid, or Cat Sith. Outside the concert hall, the Spirits danced boisterously around the Spirit Tree. The uproar that began from me making a guitar in my free time came to an end in this manner. After this, the maestros of the three countries longed to study in the Sanctuary, and the new instruments and tunes spread out within the continent, but thats a different story. *** Chapter 198: Traces of the dream Chapter 198: Traces of the dream Its the day after the dream-like event. Im in the bed in the mansion within the Sanctuary this morning. Master(Husband), there is a visitor who requested to meet with you. What would you like to do? The person who gently stirred me awake was the Rabbitkin Marnie who had just finished preparing breakfast and thought that it was about time to wake me. As she was as seductive as ever, I woke up clearheaded. Visitors? The Elven meastros and Mimir-sama. In the afternoon, Margrave Volton said he would like to make a visit. The maestros, they were the ones who cried out loud in the concert, werent they? Yes. After the concert ended yesterday, the standing ovation continued for a good while. During that, a large number of people were moved to tears. Especially those Elven maestros, their faces crumpled as they wailed. All in all, it was definitely a magical spectacle and a wonderful performance. Oh, Iruma-dono. My apology for making you come out of your way. I apologize for coming early in the morning. When I went to the reception room on the first floor after having finished preparing, Mimir-sama and the elven maestros far older than me stood up with faces full of smiles. Good morning. Yesterdays performance was magnificent. I was deeply moved. Thank you very much. Nay, please let us thank you. At first, since it was the words of the Spirit-samas, we had partly thought it was unavoidable. However, to have been able to come to this Sanctuary, experience new instruments and music, and receive the blessings of the Spirits at our performance, all of this was because of Iruma-dono. No, I just helped out after all. Thereupon, in truth, we have a request for Takumi-dono. A request? I shall explain from here. Please wait a moment. No matter how you put it, that many instruments is impossible for us. Yes, yes, indeed it is. Iruma-dono, despite being a master artisan, as well as an outstanding Alchemist, creating all the instruments using alchemy would be unreasonable, while on the other hand, creating a number manually would be an enormous undertaking. As such, if we may ask you to create several samples of brass musical instruments such as the trumpet and trombone using your alchemy, as well as prepare completed woodwind instruments and spare accessories, we would entrust the production to our countries craftsmen and blacksmiths. In other words, theyre saying they want samples of the instruments, but even then, the burden on me is still enormous. Please, we beseech you. We would like to propagate the instruments and compositions in this continent. Haa, ............still, its not that easy. Especially the piano, that takes a lot of time and work to make. The piano is amazing! Oooh, that instrument is superb! Its range is extensive and its potential is infinite! No, I didnt ask............... After all that, as someone who cant refuse, I ended up promising to make the instruments. We settled on the price to be paid by Yggurle Kingdom. And the important matter that Margrave Volton came to visit me for in the afternoon was the same, to sell the music sheets and instruments to Valkyra Kingdom. Apparently, theyve asked those Elven maestros for coaching. And, obviously, there was also a request from Lomaria Kingdom too............. Master(husband), please do your best. Marnie, wheres Sophia? Everyone is practicing. .................. An escort isnt necessary inside the Sanctuary, but even Sophia is caught up in the dream known as music. It hit me again that this is a world with few pleasures. And, for some reason, my work increased again. *** Chapter 199: The completed town in the savage lands Chapter 199: The completed town in the savage lands Its been a few days since the concert took place in the Sanctuary concert hall. The music mania of the Sanctuarys citizens continues to heat up, and Laeva and I are as busy as ever. Takumi-shamaaa! Takumi-oniichaaan! Oniichaaan! Cat Sith sisters Miri and Lala, Catkin siblings Wappa and Sara, Human sisters Colette and Shirona ran to me while I was resting in the mansion garden. The little girl trio jumped at me and clung on. Whats up guys? You see, Lala wants to play music nya. Sara too, Sara too! Shirona wants to play the piano. The trio rubbed their head on me and pleaded. Wappa, you guys too? Yup, I think that thing called a trumpet looks cool. Miri likes the violin nya. I want to try all sorts of them. It looks like the older siblings have awakened to music too. If these kids ask me, theres no way I can say no, right? Okay. Ill make instruments for you guys. Yaaay! Thank you! Im so happy-nya! Oniichan, I love you! The Papeck Company seems to have opened a branch as well. Uwaa, Papeck-san, he said to sell him a small bulk of wine, didnt he? If its wine, it appears they are now able brew a stable amount, so would it not be alright if it were a small quantity? The Dwarves appear to prefer stronger alcohol like whiskey. Then Ill have to show up at one point. Indeed, I believe that would be good. In the end, because I was busy crafting the instruments, our field trip to the town will happen 10 days later. The town built east of the Sanctuary is close enough that it can be walked within a day. While small, the fortress town is surrounded by ramparts, because I think they had no choice considering how it is located in the savage lands that is dotted with monster nests. Outside the walls, a farmland surrounded by a fence to ward off monsters was built, and we could already see many farmers working there. Around that area were the knights of the three nations and adventurers exterminating monsters. Its a town comparable to Wedgefort, huh. Its likely because Elven Spirit Mages also participated in the construction. Today, the only one with me is Sophia. Everyone else is doing what they like at the Sanctuary. Laeva is working though. After observing the exterior, we purposely entered the town from the east gate. I thought it would be too conspicuous if we entered the town from the Sanctuary side. Inside, the embassies and consulates of each nation and various guild branches were lined up on the wide stone-paved main street. ......hey, you recognize this? Yes, its just like Wedgefort, isnt it? It would seems the towns design was taken after Wedgeforts. Sure, Wedgefort is a town I made from the ground up, so I do think its a well made town. Now then, how about we take a stroll while we search for the Papeck Company? Very well. Sophia and I wandered the town bustling with merchants, adventurers, knights, soldiers, and craftsmen from the three country as we made our way to the Papeck Company. *** Chapter 200: Let’s make a school Chapter 200: Lets make a school Located in the best district near the main street. It seems the Papeck Company is amazing, huh? In recent years, it has made great strides, after all. About that, could it be............... Yes, I believe it is largely influenced by you, Takumi-sama. So it really is that. I feel anxious with strangers, so I didnt actively make deals with merchants beside Papeck-san. When we entered the Papaeck Companys building, the voice of a person I knew well had greeted us. Ouh, Iruma-sama. Welcome to our branch store. Eh!? Papeck-san! So you had come to this town too. Yes, it would appear that the president of the Papeck Company had personally come to the launch of his branch store. That is because this is a town where many of the large companies of various countries are establishing branches, as such, I too must make an effort. Is that so? If you are busy, should I come at a different time? No no, I have something I would like to discuss with Iruma-sama as well. According to Papeck-san, the people from companies all over want to be a company handpicked to open a business in the Sanctuary. Right now, while I think it isnt necessary to suddenly change the bartering system of the self-sufficient Sanctuary, I do believe we will have to introduce a monetary economy sooner or later. As self-sufficiency had become possible, there were few things that the Sanctuary would like to purchase outside so that would end up being a disproportionate trade, but that would probably improve gradually. But Papeck-san. I think becoming a merchant qualified to enter the Sanctuary would be a high hurdle. Please leave such matters to me. We pay close attention to the latest information regarding the personnel selection. If Papeck-san says so, then Ill believe in him. Still, about Valkyra Kingdoms companies, I think theres a lot of them even though only the big companies are present, but how are things that side? Placing both my hands on the ground. I called to mind a precise image and invoked Earth magic. Gogogogogoooo``!! I neatly prepared the soil of the space for things like the school building and the sports ground, then I hardened the ground in the area where the school building would be. I took the stones collected from the savage lands out of the Item Box where it had been stored in. Its possible to construct things directly from the ground, but it would make a basement proportionate to the building above if I do that. The school building doesnt need a basement, so I prepared the stone separately this time. Using the stacked stones as material, I etched the blueprint into my brain and, with a concrete image in mind, I activated Earth magic. Gogogogooooo``!! A staggering amount of magic power slipped out of my body. It took less than a minute to complete a three story school building. Additionally, I continued to make a large quantity of window glass with alchemy. As I was installing the glass into the windows, I applied strengthening enchantments to it so it wouldnt break. I completed the exterior of the school, and I got the Dwarves to help out with the interior. For the interior, because it is the place where children would study, the floor and walls were affixed with wooden planks. The task of creating simple[1] wooden desks and chairs was divided among them. While Laeva and the Dwarves were working on those, I did nothing but make nails out of iron ingots in the workshop. I used alchemy to remove the impurities and added carbon to make steel. Once I got the steel into the shape on nails, it was complete. After the interior is finished, well make the lighting equipment for the classrooms. In this world, the Lamp MDs made are only for a portion of the wealthy, but in the Sanctuary, every household have Lamp MDs and a Toilet Purifier MD. Thats why the school will naturally have Lamp MDs and Toilet Purifier MDs installed. On that subject, the residential houses do not have baths. Instead, they use public bathhouses segregated for men and for women. And so, even though we havent found teachers yet, a legitimate school was completed in the Sanctuary. *** Footnotes: 1. Raw says ?, but I think its a typo for ? which means simple. Sphys Note: Wow, were actually now at 200. Thank you for reading this far with me, and I hope we can all finish this~ Chapter 201: Shops and Sentinels Chapter 201: Shops and Sentinels The school was completed only in its shell. After that, Papeck-san set foot into the Sanctuary for the first time. Ou, so that is the Spirit Tree. ............how magnificent. And for some reason, he shed a flood of tears. Papeck-san had taken several people with him. He said they were people representing the companies of various countries and the countries government officials. Actually, opening a large number of stores in the Sanctuary was a no go from the Great Spirits. Apparently, having less places for the Spirits to monitor is better. And so, Papeck-san and the others decided to open department and supermarket-like stores. Today, they came to inspect the site where those would be constructed. The new shops that would be built will not only sell their merchandise, but also buy the grains and fruit grown by the residents, the salt and seafood caught by the mermaids, gradually introducing a monetary economy. Ooh, so it will be here, close to the residential area and not too distant from the center. No qualms about the space as well. Upon seeing the land intended for the construction that I guided them to, Papeck-san and the other visitors talked about all sorts of things. Thats how it will be. You will have to rely on the Sanctuary Dwarves for the construction of the buildings. The craftsmen from outside are restricted from passing through the barrier, after all. Thats right. However, we will make arrangements to deliver materials and the furniture to be used in the stores. It would be appreciated if you could collect gathered materials placed directly outside of the barrier. Understood. Thank you for preparing the building materials. Then, after confirming several things in advance, Papeck-san and the others left and went back to the town east of the Sanctuary. It was then that Undine located me and came. Takumi, so business will now be possible in the Sanctuary. The design she saw in my hand illustrated a golem with the upper half of a knight and the lower half of a spider. It wouldnt be able to attack like Kaedes threads could, but Ill equip it with a Wire Attack and a long distance needle shooting attack apparatus. The reason its lower half will be a spiders is so it would be able to run stably even when confronted with bad roads. Actually, at first, I planned for it to be a Centaur-type golem, with its lower half being a horses. The concept I have for it is a fast moving golem, after all. But rather than 4 legs, 8 legs would be more stable. For the time being, Ill make a centaur-type horse too. Whether its lower half is that of a spider or a horse, I want the man-type knight upper body to be equipped with a simple spear and shield. Using its speed for Lance Charge and its Shield Charge to capitalize on its metal bodys weight, I want those to be its weapons. Aside from the fast moving golem, Ill also design a heavy armor golem specialized in defense. Having learned of the turbulent presence in the middle of the continent from Undine, I for some reason thought of the attacker that the the dark guild sent even though it should be completely unrelated. That drug which makes it possible for the user to move beyond their limits with their sense of pain numbed and their fear of self destruction lost. Imagining that drug falling into the hands of the zealots in the middle of the continent, my back suddenly felt cold and I shuddered. I suddenly feel somewhat anxious. Takumi-sama, Laeva had reflected a little as well. Hmm? High powered golems are valuable. However, even if the performance of a golem is equal to that of a stray, if their numbers are large enough then they would still be useful. There is power in numbers. Oh, ohhh, cant deny that. Fortunately, the mine of this Sanctuary has plenty of iron ore that can be collected. I will make plenty of Stone Golems and Iron Golems. Ah, yeah, mhmm, Ill leave it to you. Laeva, who was in the same workshop, drafted her own special way to defend this area, so I decided to leave it to her. To a soldier, even the abilities of a stray golem could become a sufficient threat. As such, the golems I make will conversely be few but extravagant. For the body, I had intended on using chromium molybdenum steel and tungsten alloy, but when I considered the magic resistance on its exterior, I decided to mix in just a little bit of mithril and made it a type of mithril alloy. On top of which, if I plate it with more mithril, its magic resistance would increase considerably. Despite the familiar materials being plentiful because of the expansion done by the three countries which focused on the outskirts of the Sanctuary and their subsequent joint exploitation of the savage lands, something urged me to hasten the development of the golems. *** Chapter 202: Golem Corps Chapter 202: Golem Corps Having begun making golems, what I will be focusing on in the golems this time is the performance of the golem cores. I still cant make a golem of the same caliber as Titan, but Ill be drawing a magic formula with the aim of having a flexible AI, to a degree. The types of golem that Ill make are: Polypod-type Golem (Spider) Polypod-type Golem (Scorpion) Equestrian-type Golem (Centaur) Normal Knight-type Golem Heavy Knight-type Golem The addition of the Scorpion Polypod-type Golem is partly because of the inclusion of the spider-type that would become Kaedes subordinates. The upper half of the scorpion-type was similar to the spider-type, but its lower half will have 6 legs and 2 pincer arms, and it has a tail with a poison stinger. It might be the golem with the most ways to attack. The Heavy Knight-type Golem specializes in defense, equipped with a large shield, heavy mace, and a bulky armor. Takumi-sama, will there be no archers? Hm? Archers? Yes, if there are golems of the heavy knight-type, normal knight-type, and equestrian-type, I simply thought that it would be adequate to have an archer-type golem as well. I tried considering what Sophia said. Certainly, if I look at it as an army, a way to attack long range is essential, and even in Japans Warring States period, the era prior to the application of guns, many casualties of the war were attributed to bows. Normal Knight-type Golem C 4 Heavy Knight-type Golem C 2 Archer-type Golem C 4 This will be one platoon and I decided that the polypod-type golem will be the leader. Four platoons is a company, four companies is a battalion, and right now my objective is to make a battalion-sized golem corps. 240 golems huh. Once we include the equipment into the count, the sighs really will begin to spill out. A 240 golem corps? Im certain that would be a spectacle. It would be a company if it was a troop of 240 humans though. Well, these are golems, after all. If possible, Id like to make a division and brigade-sized golem unit. I dont know why, but my intuition is telling me to prepare. Whether this is because of the Insight Skill or a supernatural-like foreboding, I dont know. Its not like it would be any trouble even if we over-prepare, so Ive decided to act based on my intuition. With Laeva and the Dwarves help, I made all sorts of golems. To fight against threats that may eventually come. *** Footnotes: 1. example of the bow: Single blade here, possible variation here. 2. Spider polypod golem missing from the platoon count. Chapter 203: Reclaiming the savage lands Chapter 203: Reclaiming the savage lands Frightened by something, I continued to make golems. It was then that a proposal came from Dryas and Undine. Reclaim the savage lands? Yes, since the three countries found out about the Sanctuary, the other countries would also know, wouldnt they? As the town to the east of the Sanctuary has been completed, the establishment of the main road will move forward, so during that, I was thinking the surroundings of the Sanctuary can largely be reclaimed.Follow the latest novels on The flowing river needs to be altered greatly, but the savage lands have several rivers that run through it and there is a large lake where the spring water gushes forth. If Undine and I cooperate, it would be possible to change wastelands into forests and grasslands. Reclamation huh.................. I considered what Dryas and Undine mentioned. The remainder of the current savage lands in the west of the continent connects Yggurle Kingdom, Valkyra Kingdom, and Lomaria Kingdom by a highway that starts from Wedgefort, and the monsters in that area started being exterminated. Monster nests still dot the land even now. Within that, there is a motion for the three countries to deal with the numerous Undead-type monster nests which dont have materials with much profit. Would it be possible to construct a fort in the area between Wedgefort and the new town? Titan and I can build the towns container. This time, we can even get the Dwarves and Elves in the Sanctuary to help out. But people who would inhabit it probably wouldnt gather immediately. If thats the case, I thought that it would be nice if forts are built to surround the town already present and cultivate the farmland within. Whatever the case, well have to ask for coordination between the people involved. Well then, we will be going. Eh, w-wait! Saying just that, Undine and Dryas went back. It had been splendidly pushed onto you. After entering the room and waiting for a little while, the door opened and Margrave Volton entered. Ooh, Iruma-dono, trade with the Sanctuary is starting gradually and every country is grateful for it. In addition, the new instruments and music seem to be spreading tremendously. Thats great, isnt it? Hmm? Could it be a different matter? Yes, actually............ I talked about the turbulent presence in the middle of the continent that Undine and the Great Spirits told me about. Hearing the words middle of the continent, Margrave Volton blatantly frowned. ............the zealots and war maniacs? I cant say for certain, but it is likely those two countries. ......fumu, I would implore you to not be hindered by the savage land reclamation in your work to grow the Sanctuary. As such, Iruma-dono, do you have a proposal? Yes, actually............ So I suggested building forts to shield the south side of the town in the east of the Sanctuary in a circular form. ......thats not a bad idea. Presently, the three nations are working together to exterminate the monsters in the surroundings of the town, and it would be beneficial if there are forts that units can resupply and take refuge in should an unlikely event occur. However, it is necessary to coordinate this with the three countries. I will relay this immediately and contact you, Iruma-dono. If we receive your help with the construction, we will be able to shorten the construction period, after all. The fact is, by shielding the vicinity of the town with forts, the land inside can be cultivated to farmland and the safety of the farmers can be guaranteed. Margrave Volton was on board with this. It could also be said that with Dryas and Undines powers, the success of the farmland was promised. Afterwards, Margrave Volton promised to discuss this with the three nations and I was done being Undines messenger. *** Chapter 204: Building a line of defense Chapter 204: Building a line of defense Since the time I made the proposal to build forts to Margrave Volton, the trination moved quickly. From that alone, their wariness towards Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire Sydnia appeared strong. Actually, Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom have incurred damage from the zealots of the Light God Faith, and Triaria Kingdom waged a war of aggression with Yggurle Kingdom to enslave the Elves like madmen over 50 years ago. Of course they would be vigilant. Without delay, in the fortress town built on the east named Valor, the scale and build location of the forts as well as the plan to construction of defensive walls to protect the farmers from monsters when they develop the farmland were discussed. There, it was suggested that the forts to be constructed should also serves as a post station[1] between Valor and Wedgefort. Currently, the distance between Wedgefort to Valor takes two days for a carriage pulled by a Demon Horse. Since it would take even longer for a normal carriage, if there is at least one, and if possible two post stations, the comings and goings of merchants would become more active and it would spur the development of the Valor which holds the role of being the hub for the three countries. Going by my comments, its been decided that forts will be built in 6 locations encircling Valor. There were six points accurately marked on the map we made of the surroundings of the Sanctuary. These six points have an important meaning. The civil official who will be responsible for the Valkyras fort construction asked a question. Iruma-dono, must the building locations of these forts accurately and unerringly be in these location? Yes, I will mark the exact spots, so please build the forts with those marks at the center. It has importance. Since I will build a tower on these marked spots, please leave ample space. The locations these towers will be erected in will be important? Yes. The six points surrounding Valor are arranged to the shape of a hexagram. I will build towers installed with a magic device in the marked spots at those forts. When those magic devices are activated, it would draw a gigantic hexagram and magic would activate. Wide Area Purification Magic , I think purification magic would be effective if what Undine and the Great Spirits were anxious about were the two countries in the center of the continent. It shows a tremendous effect against monsters that contain miasma and people encroached by miasma. Like before, the fanatics encroached by miasma were at least greatly inhibited in movement with wide area purification magic, while there were even some that didnt even leave dust after being purified.Follow the latest novels on Gogogogooooo!! We built monster-repelling walls and a dry moat from the fort south of Valor towards farther south using Earth Magic. Sophia asked what my plans were after I finish constructing the three forts I was in charge of. Takumi-sama, what will you do about the inner side of the forts? Hmm, I planned for it to be farmland someday, but for the time being, Ill help construct the three countries share of forts. Fortifying the defense will also become a deterrent, after all. I believe it would be difficult to search for reason from those two countries, but doing everything you can would leave nothing to regret, wouldnt it? ......no, they are more or less still countries, so they still have some reasoning, even if minute. I dont think you should look for reasoning from a country of religious fanatics and a country of war maniacs. ............thats true. The wall for reclaiming farmland will be built first in the south. Its prepared for threats coming from the south. Countries besides the two at the center of the continent are continuing to develop. The believers of the Genesis Faith are increasing, and the believers of the Light God Faith are decreasing, with their churches closing in places outside of their own country. I didnt think that this situation was accelerating an outburst. *** Footnotes: 1. A post station is a place where people can rest during their journey. 2. Honestly, I wish there was a world map so it wouldnt be as hard to imagine all these. Chapter 205: Farmland Reclamation Chapter 205: Farmland Reclamation Master (Husband), thats a nice smile you have. Stress had just been piling on recently, you see. As Sophia and Marnie watched me work on reclaiming farmland using Earth Magic with a smile on my whole face, I played around with earth for the first time in a while. I was clearing the fields and building a waterway through the wall. Nearby, Kaede rode Tsubaki and was hunting the surrounding monsters. As expected, rather than dealing with strife, its more fun for me to create things. Since the fort construction had more or less been going well, I started on the next project. Thinking were in need of reserve force besides the soldiers that would be stationed in the forts, I asked by way of Margrave Volton if its possible to cultivate the farmland with agricultural soldiers (shortened: agrisoldiers). Agrisoldiers, people ordinarily working the fields that become soldiers in times of emergency were possible to gather easily. I was told that by providing the nearly retired adventurers and soldiers reclaimed land, they would cultivate it while continuing to train. Requests like that are plenty, apparently. Even as adventurers, after retiring, the number of individuals that were capable of living a life of leisure are but a small handful. This also applies to those besides the noble knights and soldiers, many of whom want but cant have families. After I suggested the agrisoldiers, things started moving terrifyingly fast. So far, several families had already begun to immigrate. Because of that, I hurried to make houses close to the field for them. A wall will be built for the village not far from the six forts, and if there comes a time, they can evacuate to the fort or Valor. The soldiers of the trination that occupy Valor, the soldiers stationed in the forts, adventurers based in Valor, and if the agricultural soldiers are added to this, then in a time of emergency, they would be able to defend themselves until reinforcements from the three countries arrive. Undine, tell me the location of a groundwater vein. Were you able to grasp the movements of Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire Sydnia? Yes sir, the influence of the Light God Church has diminished, but in my humblest opinion, it makes them more dangerous. The fewer they are, the more radical they become, is it? That is how it is. Around how long before they have an outburst? Perhaps from half a year to a year. Simons prediction is that it wouldnt be strange for those two countries to explode soon. Then Knight Commander Galahad gave his report regarding their defense plan. The defense around our domestic borders have no issues. However, their invasion would undoubtedly be aimed towards the Sanctuary from the direction of the savage lands. In order to respond, the neighboring towns, Valor and Wedgefort, must increase the number of their soldiers. Umu, let us appeal to the nobles with territories in the north to dispatch their troops. By your will. Saying so, Galahad promptly left to organize troops. King Lobos and Simon steered the discussion towards the transportation of goods and emergency reserves. In addition, theyll immediately approach Lomaria Kingdom and Yggurle Kingdom about opening an assembly with regards to the defense around Valor. *** Chapter 206: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 206 A new event Chapter 206: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 206 A new eventBy the time we finished the forts we were in charge of in the south to the reclamation of the farmland in the north, the construction of the settlement that the agrisoldiers and their families would live in was also completed. Because the farmland can immediately be planted in with Gnome and Dryas powers, grains and vegetable seeds were promptly sowed in. The agrisoldiers do combat training and wall reinforcing during their breaks from farming. In the living room of my mansion in the Sanctuary, I drank tea and idled for the first time in a long while. Fuu~ The tea is delicious. Thank you very much, Master(Husband). Marnie, you should take a break too. It was then that Akane and Lulu-chan entered the living room while stretching. Lulu-chan prepared to brew tea for Akane once she sat on the sofa. Hey Takumi, dont you think the Sanctuary needs an event? Umm, we held a showy concert recently though...... Yes, thanks to the success of that concert, for some time, I was busy making instruments. Even now, the three countries Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom were making an orchestra to produce new music. Thats that and this is this. I think we need a festival! A festival? Could this festival youre talking about be a festival like the one in Japan? Yeah! That! I want to eat cotton candy and candied apples! Master, what is cotton candy?! Kaede bit at the topic of food. In the place that Akane lived, its a sweet thing often found in festivals. A candy that is fluffy and melts as soon as its in your mouth. Woaaah! Kaede wants to eat too! Thats right Kaede! Is the festival (omatsuri) not a harvest festival (shuukakusai)? Ah, the kakigoori too, okay? Yes, yes. If Ill be using all sorts of fruits, then it would be better to discuss that too. Ill go ask Melty-san if shell sell fruits. See ya! The managers of the Sanctuarys orchard are the first Elven family that arrived at the Sanctuary, the mother Melty-san and sisters Melanie and Malorie. The population of the Elves has increased, but the Elven women have a central role in the orchard work aside from the manual labor. Melty-san, can we talk about a few things? My, Takumi-sama. If its you talking, then whatever it is I shall obey. Likewise for me. No, its not that heavy a topic. Please calm down a bit. The truth is............ I hurriedly talked about wanting to use apples and other fruits in stalls for the festival that Akane suggested. Hmm, a thing like that would be no problem at all. Both this orchard and us are here thanks to you, after all, Takumi-sama. Because of this, even if you were to tell me to present my body, I would gladly do so. No no, calm yourself, Melty-san! Once Melty-san and the girls composed themselves, they agreed to supply fruits. Afterwards, they also agreed to help with the candied apple and kakigoori stalls. The candied apple stall will have apples and grapes, and for the kakigoori stall, they promised to help make syrup with various fruits. Now then, to make the stalls, I have to talk to the Dwarves. *** Footnotes: 1. All the words I left in Japanese can be googled if youre not sure what they are. Chapter 207: Festival Chapter 207: Festival With the help of Doganbo-san and the Dwarves, we made all sorts of stalls. Looks interesting. I would be delighted if you sold alcohol as well, but do the Sanctuary inhabitants have any money? Undine made me remember a huge thing while the preparations were ongoing. O-oh yeah. I forgot such a fundamental thing. What should I do? If you dont invite outsiders, then wouldnt it be fine to do this free of charge this time? Money started trickling in when trade with Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom began, so more and more people are earning money for their work in the Sanctuary. Oh. Should I distribute money to everyone sooner? We have money stocked up from selling Spirit Tree materials and rare medicinal plants, dont we? Yup. How much money can they spend in stalls? No way a person can use 1 gold, right? Should I distribute 10 silver to each person, from the adults to the children? Deciding so, I immediately asked Sophia and Maria. Up until now, Ive been stocking up on daily necessities from the Papeck Company and handing it out to the people of the Sanctuary, but I cant keep doing this forever. Itll soon be possible to shop at the stores Papeck-san requested to set up, and the citizens can spend their extra money there. The Elves working in the orchard and the mermaids fishing in the sea will be absorbed into the monetary economy when they sell their goods in shops. Please leave it to us. Well distribute this to everyone right away then. The Sanctuary inhabitants watched this attentively. When Princess Mimir turned around, indicating the end of the ceremony, the impatiently waiting children ran to the stalls. It looks like everyones pleased. Of course, the adults and the children are all in high spirits. I bought all sorts of food and enjoyed eating them as I sat down in the area where the chairs and tables were lined up. I had set it up with the image of the food court of a large supermarket in my old world. A shift rotation had been set up so that even the people manning the stalls could enjoy the festival, so Ill be subbing in later. These glittering light magic devices are lovely too. Sophia smiled as she gazed at the decorative lights. Maybe slightly drunk on wine, the faintly reddened amorous Sophia was not bad either. The adults lined their tables with the stall food they bought and were enjoying wine and ale from similar stalls. Although the Sanctuary had begun making alcohol, it hasnt reached the point where the inhabitants drink alcohol on a daily basis. But thanks to the Dwarves, Gnome, and Salamander for arranging the increase in production, were freely able to enjoy alcohol. Then Undine and Sylph came with glasses in hand. Takumi, its a huge success. Our familial spirits are overjoyed as well. Once a year, lets make it an annual event. Yup, definitely, if we can see the smiles on everyones faces then its fine even if we do it every year, wouldnt it? The lively Sanctuary evening wore into the night with the smiles and laughter of everyone. *** Chapter 208: Monster Country Chapter 208: Monster Country The purification of the Earth Pulse began from west of the continent because of the Spirit Tree, the entity that is restoring the power of the World Tree which originally tended to that role. And while the miasma in the continent is weakening, there is only one place with a different aspect. The Divine Empire Sydnia, in a continent where the Genesis Faith is prevalent, is the sole country that believes in the Light God Faith as their state religion. That place is a nation where the Pope is at the top of the power structure, a state with doctrines on human supremacy where non-human races are all slaves, a country where it is righteous to eliminate other races and religions. However, the Holy Knights of the Templar Order[1]were exuding miasma` something impossible for people to have` from their bodies. Their eyes, hollow and insane. Mixed in with those knights were two black haired and black eyed youths. Akira Jinguji and Yamato Taiga. Two former high schoolers from Japan that were summoned as heroes. They had grown arrogant from being given too much power in this world, willingly murdering people. Amassing miasma within themselves, they lost their minds, and with the dark guilds Demonicine, theyve been reduced to mere killing machines numb to pain. Regarding Akira Jinguji, he had become unable to use the Light Attribute Magic which a hero should have had the aptitude for. Changing an acquired attribute is fundamentally impossible, but such a thing was happening within Akira Jinguji. Already beyond salvation, the only way to stop them is through death. Pope Warvaal and Imperial Princess Elizabeth were also seized with miasma, incapable of making normal decisions. In particular, the person greatly altered was Imperial Princess Elizabeth. She was no longer a Human. Having fused with the Evil Spirit, Elizabeth was no longer revered as the Princess Elizabeth, but as the living god within the Divine Empire Sydnia. The current state of the continent was unacceptable to the Divine Empire Sydnia. Urgently, we must expand our garrison and increase the number of personnel. Let us dispatch the mage division as well and erect encampments. We would like to place archers from Yggurle Kingdom in watchtowers that would be built at uniform spacing. The civil and military officials of the Trination deliberated over the procurement of their respective supplies and deployment of personnel. According to the reports from the intelligence division, the route of the invasion will pass through the savage lands is certain, so of course, it is very probable that the town that the Trination built, Valor, will sustain damage. As such, its only natural that the Trination would seriously prepare to intercept. Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdoms Trination alliance also intended to take this opportunity to thoroughly weaken the Divine Empire Sydnias power. The shadows of a great war was about to engulf the continent. *** Footnotes: 1. The previous name given by the author for the order is ̇Tʿ which I then tled as Holy Knight Order, the name used now is Tʿ so I might permanently change it to Templar Order / Templars. 2. Typo: raw-а correct-Κ. 3. Ive been kind of alternating the translation of } between holy and sacred energy, with holy being used more in Sydnia, and sacred in Sanctuary, since its easier to distinguish which area/country the energy pertains to. But in a sense, they mean the same thing. Chapter 209: Commencing the invasion Chapter 209: Commencing the invasion The invading forces of Divine Empire Sydnia had finally begun to move. They marched through Triaria Kingdoms side of its shared border with Lomaria Kingdom. Taking this opportunity to strike Yggurle Kingdom, Triaria Kingdom merged their troops with the invading army in order to make the savage lands their own. When the Divine Empire Sydnias invading army passed through Triaria Kingdom and tread upon the savage lands, the size of the army exceeded 10,000 men. In the scale of wars in this world, an army of 10,000 is classified as a large-scale war. Nevertheless, it may be reasonable in consideration of the fact that mankinds living space is small so its population is relatively minute in comparison to the size of the continent. However, should an army of 10,000 men march through the savage lands, it would be an act equivalent to calling in monsters. The Divine Empire Sydnias army of people who have almost lost themselves and exceeded the limits of man were trampling down monsters, but that wasnt the case for Triaria Kingdom. As a result, it became an erratic situation where they marched while taking damage. The Divine Empire Sydnias army decimating monsters with their abnormal strength didnt mean they were completely without injury though. But, horrifyingly enough, the deceased soldiers became the Undead and continued to march. The soldiers-turned-zombies strangely did not attack the marching troops of the Divine Empire Sydnia and Triaria Kingdom as they walked slowly, continuing the march as an immortal army. Naturally, the fact that the Divine Empire Sydnia moved their army to the savage lands through Triaria Kingdom became known to the Trination. In particular, with the participation of Triaria Kingdoms army, Yggurle Kingdom who had justification from the events 50 years prior had immediately mobilized its army. Among the knights deployed was Darphy Von Sylphide, Sophias younger brother. In the Sanctuary, Sophia rushed to me as I was doing my routine tasks. Takumi-sama, Divine Empire Sydnia has begun its invasion. With Triarias army joining, their numbers exceed 10,000. Ten thousand men marching in the savage lands, how reckless can they be...... If an army that large marched, wouldnt that lure out the monsters from surrounding monster nests? To top it off, Sophia notified me of more important information. Master, Kaede will go set traps. Takumi-sama, Laeva will also install traps around. Kaede and Laeva said they would lay traps meant for interception. In that case, well be ready to intercept. Then, as we will be preparing the food in advance, please store them in your Item Box, Master(Husband). Ill help too. Just to be sure, I will instruct the Sanctuary people to evacuate to the ship in case of an emergency. Marnie and Maria disappeared into the kitchen to make food, while Sophia left to inform the inhabitants on how to respond in an emergency. I also asked Titan to mobilize the golem corps to the two forts located south of Valor. The golem corps exceeded the 240 initially planned and had now become a battalion of 400. This is thanks to Doganbo-san and the Dwarves helping with the full operation. That said, what increased were mostly the Normal Knight-type golems, but theres strength in numbers, which continue to increase. I handed over the golem cores that I prepared beforehand to the Dwarves and left the assembly to them so production is still ongoing. For the time being, I instructed Titan to deploy 200 golems to the two forts. We hurriedly prepared a line of defense. All so that whats important to us arent taken away. *** Chapter 210: Opening of Hostilities Chapter 210: Opening of Hostilities Divine Empire Sydnia and Triaria Kingdoms Sanctuary invasion army was slower than expected, and that time was an advantage for us. Their troops seem to have slowed down their pace to match the undead that they had brought along with them. As the Trination build their field encampment, Lomaria Kingdom brought out catapults and even ballista. Yggurle Kingdom erected many watchtowers for their archers, and the magic division had secured copious amounts of mana potions as a countermeasure for magic power exhaustion. Valkyra Kingdom had also prepared a notable amount of all sorts of potions. Titan, are the Heavy Knight Golems equipped with large shields enchanted with magic resistance? Yes, Master, golems deployed as arranged. I see, please make sure the Archer Golems dont run out of arrows. Roger, Master. I left Titan and walked 500m south from the field camp to where Laeva and Kaede were setting traps. Ah, Takumi-sama. The installation of explosive traps is going well. Kaede set poison traps too, Master! Laevas traps were the so-called landmine-like magic device. The general land mine and the directional anti-personnel claymore had been successfully reproduced. Kaede laid threads on the ground which would then coil around the marching soldiers above it, even inflicting additional poison damage. Then, lets have a meal once were done. The enemy army visible from the camps watchtowers was still at a distance that couldnt be seen as anything but grains of rice. At the pace of their march, it would still take some time. Alright, everyone, prepare to intercept! Archers to the watchtowers! Mages in charge of the barriers and attacks, hasten preparations! Rush the catapults and ballista preparations too! Galahad-san loudly issued orders after my prompt. As expected, they have been encroached by miasma. As soon as I thought I heard someone talk all of a sudden, there stood the Great Light Spirit Selene. Particularly the troops hoisting Sydnias flag, right? Yes. Its reasonable for the Undead to have it, but for living people to be encroached by miasma, they can no longer be called people. Then that thing looks like it would be useful, huh? Correct, and I shall allow Mimir to use Light Spirit magic. Its efficacy would be tremendous. Saying so, Selene disappeared. In the battlefield, rather than soldiers warcries, Sydnias and Triarias allied forces raised monster-like roars and increased their marching speed. When the invading troops neared the spot 300m from the camp, sounds of explosions could be heard all around. A massive battle, unprecedented in the history of this continent, had marked its beginning. *** Chapter 211: Immortal Soldiers Chapter 211: Immortal Soldiers Explosions blasted one after the other on the front lines, and the soldiers of Triaria Kingdom and Divine Empire of Sydnias allied forces danced midair. There were some whose bodies were entangled in threads, movements suppressed. Those that escape the threads died from the poison. Still, even without healing the fallen soldiers, the forces of Sydnia and Triaria marched absolutely, as if they were dolls without a will of their own. Now! Fire! At the command of Valkyra Kingdoms Knight Order Commander Galahad-san, the catapults and ballistas began shooting their rounds. The mage unit of enemy forces tried to block the attacks with barriers, but maybe because their overall numbers were lacking, the damage their forces sustained from projectile stones and giant ballista arrows increased. It was then that I noticed that after dying, the soldiers of Sydnia with fewer injuries became undead and continued their march. Im so glad we prepared. Still, its a nightmare how wed have to kill them twice. Its still early, but I was so relieved. So relieved that we kept it in mind to prepare countermeasures for the undead and miasma. The pace of the enemies gradually grew faster. Each time, undead soldiers and monsters were hindered by pitfalls and moats, but just like immortal soldiers, they knew not fear.Finndd the newest novels on ages! Archers! Fire! Archer Golems, keep firing! Galahad-san issued the order for the trination mage unit and archer unit to attack, and I instructed the Archer Golems to stay on the offensive. The fact that our magic and arrows were within hitting distance meant that the enemies attacks were also within hitting range, so the enemies arrows and magic came flying at us. The mage unit was responsible for blocking those. Iruma-dono, as expected, they seem to be taking that nasty drug. Yes, that seems to be the case. However, its relieving that they have been encroached by miasma. Fumu, now would be a suitable time. Barriers activate! At my shout, the forts magic devices started up. The magic devices of the two southern forts activated, which was the signal for the magic devices of the other four forts to start up as well. Once all six were working, a thick line of light connected the forts, forming a gigantic hexagram, then sacred light encompassed the battlefield. That sacred purifying light turned the undead exposed to it into dust in an instant, the immortal soldiers of Sydnia encroached by miasma were groaning as their movements dulled. As for the weaker individuals, they cowered on the spot, ceasing all movement, and soon crumbled into dust. Explosives! At Galahad-sans orders, the field camp exploded, flames devouring the remaining enemies. Divine Empire of Sydnia and Triaria Kingdoms ten thousand strong army have already been reduced to close to 20%, and soldiers still in decent condition were few. However, they showed no intention of retreating. It was like fighting with golems. It wasnt just Sydnia, even the soldiers of Triaria were already given the drug and had since been acting strange. ......will it not end until they are annihilated? Galahad-san muttered gravely. It was that abnormal. In a normal war, if one side loses over 30% of their total, it would be deemed a defeat and negotiations for a ceasefire would begin. All units, annihilate! In front of the forts, we and the Trinations combined armies headed into the concluding battle. If its sending those guys off, then I have to do it. Yes, as fellow Japanese............. *** Chapter 212: A Clash, Former Heroes Chapter 212: A Clash, Former Heroes When I was about to head in the direction of the heroes, Akane called out to me. Takumi, Im going too. I have a duty to face Akira and Yamato. No, you dont have a duty to, Akane. Their current situation is what they chose. Even then. Let me fight with you, please. Okay. Sophia, Lulu-chan, Maria, support Akane. Understood. Akane-sama, Lulu will protect you nya. Takumi-sama, you be careful too. We mowed down the enemies that were being obstacles in our path as we hurried towards the former heroes.Finndd the newest novels on aybe because were in a war right now, we didnt stop to consider whether the enemies should or shouldnt be killed. We sent the enemies to their graves based on our justice. Justice depends on where one stands, and they too had their own justice. However, perhaps their side and ours would clash no matter how far we go. Lets not forget the feeling of cutting through mans flesh and ending their lives. As it had become a melee, I switched my weapon to a sword, and Sophia to her sword and round shield. When we broke through to center of the enemy camp which was verging on destruction, we found our targets. Akane loudly called out their names. Akira! Yamato! U, a, .........aa, kill. E, enemies, kill, kill. Through repeated exchanges, the carbon content of Akiras armor increased too much and it had become brittle. When my palm hit it when we passed each other, it shattered. Now that Akira had been stripped of his armor, I moved to break his limbs to incapacitate him when, all of a sudden, the jewel inserted into the necklace hanging off of his neck flashed a bright light and Akira disappeared. Wha?! I was surprised, and when I looked towards Akane and Sophia who were confronting Yamato, Yamato had similarly disappeared. At the same time, the soldiers of Triaria Kingdom began to retreat. It didnt take us that long to repel the soldiers of Sydnia who have lost their senses. In the battlefield after the war, I helped heal the injured and clean the corpses as I questioned what those guys wanted to do. The soldiers who raised their physical abilities explosively at the price of losing their sanity were truly powerful. In fact, the number of victims in the Trinations army was not insignificant. No matter how I think about it, they were disposable, werent they? Do you mean the soldiers that wouldnt stop until they die once the battle starts, yes? They were, indeed. Despite being the enemies, they were quite pitiful. I purified the land that turned into a battlefield while talking to Sophia about Sydnias strangeness. I was doubtful of the Popes intellect in using and throwing this many people just because he wanted to destroy the Sanctuary. ......hey Takumi. Can we get them back? Akane, who was helping with the cleansing, was worried about the two boys who disappeared right in front of our eyes. ............it would be difficult. But all we can do is try what we can. Right............ I thought it was more than likely to be impossible, but I simply could not tell her that. *** Sphys Note: 1. I was honestly tempted to mistranslate Akanes Holy Shot to Holy Sh!t. Chapter 213: Postwar processing Chapter 213: Postwar processingThe Sanctuary invasion by Divine Empire Sydnia and Triaria Kingdom[1] ended in failure. A non-negligible number of people from the combined armies of the three kingdoms Valkyra, Lomaria, and Yggurle were killed in action. Triaria Kingdom lost more than 50% of their army, while those led by Divine Empire Sydnia were close to being totally annihilated. The knights of Divine Empire Sydnia were immortal soldiers that didnt stop until they died, which led to a war with mass casualties. After the postwar proceedings finished, two countries among the Trination, Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, discussed their response to Triaria Kingdom. The countries that share a national border with Triaria Kingdom were Lomaria Kingdom, Divine Empire Sydnia, and Samandour Kingdom. If they were to invade Triaria Kingdom, would Lomaria Kingdom attack independently? Or would they attack with Valkyra Kingdoms cooperation? In that case, it would be necessary for Valkyra Kingdoms troops to pass through Lomaria Kingdom. There is a route that passes through the savage lands like what Triaria Kingdom and Divine Empire Sydnia had done this time, but there is little meaning in purposefully passing through a place teeming with monster nests and even taking unnecessary damage. After that, the three countries discussed whether they should seek reparations to not invade. Well, those things dont concern me. After the war ended, Akane and I were busy moving around to heal the injured. Once we were finally finished with that, we left some golem units at the forts and returned to the Sanctuary mansion. ......Hey Takumi. Yeah? When everyone was at the living room and passing the time relaxing, Akane called me. Akira and Yamato, ............are they perhaps already hopeless? ............their minds have already been encroached by too much miasma. But the problem is that they participated in Zealots mass murder of ordinary people, and their hands have been dyed with blood. Thats it, isnt it? I dont know for sure about the war, but Akira and Yamato did massacre ordinary people.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Yes, the Japanese boys known as Akira and Yamato committed acts of terrorism against Samandour Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, namely committing foolish crimes such as raiding villages and towns and massacring its residents. The black haired and eyed youths stood out especially, their acts of brutality caught by the intelligence division of Lomaria Kingdom and Valkyra Kingdom. However, I was met with vehement objection from Sophia and the girls when I said that. Takumi-sama, I will not leave your side. Master(Husband), please take me along as well. Takumi-sama, Laeva also finds staying at home disagreeable. Lulu will not be separated from Akane-sama nya. Sigh, it cant be helped then. Ill have to make an illusionary magic device. The infiltration operation seems like it would be with the full team. The Trinations discussion was apparently in disagreement. Yggurle Kingdom, which had bad history with Triaria Kingdom, found only paying reparation to be insufficient and had taken the stance that they must use this opportunity to invade and strike back to some extent. However, because Lomaria Kingdom is adjacent to Triaria Kingdom, when Lomaria Kingdom thought about the refugees that would flow into their country, they were apprehensive of invading. Valkyra Kingdom was currently undecided. The result of several days of convening, its been decided that the Trinations united armies will march through Lomaria Kingdom to Triaria Kingdom. In doing so, if the recommended surrender is abided by, Triaria Kingdom would be made to pay reparations and consent to several agreements. Or so it had been decided. One of the agreements is the abolishment of the doctrine of human supremacy. The Trination would demand the release of illegal slaves and such. The day after the plan was settled, the three countries began their preparations for the march. During that time, we decided to gather as much information as we could on Divine Empire Sydnia. *** Footnotes: 1. Typo: raws say Sydnia Kingdom instead of Triaria. Chapter 214: Infiltration, Divine Empire Sydnia Chapter 214: Infiltration, Divine Empire Sydnia We started our covert infiltration into Divine Empire Sydnia as the Trination begins their march towards Triaria Kingdom. We stealthily crossed the border through Lomaria Kingdom until we reached Sydnia. During our walk in the main road leading to the capital, the scenery that reflected in Sophias eyes made her mutter. ......how dreadful. We havent passed by anyone. There are no people nya. Even Akane and Lulu-chan were surprised by the desolation in Divine Empire Sydnia now that theyve come back after a long while. This time, were infiltrating Sydnia with all members except Marnie and Laeva[1]. Lulu-chan had already been released from slavery, but shes wearing a dummy slave collar just in case. As for Sophia, I allowed her to participate in disguise using an illusionary magic device in addition to her usual perception inhibiting overcoat. From the national border to the capital, it wouldnt take more than 5 days with Tsubaki pulling her carriage, but Tsubaki is clearly too conspicuous, so we thought wed move by escorting a carriage when were in public view. However, after walking for a day from the border, we didnt encounter a single carriage, much less a person. I considered stopping by a village, but since I didnt want us to leave footprints as much as we could, we erased our presence and did some reconnaissance. Are they alright? Normally, wouldnt people who are distressed by their situation become refugees and head to other countries? H~mm, that would be difficult nya. Feeble-looking villagers were in barren fields. You could tell they were malnourished at a glance. Lulu-chan shook her head when I asked myself why they wouldnt run away. When I said this, everyone recalled the most recent war and agreed. I recalled the immortal soldiers army of Divine Empire Sydnia. The likelihood of the country buying that drug from the dark guild and testing it out on living people was high. Then the Beastkin slaves, who werent treated as people, became test subjects and were used for all sorts of experiments. We travelled in Tsubakis carriage when we were at inconspicuous places and walked when we were close to towns and villages as we made our way to the capital. When we were in a slightly larger town, we got rooms in the inn. Weve teleported back to the mansion in the Sanctuary for a number of nights, but I decided to gather information in the larger town this time. However, Akane said she wants to return to the Sanctuary mansion as soon as I entered the room. The town stinks. This is just too much. Akane-sama, even the capital was like this......... In towns with a large population, the smell of fecal matter was horrendous, and even Valkyra Kingdom was also like this until a little while back. Was it because Akane and Lulu-chan had gotten used to life when the Purifier MD and Toilet MD had been thoroughly popularized? They seemed to be unable to endure this smell anymore. No choice then. Well be back early tomorrow morning. When I said so, not only Akane, but everyone looked delighted. Is it that once you get used to living cleanly, an excretion-covered town like those in the middle ages becomes unbearable? I hated it too. *** Footnotes: 1. Extra information: LN says the Beastkin would really be too conspicuous. 2. Now that I know that Akane is a fuwafuwa maniac lover, I wonder just how much more appalled she was at Sydnias discriminatory acts towards her dear fluffies while she was there? Chapter 215: Arriving at the capital Chapter 215: Arriving at the capital We set foot in the Imperial Capital, Divine Empire Sydnias largest town, where the head temple of the Light God Faith is located. As usual. Theres a lot of people so it cant be helped nya. Akane and Lulu-chan pinched their noses. The imperial capital is a large town with a large population, so that stench was dreadful. Lulu-chan and Akane, who lived in this town for a short while after being summoned, had to block out the smell. Ive already resigned myself to the smell, but the towns atmosphere sure is dark. Yes, the towns atmosphere was really gloomy. The people walking in town had no vigor.Finndd the newest novels on Divine Empire Sydnia has a characteristic that does not apply to the other 6 countries in this continent. Small it may be, there are no monster nests within the country, so it wasnt a necessity to make fortress towns like other countries do. They built walls for their nations defense, but it couldnt possibly be compared to the walls of Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom which have monster nests. What that means is that the expanse of the farmland outside of the towns hardly takes any damage from monsters. Food productivity is high because of this, and as a result, their population is not much different from other countries despite being a quarter of the size of other countries. How strange. Theres little threat from monsters, and there should be few thieves as well. Why is the capital this despirited? Thats true. Villages and towns are taxed heavily, but is it the same for the capital as well? Hmmm, there should have been plenty of affluent people living in the capital though. Akane-sama, there are not very many Beastkin slaves around either nya. As Lulu-chan had said, it felt like theres not a lot of Beastkin slaves around. In Divine Empire Sydnia, the non-humans are all slaves. Therefore, the capital surely would have had a great number of Beastkin slaves living in it. Im getting a bad feeling about this. The nobility and wealthy merchants would be keeping Elven slaves right? Maria, theres a handful like that. Theres a number of them from the absurd invasion at Yggurle Kingdom 50 years ago. According to Akane, there were around 20 Elves slaves in the capital even now. Practically all of them were kept by either high ranking nobles or wealthy merchants. There were no locks on the door, nor was the Elven woman restrained, but as she was probably bound by a slavery contract, despair could be seen in her eyes. I put up a soundproof barrier in the room. Elf-oneesan. May I talk to you for a bit? ?! Who are you?!............youre the protector of the Spirit Tree. So you heard from the Spirits. I was thinking of sheltering you in the Sanctuary or sending you back to Yggurle Kingdom, but how does that sound? I would like to be saved, however, I am unable to leave this town because of the slavery contract. Dont worry. Please leave that to me. And so, what would you like? When I said that, strength returned to the bleak, despairing eyes of the Elven woman. Please, save my enslaved companions from this town. Of course, we plan on saving everyone. Right now, were in the middle of figuring out everyones locations and well rescue you all as soon as we can, so please hold on until then. Thank you. I told the Elven woman an approximate time then sneaked out of the mansion to find the next Elf. When I returned to our assembly point, Sophia and the girls were already there. Takumi-sama, weve identified everyones locations and weve confirmed their will to escape. Thanks. We should mark them on the map. We then returned to the inn room and marked the location of the Elves. Now then, lets start the rescue mission. *** Sphys Note: In an alternate universe, this happened in chapter 215. Chapter 216: Rescue Mission Chapter 216: Rescue Mission Ill be carrying out the rescue mission for the Elves enslaved in the Imperial Capital by myself. When the town went to sleep, I moved around stealthily moving while relying on Magic Perception and the marked map. Once I reached the high walls surrounding the mansion, I placed my hand against it. Decompose When I whispered the chant, it made a hole in the stone wall. I did the same inside the mansion too. Be it a wood wall or a stone wall, they all crumbled soundlessly. Of course, I restored them as well. I didnt have the time to reproduce the finer interior of the mansion though, so it was only a patch-up job. This much is enough for the mansion of people who make Elves their slaves unlawfully. I found out that the man who was the master of this mansion and the enslaved Elf were inside the targets room. I walked without making a sound, erased my presence, blocked off my magic, and made full use of the Stealth skill as I trespassed into the room. On the large canopy bed in the room was a fat middle aged nobleman and an Elven woman enslaved by a detestable slavery collar. I quietly approached the Elven woman and cast Dispel Curse on the Slavery magic placed on her. Then I gently placed my hand on her arm then teleported. The place we teleported to was a spot around 5km from the imperial capital towards Samandour Kingdom. There were large rocks around and in their shadow was a parked carriage. The moment we teleported, the Elven woman sleeping in bed woke up and I quickly held her in my arms. Eh, eh?! Calm down, its alright now. I calmed the Elven woman overcome with panic, then I took her into the carriage. It really makes no sense. I cant feel Akira and Yamatos magic power. When I teleported to the room, Maria and Akane were up waiting. Lulu-chan was inside the dream world. Theres a reason why were changing our plans and were going back after only rescuing the Elves. At the heart of Divine Empire Sydnias Imperial Capital should have towered a large church. And sure enough, there was a needlessly extravagant church was in sight. But, yes, just by its outward appearance. No way, did it change into an Otherworld? Otherwordification, it meant that the Grand Church itself had turned into a dungeon. Dungeons are possible if there was a Dragon Vein[1] and magic power accumulating. But for one to be made in the middle of a large town, such an occurrence was unprecedented. Well investigate the Otherworldification again at another time, so lets leave the inn tomorrow morning. Understood. Got it. You should rest up too, Takumi. I took a nap at Akanes recommendation. The next morning, we left the imperial capital and walked down the south highway to meet up with Sophia. The carriage boarded by twenty Elves pulled by Tsubaki ran directly to Samandour Kingdom. Tsubakis gigantic figure might stand out, but since were going back with no intention of stopping at any town or village, my only thoughts were to get out of Sydnia without being prudent. The noble residences are probably in turmoil right about now. *** Footnotes: 1. This is the first time the author used } C Dragon Vein/Pulse, so I am not sure if its different from } C Ley lines (maybe I should have named it Earth Vein/Pulse) or if author used the wrong word. Chapter 217: Return by sea Chapter 217: Return by sea Our entry to Samandour Kingdom from Divine Empire Sydnia was by crossing the border off of the main road. This wouldnt have been possible without the special carriage and Tsubaki. Inside the carriage, Sophia asked the rescued Elves if we should escort them back until Yggurle Kingdom or if they would live in the Sanctuary.Alll latest novels on We would like to return to our country at one time, but we had become the playthings of Humans. Even if we return to the country as we are now, the way people would look at us is likely to be icy. If so, would it be possible for you to receive us in the Sanctuary of the Spirit Tree where the Great Spirits have manifested? Yes, the Third Princess Mimir-sama sojourns in the Sanctuary as well, so it would be fine to request to travel back to the country, and we have no issue with taking you there either. Thank you very much. Even so, more than anything, its a relief that you were safe, Sophia-sama. Though there were some among the enslaved women that werent directly acquainted with Sophia, they knew of Sophia who was active in the Chivalric Order of the Royal Capital. It was because of this that persuading them was simple during the rescue mission. When Sophia neared the Imperial Capital, the women learned from the Spirits that, besides Sophia, Akane and I were trustworthy. Although it is running at full speed on a bad road, it barely shakes, doesnt it? Yes, this carriage was the handiwork of Takumi-sama as well. Well be travelling like this until we reach the coast in the border of Samandour Kingdom, but I imagine you will be even more astonished there. Regarding the Elven women we rescued, as expected, even though theyre of a long-living race, they have not had any experience in riding an unrivaled modded carriage pulled by a rare Dragon Horse. When they were surprised by the outlandish speed, Sophia mentioned that there would be something waiting for them that would be even more gobsmacking. Although it would have been fine to return via a land route, I thought that it was too pathetic for the Elven women who were enslaved for many years to all be crammed into the carriage for an extended period of time even though the interior was already enlarged. And so, I teleported back to the Sanctuary for a bit and asked Laeva and Marnie to come pick us up at Samandour Kingdom with the ship. Huh?! Well, rather that it being my property, it would be more accurate to say that this is the Sanctuarys ship. The keeper of the Sanctuary and the Spirit Tree is Takumi-sama, so it is most undoubtedly Takumi-samas property. Because Sophia ended up divulging information that didnt need to be said, the womens demeanor changed. Iruma-dono, not an Elf but a Human, is the keeper and protector of the Sanctuary and the Spirit Tree? W-well, it just turned out that way so please pay it no heed. Undine, Sylph, and the other Great Spirits simply forced me into it. While I was giving a sufficient excuse to the former Elven slaves, a Wire Attack shot out from the ship and Titan pulled the ship to the shore. A ladder from the ship was laid across the shore. Master,Mooring, complete. Thanks Titan. Everyone, please board the ship. Even though I said that, the Elves were still unmoving. As such, Sophia guided them. I made Titan and Tsubaki return to the Subspace, stored the carriage in the Item Box, and boarded last. The sequence of actions that occurred a slight distance away from the border of Samandour Kingdom had naturally confused the citizens of Samandour Kingdom. *** Chapter 218: First? Sanctuary Meeting Chapter 218: First? Sanctuary Meeting When we returned to the Sanctuary via the sea, I entrusted Sophia with the follow-up care of the former Elven slaves, and we discussed a countermeasure for the dungeon that appeared in the Imperial Capital of Divine Empire Sydnia. Weve never directly challenged a dungeon[1]. Well, being an adventurer isnt our main job so that goes without saying. Thats why we didnt know much about dungeons. Otherworldification, huh~. Theyve genuinely begun to act recklessly. Our usual team, aside from Sophia who is currently occupied, and the Great spirits were gathered. What do you mean? Is that dungeon artificial? Undines grumbling surprised me so I had to ask. H~mm, artificially is wrong. As you would expect, creating a dungeon is impossible with the efforts of man. Then do you know what the cause is? Mm, its not far from becoming like us. Not far? When the words not far from becoming like us came from Great Dark Spirit Nyx, I felt uneasy. I was getting bad vibes from this. Mm, unlike Spirits that are of sacred energy, its a malicious and evil being. It wont become a Great Spirit, but its not far from becoming like us. The heart of an Otherworldifying town is not the work of man. Its the work of an Evil Spirit like Nyx said. Undine said so in affirmation. They didnt tell me anything, but the Great Spirits probably have something that makes them believe so. But itll be a nuisance if its Otherworldifying. Right you are~ It would be difficult for our power to reach too. Great Light Spirit Selene and Great Tree Spirit Dryas spoke as if they were just inconvenienced. Nothing too serious. Ahh, theres no cause for concern. One dungeon has little effect on the continents Earth Vein[2] . As if Undine read my mind, she told me the reason why Selene and Dryas werent all too serious. Nevertheless, it is certain that deep within the dungeon, the master of the boss room is a person related to the Evil Spirit. By any chance, could a midboss or something also turn up? Should we consult with Barack-san? Its sickening to leave that dungeon be. Maria brought up the name of Voltons Adventurer Guilds master, Barack-san. Youre right. ......Barack-san is a former high ranker and a guild master, so he might be able to introduce us to a skilled and trustworthy scout. Then Takumi-sama and I will go to Volton. How about everyone else participate in combat training in a monster nest and increase your strength while Kaede supports you? Everyone showed their willingness at Sophias proposal. Then wanna try going to the outer edge of the Forest of Death? Indeed. ......the outer edge will be safe if Kaede is around. Dont overdo it. There might be irregulars like the Treant from before. We had gotten much stronger since that time so theyll be fine, but I still advised them to be careful. Still, it feels like Im forgetting something. Takumi-sama, its actually been the same for me. Hm~m, I also think Im forgetting something. Yep, ever since we started talking about Scouts, something had been bugging me. What could this thing Im forgetting be............ Ah! Lyle-san! Ah! We forgot about him. Ahhh, Lyle-san existed, didnt he? Yes, the Scout of Lions Fang , the first adventurer party I met headed by Heath-san, Lyle-san had been forgotten. What a relief. We remembered before going to Volton. Indeed. It seems like he would sulk if he had been forgotten, after all. Wed never hear the end of it. Since that time, Lions Fang had been promoted to B rank. They had become a top-class adventurer party in Volton. It was us that forgot. Its truly a relief that we remembered. Lyle-san seemed like the stubborn type. *** Footnotes: 1. To clarify, Takumis party had once gone inside a dungeon to try to lure out the Zealots but hadnt actually gone to the lower floors, so I think author meant this as actually trying to clear a dungeon. 2. Decided to change ley lines to Earth Vein, in case there are more kinds of Veins like the Dragon Vein one. Chapter 219: Capture prep Chapter 219: Capture prep Takumi sure is cold. Even though weve done quests together. No, theres no way we had forgotten. Wasnt that a given? Hahah` I laughed to fool him, but Lyle-san kept staring at me. He didnt fall for it. I waited on Takumi hand and foot, even teaching him all about adventuring, ya know? Youre exaggerating, Lyle. Didnt Takumi already overtake us, becoming Voltons top party? Tsk, dont say that, Heath. The neat, short-haired nice guy, Heath-san pacified Lyle-san. The silent Bogah-sans bald head was shining as always. Sophia and I sent Maria and the girls power leveling while we came to the Volton Adventurer Guild. Luckily, we were able to meet Heath-sans Lions Fang party who were conveniently at the bar. And so, youre saying that a dungeon appeared smack dab in the middle of Sydnias imperial capital? Yes, we grasped that it was otherworldifying after the recent war, but we dont know the exact date. Then I immediately talked to Lyle-san about needing the skills of a Scout to beat the dungeon. Ive been so busy lately that I hadnt been able to meet up with Heath-sans party recently, so Lyle-san was talking a bit prickly, but Heath-san listened with great interest. Lyle, Ill tell you a way to manage a bit of your money. You cant save since youre always chasing some Oneechans tail. Lyle-sans face contorted in discontent at Heath-sans lecturing. Hes much older than me, but oh so childish. Well, when I add on the years I had in my old world, Id be next to Sophia in age though. Perhaps being regressed by my bodys age, my mental age ended up completely appropriate for it. Well, itll suffice if you pay a bit of the cost of the materials. The materials and metals are kind of free because I procured them myself. I see, if youre saying that much, then well accept your offer. Yes. Heath-san has a metal armor and a battleaxe. Lyle-san uses a bow and a dagger for close combat. He wears light leather armor because hes a Scout. Bogan-san surely has a heavy metal armor, a large shield, and a long mace. To make the equipment of the Lions Fang as soon as possible, I bid Heath-sans party farewell and headed to the workshop in the Volton mansion. Now then, since theres too much of a difference in the Lions Fang and our equipment, Id like to prepare equipment one or two ranks higher than their current. They said word for word that they earn quite a bit, and they use good equipment like mithril alloy armor and leather armor made of Wyvern skin. Alright, Heath-san and Bogah-sans armor look like theyre already mithril alloy, so Ill just have to reinforce it with enchantments. Lyle-sans Wyvern leather armor has lots of Lesser Dragon scales, Ill strengthen those scales. I decided that rather than a major overhaul, Ill enhance their current armor. Ill use adamantite alloy on Heath-sans battle axe while putting emphasis on its destructive power, while also doing the same for Bogah-sans mace. Itll probably be alright even if the weapons get a bit heavier since its those two. For Lyle-sans mithril alloy dagger, Ill embed a paralyzing magic formula and set a magic stone on the pommel so he can activate the magic blade even without using his own magic power. We thoroughly prepared for our departure towards Sydnia. *** Chapter 220: The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean.[1] Chapter 220: The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean.[1] Sophia lopped off the limbs of monsters with her sword, and Kaedes threads restrained the monsters. Now! Please finish it! O, ou! Slash! At Sophias command, Heaths downward swinging battleaxe hit the neck of the incapacitated Orc Knight. Haa, haa, h-hold up. Give us a small break. Haa, haa, haa. ............ Heath dropped then and there, while Lyle and Bogah were also sitting and breathing heavily, exhausted. It cant be helped. We will have a short break. Kaede, please watch our surroundings. Mhmm, leave it to me! Kaede disappeared without a sound. Marnie and Laeva immediately watched the surroundings. Please keep at it. Its still morning. No, dont be ridiculous, Akane-chan. We fought so much since early morning I cant remember how many we did. That much is normal nya. ............ The three middle aged men couldnt quite accept that fact so easily. Since the stock of ores in the Volton workshop was lacking, I teleported to the Sanctuary workshop by myself to make Heath-sans partys equipment. For Heath-san and Bogah-sans armor, I tried making it in a way that the metal armor wouldnt clatter, or make no sound if possible. Id like us to avoid being detected by enemies first at the dungeon as much as possible. I applied Weight Reduction, Physical Resistance, Magic Resistance enchantments, and applied a lining of Wyvern membrane onto the metal parts that make contact with each other to achieve quietness. Earth Dragon parts might be too expensive for Lyle-sans leather armor. He might not be able to pay, but once compared to our armor, I have to use a dragon species scales and skin at the very least. For Lyle-san, I completed a dragon hide leather armor, bracer, and boots. The enchantments were similar to the Inhibit Perception on our robes. Lyle-san was a scout, so he possessed the Stealth skill too. Okay, so for their weapons. The dungeon that appeared in Sydnia is a cathedral that Otherworldified. We dont know whats going on inside, but we must definitely keep in mind that battle will be in small rooms and narrow corridors. Thats why I altered Heath-sans battleaxe to a more manageable size and it now had more heft to it because I added adamantite alloy to it. Bogah-sans mace had no issues the way it was. Lyle-san has to abandon his bow this time, so I made two mithril alloy daggers and plenty of magic steel throwing knives. I think its just about time everyone finishes leveling up. They had to level up rashly, but Sophia could be quite the spartan so I hope Heath-sans party is safe. Coordination between everyone aside from me had solidified. The Lions Fangs equipment even became a rank higher. All thats left is to depart for Sydnia. *** Footnotes: 1. Japanese proverb, meaning that one should be aware of the limitations of ones own experience. Chapter 221: At Divine Empire Sydnia once more Chapter 221: At Divine Empire Sydnia once moreThe Dragon Horse-pulled carriage traversed the highway at breakneck speeds. This was close to the border of Lomaria Kingdom and Triaria Kingdom. We departed from Volton and were heading to Divine Empire Sydnia by way of Lomaria Kingdom. We would have teleported if it was just us, but we were with with Heath-sans party, so we decided to forgo travel by teleportation and moved by land.Ree?ad latest novels at ......hey Heath. ......what is it, Lyle? ......a Dragon Horse runs this fast? ......no way, thats impossible. Inside the speeding carriage, Heath-sans party were escaping reality. No, Heath. This carriage is flying. That aint the only thing thats weird. Im trying not to think about it so dont make me remember. Heath-san and Lyle-san froze when they first entered the carriage. It looked like they were taken aback by the space-expanded interior of the carriage.[1] So Takumi, how will we cross Sydnias border? I found an area loosely monitored away from the highway. I checked our entry route while answering Heath-sans question. I had also considered entering the country through the formal procedure, but the heart of Divine Empire Sydnia is currently undergoing an Otherworldification and the country is in mayhem, so I judged that it would be best to not get involved so directly. Under the moonlight, I placed my hand against the wall that surrounded the Imperial Capital and made a stone door that people could pass through single file. I pressed Lyle-san, who was looking in the distance, to hurry to the dungeon. Now, because the heart of the town underwent an Otherworldification and turned into a dungeon, a means to enter it was necessary. As such, I created a magic device with the combined effect of Dark attribute Inhibit Perception and Illusion with Nyxs cooperation. We arrived at a place where we could see the entrance of the luxurious building that looked like a cathedral and checked it out from the shadows. It looks like the entrance of the church turned into the entrance of the dungeon. Sydnias soldiers are lurking at the dungeon too. Gotta be careful to not encounter them inside. Heath-san said soldiers were teamed up in platoons and going around the dungeon. Lyle-san checked his equipment, anxious of battles to come inside the dungeon. As expected, we cant tell anything from out here...... so this is what Otherworldification is like. In my eyes, I understood that the cathedral-like building standing in front of us changed in its structure. The dense mana was palpable. Well obviously. Takumi, youre probably clueless about it so Ill tell you. That church you see is just the entrance. How many floors it has inside or how large it is, we wont know unless we dive in. Its just as Lyle said. Normally, a newly formed dungeon has small, shallow floors, but even I cant make a guess for this one. Unable to tell him that Ive dived into a dungeon once, I listened to what Heath-san had to say, while thinking about this dungeon. Originally, this was the place where the magic circle that summoned Akane and her friends was installed in. A thick ley line ran underneath this land and mana was abundant here so there were favorable conditions. If amassed magic power and the energy from the ley lines were used to create a dungeon, capturing this dungeon might not go so smoothly. *** Footnotes: 1. Inconsistency: Lions Fang and the Crimson Rose rode in Tsubakis carriage when Wedgefort was about to be attacked by the monster flood in Ch95. Chapter 222: Cathedral Labyrinth 1 Chapter 222: Cathedral Labyrinth 1 When I activated the magic device, it created an Inhibit Perception field around us and had the effect of optic camouflage magic. Asking Heath-san and the others to walk quietly and erase their presence as much as possible, we passed the surrounding soldiers and headed for the dungeon. We made it somehow. Yeah, still......... it really did become a dungeon. The corridors and rooms of the church dont seem like they usually are......? Passing through the entrance, Lyle-san led the way while being careful to not encounter Sydnias soldiers. Looks like there arent that many traps on the first floor. It seems to have a lot of floors for a newborn dungeon though. ............ According to the members of Lions Fang, a newborn dungeon having numerous floors was unprecedented. The reason for this was that the mana concentration in the dungeon was high. Dungeons that grew old and large were dense with mana, and because of that, the monsters that appear were also strong. This dungeon which has dense mana in the first floor will get even denser the higher the floor, so its very likely that strong monsters would appear. As we walked down the wide corridor, monsters were caught in my Presence Detection. Incoming! Lagging slightly, Lyle-san urged everyone to be vigilant. Bogah-san came to the front with his large shield. Clattering as they approached were four Skeletons. Undead even though its a church? Lyle-san spat bitterly. Skeletons were ranked the lowest among the Undead monsters. Their slow movements posed no threat to us. However, they were monsters that had no good materials and the only thing that could be taken were their cores which were small scrap magic stone. Finally, the stairs. It took a whole day to map out and search the first floor. We managed to find the stairway going up. Since we were looking for the stairs to the next floor while searching in the direction of densening mana, we walked quite a distance even though we didnt comb through the entire first floor. It would also seem that this dungeon is the ascending type. Today, we will camp in a small room in front of the stairs, and explore the second floor early morning tomorrow. Wohoah, theres a trap here. Lyle-san nimbly disarmed a trap. Going up to the second floor in the morning, our search for the next flight of stairs was going well. The monsters that appear on the second floor are the Skeletons and Zombies not much different from those on the first floor, but some slightly stronger monsters like Skeleton Soldiers, Skeleton Archers, and Ghouls join them. But thats the extent of it. We wouldnt make a mistake against them. ......what a pickle. Whats wrong? While we were mapping out the second floor, Lyle-san grumbled. Looks like this might be the type of dungeon that gets bigger the higher the floor. Well, were still on the second floor so I aint too sure yet. I dont know how many floors this dungeon consists of, but Id like for the capture to not take us months. We continued to explore, with our highest priority being to find the stairs that lead to the upper floors. *** Chapter 223: Cathedral Labyrinth 2 Chapter 223: Cathedral Labyrinth 2 5 days have passed since we entered the dungeon. When we moved through five floors and went up the stairs, the scene before our eyes surprised us. ......uhh, a forest? It aint unusual in a dungeon. There are even dungeons that are completely different per floor. No, Lyle. It cant be helped that Takumi doesnt know. There are only four dungeons in this continent. Though theres supposedly a lot more at the continent in the south. I was surprised that a cathedralesque dungeon suddenly changed into a forest landscape, but I knew that common sense doesnt apply to a dungeon that had Otherworldified. According to Lyle-san and Heath-san, there are some dungeons in the continent in the south too.[1] 10 days via a sea route from Samandour` though it would be much shorter with our ship`, there is a small continent where plenty of Devils and Beastkin live in. I want to go there once things settle down. As soon as the surrounding scenery changed, there was also a change in the monsters we encountered. Swoosh! A leopard-like monster ambushed us from within the forest, but it didnt succeed as we were a party with high search capabilities. Immediately after, Sophia killed it with a counterattack. Did the monsters get a bit stronger? Yes, though minimal. Heath-san asked Sophia, but the answer that came back surprised him. Sure enough, for Sophia, the amount that the monsters grew in strength could be said to be minimal. Though the sixth floor was a vast forest dungeon, it didnt have a maze-like labyrinth so it was favorable for us for ascending the stairs. Still, even though theres a clear difference in strength, they still actively attack, dont they? Yeah, well, dungeons are like that. As I slayed a four-armed monkey monster, Spider Ape, that swooped down, I asked Heath-san about what I thought. I noticed it when we entered the dungeon, but the obviously lower ranking monsters attack us on sight. Its as if it were the will of the dungeon. Watch out for an ambush. I reached for the door. Bogah-san held his large shield and stood beside me. Gogogogoooo!! With a heavy creak, the door opened. Beyond the opened door was a large domed space. Its coming! At Sophias exclamation, we went on guard. A 10 meter magic circle in the middle of the dome shaped room appeared and began shining. In the middle of the magic circle, an enormous 3 meter tall orc materialized. An Orc King?! GUOOOOOOW!! Wearing a sinister black metal armor, the Orc King carrying a gigantic battle axe roared. Then, in the still shining magic circle, more Orcs flooded out. There are Orcs to Orc Knights, Mages, and even an Orc General. Sophia, Maria, Laeva, Akane! Match me! At Heath-sans strained voice, I ordered the girls to do a magic attack preemptively. We launched the starting shot of our fight with the Orc army. *** Footnotes: 1. It could also mean that it was the first time he learned that theres another continent, but that contradicts chapter 170, so Im interpreting it as him learning about dungeons elsewhere. Chapter 224: Cathedral Labyrinth 3 Chapter 224: Cathedral Labyrinth 3 Bogah-san readied his shield in front of me. Spirits Riot Blade! Fire Storm! Rock Pile! Wind Storm! Sophias Wind Spirit magic, Marias Fire magic, my Earth magic, and Akanes Wind Magic rampaged inside the dome, but I could sense that there were quite a few monsters that were resisting. After the devastating ranged spells, I confirmed that the Orcs, Orc Archers, and Orc Mages died. We had gotten stronger compared to the time we fought the Goblin colony led by a Goblin General a little over three years ago, but............ So the King is slightly injured, while the General and the Knights are seriously wounded? Thats right. Please take care of the weakened ones.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at Only After telling that to Heath-san who had verified the situation, I broke into a run with my partner, the ice spear Ice Bringer, in hand. Afterwards, Sophia with her storm spear Tempest and Maria with her ignition spear Explode followed. Heath-san and Lyle-san ran to annihilate the orcs in the surroundings with Bogah-san at the front. Akane and Laeva were supporting us with magic. Guarding them were Lulu-chan and Marnie. Titan leaped out of the Subspace and began decimating the orcs. Kaede moved freely to keep everything in balance. Gan! Bogah-san[1] blew orcs away with Shield bash, then Heath-san and Lyle-san finished them off. Bogah-san and Heath-san, who wouldnt lose to the nearly 2 meter tall orcs in physique, defeated the orcs injured by magic. Akane fired fist-sized hail, and Laeva shot Fireballs. Marnie and Lulu-chan killed the approaching orcs. Using the opening that everyone made, I did nothing but apply Synthesis over and over again on its armor. Then that time finally came. It may have been a magic item, but metal is metal. Its carbon content increased too much and grew brittle. Bakyan``!! The heel of my palm, Sophia and Marias spears, Akane and Laevas magic. All attacks hit the Orc King, its ominous black armor shattering. From there on, my companions showered the boss with attacks during the pauses in my attacks. The Orc King recovered by regenerating every wound, but the more it got injured, the less its recovery was able to cope. I coated my sword with magic power and slashed at it. The thick armor of muscle that covered the Orc Kings body was cut open and blood danced in the air. Erasing his presence, Lyle-san snuck up from behind and thrust his dagger into the nape of the Orc Kings neck and withdrew the next instant. Not letting the moment the boss stiffened, Heath-san swung his battle axe on the Orc Kings foot fully. Screaming in pain, the Orc King swung its enormous battle axe at Heath-san. At that time, Bogah-sans shield bash caused the Orc King to lose balance and its battle axe hurled through the air. GUOOOOOWW!! When the Orc King roared, a magic circle appeared on the ground. It was the subordinate summoning of a King type. What a bad move. Orcs and Orc Knights appeared from the magic circle. *** Footnotes: 1. Typo: raw says Gobah. 2. Very likely a typo, ?饳 C dracon for ?饳? C dragon. Chapter 225: Cathedral Labyrinth 4 Chapter 225: Cathedral Labyrinth 4 Guys, I leave the surrounding orcs to you! The orcs were sent to their deaths as soon as they appeared. Titan beat them up with his fists and Kaedes threads entwined them. Youve made the wrong choice. I realized that the Orc King which had summoned its minions in desperation had completely exhausted its magic power.Alll latest novels on I slashed downward diagonally at the Orc King that was still rapidly restoring its magic power. The left arm that the Orc King raised to defend itself was severed by the magic clad blade. Depleted of its magic power, the Orc Kings body which was toughened by magically augmented body strengthening had now fallen to the ranks of somewhat sturdy monsters. Sophia and Maria lunged their spears from both sides, their spearheads piercing deeply as if all the resistance until now was a lie, and then flames and wind rampaged inside the Midboss body. Holding the sword in my right hand and the spear in my left, I pressured the Orc King. Then the Orc King tried to brandish its gigantic battle axe using its remaining arm. That same exact arm was then stabbed into by Sophias spear. The battle axe fell with a heavy thud, and Marias spear dug into the Orc Kings foot. Then, cloaking my body in magic power, I rammed my ice spear into the Orc Kings throat with all my might, freezing everything around the stab wound using the spears ability. Ha! I swung my sword sideways, it shattered the frozen neck of the Orc King and its head fell off. Then suddenly, I felt power swelling in my entire body. After we finished getting what we could, the remains of the orcs left alone disappeared as if they were swallowed by the ground. So that is why we couldnt find the corpses of Sydnias soldiers either. Yeah, the dungeon is probably recovering magic power. It looks like I was the only one surprised by the spectacle that didnt occur in my last dungeon dive. It was a common sight to Heath-san, apparently. The dungeon entices people with treasure, then preys on them with traps and monsters, becoming nourishment for it. However, Heath-san said that this dungeon was only recently created, so the chances for treasure to appear was low. Its not like its set in stone that there would be absolutely nothing though. Maybe this Orc King was just based on chance. Thats right, magic items like weapons and armors might not appear in dungeons that havent grown a bit. But stuff like gems and magic metal ingots might show up. I see, maybe I didnt have any luck. No, if between having and not having luck, then Id have to say that I do have it. Still, it might be Lyle-san that doesnt. Lets look at it that way. Master (husband), our meal has been prepared. Thank you, Marnie. Ill be right there. Heath-san, Lyle-san, Bogah-san, lets eat. Got it. Yeah. ............ After eating and resting a bunch, we took naps and moved on to the next floor. *** Chapter 226: Cathedral Labyrinth 5 Chapter 226: Cathedral Labyrinth 5 From the 11th floor, the scenery once again changed to a combination of wide corridors and rooms like the interior of a church. Plenty of the monsters that appear were all sorts of Undead, like higher ranking Skeleton-types, Wraiths, and Living Armor. Its a cathedralesque dungeon and yet it has a lot of Undead, just what is up with that?` Am I the only one that thought this?Re?Ad lateSt chapters at pared to the forest and grassland areas, it felt like the floor size was smaller. This place has no law-like nature, so Heath-san said that theres no point in thinking about it. Bakya! Dogya! Coming here, Heath-sans group had flourished at the forefront. Power leveling at the Forest of Death and a series of battles in the dungeon. Moreover, having gone through the fight with the Orc King and leveling up, theyre able to trample down on the monsters as we enter the upper floors of the dungeon. Heath-sans battle axe and Bogah-sans mace really thrived, particularly against the Skeleton-type and Living Armor-type among the Undead. Ha! Einya! Our member Lulu-chan, who learned the Bludgeon Technique from Laeva, smashed a Skeleton Knight to bits. ......I thought we got a lot stronger too, but Im losing confidence watching little kitty-chan. Stop thinking about it, Heath. Takumis bunch are all absurd. Lyle-san was saying something terrible, but I think its a good thing that everyone was getting stronger. Its a world where danger is always near, after all. We were able to go through the 11th floor to the 15th floor at a pace of one floor per day. The monsters spawning were gradually getting stronger, and its come to the point that Kaede and Titan also participate in the fights. Fortunately, there is enough space for the largely built Titan to move with ease. If Titan and Kaede are here, theres no need to worry about monsters aside from entities that possess no physical bodies. Oh! Wait up! Theres a trap there. Lyle-san decided to concentrate on sensing for traps. Kaede and Sophia searched for the enemies. Tch, even the traps are getting more brutal. Brutal traps? Yeah, every one of em is lethal. Lyle-san grumbled as he disarmed the trap. If its a poison trap, it could be detoxified with Decomposition if I knew what type of toxin it was, but as one might expect, even I wouldnt know exactly what type of poison is concealed within the traps. The three of us were at the center of a mass of monsters. Sophia and I moved towards Maria while exterminating monsters. I slayed monsters that caught my eye with the sword in my right hand. My left hand destroyed the hearts and brains of monsters by using Decomposition. The magic power I spent forcing out Decomposition was replenished by the ability that my Absolute Sword (Zekken) got from its former form as the Sword of the Absorber[1]. As it was not necessary to consider about my magic power consumption, I activated Decomposition with my left hand and the soles of my feet, simply rampaging my way through. Gan! ............ The club that the Ogre swung around was warded off by Bogah-sans large shield. Oraaa! Heath-san swung his battle axe towards the Ogres knee, like a lumberjack chopping down a tree. GUAAA!! The Ogre screamed in pain. Gan! It was then that Titans fist sank into the Ogres face. Finish him!! Kaede tied up the Ogre with her threads, and her claw weapons stabbed into the Ogres throat. Master! I killed the biggie! Kaede! Youre amazing! When Kaede defeated the boss class Ogre, the speed we annihilated the remaining monsters shot up. With the magic circle broken and the Ogre boss defeated, the enemies within the monster house were defeated shortly after. We swiftly stripped them of their magic stones and materials of value. It already exceeded 100 from the magic stones alone. Even then, this monster house was considered to be a small one. A door appeared on the opposite side of where we came from. After a short break, we passed through it and the door to the next floor was there. *** Footnotes: 1. Raws say Sword of the Absorbers ability, but those swords were already upgraded to Takumis Zekken and Sophias Seiken so Im just making it work. Chapter 227: Cathedral Labyrinth 6 Chapter 227: Cathedral Labyrinth 6 Even though the monsters that appear in the dungeon became centered around the superior species, our clearing speed didnt fall as we went through the floors. And so, we finally made it to the 20th floor. It was entirely different from what weve been through until now. A long stretch of corridor. A single large door lay beyond. Thats the boss room, isnt it? Yeah, this feeling is definitely the boss room. Heath-san agreed with my query. As Lyle-san disarmed a trap, we charged forward through the long straight corridor. Fuu~ is everyone ready? Once we were in front of the door, I turned back to look at everyone and they all nodded. Creaaaak! Beyond the opened massive doors was a room twice the size of the monster house room. ......a cathedral? It was like the space within a church, but with the pews removed. It was the interior of an extravagant cathedral adorned with stained glass, but it did not even have a sliver of solemnity to it. Rather, it was overflowing with miasma and had the presence of evil. Yamato! The person Akane cried out to was one of the heroes, Akanes classmate, Yamato. The boy summoned from Japan called Yamato was accompanied by 10 Holy Knights of Sydnia. And on the extravagant throne-like seat placed at the very back sat Divine Empire Sydnias Pope Warvaal whom had a vacant look in his eyes. Yamato! Come back to your senses!Finndd the newest novels on ............ Even when Akane cried out desperately, Yamato had no reaction. Kukuku, HAHAHAHAHAHA. Its futile! The Hero Yamato gained holy power through our Goddess divine power, becoming a superhuman. He is no longer the Yamato you once spent time with! Yamato! Please! Come to us! Akanes voice did not get through to him. On the contrary, Yamato raised one hand, giving the Holy Knights lined up behind him a signal. The Holy Knights wore silver armor and a helmet that showed nothing but their eyes. Their pupils shone eerily. (Cant we return them to normal somehow?) Guuwaaaa!! A change occurred in Yamatos body as he continued to move at inhuman speeds. Creak, Snap, Crack! Two horns started growing from his forehead, and his body grew twice as large. The color of his skin turned reddish. Huh?! Isnt he just like an ogre?! As fang-like canines grew from his mouth, he became an existence no longer within the category of people. Even when I tried use Decomposition as I parried his fist, the resistance was great. That being the case, Synthesis didnt work well either when I tried. Even so, I continued to invoke Synthesis on his armor. (What do I do? ......will I kill Akanes classmate in front of her?) I couldnt afford to go easy on him. I prepared myself to bear Akanes grudge. Ha! I attacked while evading Yamatos onslaught, steadily reversing the rate of offense and defense to my favor. Gyaaaa! Dodging the fists Yamato threw at me, I cut the arm he extended from above the elbow. I saw through the attack of his remaining arm and cut it off as well. Yamato roared as both arms fell to the floor. Even more, I swung my sword at his thigh and severed it too. My plan was to restrain his movements for now. However, he had become more of a monster than I had expected. The grotesque Ogre-like Yamato grew even more distant from the form of man. His two arms simultaneously regenerated at high speed. When the leg also regenerated, another two sprouted. The two severed arms returned to his body too. As his limbs increased, Yamato was reduced to a monster with four arms and four legs, We could hear Pope Warvaals laughter. My heart trembled in extreme anger from how he doesnt treat people like actual people. *** Chapter 228: Cathedral Labyrinth 7 Chapter 228: Cathedral Labyrinth 7 As I continued evading the tempestuous four armed attacks while also slashing back, I also threw in palm heel strikes. Spatial Understanding Skill obtained The moment that announcement flowed into my head, I grasped the attacks from dead space quite distinctly. With the Insight skill and Evasion skill together, topped with martial arts-type skills and the Body Control skills, my movements rapidly grew more refined. Sword King Technique Skill has leveled up Fist King Technique Skill has leveled up My sword speed became quicker. The power of my elbow strike and palm heels clad in energy and magic power increased. The deformed Yamatos attacks were fierce and tempestuous because of his four arms and four legs, however, he was originally human, after all. He was unable to fully control the four extra limbs. With that being the case, he was no different from strong, fast beast. Every time the sword I swung gleamed, one of the deformed Yamatos grotesque arm or leg was cut off. It regenerated each time, but I realized that the speed in which it did steadily slowed down. Whoosh! Swish! I slashed downward from overhead, lopping his two right arms off in one go, then I did the same for his two left arms on the return swing. I then went straight for his neck then stopped brandishing my sword. The reason why was that my body was brimming with power, and I knew that I leveled up. This namely meant the death of the deformed Yamato. Takumi! Akane came running from behind as she shrieked. The fact that our partys fight was over something I was aware of because of the Spatial Understanding Skill. Everyone was quiet. The grotesque monster in front of my eyes that was once Yamato had stopped moving as if he was frozen. It appears this is as far as it can be. As expected, too much deformation is counterproductive, I see. Fuhn! When I heard Pope Warvaals monologue, I lost my cool and threw the sword in my hand towards him. Clang! The outcome was that the sword pierced through to the back of the extravagant throne-like chair. Yes, it looked to be quite a fierce battle. When I looked out over everyone, Heath-san and the boys were exhausted down on the floor. Takumi-sama, is Akane-sama alright nya? ......hmm, I think shes okay. Lulu-chan, can you stay by her side for a bit? Yes nya! Lulu-chan ran to Akane, who continued to shed tears alone. After having a bit of rest, we proceeded to the door that appeared behind the throne. Takumi, this dungeons core is probably ahead. If that is destroyed, this dungeon should disappear. It is said that a dungeon dies when the dungeon core in its innermost place is destroyed. This is a severely troubled country, but theres no way we could leave the heart of a city Otherworldified. If we take the core, it might be possible to make another dungeon in a different place, but I dont see the value in increasing the dungeons that have a risk of overflowing. Lets break the core. If the core is auctioned, it could be said the winning bid would be staggeringly large sum. That is because a dungeon is not just harmful, but it is also a source of supplies. However, we were deliberately smashing it. When I opened the door, there was a small room surrounded by walls of a white mineral. In the center of the room was a dodgeball-sized black stone, likely the dungeon core. Everyone gathered a slight distance from me and watched. Hah! Clink! When I swung down and cut the core right in half, the room was engulfed in light and we were forcefully transferred away from the dungeon. Ruuuuuuuuumble!! Forcefully teleported to a place where we could see the Cathedral, a thundering roar accompanied the Cathedral as it fell to the ground before our eyes. While the soldiers of Sydnia that encircled the Cathedral Dungeon were moving about in confusion, I confirmed that everyone was here and escaped by Short Warping out of the city. *** Footnotes: Chapter 229: Where are the ring leaders? Chapter 229: Where are the ring leaders? We, who had escaped the Imperial Capital, went straight back to Volton in Valkyra Kingdom by way of Lomaria Kingdom. Pope Wavaal who disappeared, Akira who was the other hero we didnt see, and the first Imperial Princess Elizabeth. Their whereabouts remain unknown. Then we learned of their whereabouts from the Great Spirits. The Southern Continent? Yes, the continent popularly named Devil Continent, where the Mazoku and Beastkin tribes primarily reside. We bid farewell to Heath-san and the Lions Fang in Volton, then went back to the Sanctuary to talk about the Divine Empire Sydnia dungeon capture. Even though its called a continent, its 1/3 of the size this continent, and I sense many small city-states there. The southern continent apparently had multiple fortress city states with populations ranging from 5,000 C 20,000 in quasi-monster nest regions all over the land. But, how could they have crossed to the Southern Continent, I wonder? Yes, they couldnt possibly have a ship that wouldnt be beaten by gigantic monsters of the ocean like ours. Its unimaginable that Pope Warvaal and the Imperial Princess were the only ones that crossed. I dare say they crossed with a ship, however, the Evil Spirit likely did not allow the monsters to approach. Even we would be able to do it. Even so, I dont think its that many people. I learned from Undine and Sylphs conversation that the Pope of Divine Empire Sydnia had abandoned his country and ran away.Finndd the newest novels on ......theres also Triaria Kingdoms issue, but Sydnia as a country needs to move quickly, refugees would surge to neighboring countries. Learning the harsh circumstance of the Southern Continent from Undine made me groan unintentionally. The carriage I use could basically ignore bad roads. However, if even roads do not exist, then I have to think of another manner of travel. Moreover, were going to a quasi-monster nest where we dont know where and when monsters would attack. I see...... certainly, even the carriage I made might not be able to gain that much speed there. Mm, your carriage is excellent outside the norm, but the environment there is far too harsh. The Great Wind Spirit Sylph knew the detailed circumstances of the far off Southern Continent. The wind freely circulates the world, after all. ......okay! Lets make a method of travel! You mean, a way to move on land? That will also be taken into consideration. Though the Southern Continent is small, it is still too vast for searching for Sydnias ringleaders. Travelling dilatorily there while doing a search was realistically difficult. Those guys, could they be hiding in some country? Hmm, I wonder. As you may expect, they wouldnt usurp a city-state all of a sudden. It would be too conspicuous if they do. They may have even made a hideout within a monster nest. The Evil Spirit is there as well, as such, it would not be impossible. That makes sense. They did make a dungeon too. If I think about it now, that dungeon may have been something they made to keep us confined as they made their escape. Their use of a young Japanese boy as a sacrificial pawn is something I cant forgive...... *** Chapter 230: Report Chapter 230: Report I teleported to Volton and made an appointment with Margrave Volton. Fortunately, it seems he was coming back to his territory in a few days, so Ill be using that time to prepare to cross over to the Demon Continent. Crossing over to the Demon Continent would be no problem for my ship. The problem was our manner of travel on land after getting there instead. Hmm, if there are no roads then.........the sky? In this world, there are several ways to fly in the sky. Wyvern Riders who tame Wyverns raised from the time they were in eggs. The complex magic Fly , a combination of the Null attribute magic Float, which utilizes magic power that has not taken on an attribute, and Wind attribute magic. Well, creating things is my specialty, so aiming to devise a flying vessel with Fly is the right answer. I think an airplane shape wouldnt be a good match. Neither would a helicopter. A flying boat might possibly be the simplest, but this form has a high degree of freedom when it comes to flying in the sky. Moreover, I am a former Japanese, and I also loved old mangas and animes. I mean, the Stern Tower of the ship made of magic metals and Water Dragon materials was ripped off from a certain Space Pirates ship. So if Im going to make a flying vessel, then I should try to emulate something that came out of a fantasy novel or a game. While visualizing all sorts of designs in my head and thinking them over, the day of my appointment with Margrave Volton came. Its nice to see you again, Iruma-dono. Master will come shorty, so please wait for a short while. Yes, its been a while, Xervus-san. Thank you for meeting me at such a busy time. Chamberlain Xervus-san of the Margrave Volton family guided me to the conference room. After about 30 minutes of waiting, the ever splendid door opened and Lord Margrave Godwin Volton entered. Iruma-dono, long time no see. You seem well. Even if we did leave the boy from my old country known as Akira alone, we couldnt do so with the Evil Spirit that produces dungeons. But the Demon Continent is a harsh environment. There is a reason why there isnt anything but city-states established. Yes, that is why I am thinking of a method of transport. We will be preparing more than necessary. Of course you would. Samandour Kingdom seems to have an indeterminate trade with the city-states of the Southern continent, but from what I hear, there are no paths between the cities and those lands are dominated by monsters. Well, perhaps because of this, there are no thieves, bandits, and the like. In the Demon Continent, aside from the fortress city-states, settlements such as farming villages and towns didnt exist. Naturally, there were no thieves or bandit hideouts either. It was a land that was primarily composed of the Beastkin with high physical prowess and the individually great Mazoku who had high battle potential. Well, at the very least, I will report it to His Majesty. Iruma-dono, you must have a reason to go to the Demon Continent. Yes. Even if we look for the Pope, we dont have a single clue. We will do the search bit by bit, as much as we are able to. Since I also have work in the Sanctuary, I dont think we would be able to stay for very long. I have to devise a way to camp in the Demon Continent. We dont know how strong the monsters there would be, so I have no idea if the barriers we have right now would be enough. Partly because of that, we intend to make frequent returns to the Sanctuary. The postwar processing with Triaria will take a while. I will talk to His Majesty to have a conference with the different nations to ask if they could provide humanitarian aid to Sydnia first. Sorry for all this trouble. Not at all, everything after this point is our job. After that, I received a bit of information regarding the Demon Continent from Margrave Volton, and that is the end of that days report. Now then, I gotta think about a lot of things. *** Chapter 231: Breathers are also a necessity, aren’t they? Chapter 231: Breathers are also a necessity, arent they? The Sanctuary has a place blooming with flowers, where Faeries and Spirits fly about. In that place, I sat on a large picnic sheet spread out, eating the lunchbox that Maria and Marnie made. This was a conversation that goes back to the time I came home to the Sanctuary Mansion after reporting to Margrave Volton. Takumi-sama, please have some rest! For the time being, work is prohibited! Eh? The moment we climbed up to the first floor of the mansion from the basement with the Teleport magic circle, Sophia and Maria instructed me to rest. Master (Husband), starting from Triarias Sanctuary Invasion to Sydnias Elf rescue to the dungeon capture, you have been so busy that you are overworked. Takumi-sama, Laeva also needs rest. When Marnie and Laeva said that, there was no way I could go straight to the workshop. Uhhh, rest? Thats right. Akane probably also needs a break. As for Sydnias fugitives, its not something we must do immediately. ......that makes sense. ......okay, lets do that then. Now that I really think about it, it feels like Ive been running franticly ever since I transmigrated to this world. In the beginning, I had such thoughts in order to live, to make the foundation for my life, but ever since I got involved with the Sanctuary, it felt like Ive been working like a cart-horse. I think its also important to take things slow even if it isnt exactly a slow life so I wouldnt be suspected of being a workaholic. Deciding so, Ill fully enjoy this break and go out and have a picnic with everyone. Then how about we split up and make lunchboxes? Takumi-sama please take it slow. No, its fun to make food with everyone too, you know. This will also be stress relieving. I-is that so...... We have to search for nori. We hurriedly finished our preparations and went out to an area where the Sanctuarys flowers bloomed profusely all year round. In that place, we laid a picnic sheet out and everyone ate the food while passing the time idly. Things like this are good once in a while. Takumi-sama, here you go. T-thanks, Sophia. Sophia poured me some wine. I dont drink too often, but white wine is fine. Its not like Im weak to alcohol, after all. ......guys, thank you. Akane stood up all of a sudden, then bowed to us. Akane...... Im fine now. Im over it. You dont have to force yourself. M-mm, hesitating for so long isnt like me. Sure, I was shocked, but Yamato was paying for his mistakes...... We could tell that she was forcing herself, but were glad that Akane was energetic. Okay! Lets drink today! Yeah. Akane-sama, wine right nya? From then on, it became a lively banquet. Maybe because fights continue day by day, I strongly believed that days like this are important. *** Chapter 232: Demon Continent Chapter 232: Demon Continent Given how the entire continent is a quasi-monster nest, the lands which are particularly thick with mana and receives energy of the Earth Pulse give birth to dungeons. For that reason, all sorts of dungeons, large and small, exist in the Demon Continent. Therefore, the only choice city-states had for settlements were fortress cities. There is a group that is advancing through that Demon Continent while placing the monsters under their control. *** Sphys note: (2/2) of Double release. Check to make sure you didnt skip the other one. Chapter 233: Is this an airplane or a ship? Chapter 233: Is this an airplane or a ship? I didnt cram in much work even after the picnic, living life at a slightly slower pace. (Still, I cant postpone it as long as I want.) If it was simply going to the continent in the south known as the Demon Continent, our current ship would have been more than enough. It wouldnt give even an inch against a gigantic aquatic monster. How is it? Making any progress? Oh, its you, Akane. Thats rare. While I was working out an idea in the Sanctuary workshop, Akane made a rare appearance. Her showing up here was unusual. She normally wouldnt even approach this place. Once in a blue moon, yeah? I was intending to get over Yamato, but theres still that thing with Akira too, so I definitely want to go with you to the Demon Continent. ......so I was wondering how that would happen. ......Akira definitely shouldnt be given up on. Anyway, going to the Demon Continent is simple. Our ship can cross the ocean easily. The problem is our method of transport within the continent. I explained to Akane that the land routes of the Demon Continent had extremely harsh environments that even Tsubakis carriage would find hard to traverse. ......so roads dont exist. So that means youll be building an aircraft? Ohh, as expected, Akane. Ill need to check if an airplane is possible, but a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft would be ideal. If we choose to go in an aircraft, then it would have to be a VTOL type, which doesnt need a runway for takeoffs and landing. A VTOL type? Not a fighter jet? There are fighter types as well, but you know the troubles with its fuselage when it was brought over to Japan from America, right? If I take the transport volume, should it be that? Since even Akane would have known about the many accidents shown on the news, sharing that image with Akane was no problem. Still, itll fly with magic, so its fine even if I dont fuss over its form. Magic? Thats right. Wyverns and dragons cant fly with their wings, right? They fly using magic. Thats why I havent decided on whether it would be an aircraft or a flying ship, but I dont have to be so particular with the aerodynamics if itll fly with magic. Well, that makes sense. You may as well go for the cool one, huh. Laeva and I decided on the size of the vessel that would be used in the continent. Like the carriage, the interior will be fine if it is bestowed with Space Expansion, so how big it is on the outside is what we need to decide on. Since it will fly, I believe we should go for a size that would be fine even if hit by a Wyvern. Youre right. Lets go with a size larger than a Wyvern. If it spans 60ft (approx. 18m) to 70ft (approx. 21m) like a large cruiser[2], and if we use mithril alloy for its body, I think it would be alright even if it collides with the majority of the flying-type monsters. Fundamentally, we will fly in the inland areas, however I imagine it would be even better if we are able to land on the sea water. For sure. Lets make it so its floats in a well balanced way even if we land on water. A form for flying that lands stably on water...... A Trimaran[3] with the pilothouse, residential area, and hold in center hull. The propulsion devices on both sides would also serve as floats. And connect them like wings, maybe? I drew a rough sketch on the table. Ooh! That looks neat! So the wings would be able to change course even without magic, I think we should add rudders and elevators. I briefly explained to Laeva a method of controlling the airframe using air resistance and dynamic lift. A method to control movement without magic?! Thats amazing, Takumi-sama! Well, its just to supplement the magic though. While pacifying the excited Laeva, I drew a sketch so we could put our ideas out. *** Footnotes: 1. 쥤 C I think its a reference to the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. Man, I had to search so much for that. 2. I am assuming he meant a cruiser aircraft. 3. A trimaran is basically a three hull ship. An example here. Ree?ad latest novels at Chapter 234: Leisurely Dangling A String Chapter 234: Leisurely Dangling A String I invoked an alchemy spell in front of the materials in the workshop. Transmute. The light of the magic circle engulfed the materials in its radiance and a long, narrow cylindrical item was completed. From the resin of a Treant and coal, a carbon fiber rod was made. Once I attached it to the reel made beforehand, it was complete. Takumi-sama, what sort of tool is that? Sophia asked in wonder. Do the Elves, forest dwellers, not know about fishing? I thought they were able to fish in ponds and lakes though...... Its a fishing rod, you know? A fishing rod? What does that tool do? Eh?! Sophia-san, you dont know what a fishing rod is? It is a tool for fishing. Laeva, who was working on her own table in the workshop, was shocked. Laeva seemed to be familiar with fishing. In my country, fish are caught with arrows shot by a bow, as such, this is the first time Ive heard of the term fishing. Cultural differences, I suppose. When Elves catch fish, their tool of choice is the bow. I couldnt say that I thought it was similar to the method of indigenous people from some place[1]. So, as the person who should be thinking about the design and construction of the aircraft that would be our method of transportation in the Demon Continent, if I had to say why I am making a fishing rod and reel............ its because Ive reached a dead end. Therefore, I thought to go fishing as a change of pace. Since I was doing that anyway, I checked the materials and challenged myself to make carbon fiber. Master, lets hurry and go fishing Alright, shall we get going? Kaede, who had supplied the line for the reel, urged me to hurry up. I prepared fishing rods, reels, and fishing hooks for a large number of people. I enveloped my body in magic power, then reinforced the line by distributing magic power starting from the pole. I was barely managing to wind up the reel. I was sure that it was something relatively large that was hooked. I was sweating as I winded the reel as hard as I could, trying to give the children a good show. Once I winded the line up enough to eventually see it in the distance` no, I actually knew since much earlier` what appeared on the surface of the water was not a fish. It was over 10 meters long and 1 diameter wide gigantic Sea Snake. Uwaaaa!! The children ran away at the sight of the gigantic Sea Snake. ......huh? Thats weird. Monsters shouldnt be able to enter the barrier. Takumi-sama, is the Sea Snake not a monster? Hisssssss!! Wind Cutter! Sophia and I fired Wind magic at the gaping mouth of the attacking Sea Snake. Blam! Its thick neck was severed and the head fell off, killing it instantly. Takumi-sama, it really did not have a magic stone. It was not a monster. ......I see, maybe I should look over the barrier again. Isnt it fine? Those this large are rare. On this day, I was unable to catch a single fish, but the children ended up looking at me like I was some sort of hero. It was sweet, so it was acceptable. *** Footnotes: 1. I dont know if this was a reference to something or just speaking in general. Chapter 235: Collecting materials Chapter 235: Collecting materials I spent my days on a relaxed schedule, alternating between being cooped up planning and studying in the workshop, and spending time with everyone. In the end, rather that being a triple hulled ship, I decided that the aircrafts design would have wings attached to a large cruiser and then a propulsor would be installed on the wings. The large cruiser section would have a streamlined design a ship is known for as well as an aerodynamic shape. This is because I thought there wasnt much to land in on the sea. Itd fly through the Valley of the Wind. Where is the Valley of the Wind? Nah, its nothing. Laeva ended up hearing me talk to myself. Theres no way I could explain an old Japanese anime[1] to her. And so, I drew up who knows how many designs that I felt would go with the gunship. After this, I have to think of a mechanism that would operate the elevator and the rudder. In addition, Id have to develop a magic device to keep the airframe afloat, a propulsor, and a barrier for repelling aerial monsters. This looks like it will need a very large magic crystal. Right? To produce our desired speeds, wed have to process a magic stone the size of a dragons at the very least. Hmm, do we have stock of dragon-types magic stones? About that, I have a bit of an idea. We have stock of large magic stones, but I was thinking whether I could process magic stones that were small but of greater purity into a large magic stone using Synthesis. When Laeva asked what we would do, her eyes were filled with anticipation, so well try experimenting. What I took out of my item box were the magic stones of Skeleton Generals, which we had secured many of in the Cathedral Labyrinth. Soon after, I invoked Synthesis on two of them. For the time being, I plan on creating a magic device that would make it possible to fill it with mana from the atmosphere. The mechanism for collecting and filling natural mana was something already implemented on golems and the like. If we disregard the fact that the target magic crystal was remarkably different in size, existing method are being reused so it wouldnt take that long, The 3 basketball[3] sized magic crystals were for the propulsor that applies Wind attribute magic. The largest magic crystal was for the magic formula for floating the aircraft. So youve divided the Fly magic. Yes, well make use of the wings dynamic lift, rudders, and elevators in addition to wind magic to control the airframe. Separating Float magic is more efficient for magic power consumption. Takumi-sama, as it is unlike a carriage, what will we do with the brakes? Ahh, ......brakes are necessary, huh. Like the driving force of a single engine fighter, I plan on installing 1 magic device gushing wind at the rear of the main body. And a floatation device on both ends of the wings. Lets make the magic device that would be installed on the wing tips be capable of reverse thrusts. That is a good idea. Movement efficiency would improve, and the ship would be equipped to fight even a wyvern in the sky. Oh yeah. Just in case, lets come up with weapons assuming there will be air battles. Laeva and I talked about the specs to be incorporated into the airframe, and the design finally began to take shape. *** Footnotes: 1. Reference to Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no Tani no Naushika), I may have mentioned this before being a good show. A must watch ? 2. Im not sure / forgot where a magic stone ends and a magic crystal starts because of how the author uses the terms. Takumi has made magic crystals that were comprised of trash magic stones from all sorts of monsters before, but these magic stones all come from the same monster, so is that why he still pertains to them as magic stones? 3. Probably a typo or inconsistency, raw says softball, but they made basketball sized ones. Thanks SF-san for pointing this out. Chapter 236: Transmuting the airship Chapter 236: Transmuting the airship We began planning out the airframe, designing the exterior and the interior. This was essential for constructing it with alchemy. A magic formula would be used for the transmutation of materials, but the rate of success hinges on how clear the image in the mind is when the items combine. The airframe structure will be a semi-monocoque[1] design that will consist of mithril alloy and carbon fiber. A blueprint would be necessary in order to create it with a strong image in mind. The interior and control system will not be touched until the space inside has been expanded, so the airships body and rudders, elevator, landing gear, and air brakes have to be built in one go. Okay, what do we do about the weapons?Re?Ad lateSt chapters at Only For starters, I was thinking of placing two Mana Gatling Guns in the front. A Mana Gatling Gun is a magic weapon that fires consecutive Null attribute magic. The reason I made it with Null attribute rather than with an attributed one was so that it would deal a constant damage against any monster. Takumi-sama, the procurement of mithril is in perfect order. Good work. Laeva came back then. Oh, weapons. Fumufumu............ invoking Null attribute Mana Bullets in quick succession, I see. Yeah, I think this will be fine even against things like Wyverns. Then it would be equipped with an even more powerful attribute magic, wouldnt it? Yep, if it had to be with or without it, then Id say with. I had thought about including it, but if we had to fight against dragon-types, those wouldnt be beaten by the Mana Gatling Gun. A way to deal high powered attacks was necessary. Wind magic is a no go, right? That is so. A flying dragon would have resistance to the Wind attribute. It is the same reason that the Fire attribute is ineffective with a Fire Drake. Ice, Lightning, or Light maybe? An application of the Water Magic, Ice Magic. Thank you, Dryas. Since we have a possible solution for the canopy materials, I made a mockup based on the original blueprint. I molded clay with Earth Magic ahead of time. What I will do with the completed mockup is a wind tunnel experiment. The fundamental goal is to fly without hindrance with Float magic and Wind magic, but if aerodynamics is neglected, air resistance and disturbances in atmospheric currents would make it difficult to control the aircraft. With repeated wind tunnel experiments and revisions, the design of the airframe developed. After that, mithril ores, coal, the Spirit Trees sap, and more were brought into the shipbuilding dock. I immersed myself in drawing transmutation magic circles for producing refined metals and carbon fiber. Laeva and I checked all the materials and the magic circle, then spread the blueprint and the complete diagram beside the transmutation magic circle. Concentrating, I made a mental image of the completed airship as clear as I could. I coalesced magic power and let it flow into the magic circle. The magic circle shined and swallowed the materials in light. The magic circle that emerged from the palms of my hands expanded. Transmute! The light took shape, that shine soon faded. After that, a mithril alloy airframe painted in sky blue had appeared. *** Footnotes: 1. Semi-monocoque refers to a stressed shell structure that is similar to a true monocoque(an aircraft or vehicle structure in which the chassis is integral with the body), but which derives at least some of its strength from conventional reinforcement. -Wikipedia. 2. Same reference as before. Kaze no Tani no Naushika / Nausicaa? of the Valley of the Wind has a gunship that looks like this. Chapter 237: Airship Ouranos Chapter 237: Airship Ouranos An aircraft appeared after the light from the transmutation converged. 15m long and 10m wide. Each wingtip had a float-shaped magic device to keep the aircraft in balance when landing on water, and three landing gears to support the main body of the aircraft. It had taken on an organic shape reminiscent of an insect in some respects. Oohh! Its a success! So cool! Laeva touched the transmuted airship all excitedly. I checked whether the elevators, rudder, and air brakes were working properly. ......what a relief, everythings all good. Thats amazing, Takumi. The color looks good too. Thank you very much, Doganbo-san. May I ask you to do the cockpit and seats? Ou, its fine to do it after the space is expanded, right? Leave it to me. Doganbo-san who had been observing was also somewhat thrilled.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at Only It was then that Sophia and the others who were slightly distanced also came over. Congratulations, Takumi-sama. Amazing! It doesnt look like a ship! Sophia and Maria congratulated me. After that, Akane and Lulu-chan began talking too. Its so-so. Have you decided on a name? I manufactured the weapons, two Mana Gatling Guns and one Holy Bolt Cannon. The magic crystal Ill process and use for this is a sub-dragon class magic stone. The gun barrel used durable adamantite alloy instead of mithril alloy which had a high affinity with magic power. One gatling gun consists of a set of four barrels. These would be installed at the middle of the wings. After creating all the magic devices connected to the interior, I headed to the shipbuilding dock. When I arrived at the shipbuilding dock, Laeva was giving instructions to install the canopy. Okay, stop! Please install it there! Yo! Things are smooth sailing, yeah? Ah, Takumi-sama. Work is all going well. Can I leave furnishing the interior with magic devices to you? Please leave it to me! I took out the light fixtures and toilet purifiers then handed them to Laeva, while I started mounting the weapons. That day, we worked until dark to finish mounting the weapons and the propulsion devices. It took 10 days to set up the control system and finish the interior. Kaede and Maria helped out with the interior, which included the cockpit and seats for our party members, furniture and more, so things were finished in that timespan. And so, 10 days after its transmutation, the Airship Ouranos could have its test flight. *** Chapter 238: Test Flight Chapter 238: Test Flight The Airship Ouranos was complete and a test flight will be conducted. Its something that flies in the air, so being too careful isnt excessive. A trifling thing could lead to a grave accident. But that doesnt apply all too much with the Airship Ouranos, the first of its kind in this world. As long as levitation magic is there, it wouldnt fall even if it stalls. In addition to myself, Laeva, Doganbo-san, and Sophia who had the aptitude for the Wind attribute were chosen to be part of the test flight. On the off chance that things go wrong, we would escape by flying. The Sanctuary children wanted to board, but I got them to understand that they only could after this test flight and if nothing goes wrong. A door opened slightly in front of the wing, turning into a ramp for boarding. I took the lead and boarded the Ouranos. Sophia, Laeva, and Doganbo-san subsequently followed. Sitting in the cockpit, I pushed the lever and the Airship Ouranos floated up. Stowing away the landing gear and reaching 50m up in altitude, I pushed on the throttle and we slowly started moving forward. Oooh! Its floating! Its flying! Uwaaaa!! Amaaaazing! Doganbo-san yelled in excitement. And Kaede who came out of the Subspace at some point had also exclaimed. As the speed rose steadily, it eventually reached approximately 500km/h in velocity. It is a huge success. Laeva folded her arms, feeling content. After that, I asked Sophia and the passengers to wear their seatbelts, then I methodically and repeatedly turned the Ouranos left and right, ascended, descended, made sharp turns, sudden climbs, and nose dives as a test. It looks like everything is in tip top shape. How about we go back for now? Mazoku and Beastkin have the ability to survive in such a severe environment. According to Sylph, the Demon Continent had a great number of monster nests within the quasi-monster nests, and monsters from monster nests were not like those in the savage lands outside the Sanctuary that would make occasional appearances. The monsters that inhabited monster nests could move unrestrictedly if the region was a quasi-monster nest. Maybe the camp should be a strong shelter using barriers and Earth magic. If we are making a base, we would be able to establish a Teleportation gate. We dont know what kind of place the Demon Continent is, so making a base all of a sudden is unjustifiable. The Gate Sophia mentioned was a magic device that had the ability to teleport, making long distance teleportation between gates feasible at the cost of little magic power. Currently, the places weve established Gates at were only the Sanctuary mansion basement and the Volton mansion basement. Its been fitted with a personnel authenticating feature by way of magic, so not just anyone could use the gate, but I cant establish it in a place with inadequate security. It might be better to also keep eyeing the possibility of creating a base. Yes, well, aside from the fortress cities, the land over there isnt owned by anyone, so theres no need to worry about anyone. Sylph and Selene shared information that they acquired from their familial Spirits. ......sure, if theres a place that look good, then we should consider building a base too. If it was just me, I could potentially return to the Sanctuary mansion by teleportation. However, teleporting the entire team would consume too much magic power, so teleporting to the mansion almost daily to sleep was unreasonable. We crafted potions in addition to gathering our rations and daily necessities. Were also preparing wood for building furniture that would be necessary when we get a base set up. I also stored fresh cooked food in my Item Box. And now, we leave for the Demon Continent. *** Footnotes: 1. Says Vulcan Cannon unlike previous chapter. Will keep mana gatling gun for consistency. Chapter 239: To the Demon Continent Chapter 239: To the Demon Continent Pushing through the high waves of the ocean, this worlds largest ship propelled forward. We, who were riding the Combat Ship Oceanus, headed straight south from the Sanctuary. Steering the Oceanus was entrusted to Doganbo-san and the Dwarves. After we take off in the Airship Ouranos, they will return to the Sanctuary. Everyone boarded the Airship Ouranos that was parked on the deck of the ship once we were at the open seas outside of Samandour Kingdom. Then Doganbo-san, please be careful on your way back. Ou, leave it to us! The Oceanus will be safe even if Sea Dragons pick a fight. Okay, well be on our way. Ou! Hurry up with making a base and establish a gate. Entrusting the Oceanus to Doganbo-san, I went in the Ouranos.Finndd the newest novels on Sitting in the cockpit, I pushed the lever and booted up the Levitator MD. The aircraft slowly ascended and I stowed the landing gear. Once we rose close to 300m in altitude, I lowered the output of the Levitator MD, launched the jet engines, and the Airship Ouranos silently increased its speed as it flew towards the south. The Airship Ouranos was making its way to the Demon Continent at cruising speeds of approximately 700km/h. I imagine we would arrive at the continent before nightfall. Roger. While looking at the map we had asked Sylph to draw, Laeva calculated our arrival time. Although its called a map, its not like the accurate maps in my old world, so it was simple estimations. Sophia informed me that that city-state was a country of Mazoku. Mazoku, a race that the Divine Empire Sydnia and Triaria Kingdom perceives as having monster ancestry. However, this is a complete misconception / mistake. They do not have monster blood running through their veins, nor do they have a magic stone in their body. The Oni tribe, Succubus Clan, Giant tribe, Devil Clan and the like exist. The Oni Tribe and the Devil Clan were said have evolved from monsters because of their appearance, but that is the greatest insult to them, and as such, caution is necessary. About the Succubus Clan, do they suck the vitality of the opposite sex? No, they are a tribe that births only females, but I hear they have a high aptitude for magic. I ended up imagining something a bit indecent when I heard Succubus. However, I found out that the appearance of the Succubi[2] were not much different from my imagination. Perhaps because the southern continent was warm, they wore extremely revealing clothing, had bat-like wings and two sheep-like horns, and a pointed tail just like what I had imagined. Yup, its exactly like the Succubus I had in mind. In addition to this, the Demon Continent had Mazoku-governed city-states, multiracial city-states, Beastkin-governed city-states and more. Even so, given how extremely seldom interactions were between fellow countries, just how many countries there were couldnt accurately be stated. We distanced ourselves from the port-owning city-state and searched for a place suitable for a base. A place within the quasi-monster nest which has either a river or lake, or even groundwater. My wish was to build a base floating on an artificial lake if there is an abundant underground water vein. That day, just before it got dark, at 15 minutes of the Airship Ouranos cruising inland, we discovered a place that was suitable for a base. *** Footnotes: 1. Its now been confirmed theres a Devil race, so Ill stick to Mazoku as a collective term for the Magic / Demonic beings. And this also means that I will change Devil Continent to Demon Continent. 2. Succubi is the plural form of Succubus. Sometimes author writes succubus women but since the entire race is female, it isnt necessary to write that. Chapter 240: Base Establishment Chapter 240: Base Establishment The Airship Ouranos deployed its landing gear and slowly lowered in altitude. The Ouranos touched down gently on a small hill in a forest, and Kaede jumped out and was being vigilant of our surroundings. Master! Ill go exterminate the monsters nearby, okay~! Sure, be careful. Kaaay! Once everyone alighted, I stored the Ouranos in the Item Box. Kaede jumped out at the get go, so she left to thin out the monsters in the surroundings. The presences of the surrounding monsters was diminishing and the sun was going down, so we set up barriers and made camp at that spot for the day. Hee~, mhmm, isnt this a good spot? Fumu, a thick Earth Vein runs along here as well. No issues here. The greenery is ever so slightly scarce. The next morning, just as we finished eating breakfast, Undine, Gnome, and Dryas showed up. How unexpected. It is us, the Great Spirits. Uwaa! Dont scare me like that. Selene talked from behind, startling me. Dont be frightened. Fufu, Spirits are mischievous beings, you know. Undine and the Great Spirits came here to help with the groundwork for making the base. Shall we begin with purifying the land? Gotcha. Akane, Laeva, and I invoked a wide area Light attribute spell at Selenes prompt. Holy Barrier Sanctuary Field!! Oh Great Light Spirit, cleanse all that turn wicked! Holy Light Purification! Laeva will explore the forest. Then Kaede too! Sure. Thats enough for the exploration group, so I want Titan to chop down the trees around the lake. Roger, Master. I asked Titan to widen the distance from the lakefront to the forest. Marnie would prepare meals for everyone, while Akane and Lulu-chan assisted. And of course, Sophia was my escort like always. Okay, shall we form the base before the day is over? Yes! After teleporting Kaede, Titan, and Laeva, I went ahead with the construction of the base. I was thinking we should make the base a small fortress. Fuuh. Taking a deep breath, I concentrated, imagining a strong, complete picture. I placed my hands on the ground and poured well kneaded magic power into it, activating my original Earth attribute spell. Build Fortress! Using the soil from the raised hill and the underneath the ground, the earth tremored as an unrefined fortress enclosed by high ramparts was completed. The walls and the fortress structure were altered to solid stones, and the rooms and stairways within it were also built. Creating a wall with Earth attribute magic was something many other Earth Mages do, but I cant imagine there being someone capable of constructing a complicated structure with magic in one go. For that reason, I am proud of my original magic. Since the building was done, were going to install the magic devices for lighting and kitchen use, lay down furniture, as well as set up a Gate inside the fortress that connects to the Sanctuary. Okay, this is fine for now. Thank you for your hard work. After installing Purifier MDs on the toilets of each floor of the three-story building, I added magic devices to the large bath built on the first floor, and my work was done. Afterwards, I went to meet up with Kaede, Titan, and Laeva and our second night at the Demon Continent passed. *** Chapter 241: Exploring the Demon Continent Chapter 241: Exploring the Demon Continent The next morning, after having breakfast with everyone, Laeva and I went to the basement and started on the remaining work. We established a Gate in a small 16.5sqm-ish small room, then adjusted it so only we could use it. Also, adding a magic power authenticator to the door of the room with the Gate so no one but us could enter made our security flawless. Akane entered the door that was left open. Done preparing? Yeah, please call everyone over. Id like to finish setting the door and the Gates personnel authenticators. Okay! I loaded the large magic crystal for the Gate with magic power as I asked Akane to call everyone over. With a magic device to replenish the magic crystal with mana from the atmosphere and the energy from the thick Earth Vein in these lands, the cost to manage the Gate wasnt a lot. Thats why it would be fine even if we made frequent visits to the Sanctuary. Akane and Lulu-chan, who promptly registered their magic power, used the Gate to go teleport to the Sanctuary. Apparently, they would do laundry at the Sanctuary mansion. And now that I think about it, I never did make a magic device for that. It took 10 days to complete the reinforcement of the defenses of the fortress and finish setting up the magic devices and furniture for a comfortable stay while going back and forth between the Sanctuary and the Devil Continent.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) The reinforcements to the base also comprised of stationing Security Golems. This fortress defense capabilities were high from the start. Because of the lake, it would be difficult for anything but monsters specialized in flying or swimming to reach. In addition to this, the fortress surrounded by 20m tall and 5m wide walls would not yield even if attacked by monsters in great numbers. Furthermore, the sturdy stone walls were applied with strengthening enchantments, which included magic resistance, so its defenses were stronger than it looked. This strong base I could be proud of was complete, but that didnt mean it had no issues. Takumi-sama, is there another way to leave this place aside from flying or Kaede manipulating her threads? Yup, the members coming will be Sophia and I, as well as Marnie. Marnie is a Beastkin and specializes in stealth, and as such, would not stand out in this continent, so she will join the party. In the meantime, what will we do? Akane asked as the representative of the other members. Maria looked like she wanted to come too, as she looked discontent. I guess everyone can go survey the monsters around the base and thin them out. Thin them out huh...... its fine even if its an extermination, right? Kaede will go hunting! ......there may be rare ingredients there. Laeva will also investigate if there are rare materials there. Lulu will help too nya. Akane and Kaede were raring to go, and Maria also assented in the end, so were leaving the base to them. Laeva and Lulu-chan would search for materials native to this continent, apparently. Then, please prioritize your safety. Well also try to come back by evening. Once we finished talking, we boarded the Airship Ouranos and flew off to one of the city-states of the Devil Continent. *** Sphys Note: And that is it. Were at the end of volume 5. As per usual, I will take a 2 update break. Thank you as always for your kind support. Ill see you in the next update! Chapter 242: Country of a Beast King Chapter 242: Country of a Beast King In a small mountain located south of the center of the Devil Continent, where monsters run rampant, stood a fortress city-state surrounded by tall walls. The mountain was steep and rocky, and the area where the city lay was a small plateau. Its a city normal people wouldnt be able to reach, but that wasnt an issue for almost anyone inhabiting it. The citizens living in this city-state were all from races with high physical capabilities, Beastkins. The city-state Atropolis. A city-state governed by a Beast King with majority of the citizens being warriors is a country that possesses high battle potential characteristic to the harsh environments of the Devil Continent. Thanks to wearing the Overcoat of Existence Concealment[1] and our Stealth skills, we infiltrated the city without anyone realizing and promptly roamed around to gather information. My Human self and the Elf Sophia stand out among the Beastkin, so the hood of our coats were pulled low over our eyes. Marnie was a Rabbitkin so she hid her ears with her hood as well. Rabbitkin were a minority even in the Devil Continent, after all. As a race which was by all rights said to be unsuited to battle, they had no choice but to become harlots, dancers and the like, which meant they wouldnt be caught sight of during the day. Many of the Beastkins in this continent had strong external animal characteristics. There were races of Beastkin who possessed only ears and a tail similar to Laeva, Marnie, and Lulu-chan, but more than half of them were dressed and looked like bipedal animals.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) In the corner of a bar, I listened to the surrounding voices with an ale in hand. Compiling together what Ive overheard at the citys market and street stalls, the ruler was the 13th generation Beast King Ryvar. The battle prowess of the current Lionkin Beast King was apparently even more superior than the preceding generations of Beast Kings. Surprisingly though, the title is not decided by bloodline, but rather by strength. What a muscle-brained country. Still, its a country in an amazing place. Yeah, it isnt a problem for us because were high leveled, but it would be tough to climb that rocky mountain. Master (Husband), not all Beastkin tribes have high physical prowess. I dare say that even though they are Beastkin, they dont go outside unless they are warriors. No one noticed that I was talking with Sophia and Marnie in hushed voices. Not being noticed by the Beastkin who have sensitive sense of smell and hearing was testament to the combined effect of our coats and skills. Indeed it has. Even so, there are slaves even in this continent. Criminal slaves and debt slaves are the same in any country, arent they? It is nai?ve thinking that there wouldnt be slaves because a country is a single-raced nation. Criminals exist everywhere, and if taxes exist in a country, then it wouldnt be strange for there to be debt slaves either. That said, it doesnt mean Ive gotten used to it though. The impression I got from browsing the citys market and weapons shop was that the level of the blacksmiths in this country werent that high. Sword, axes, spears, clubs, and any other weapons were made roughly. High quality goods, and even armor, were all imported from Samandour Kingdom. Yes. Though it is quite expensive because of the Mazoku country that had a port in the north, Accuros, standing in between. Accuros, the only nation with a port in the Devil Continent, is visited by the others in the continent to trade. We learned that the main products traded were arms and grains. On the other hand, the Devil Continent exports seasonings to Samandour Kingdom. Rare merchandise from the Devil Continent such as pepper, spices, and coffee beans were popular. Id like to buy a lot of spices to bring home. Yes, though there is a need to exchange money in Accuros beforehand. Oh right, theres that. As the entrance of the Devil Continent, Accuros makes it possible for us to exchange the currency of our continent with the currency circulated in the Devil Continent. I regret it a little not going to Accuros first. *** Footnotes: 1. Typo: Overcoat of Inhibiting Perception in raw. Sphys Note: Hello~ I see youve made it this far. Thank you for your patience during my short break. Ive got something extra, even though its not actually about GA. If youre still interested, its over here. Chapter 243: Country of the Mazoku Chapter 243: Country of the Mazoku The day after gathering information in the Beastkin country Atropolis governed by Beast King Ryvar, we snuck into the only nation with a port, Accuros, at the north of the Devil Continent. The ruler of the Mazoku-governed Accuros is Queen Fraal of the Succubus clan. A queen proficient in both magic and internal administration. Unlike in the Beastkin countries, the sovereignty here is hereditary. Queen Fraal is the 8th generation queen, but the lifespan of the Mazoku is long, so the foundation of Accuros is far earlier than Atropolis. Takumi-sama, youre looking too much. Shes right, Master (Husband). Your face is slacking[1]. Umm, uhh, Im sorry. The Devil Continent located south of the continent we live in was much warmer. Perhaps a racial thing? Thats how it was for the Beastkin, but it seems many prefer to wear revealing clothes regardless of their gender. On top of which, the Mazoku are even more lascivious, and most of the women were wearing swimsuit-like clothing that covered an extremely small surface area. Beastkin women in miniskirts and tube tops was the default, but it was like the Mazoku womens clothing jumped out of a manga or anime. Beastkin prefer clothing that are easy to move in, so it is suitable for this hot region, but seeing the Mazoku for the first time...... Im afraid this is a difference in values. ......ha, ha, youre right. While throwing in the appropriate response to Marnie, my gaze wandered. (Its impossible, my eyes follow no matter what I do.) I tried to not let Sophia and Marnie notice, but I knew they found out I was pretending to be calm. Even so,......... its the same for the Beastkin of Atropolis, but the people of the Devil Continent are strong. Fraal-sama, is something the matter? It was during one of Fraals irregular trips to the city. She happened to notice a weak presence. Truly, it was a coincidence that she noticed. And when she did, her back grew cold from the bizarreness of that existence. (Was there such a strong individual in this continent?) The Magic Eyes that Fraal possesses was repelled. That meant that the target was clearly a higher being than herself. The citizens of Accuros, who reside in a region which had almost transformed into a monster nest, are capable of fighting against monsters despite being ordinary people. The knights and soldiers are proud that they are far stronger than the continent of the humans. Queen Fraal reigned at the top of these strong individuals. Unlike Beastkin countries, the Mazoku countries have royalty and nobility similar to the Human countries. Even so, the royalty of this country continue to be the absolute strongest themselves. In this continent, high levels of fighting strength is desired by those in power, after all. This tendency to revere pure strength is deeply rooted in the Mazoku. A being made that Fraal have cold sweats. She tried to check again, but it disappeared like a mist. Fraal, who wouldnt even hesitate to stand up and subjugate a gigantic monster, was terrified by that being. Fraal-sama? Ah, yes, sorry. I was lost in thought. Pardon me, Ryuka. Not at all, let us inspect the next district. Urged by the Oni woman called Ryuka, Fraal looked around for that presence once more. She then shook her head and began walking as if she had given up. *** Footnotes: 1. The expression is actually Ǥ¤?? which, when translated literally, means that the upper lip is stretching. It is said to a man who is allured by a woman. Chapter 244: State of the Devil Continent Chapter 244: State of the Devil Continent Welcome home. Were back. After investigating the two countries, Accuros and Atropolis, Maria met us back at the base. Is everyone else back at the Sanctuary? Yes, it looks like they were bored at the base. The base built in the Devil Continent was secure, but boring to Akane. If Im not mistaken, Mimir-sama said she would lend books today. Something to kill time might be necessary in the base. Kaede hunts monsters in the surrounds if she has time, so she doesnt need a time killer, but Akane and Lulu-chan were bored in the bare base. Once everyone was back at the base, we gathered at the table. Atropolis is like what you would imagine of a Beastkin country.Yo?ur favorite stories on A country of muscle-brains, huh. ......yeah, well, that is how it is if put briefly. I could not deny the few words Akane used to cut my impression of the Beastkin country short. Investigating the state of the habitats of monsters in the entire continent would be too difficult, as such, we have no choice but to gather information at the city-states. Its just as Sophia says. Is the increase of monsters true? We dont know if that was the influence of the Evil Spirit. ......we have to try searching for a way to return Akira to normal. The young boy from her home country who disappeared with Pope Warvaal and the Imperial Princess. Akane wants to do something for that classmate. Coming to this country, seeing the Succubus clan, Devil clan, and Oni tribe, I vaguely understood what the Divine Empire Sydnia did to Yamato. They were probably trying to make Mazoku, which possessed high physical and magic power. Yamato had fallen victim to Divine Empire Sydnias mad experiments to make an artificial Majin[1]. However, rather than a Majin, he was a Chimera monster. This was likely the effect of the mistaken perceptions of the people in our continent who do not know the Demon Continent and lack of understanding of the Mazoku. Sydnias mad researchers must have had the perception of the Mazoku being people descended from monsters. That was a big mistake. The Devil Clan and Lesser Demons have absolutely no connection. The Oni Tribe and Ogres naturally have absolutely no blood relations. The misguided perception that the Mazoku are a race descended from monsters had given birth to that chimera. Takumi-sama, our data is too lacking either way. Wouldnt it be best to gather information in the remaining countries? ......right? Understanding the others situation would be better, so lets do that. We decided to continue investigating the countries in the continent. The members would be the same. As for Laeva and the others, I asked them to hunt down monsters in the name of investigating those we dont know. *** Footnotes: 1. A Majin is someone from the Mazoku. Chapter 245: Touring Countries Chapter 245: Touring CountriesAfter visiting Atropolis, governed by the Lionkin Beast King Ryvar, and Accuros, governed by the Succubus Queen Fraal, Sophia, Marnie, and I were going to head to the remaining four city-states in the Demon Continent. The remaining four city states are: Varguard, governed by the Bearkin Beast King Guzhr. Rebinstan, governed by the Tigerkin Beast King Deega. Rhodes, governed by the Devil Clans King Gandalf. Schmihazaar, governed by the Oni Tribes King Jairu. I heard from a tavern in Atropolis that King Guzhr of Varguard was a largely built 3 meter tall Beastkin warrior, but his disposition was that of a gentle, wise king. Perhaps because of that gentle disposition, the rare Humans and Dwarves in the Demon Continent reside there as a minority group. The only places in the Demon Continent where those besides Beastkin and Mazoku live in are Varguard and Accuros which possessed a port that trades with Samandour Kingdom. On the other hand, the Tigerkin Beast King Deega who governs Rebinstan has a violent and hostile personality, and they apparently do not have a very good relationship with other countries. Majority of their citizens were Tigerkin and Wolfkin, and 100% of their warriors were Beastkin. Rhodes ruled by the Devil Clans King Gandalf and Schmihazaar ruled by the Oni Tribes King Jairu were fundamentally monoethnic countries, but given how the six countries of the Demon Continent are minutely connected by trade, merchants, soldiers, and guards of other races regularly stay for a number of days. The so-called Mazoku is simply a term consolidating a group of people which consisted of the Succubus Clan, Devil Clan, and Oni Tribe, so this must never, ever be spoken of, yes?Re?Ad lateSt chapters at Only Looks like it. Having infiltrated Varguard, where the racial minority` which included Humans` resided, we listened carefully to the conversations of all sorts of people in the tavern. We called them Majin or Mazoku, but these were apparently discriminatory terms in this continent. The Beastkin have many tribes, so generalizing their race and calling them Beastkins isnt considered derogatory. Incidentally, the taverns of Accuros import alcohol such as wine and ale from Samandour Kingdom. It becomes more expensive, but Atropolis and Varguard procure alcohol from Accuros by trade. What was off putting to us was Rebinstans taverns. Kuchikamizake[1] was too high of a hurdle. Im so glad for Varguard. Kuchikamizake is just impossible. Hmm, but monsters increasing a bit aint rare though? Well, thats what theyve been sayin though. We stealthily eavesdropped on a conversation between a Bearkin man and Wolfkin man drinking alcohol at slightly distanced table. Takumi-sama, the increase in monsters is now unmistakable, is it not? Yeah, timing-wise, the probability of it being influenced by Sydnias Pope and the Evil Spirit is very high. Master (Husband), will we be searching in the southwestern direction? Hmm, hold on. Lets examine all the city-states first. After that, lets search from the sky using Ouranos. We will check the situation of the city-states and the impact of the increase in monsters. *** Footnotes: 1. Kuchikamizake- a rice-based alcohol chewed before fermentation. Chapter 246: Territory Chapter 246: Territory A white-bodied black-striped Tigerkin man brandished his gigantic sword, sending monsters to their deaths. Ora! Dont fall behind! Ou!! Rebinstans Beast King Deega had come to personally command his subordinate warriors in the subjugation of monsters. This operation was not only for securing monster meat, but also to forage for spices that grew in the monster nest. Bam!! With a single slash of his heavy magic steel longsword on the gigantic boar monster, its head fell off. The subordinate warriors beat down monsters in teams of three.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) These truck-sized monsters which were proud of their size were Mottled Giant Boars. A Mottled Giant Boar was a huge boar monster characterized by having a camouflage-like pattern. Normally, a drift would be composed of 4-6 boars, but this drift had more than 10 in it. Beast King Deega took the lead routing the drift of Mottled Giant Boars. It didnt take long for the giant boar monsters to be wiped out. Is the foraging done!? Deega-sama, the expected amounts of pepper, sansho, ginger were secured. Your Majesty! The Devil Clan! A patrolling soldier discovered a group of soldiers from the Devil Clan. Tsk! This is the territory of the Rebistan! Its a problem if you enter as you please! Deega yelled at one man that stood out noticeably among the Devil Clans group. This is no mans land! Who enjoys getting near you stinking beasts!? You bastard! With every swing of the heavy all-metal halberd, the Crazy Apes attacking from the gaps between all kinds of trees were bisected. In the interval between the halberds swings, the heads of apes that attacked from the opposite side are crushed by his free hand. Tsk, what a pain. Crazy Apes are able to coordinate attacks, after all. Because of that tiger bastard, we have to forage in the the ape territory today. Even if the likes of these Crazy Apes were killed, they make for stinky meat. Deega and Gandalf butting heads was one reason, but its also related to the types of monsters that inhabit that area. Unlike the Mottled Giant Boar which was liked for its meat, the meat of the Crazy Ape was unfit for consumption. Its fur and tendons could be used effectively, but they make areas where gathering spices and fruit while also securing meat possible a struggle. Hurry up gathering the pepper and fruits! Lets finish this quickly and go hunting! Ha! Gandalf loudly issued instructions to the soldiers. Normally, it would be risky to shout in a monster-dominated monster nest as it results in calling monsters. However, Gandalfs voice contained such powerful coercion that the surrounding monsters likely wouldnt approach for some time. ......Arent there a lot more monsters? At the end of the forage, Gandalf, who was following the accompanying soldiers, muttered quietly. Gandalf decided to convene with the wise queen and the clever king regarding the change that hadnt been seen in several decades here. *** Footnotes: 1. A drift is what a group of boars is called. 2. A type of pepper in Japan. Chapter 247: Wisdom ? Intelligence ? Courage Chapter 247: Wisdom ? Intelligence ? Courage How rare this is. For the Devil King and the Intelligent Beast King to visit so expressly. Quit the teasing, Fraal. The fact that I had come has that much meaning. ......lets hear it, Gandalf. In a low voice, the 3 meter tall, bulky Bearkin Beast King Guzhr asked Gandalf for the reason why they were called here today. This place is the city-state that possess the sole port located at the north of the Demon Continent, Accuros. This nations ruler, Succubus Queen Fraal, the King Gandalf of the Devil Clan, and the Bearkin Beast King Guzhr. These three rulers surrounded a table. In the Devil Continent where monsters run rampant, there wasnt much traveling between countries. Simply to the degree of conducting trade. Among such travels, the rulers of those countries visiting personally was even rarer. Behind each of the three rulers sitting regally in a round table stood one of their respective knight escorts. If it is Fraal the Wise and Guzhr the Astute, you must already understand, the number of monsters has been increasing recently. It may still be within the margins of errors, but the types of Goblins, Kobolds, Ogres, and Orcs have been increasing in particular. ......Orcs aside, its been nothing but inedible monsters. Hold on, Guzhr. That is what you care about? Well, even my side had grasped such information. Nevertheless, whether that is the influence of the miasma or if the reason is entirely different is unknown. By nature, the entire continent was of a monster nest-like environment, so the increase of monsters would not carry a sense of impending danger. But Gandalf, who felt an air of malaise within it, had proposed a conference with the rulers of other nation. And it was likely the same for Fraal and Guzhr who had accepted the proposition. I do not believe any of the ruling species have emerged. Even if they are ruling species, those at the level of Goblin Kings and Orc Kings are no issue. ......Goblins stink and are inedible. I am of the same opinion, but drop the eating part, Guzhr. Humanoid monsters were monsters that the people living in this continent werent all too happy about. Goblins were things that were inedible and stank, Ogres had hard muscles that take a long time to become edible. Kobolds also had a strong stench, and it would need herbs and precious spices so it could be eaten. The Orcs were the only ones that were delicious no matter the type. Especially since the taste improves the higher the species is, just by hearing Orc King, those like Guzhr would spontaneously salivate enough to fill their mouths. ......were Ryvar and the other rulers called? Do you think those guys would cooperate with us? When Fraal, who was in her own room after the conference, called out, the Oni woman waiting in the adjoining room came in. Ryuka was a woman brimming with intelligence that was rare for the Oni Tribe, and she was Queen Fraals trusted right hand person. Do you remember the three people wearing cloaks the other day? Yes. Though I could not perceive them myself, I presume the three were using advanced perception inhibiting magic and high level stealth-type skills. As she said so, Ryukas usual cool expression crumbled, showing her frustration. Its inevitable, Ryuka. I am from the Succubus Clan, so I perceived them because of a slight feeling of malaise. However, it was still a coincidence that I did. However, if I had realized, I could have detained them immediately...... Ah, no way, thats impossible. Two of those three were definitely stronger than myself. I believe I can match one of them equally, but the remaining two must not be competed with. Wha!? Ryukas shock was justified. Fraal was this queen of this nation, as well as its greatest power. Ryuka, compose yourself. I did not feel any danger, so perhaps all will be well. ......is that so? Fraal, the Queen of the Succubus Clan, has the ability to see through the true nature of a person. Since Ryuka had settled down, Fraal continued to speak. I want it arranged so that I would be informed if the palace guards or the soldiers in the land near the castle come across those three. I sincerely ask that they not be laid a hand on. ......very well. Ryuka wanted to say something but she held back, bowed her head, and left the room. *** Chapter 248: Contact Chapter 248: Contact After going around infiltrating the countries we could in order to gather information, we came back to the northernmost area of the continent where Accuros was located. The reason were back at Accuros was because it was the best place to get information at. When we were out doing so, we realized that out of the six nations, only Accuros had connections to all of them by way of trade. Unlike the five city-states, Accuros which trades with Samandour Kingdom has several taverns. This country also produced a bit of alcohol, but most of it was imported. Takumi-sama, it would seem that the just other day, three countries held a conference here in Accuros. Sophia reported the information she heard in the city. Good job finding that out. The Devil King Gandalf has a 2m tall blue-skinned body covered in armor-like muscles and two twisted horns which the Devil Clan possesses. So, while it isnt that Accuros does not have any Devils, the position of the King couldnt be hoodwinked. ......well, he stands out. The Beast King Guzhr who is called the Clever King is a 3m tall Bear Kin. ......so, he couldnt be mistaken for. According to Sophia, just the other day, the Devil King Gandalf and the Beast King Guzhr had come with escort soldiers and held a conference with Queen Fraal. They came with a lot of escort soldiers, so of course people would know. No Master (Husband), they seem to have had few. ......the rulers themselves are their greatest power, was it? We, who lacked self-awareness, were amazed that is possible to traverse the monster nest-like Demon Continent with a small number of people.Finndd the newest novels on Although Accuros is an entrepo?t[1], is it normal for the three rulers to hold a conference? According to the citizens, visitors from other countries isnt that rare. However, it is unusual for the rulers themselves to come. The details of the conference werent circulated, were they? As you may have expected, they did not go as far as to...... Ah, of course they wouldnt, huh. Apparently, when a Succubus and a male from another race unite, it would be a succubus if a girl is born and it would be the race of the father if its a boy. I wont say that it was enviable in front of the girls no matter what, but its The Harem. As I was thinking of such stupid things, I noticed presences surrounding us. We fell into a bad situation at my slight lapse of concentration. Just when I started to think of what we should do now, a voice called out from their side. Please wait. We have no intention of being hostile with you. The person who called out was an Oni woman. Those that encircled us were a mix of Succubi, Devils, Onis, and a variety of Beastkin. Though, excluding the Succubi and the Oni woman who talked to us, it looked like they were all male soldiers. I apologize for calling out to you so suddenly. I am the servant of a certain individual, and my master has a matter that they would like to request of you. ......there are all sorts of things that dont make sense, but why us? She suddenly talked to us and even said that there is something they want to ask of us. The people deployed to surround us, including the woman who talked to us, were all officials of this country. Actually, we had passed by you a few days prior. My master had perceived that you were neither merchants nor people from another country on this continent, and they have stated that they wished to meet with you once more if it were possible. ......I see. Come to think of it, I recognize this woman. A while back, she was walking behind a Succubus that looked quite powerful. I understand. Could you show us the way? Thank you very much for listening to our ill-mannered request. Then I shall guide you. Takumi-sama. Its fine, Sophia. Marnie too. It doesnt look like theyre hostile or malicious. After saying that to Sophia and Marnie who looked worried, we followed the Oni woman. Worst case, well run away with Teleport. *** Footnotes: 1. Entrepo?t C trading centre or port at a geographically convenient location, at which goods are imported and re-exported without incurring liability for duty Chapter 249: Request Chapter 249: Request We walked after the Oni woman. Leaving the streets lined with stalls near the castle wall, we headed towards the center of the city. Hey Sophia, were heading to the center of the city, arent we?Finndd the newest novels on Indeed. By some chance, are we going to that castle? I am certain we are. Ahh, thought so. I dont know if theres a law about it, but we were intruders who entered this country illegally. The fact that were heading to the castle meant that the master of the Oni woman guiding us was definitely a higher-up. As people who snuck in, this was awkward. Sure enough, after following the Oni woman who called herself Ryuka, we saw the royal castle right in front of us. Haa~ As expected~ ......yes. Ryuka-san freely passed through the castle gate and we continued along as well without being inspected and headed into the castle. Please wait here. ......yes. Succubi and Devil maids made tea for us at the extravagant lounge suite we were left at. ......those maid uniforms are quite indecent...... Takumi-sama, if you want it then...... Me too, I have no complaints if Master (Husband) wants me to wear clothing he likes. Arent the maid outfits used by these Succubus and Devil maids similar to the ones worn in maid cafes? So thats where I come in? Yes, if in case its an outbreak of new dungeons, there is a danger that the monsters would overflow if left neglected. She explained that the entire terrain was either monster nests or similar lands, and there were a certain number of dungeons on the continent, but the six countries manage those near their respective territories. The dungeons with useful monster materials were managed by thinning out the monsters, while the dungeons that didnt had their cores destroyed and were killed. (Takumi-sama, is that because of the Evil Spirit and the Pope?) (There might be a connection.) I informed Queen Fraal about the sins committed by the Divine Empire of Sydnia and their god making dungeons, and their subsequent escape to the Demon Continent. ......oh my, I cant imagine a Majin going crazy. Did they believe that we are races whose ancestors are monsters? That was no longer a person, but a monster. I failed and wasnt able to catch them. Considering how Akira and the Imperial Princess werent in that place, it wouldnt have made that much of a difference even if we defeated the Pope. Then Iruma-dono, this request is a windfall for you as well, isnt it? Furthermore, your groups strength is astonishingly higher than ours. It could be said that you are the most suitable for investigating the unusual phenomenon of this continent. ......in the first place, we came to this continent in order to investigate, so it is the request of Your Majesty, in one form or another. Iruma-dono, you need not speak to me in such a formal tone. Please think of me as the person in charge of a city that could not even be called a country. No, that would still be too... Please consider this as the style of this continent. I seeee. Queel Fraal promised to cooperate with us as much as possible. Thanks to that, we no longer have to trespass in the city. We gave our word to report periodically to Queen Fraal, then returned to the base. *** Chapter 250: Monster Country Chapter 250: Monster Country A newly formed dungeon in a forest inside one of the monster nests of the Demon Continent. This was the reborn Divine Empire Sydnia. However, there were human citizens there. The priests who were once Sydnias citizens were already beings that passed over the category of people. The cathedral that appeared in the forest, however, was no more than the entrance of a dungeon. Its a relief the Queen understood. Akane-sama, here is your tea. Oh my, thank you Lulu. We returned to the base, and I talked to Akane and the girls about the request from Queen Fraal. What have you guys been doing? Laeva was making potions in Volton. Laeva also finished delivering the goods to the Papeck Company. Thank you, Laeva. I have been exterminating monsters around the base with Kaede-chan. Right, Kaede-chan? Yup, Master, I beat lots of monsters! Ah, Lulu and I come once in a while too. Yes, we leveled up too nya. You worked hard huh, Lulu-chan. Hold up, I said I also went, you know. Ah, you also did your best, Akane. Umm, good job. Akane puffed her cheeks and pouted when I only praised Lulu-chan, and I hurriedly pacified her. Seeing this, Kaede charged her body and clung onto me, telling me to praise her, praise her. Kruu Uon Gaa Then the Thunder Eagle Gloam, Luna Wolf Ferryl, and the large wild-cat type monster Serval Seru were brought along from the Sanctuary. Gloam flew to Sophias side, then Sophia held an arm out and started spoiling it. Have you been good, Gloam? Shadows of people surrounded a table in a room deep inside the dungeon. No, it would be more accurate to say that there were no people there. There were five figures present: Pope Warvaal of the former Divine Empire Sydnia, Head Mage Homer, Sydnia Holy Knight Leader Packard, Prime Minister Musudan, and the Imperial Princess Elizabeth. ......Yamatos sacrifice was not in vain. Those that once were Homer and Packard nodded at Warvaals muttering. Yes, once were............ Among those that were gathered here, the only one whose form had not changed was that of Imperial Princess Elizabeth. Beings whose skin color had turned red, those that turned blue, those that grew horns...... they were no longer human. Inside their bodies, there were magic stones close to their hearts, which work to maintain their bodies. With exception to Elizabeth, they were already bundled up with monsters. I believe the regulation of monster soldiers would still take a little while. Fumu, they were originally monsters with low intellect, after all. Hasten the research, Homer. Ha! Certainly. Akiras tuning is doing well. Umu, do not break him, Packard. By your will. Your Majesty, the depth of the floors, as well as the expanse of the dungeon still have some ways to go. At present, it has barely grown 5 floors. Musudan, increase the offerings and stimulate its growth. I shall obey. Elizabeth spoke to Warvaal after watching each person make their report. Father, I believe we should cease overflowing the forest with monsters before our organization is in order. Several countries are already moving to investigate the unnatural increase of monsters. Fumu, ......Musudan, perfect timing. Use them as offerings. This place must not be discovered just yet. Then I shall do just that. A dungeon country, the country of monsters had been created in the Demon Continent without anyone in it realizing. *** Chapter 251: Invitation to the base Chapter 251: Invitation to the base After the discussion with Queen Fraal at one of the city-states of the Demon Continent, the Queens close aide, Ryuka, was invited into our base. This was because we made promises to periodically share information with each other at either Accuros or our base. When we sensed that Ryuka and her escorting knights riding dinosaur raptor-like monsters were nearing the base, we defeated monsters in the surroundings as we went to greet them. Then when Ryuka-san finally reached the forest where our base was located, she was so dumbfounded, her mouth was hanging. Wha!! You use high ranking monsters?! What Ryuka-san witnessed were the Thunder Eagle Gloam dropping down lightning, Luna Wolf Ferryl running past them swiftly with its huge body, and Serval Seru slashing its claws. Watching the familiars by Sophia, Akane, and Laevas side exterminate the monsters surrounding the base, Ryuka-sans face stiffened in surprise and fear. The finisher was Kaede who appeared soundlessly. A- a- an Arachne...... Ah! Ryuka-san! Are you alright?! Ryuka-san and the escorting knights who saw Kaede frothed in the mouth and collapsed. We hurriedly picked up, teleported, and laid them on beds, then got stuck with nursing them. Whats wrong? Are they sick?The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Kaede tilted her head, seemingly puzzled. Serving as the close aide of Queen Fraal of Accuros, I had taken several guards and arrived at the designated place. We came to the base built by the young human man Iruma-dono who had a discussion with Her Majesty in Accuros several days ago. It had been decided that we would alternate using Accuros and Iruma-donos base in order to share information, and this was our first visit to the base. Three days from Accuros, I see...... I never would have thought there was a location here where a base could be built...... Ryuka-sama, it would be difficult having to travel three days each way often, isnt it? Isnt this preferable compared to an expedition to cull monsters? I, along with the soldiers, seem to have been sheltered by this fortress. The scenery she could see from the window was completely unrealistic. We knew the terrain in this area. There shouldnt have been a lake or an island, much less a fortress, here. Ha! Right! An Arachne... An Arachne has shown up! Ryuka-sama, please calm down. That child is Master (Husband)s familiar. There is no need to be frightened. What?! He employs a calamity class monster......? Kaede-chan has been with Master (Husband) the longest, after all. Is something wrong with their heads? The monsters that Sophia-dono and everyone else uses were a class of monsters encountered deep within the monster nests in the continent. For there to be an Arachne, just how will I report it to Her Majesty. After we have gotten some rest, we will begin the meeting to decide on future arrangements. Today is the day of the meeting with Ryuka-san from Accuros to decide on the arrangements for the Demon Continent investigation. I had been in a hurry to build a ship since morning. Oh crap, oh crap. No one can come to the base if they dont fly or teleport. If it was just us, it would have been fine, but visitors would need normal method to cross the lake if they come. Transmute! The materials taken from my Item Box were wrapped in the light of the transmutation circle, then a shallow draft ship appeared. Compared to the airship, a boat of this size could be completed in one transmutation. Today, at the outer edge of the forest, the girls were leveling their familiars by exterminating the monsters in areas that were not purified. Meanwhile, I took Maria and Marnie along. We crossed over to the other side of the shore using the boat that I had just finished so we could meet with Ryuka-san and her group. Then what we saw there was Ryuka-sans group, who came mounted on raptors, fainting, and falling off their mounts. *** Chapter 252: The Devil Continent is vast Chapter 252: The Devil Continent is vast My sincerest apologies, Iruma-dono, we have shown you something so disgraceful. No, not at all, it is I who should say so. Our Kaede here had frightened you. N-no, it is alright. It seems Ryuka-san was still slightly scared of Kaede. Was it bad that Kaede was still hugging my waist? S-so, here are the locations of the city-states in this continent. The nations we would like you to be cautious of are these two, the nations governed by the two Beast Kings, King Deega and King Ryvar. Ryvar is the ruler of Atropolis, isnt it? Yes, there are... how to say... In short, the two Beast Kings were muscle-brains down to their very core. Additionally, the rulers of the Oni Tribe and the Devil Clan were fighting factions, to the point that words wont get through to them. As such, they are extremely unlikely to cooperate with the search. As expected, searching down to the nooks and crannies of the continent would take a long time with just us. Yes, in the monster nests as well. Ryuka-san said that it would take time to explore the inside of monster nests. Well, normally, one adventurer party wouldnt be able to search the entire continent. Still, we have Ouranos, so compared to the searching capabilities of a normal person, we would be able to cover a far wider range much faster. It might be harder to find it from the sky though. Either way, we must find the remnants of the old Sydnia while paying careful attention to the territories of the two Beast Kings. This might be more trouble than I expected. Takumi-sama, this continent may be smaller than the one we live in, but it still much larger than Valkyra Kingdom, so it would still take time even with the Ouranos. You have a point. ......the two Beast Kings huh. Atropolis city gave off a normal impression though.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Even so, it must be judged whether a stray dungeon should be managed, or if it should be destroyed. Whether it is useful or not? Yes. For example, if it was a dungeon with only undead monsters, there is no profit in leaving it behind. In the ensuing discussion, it was decided that Ryuka-san would be contact person when we make our periodic reports as we narrow our search. It was also decided that we would do the same when a new dungeon is discovered. Then lets meet at Accuros next time. Yes, please take care on your way back. Sophia and I ferried Ryuka-sans group across the river using the ship and escorted them until the forests edge. Those raptor-like beasts are cool. Tsubaki would pout if she heard that. We watched Ryuka-sans group run off at considerable speeds. I made a comment about the dinosaur-like monsters that caught my attention, and Sophia brought up Tsubaki. Since there were few chances to use a carriage in the Demon Continent, I was aware of the stress building up in Tsubaki. Ill have to ask Kaede to relieve her stress, wont I? Yes, it may also be a good idea to bring her in the search. Yeah. She wouldnt fall behind even against the monsters of the Demon Continent. Sophia and I began making preparations to search based on the map we received from the Accuros. *** Footnotes: 1. Typo: Gandolf in raws. Will have to see if the author changes the spelling again. Chapter 253: The search begins Chapter 253: The search begins After coming out of a desert, a dense forest filled with large trees appeared. Since we were heading to mana-dense areas, we disembarked from the Ouranos and headed towards the dense mana on foot. Then............ Fuuh! Zaba! When I swung Ice Bringer, the giant ape monster was split in two. The swift spear pierced and froze the demons that attacked one after the other. Decomposition! With my left hand, I activated Decomposition on the head of the giant ape monster, the Killer Ape, destroying its head I weakly threw the Killer Ape aside and dashed towards the next monster. I was aware its a violent fighting style that didnt fit my physique, but were encountering a lot of monsters. Searching the Demon Continent was even more difficult than I had imagined. First of all, there was no regularity in its terrain. From wetlands to a desert, then a jungle. And while the climate was basically temperate to tropical, there would suddenly be areas with a cold climate. As we travelled to places with dense magic power using the Ouranos, we focused the search in areas where the density of monsters were high. For this search, the full party was present. Sophia, Maria, Laeva, Marnie, Akane, Lulu-chan, Kaede, and Titan. In addition, Thunder Eagle Gloam, Luna Wolf Ferryl, and Serval Seru were also participating. Even inside the monster nests, we searched for the areas where mana was dense, so naturally, we had frequent encounters with monsters. Us starting members` Sophia, Maria, Kaede, and myself` were already fairly high leveled, so we were at the stage where it wouldnt go up, but for our other members, theyve been leveling quite nicely. Particularly for Gloam and the familiars, theyre aiming to earn enough experience to evolve. Gloam danced with the roaring thunder, Ferryl ran past like a strong wind, and Seru moved like an acrobat. Phew, I want to keep leveling Ferryl like this. Ferryl is strong nya. Akane seemed satisfied as she came back with Ferryl whom Lulu was riding. Sitting on top of sheets, I drank the tea Maria and Marnie had brewed as I took a break. Were already nearing the center, yet there is no dungeon in this monster nest. Fuu, it looks like weve got a long way to go. Akane, who was sharing cookies with Lulu-chan, stroked Ferryl as she looked around our surroundings and talked. Well, if Ferryl and the familiars get stronger, wouldnt our search improve? Indeed. Tsubaki could participate actively If its a grassland type monster nest too, and we would progress even further. Tsubaki, who had gone through multiple evolutions[1], had a large body, and therefore could not demonstrate her true worth inside forests with densely packed trees. The stress of being unable to participate recently had been piling on Tsubaki. Master, theres nothing strong here, you know. Well, at your current state, nothing would be an enemy unless its a high ranking dragon-type. Theres a bit more distance until we reach the center, but according to Kaedes intuition, theres no dungeon or area boss here. After a bit of a break, we searched the areas we thought had dense mana in the monster nest, but we didnt find a dungeon. I added an X mark on the map that I received from Ryuka-san, discussed where we would go next, then returned to the base to rest our tired bodies. *** Footnotes: 1. Raws infer multiple, but theres only been one instance when she evolved that was mentioned in the story. Chapter 254: Courage ? Devil King Chapter 254: Courage ? Devil King The search for the remnant of the old Sydnia in the Demon Continent was carried out at a pace of two days search to one day of rest. We continued the search as we shared information with Accuros at regular intervals. During the breaks, I did not forget the work that needed to be done in Volton and the Sanctuary. When I showed up in Volton after too much time had passed, Papeck-san appealed to me with a pale face. Iruma-dono, the stock of potions has already been spent. And even just a few of the Sanctuary-made wine please! I understand, I understand, so please calm down, Papeck-san.Yo?ur favorite stories on O-oh, apologies for this ones behavior. Once I promised Papeck-san that I would make sure to show up periodically, I somehow got him to calm down. The Demon Continent search wasnt progressing as much as I would have liked. We were able to discovered several stray dungeons and reported their locations to Ryuka-san, but none of them were related to the old Sydnia. As we were investigating several monster nests, we explored a dungeon were shrubbery grew sparsely. ......hm? Theres around 20 individuals......? Yeah, it would be great if its not a Beast King. We sensed a group approaching us, who were beating down monsters. Since it would become too complicated if it were one of the two Beast Kings, I tried detecting them more precisely. ......their magic power is larger than an average persons, so could it be the King of the Devil Clan? My stupid subordinate said something stupid. I involuntarily leaked a sigh. The women were also superior. Theyre wasted on such a brat. Haa~, are your eyes that bad? My words leaked out with sighs at my subordinates overwhelming degree of stupidity. Do not make light of Iruma-dono simply because he is Human. He repelled my Magic Eyes. Wha, ......repelling Your Majestys Magic Eyes means............ Good grief, I shook my head when my subordinates finally realize the truth of the matter. Thats right. At the very least, in that group, Iruma-dono, the Elven Woman, and the red haired Human were powerful enough to repel my Magic Eyes. My Magic Eyes is able to see the status of my target. However, that is not for everything. It is unable to see the status of targets far different from my own strength. The last time my Magic Eyes were repelled was during a request to subjugate the boss of a monster nest that appeared close to three nations 20 years ago. That time, they succeeded with the subjugation at the cost of great sacrifice. They were beings that possessed strength no less than that area boss. That realization had turned the subordinates blue skin even bluer. Of course that would happen, the area boss subjugated 20 years prior was a high ranking dragon, after all. Not a low ranking wyvern and mid ranking flying dragon, but a high ranking dragon. My eyes informed me that he was an existence equal to that. If it was a wyvern or flying dragon, I could defeat it easily. However, higher dragon species are different. Be it with physical attacks or magic attacks, I cant cause direct damage. I felt strength equivalent to the high ranking dragon from that time from Iruma-dono. You all, no matter what happens, never ever antagonize Iruma-dono and his party. In war, power in numbers wouldnt lose, but the enemy may have other tricks up their sleeve. Y-yes. That said, I thought there might be an existence with outrageous power that could upset the strength of numbers. But it was something that my subordinates did not understand. As Gandalf, the king of the Devil Clan, even if something was clearly superior to me, I could not afford to admit it in front of my subordinates. *** Chapter 255: Fortress floating on water Chapter 255: Fortress floating on water That day, the citizens of Accuros fell into a panic. The country possessed the sole port in the Demon Continent, and in the open sea of that port was a floating gigantic metal ship. It was a vessel with a magic metal hull and a stern tower that used Treant Wood, which was owned by the Spirit Tree of the Sanctuary. It was called the magic battleship Oceanus. If a reason for why the Oceanus being in the open seas of Accuros had to be said, it was because Queen Fraal had requested an importation of grain through Ryuka. Teleportation and the Gate would have sufficed if it had been for a small amount, but it was impossible for the amount that an entire city was importing. And so, it was the Oceanus turn. Including Accuros, the countries of the Demon Continent wished to come to an agreement for the importation of fruits and vegetables in exchange for exporting spices. The spices got Papeck ecstatic. Until now, they were expensive spices that could only be traded after obtaining them by way of Samandour Kingdom, so that couldnt be helped. ......I only requested the importation of grain though? ......does Iruma-dono intend on occupying Accuros? Queen Fraal and Ryuka escaped reality with dry smiles as they gazed at the majestic sight of the Oceanus approaching at a declining speed. The port of Accuros and its citizens were greatly disturbed by the Oceanus coming alongside a pier. Compared to the wooden ships of Samandour Kingdom, its size was all too clearly larger. The sailors that came from Samandour were jaw-dropped in blank amazement. Sacks of wheat were unloaded one after the other from the moored Oceanus. I know of the word adamantite. However, I have never laid eyes on that or mithril. Magic steel is the best the Demon Continent could do, after all. Talking about that had once again made the two self-conscious of how technically underdeveloped their nation was. They watched Titan unload the cargo with envious eyes. Ours and the other nations in the Demon Continent have our own Tamers, but only to the extent of taming monsters to be beast riders. Tamers, ......are not popular. There were a certain number of tamers that make use of monsters in the countries of the Demon Continent, but its not a job that is popular in countries that have a tendency of being biased towards combat jobs. Especially in the countries of the hot-blooded Beast Kings, there were few tamers and fewer beast riders. Even Accuros, which has plenty of Succubi that demonstrate high aptitude for magic, does not have pure tamers that use monsters to fight. There were only a few individuals specialized in training monsters for beast riders. According to Iruma-dono, when they tame monsters, there is a path of magic power that connects both sides. Because of that, it is possible for them to understand each other in detail. Fumu, if a tamed monster ranks up, they would be a considerable force...... Yes, aiming for the likes of the familiars of Iruma-donos party may be too high, but I believe it is a good option to create a provisional unit. The offloading of cargo and loading of spices to and from the ship in the port was almost finished. Queen Fraal and Ryuka prepared to sort the imported grain and vegetables. That was because their country was not monopolizing all of it. Accuros, the entrance to the northern continent, was bound by an agreement to export to the other five nations. Owing to this, it would be a substantial profit. Queen Fraal ordered Ryuka to ask Takumi for more imports. Grains, fabric, potions, and many more items that the Demon Continent was in need of. Because of these transactions by way of Takumi, the trade with Samandour Kingdoms one-sided conditions would be rectified. *** Chapter 256: Let’s venture out for a break Chapter 256: Lets venture out for a break The trade which began with the request of Queen Fraal of Accuros, was a great joy for the large companies of Valkyra and Lomaria as well. Of course, Papeck-san was also so delighted he danced around in joy. The cause were the spices. Having had no choice but to buy from Samandour Kingdom for large sums until now, they will now be able to procure it at far cheaper prices, so it may have been unavoidable. However, the kings of those countries were at their wits end about the Oceanus. Papeck-san smiled wryly when we talked. I would like to survey the surroundings of the Demon Continent. Why? That is sudden. Yeah, I thought so too. Recently, weve gotten a bit tired of investigating monster nests without getting any results, so it couldnt be helped. Our prospects werent looking too good. To think that searching the monster nests within the entire continent to find the remnants of the old Sydnia would be this much trouble...... Its a bit of a breather. Weve just been fighting monsters here.Ree?ad latest novels at And so, it will be around the Demon Continent? Yup, if you really think about it, we know theres the continent where Valkyra Kingdom is and this Demon Continent, but are there are other continents? Uninhabited island? We know nothing, right? I think no one knows. In this world which has limited means of transportation, the existence of the Demon Continent was known, but only a handful of people have actually visited it. Even Sophia and Maria dont know if there are other continents or inhabited islands aside from the two we know. Because of the large aquatic monsters, ships have a difficult time sailing here, so it was normal to not know of other places. I considered surveying around the continent with the Oceanus, but as expected, it would be scarier than shocking if the Oceanus were to approach all of a sudden. Certainly, if, say, we do discover a different continent, the people inhabiting it would tremble in fright more than they would be in shock when they see the Oceanus nearing. Hmm, I think they would still be scared even if its the Ouranos though. Its okay, Maria. In addition to perception inhibitors, the Ouranos has a feature to disappear and sail with illusions. Yes. We have not seen a continent or an island in the adjacent seas at the east of the Demon Continent so far. The northern side has the continent we live in. Its size might be comparable to the Eurasian continent on Earth. With that line of thinking, even the continent we live in has very little living circles, and we know that theres still a lot of land thats unexplored. In comparison, the size of Demon Continent in the South might be around the size of Australia[1]. There were only six fortress city-states in the Australia-sized continent, so this speaks of how harsh the environment there is. How much will we explore the east side? Lets see...... how about we return to the Demon Continent after cruising for another hour? The cruising speed of the Ouranos is roughly 700km/h, so we decided to explore much of a distance. When were this far from the continent, we wouldnt find traces of flying monsters, huh. True. Perhaps the lower ranking monsters do not stray too far from the shore. It would be difficult for even the flying monsters if they fly long distances without any rest. I think this would be possible for dragon types and high ranking bird type monsters at the very least. Behind Laeva and I, Akane and Lulu-chan were relaxing on the sofa. Sophia, Maria, and Marnie were creating a simple map. Thats enough for the east for now, lets alter the course to the south next. Roger! Having investigated 700km from the east side of the Demon Continent, we turned and headed south. *** Footnotes: 1. Raw typo Austria for Australia Chapter 257: Solitary island discovered Chapter 257: Solitary island discovered Having confirmed that there was no continent or island to the east of the Demon Continent, we headed southward and cruised. We estimate surveying the surroundings of the Demon Continent to take three days. On the first day of our trip, we spent the night suspended in the air with a barrier up, then we resumed our exploration at the break of dawn. Staying 300m afloat and stationary requires some magic power, but if the members aboard replenish it in their spare time, theres no issue. Lets sweep the east side for the old Sydnia and explore a little further?Ree?ad latest novels at Indeed. It might be enjoyable to go around the world slowly after resolving that mess. Midway through moving from the east side of the Demon Continent to the South, I surveyed the surroundings from the cockpit as Sophia and I chatted to kill time. The sparkling sea is pretty. The fish are jumping nya! Akane and Lulu-chan also seemed to be having fun gazing out the small round port light. The Ouranos body looked compact from the outside, but the space inboard was expanded, so it isnt cramped even with the entire party participating. The private rooms are fully equipped with shower and toilets, and in the common room, there are sofas with enough space for everyone to relax. Uh, I think those are too big to call fish, Lulu. Theres more to eat if its big nya. From 300m high, fish could clearly be seen jumping on the surface of the sea. Lulu-chan reaction was completely unexpected to Akane who was surprised at being able to imagine the size of those giant fish. We will ask Master (Husband) next time, it might be fun to fish with everyone. Marnie-san! I want to fish nya! The lake around the base was just made, so nothing was living in it yet. Fish-lover Lulu-chan seemed to think that it was really disappointing not being able to eat fish there. The Ouranos steering has now switched to autopilot. Even though I said autopilot, it only has a built in golem that follow simple instructions, such as to maintain the specified altitude and speed, and fly towards the destination without hindrance. Because of that, Laeva and I dont have to keep staying in the cockpit. From the Ouranos that slowed down, the island we saw had a mountain 5000m above sea level enshrined in the middle of it, and at its base grew a dense jungle. We also confirmed there were several rivers. Theres not much flat ground. Could there be people living there? I believe it is possible, with exception to the Human race. We did a lap around the island with Ouranos on stealth mode, researching the size and terrain of the island, and searching for traces of inhabitation. Based on my magic perception, the jungle also had monster nests, but not all of it was. It might be hard for the monsters there to cross the ocean over to the Demon Continent or anywhere else. It does not look to be as harsh as the Demon Continent, though it might be difficult to cross the ocean over to the Demon Continent or anywhere else. Youre right. There are many large aquatic monsters, after all. That means its highly likely its an uninhabited island. Just when I thought so and wondered if this was a fools errand, Maria pointed her finger and shouted. Takumi-sama! Please look over there! ......are those caves? On the slope of the mountain at the center, it looked like there were several holes in the treeless rockface. Laeva, move the Ouranos to a distance where we can check those holes. Understood! Was it a den of monsters? Or traces of people? The Ouranos dropped in speed and drew closer. *** Footnotes: 1. Shikoku is the smallest of Japans 4 main islands. It is 18,800 km2 in size. Chapter 258: Unknown Race Chapter 258: Unknown Race Verifying that there were indeed caves lining the bare surface of the mountains similar to what was seen on tv in my old world, we searched for a place to land the Ouranos. Park it right by the top of the trees. Understood. Telling Laeva so, I jumped out of the Ouranos, then Kaede followed afterwards. I used tree branches and Shield magic footholds to get down, and took out my handmade axe from the Item Box. Kaede, please watch the surroundings. Gotcha Master! Kan! Kan! Kan! The trees fell and disappeared without a sound. There was nothing much to it. The moment a tree was cut down, I simply stored it in the Item Box. The Logging skill leveled up The Axe Technique skill leveled up Oh, Its been a while since I felt a skill level up. I was glad when I felt the rarely used Axe Technique and Logging skills leveled up. We steadily logged trees to make enough space for the Ouranos to land. Master, monsters arent that strong over here. There arent a lot of them either. Good work, Kaede. Since weve been in monster nests in the Demon Continent a lot recently, Kaede seems unsatisfied. I sent Laeva a hand sign to land. The Ouranos silently landed vertically. The landing gear was deployed and it touched down. The ramp came down and Sophia and the girls alighted. Ill be storing the Ouranos now, okay? What?! Did you say a flying ship......... Perhaps greatly shocked, the Aligerous man hovering in the sky unsteadily fell to the ground. ......if you have a ship that can cross the ocean and even have a flying ship, is our island no longer safe? Umm, I believe that, at this point in time, there arent any other ships that could cross the ocean this far aside from ours. As far as I know, there should be no other flying ship that exist apart from ours, so I believe it will be alright. When I said so, the Aligerous mans aura changed. ......then, if you werent here` He flew up and readied his bow as soon as he said that. Well, I guess thats how it would turn out, huh. Living in a small island, it is likely that they have no way of inferring the strength of outsiders. He doesnt seem to be very smart, I see. Sophia and Marias evaluation were heartless. Well, this might have been inevitable, but the Aligerous man who rushed to attack us was spun with Kaedes threads and dangled like a bagworm. ......mugu, uu...... A somewhat complicated situation passed. What to do here? Lets eat`! Uguu! Guu! Guaa! When Kaede, who was beside me while I was stumped on how to deal with this situation, mischievously threatened the captured Aligerous man, he was ghastly pale as he writhed to escape, but Kaedes threads couldnt be escaped that way. More importantly, the Gourmand Kaede wouldnt eat you. Okay, really, what do we do? *** Footnotes: 1. The tribe is literally translated to Winged people, but I chose to use Aligerous C which means to have wings. Chapter 259: Aligerous Tribe Chapter 259: Aligerous Tribe As I looked at the man dangling and swaying stupidly, I wondered what we should do with this guy. Though it was an attempt, theres no mistaking that he attacked us. Well, we knew that he was no threat right from the very beginning though. Was it because the monster nests in this island didnt have that many strong monsters, plus being a solitary island that has never been attacked? The level of this Aligerous man was only in the mid-20s. The Agility and Magic power on his status were around there too, so he might not have been suited to being a vanguard. Did the Aligerous man, who had threads coiling around his body and covering his mouth like a gag, tire out from struggling? He swayed limply. While I was worrying over what to do with the Aligerous man who was absolutely no threat to us despite having almost been attacked, I sensed multiple presences approaching. Around 10 Aligerous warriors led by a man in his 60s descended, approaching us with vigilance. People from the outside world, we apologize for the rudeness of the warrior of our village. If possible, we would like for his release. ......Ah, yeah, Kaede, let him go. I was surprised because I wasnt expecting them to apologize so suddenly, but I asked Kaede to release the bound man. We are in your debt. I am the village chief, Valkan. We are the survivors of the ancient Aligerous Tribe. I am Takumi Iruma. After introducing Sophia and the party, the Aligerous Tribes village chief named Valkan guided us to the base of the mountain. Our dwelling is located at a place inconvenient for the non-flying races. Thats what the elder said, but he probably didnt want us getting near the women, children, and elderly who cant fight. Unlike the man who became a bagworm a while ago, the elder had some clue as to how strong we were. We call ourselves the Aligerous Tribe, but we are unable to fly long distances unhindered....... even though we wish to help our brethren...... Valkan-san said that as he lives in this island, he dreams of the day he would return to the Sky Island. From its still state, the Sky Island was apparently circling a fixed orbit after the flood of monsters happened. That orbit had shifted, and now Valkan-san and the Aligerous Tribe could no longer reach it with their wings. Condemn us if you will, we do not even know if our brethren are still alive. After listening to all that, I somewhat understand the reason why Valkan-san brought us this far and talked about their history. Are you saying you want us to carry you to the Sky Island? Ive heard that Iruma-dono possesses a flying ship that let you come all the way to this island. Please take us to the Sky Island with that ship. Im certain he heard it from the bagworm dude who we talked to a while ago, so it wasnt surprising that the topic about the Ouranos was brought up by Valkan-san. We have nothing of equal value to compensate Iruma-dono. For that reason, we would like to pay you back with our labor. Are you saying that the compensation will be manual labor? To me, this might have been a godsend. The mobility of the Aligerous Tribe is something we would be grateful for when we search for the remnants of the former Sydnia. And I wanted to go to the Sky Island. I really liked that Gh*bli anime[1]. *** Footnotes: 1. Reference to Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Chapter 260: The Deal Chapter 260: The Deal The Sky Island that once reigned the heavens was now a thing of the past, a wreckage floating in the sky. The feelings of fleeing that Sky Island 200 years ago, having their hometown drift like a loose kite, and being separated from their brethren......... So if we can reach the room that contains the dungeon core and seize control of the Sky Islands system, it would return to its former state? Yes, from what I have learned from the preceding elders, I am certain of this. We learned of the Sky Island in much detail from Valkan-san, the elder of the Aligerous Tribe which lived quietly in the solitary island we arrived at. Setting aside the issue with the remnants of the old Sydnia, we all couldnt help but be excited about the fantasy-filled Sky Island. The issue with the old Sydnia was that we might not be able to save Akira as a former Japanese, but we would carry the burden and dejection if we left him be too. Meanwile, we felt bad for the Aligerous Tribe, but we were having a hard time keeping a straight face at the presentiment of the heart pounding adventure. 200 years ago, Valkan-san and the tribe who escaped were unable to travel to other islands and continents, imprisoned in this solitary island. The reason for this was because the Aligerous Tribe cant fly long distances. We cant fly like birds with these wings. The Aligerous Tribe fly with Wind attribute magic like Dragons, and their wings are used as support. If we think of the physique Dragons and the Aligerous Tribe, if they have to fly just with their wings, they would need a light build like birds and muscles to flap the wings, and that was impossible with their current body balance.Finndd the newest novels on Naturally, the high ranking dragons and flying dragons are capable of long distance flight, but that isnt possible for the amount of magic power possessed by the Aligerous Tribe. Iruma-dono, if you are willing to go that far, would it not be us gaining unilaterally? Even with the Sky Island, we must rely on your flying ship, and if we have you provide our weapons and armor on top of that, we have nothing to offer in return. Although we said wed provide weapons and armor, were just making them out of the materials we have in stock. We finally convinced Valkan-san, who felt ashamed, after repeating that the armor and weapons were several levels lower than our equipment. So what will we do? Do we move to the village? I dont know how many villagers there are, but I have experience with accepting immigrants into the Sanctuary, so itll be fine even with all of the Aligerous Tribe living in this solitary island. For the children and elderly who are unable to fight, we have a base in the Demon Continent and a safe place a bit farther away, so it would be fine to spend their time in either place. Our wish is to return to the Sky Island with everyone in the future. May we ask that it be the closest one, if possible? I understand. Then we will have them stay in the base at the Demon Continent. Foodstuff and everyday necessities will be provided. Valkan-san informed us of the number of people in their tribe that are living in this solitary island. Who would have thought, there were less than 200 of them. Also, apparently the number of Aligerous warriors remaining in the Sky Island were roughly the same number. It looks like the situation of the Aligerous Tribe was getting worse at this rate. *** Chapter 261: A good-natured human Chapter 261: A good-natured human 200 years since the sudden calamity. With heartrending grief, we, who had taken the women, children, and elderly that were unable to fight, fled from the Sky Island and descended to this solitary island. The lives of the elders of the previous generation who dreamed of one day returning to the Sky Island with each passing day had ended.Yo?ur favorite stories on In our 200 years on this solitary island, we were on the path of decline. Now, even if our brethren in the Sky Island were included, the future of the Aligerous Tribe was bleak. Similar to all the races living in this world, only half of the child born between a mixture of the Aligerous Tribe and a different race would be Aligerous. The Sky Island in the olden days had accepted the blood of other races from the towns in the continent they were close to at the time, and it prevented their blood from becoming too thick. At such a time, a group led by a young, young man appeared on this island. There was no land at a distance our wings could reach. If so, did they cross the giant monster-infested waters using a ship? The first to discover those trespassing into the solitary island was a young warrior who was patrolling the village at the time. However, did the blood get to his head? He apparently initiated a fight with them. It resulted in him being rolled up and hung with the spider-like threads. Even though the strength of Iruma-dono and his troupe being apparent at a glance...... I could only sigh at the decline of our warriors. Leading the young human Iruma-dono was an escort-like Elven woman. It was clear they were extremely high leveled compared to ourselves. The lively red haired human maiden beside them was equally as strong. The black-haired Human maiden, Foxkin and Rabbitkin maidens, and even the young Catkin girl were individuals that the warriors of our village likely could not compete with. And Iruma-dono had a superior monster known as an Arachne in his employ. It may have been inevitable that the young warrior raised in this solitary island was ignorant, but I grew a headache seeing the individual who employs a calamity level monster. When I was talked to Iruma-dono, it was surprising to learn that they boarded a flying ship to come to this solitary island. This was our wish come true. They could carry us, who could not fly long distances, to the Sky Island. As a result of our discussion, if we assist Iruma-dono in their search in the continent closest to this solitary island, the so-called Demon Continent, they promised to transport us to the Sky Island and assist with searching for the dungeon. I became anxious if it really was alright. We seemed to be gaining so unilaterally. For the search in the Demon Continent, we were informed that Iruma-dono would support and train our warriors. To begin with, the Aligerous Tribe who were adept at the bow are not suited to be vanguards. That is why even if we were able to deal with the monsters that overflowed into the Sky Island, we likely would not be able to go around the dungeon by ourselves. Iruma-dono stated that he would provide armor and spears, and train our warriors to fight. The owner of the voice was the youngest female warrior of the village, Berkut. Although she is the youngest, Berkut who turns 18 this year was a splendid adult. Bart, youre so lame! I will become strong at Iruma-donos side and save our Sky Island brethren. Y-you you cant do it! Hmph! Dont confuse me with a bagworm who couldnt do a single thing like you. Grrrrrr............ My son ground his teeth in vexation at Berkuts disparaging remark, but Berkuts abundant talent as a warrior was a fact known by everyone in the village. We were going to depend on Iruma-donos good will, and arranged to dispatch 10 youths from the main body of our warriors. Meanwhile, the noncombatants such as small children and the elderly would be received in Iruma-donos base. Compared to the life in a scanty village, an evidently better life was guaranteed, so everyone was awfully delighted. ......everyone aside from my stupid son, Bart. *** Footnotes: 1. A more accurate idiom is to take a page out of Iruma-donos book but I dont know if they even have books. 2. Some of the Aligerous tribe seem to be named after birds. Berkut C Asian golden eagle , Bart = possibly from Bart Owl Chapter 262: Equipment of the Aligerous Tribe Chapter 262: Equipment of the Aligerous Tribe The Aligerous Tribe were no different from humans besides their wings. There were some differences in skeletal and muscular structure so their wings could move, but their internal organs were practically identical. However, the Aligerous Tribe made use of this trait, and many of their warriors used bows in the sky. Dealing attacks one-sidedly at the enemies was their style of fighting. However, that would be an impediment when exploring the dungeon. The Sky Island dungeon was a labyrinth dungeon. If the ceiling height of the labyrinth was 5 meters and its width was 4 meters, it would be a bit too narrow to use bows in the sky. Inexperienced with close combat, the Aligerious Tribe had never used swords and shields. Might I recommend spears? Even if you arent used to close combat, you might be able to handle that distance. I arranged spears in front of the young Aligerous warriors before me, and, while they werent magic spears, they were just as good. I added in swords, shields, maces, and battle axes so they could choose which they liked. The Aligerous Tribe were cheery as they each picked up the weapon they liked. Mixed in among the male warriors was a lone girl. The girl who introduced herself as Berkut had long brown hair all bunched up behind her. She was a beautiful girl with brown eyes and dignified features.Ree?ad latest novels at i-dono, which weapon should I choose? Hmm, if you choose a weapon you dont like, you wouldnt get into training. For some reason, unlike the other Aligerous Warriors, Berkut-san calls me by my given name. Well, its not like she couldnt so I let it go, but it felt like Bagworm-kun was glaring at me. This time, I think we will mainly train with weapons other than the Aligerous prided bows. Thats why theyll practice holding swords and spears. All but one seemed to have chosen the spear I had recommended. Did that person choose the sword and shield because I recommended the spear? Well, its our bagworm buddy, Bart-kun. Then for starters, copy me okay! Maria began demonstrating forms with a spear in hand together with the Aligerous warriors who chose the spear. The men were also happy to receive training from Maria, a cheerful, beautiful woman. After the light of the magic circle vanished, nine 2m 50cm long spears were completed. Okay, just in case, maybe I should give the strength-type enchantments as a freebie. The spears were average shaped spears, but compared to those sold in town, they were exceptionally made. Takumi-sama, will we make bows? Hmm, what to do...... I want to give them a bow considering their original battle style, but they wouldnt be able to carry a spear and sword together with the bow, right? Ah yes, the Aligerous Tribe have wings too, so they wouldnt be able to carry a bow and a quiver on their back. Hmm. There might be a few situations where they can fight by shooting arrows from the sky, but...... maybe Ill try thinking of a bit of a gimmick. Laeva, lets try devising a bow into the left bracer. Ooh! That sounds interesting. We decided to alter the left bracer which holds the shield into a magic item with a bow inserted into it. By the time I finished the left bracers with a crossbow-deploying magic item inserted into it, and simple right bracer, Laeva completed the Light Wyvern Leather Armor. She works extremely fast now too. Afterwards, Laeva and I made everyones boots, and the Aligerous Tribes equipment was complete. Now then, should we give these to the Aligerous Tribe as a present and power level them until they have the strength to search for the remnants of the old Sydnia? Previous | TOC | Ne xt Chapter 263: Leveling while searching Chapter 263: Leveling while searching After crafting all of the Aligerous Tribes equipment, what came into view when we returned to the Demon Continent base was Maria having a friendly chat with the spear group of the Aligerous Tribe, bagworm-ku` Bart-kun, I mean` lying on the floor like a worn out rag, and Sophia who was looking down on him with an icy gaze as if looking at trash. Uhh, whats going on here? ......this garbage was speaking ill of Takumi-sama with his foul mouth, so I unconsciously worked him even harder. I would have finished him off, but I tolerated it in consideration for Valkan-dono. ......ah, s-so thats what it was. Acts such as speaking ill of Master (Husband) warrants certain death. He should be thankful that he is alive. Even Marnie who was nearby was looking at the worn out rag` I mean Bart-kun with an icy gaze. Seeing Sophias and Marnies truly angry faces which they would never show me, yep, its definitely Bagworm-kuns fault. Just in case, I used healing magic on Bart-kun and distributed the equipment to each person. Now that weve handed out the equipment of the Aligerous Tribe, we were going to level them while searching for the remnants of the old Sydnia. Were dividing the party into two teams for power leveling and exploration, with Marnie, Laeva, Kaede, and me in one, and Sophia, Maria, Akane, and Lulu-chan in the other team. Each team searched the areas assigned to them while hastening the leveling of the Aligerous Tribe. Rearguards, preemptive attacks after the diversion! Vanguards, attack after the rearguard shoot arrows! Yes! After dispatching Team Sophia from the Ouranos, we made an effort to control the number of monsters in the monster nest were assigned to as we leveled our team.Finndd the newest novels on azingly, Berkut-san had the best battle sense. Even if she used a spear, or switched to rearguard and uses a bow, or handled the Wind magic that the Aligerous Tribe always possessed, the talent she had was the cre?me de la cre?me of the warriors participating today. Rearguard, collect the arrows! Vanguards, split up and start working on dismantling and watching the surroundings! Yes! You fucking bugs! Cooperate, you imbeciles! Sir! Yessir! ......hey, Akane. What is this? With a bewildered expression, Sophia asked Akane who was in high spirits. Eh, you dont know? Isnt military training like this? ......be it in Yggurle Kingdom or Valkyra Kingdom, Ive never heard of such a thing done. Leaving aside Akanes wicked ruling, the training of teams led by Sophia and Maria were doing well. ......minus one person. Yes, wouldnt Valkan-san cry if he knew? His only son, the future leader candidate was the #1 good-for-nothing. Bagworm is hopeless nya. Its really just his mouth. So you understand my feelings too, Lulu, Maria? Lulu-chan and Maria looked at the worn-out Bart-kun on the floor with cold eyes. Bart-kun seemed to have a more conceited mouth than anyone else. And yet when it comes to battles, he gets cold feet. Even when Sophia said that he should take the spear instead, he didnt yield the sword and shield. And as he caused trouble for everyone, he would repeatedly be worn out. Yes, again and again. Bart-kun, who wouldnt reflect, was ultimately branded as a bagworm by Maria and Lulu-chan as well. Good luck, Bart-kun. *** Chapter 264: The Idol of the Aligerous Tribe Chapter 264: The Idol of the Aligerous Tribe Everyday we searched for the remnants of Sydnia and leveled the Aligerous Tribe. During breaks from that, I was followed by Berkut in the multipurpose space of the base. Takumi-sama, please take me to the town on our day off~. Uh, well, that might be okay if its in Accuros. Really?! You promised! This sense of closeness with Berkut was entirely different from when we first met. Hey Sophia, what do you think is up with that? She has gotten extremely attached, hasnt she? Well, she must have realized Takumi-samas charm. Maria had her arms crossed as she agreed. Kaede who was mimicking that gesture beside her was cute.Finndd the newest novels on not all that sure but...... Fufu, it is not just the Aligerous Tribe though, but even the Beastkin, Devil Clan, Oni Tribe and the like have a tendency to be captivated by excellent men. That tendency appears to be especially strong in the all-female Succubus Clan. The Aligerous Tribe and the other races were also like this, but in cases where the races of the parents are different, there was a 50% chance to be born as either race. And since its a 100% chance if the parents are of the same race, coupling with a different race typically doesnt happen. But in this harsh world, they seek strong, excellent males even if they were of a different race. Whats with that? Beastkin are prolific, so if twins or triplets are born, half would be the mothers race, so mothers are not too particular with the race of the father. Marnie, who was by my side before I realized it, informed me of the sense of values of the Beastkin. Perhaps because theyve been restricted to only their race for the past 200 years, she instinctively wanted to avoid their blood from getting any thicker than it already is. Sophia-san, what are you guys talking about? Its nothing. It was the one most like our comrade among the Aligerous Tribe, Berkut. The girl who was raised in a small community until now must have been starved of communication with girls of other races, which include familiars, near her age. But you see~ the eyes of other people from the Aligerous Tribe are scary. Especially Bagworm-kun, he glares at me with a scary face. Its okay even if you ignore that bagworm. Bagwooorm! Trashbuuug! Poopy buuug[1]! Oi oi oi, are you an idiot, Bart? No matter how much you try, you will NEVER win against Takumi-sama. Doesnt this guy only get his slaves and familiars to fight!? Theres no way I, the next chief, will lose to someone like that! Thats not it, Bart-kun, I was in a different team. You havent seen me fight, have you? ......Fuu, theres no saving him. ......he deserves death. ......should I tear those wings off? Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! Sophia, Maria, and Marnie are seriously mad. If I dont stop him...... as I was losing my mind about it, a figure approached Bart-kun. Poopybug, you are 100 years too early to be fighting Takumi-sama nya. Poopybugs enemy will be Lulu nya. Lulu-chan posed with her hand gesturing to him to come on. You impertinent beast brat! Perhaps looking down on her, Bart-kun took a swing at Lulu-chan. Pugya! With a smooth, quick step, Lulu-chan got close to Bart-kun who tried to hit her, countering with an uppercut. Tiny Lulu-chans attack was just like the shoryuuken of certain fighting game[2]. Dosa! How stupid, you cant beat Lulu. It looks like my training isnt enough. Hiiiiiih```!! The moment Akane said so, the shrieks of the Aligerous warriors echoed. Akane... in moderation, okay? *** Footnotes: 1. Ill censor to Poopybug for the younger chars. 2. Street fighter reference. Idle Talk 7: A day with Kaede Idle Talk 7: A day with Kaede Volton is an adventurer city situated in the border regions of Valkyra Kingdom. The Sanctuary appeared in the western edge of the continent when the Spirit Tree took root, and the Great Spirits of Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Tree, Light, and Dark had manifested. At that chance, a highway was rapidly developed, connecting it to three fortress cities constructed in the Savage Lands beginning with Wedgefort. As the city was relatively close to Wedgefort and connected by a highway constructed by Takumi, Volton was also influenced by the rapid development. Even if the rise in population and economic revitalization that came with it were omitted, Volton had quickly changed in recent years. These were improvements in the citys environmental sanitation and the betterment of its public order. Normally, when population increases radically and economy suddenly grows, the citys environmental sanitation deteriorates. However, that was not the case for Volton. The reason for this was that it was being cleaned by Takumis inventions. As for the betterment of public order............ Frankly, an increase in adventurers coincides with an increase in ruffians and criminals. Especially with the recent collapse of Divine Empire of Sydnia and the war with Triaria Kingdom. The center of this continent had fallen to ruin. It was impossible for the surrounding countries to not be affected by the aftermath. Yet even with that being the case, the public order in Volton wasnt too bad. Margrave Voltons Knight Order and Sentinels were putting a lot of effort into it.Finndd the newest novels on However, there was another existence that contributed to maintaining the security in Volton. Kyaa`! Please stop! Hehehe, keep quiet. Well make you pretty, you know. Hihihihi, whats the fuss? After youre all dolled up, were only selling you to a whorehouse. A young girl was taken into a back alley in Volton, and was surrounded by three men with unkempt beards and wearing dirty leather armor. However, the men truly had no chance tonight. Ah, another bad guy. Need to beat them. The voice of a small child could be heard. Those who committed crimes downtown were suffering the consequences of their actions, rolling half-dead over to the front of the company. Oh my, Kaede-chan, youre alone? Yup! Taking a walk. Kaede-chan, lets plaaay! La~ter~! Although the Arachne Unique Species is designated as a calamity-class species, perhaps because of her cute appearance, when Kaede walks alone in Volton, voices call out to her all over town. Kaede was permitted to walk freely in Volton, so she goes around stalls with the allowance she received from Takumi and occasionally plays with kids. To Kaede, maintaining public order in town was closer to a stroll in her spare time. Hm? It feels like theres more baddies. When Kaede suddenly stopped moving and said so, the next instant, she disappeared like a haze from that spot. Then a cocoon rolled somewhere in town. *** Chapter 265: A Day Trip Chapter 265: A Day Trip There was a group of people of various races looking at the street with sparkling eyes. Takumi-sama, theres a lot of people! Iruma-sama, please teach us how to use this money! Iruma-dono, let us go to that stall! Today, we took a break from leveling and visited Accuros. Not only Berkut, but even the Aligerous people were in high spirits at the lively atmosphere in the port city. It was only at this time that even Bart-kun looked delighted as he observed the city. Dont get lost! Weve taught you the denominations of money! Dont waste it! Hey! You there! Watch where you walk! You can buy from the stalls, but dont bump into people holding food, okay!? When Sophia, Maria, and I spoke up, it felt like we were childcare workers leading children on a preschool trip. Since everyone looked worn out leveling while on the lookout for the remnants of the old Sydnia, we let them out into the city as a change of pace. Weve stocked up on a lot of meat and materials from defeated monsters too, so I want to sell it wholesale. Accuros is the only possible choice among the cities in the Demon Continent, isnt it? Indeed. Varguard governed by Intelligent King Guzhr, Rhodes governed by the Devil King Gandalf would be fine as well, but this place has the most numerous races residing within it, and so having grown wings would not stand out. While keeping an eye out for everyone so they dont wander, we also enjoyed the atmosphere of the town. We had planned to meet Akane and Lulu-chan who were tasked with the sale of monster meat and materials at a predetermined spot. Hey, youre way too late, Takumi. Sorry, sorry. Did we make you wait a lot? We just arrived nya. H-hold on, Lulu! Although Akane complained as soon as she saw me, Lulu-chan was an honest child who didnt lie. Really, Lulu......... Ah, Marnie and Laeva also arrived. Akanes change of topic was easy to see. Have we kept you waiting, Master (Husband)? Takumi-sama, we negotiated the prices with all our might. No, we also just got here. And good job. Since weve also met up with Marnie and Laeva, everyone noisily checked out various stores and places. The money from selling the monster meat and materials was distributed to the Aligerous Tribe, and after they were told to buy what they want, it was difficult to keep them from going astray. The entire village of the Aligerous Tribe was self-sufficient and had bartered, so it was inevitable that they had fun with shopping and it might not be possible to lead them anymore than this. We promised to take them out again on the next break, and so, the preschool trip-like excursion ended. *** Chapter 266: Activities in the Sanctuary for the first time in a while Chapter 266: Activities in the Sanctuary for the first time in a while Takumi-oniichaaaan! The Cat Sith sisters Miri and Lala ran and jumped at me, clinging to me. Ah! Not fair! Catkin siblings Wappa and Sara, and Human sisters Colette and Shirona came running. Takumi-anichan, you seem busy these days. Wappa, the older brother of Sara, was the last to approach. My bad. Im here for a day, so lets play? Yaaaaaay! I played hide and seek, tag, catch ball, and played house with the children, forgetting about the time. Today, Im spending the day in the Sanctuary. I was told by Undine that it wasnt good to keep moving in the Demon Continent. The Spirit Tree, the heart of the Sanctuary as well as its symbol, was purifying the Earth Vein and the land surrounding the Sanctuary. However, the Spirit Tree was still in its growing process, and apparently, it would like for me to give it my magic power every once in a while. You are the Custodian of the Sanctuary and the Protector of the Spirit Tree, arent you? I cant help but do as the Great Spirits say when they say that. After playing with the kids for a while, we had lunch together. I built a school for the growing number of children in the Sanctuary, but the personnel was left to the Elves and the immigrants. Since we werent just artisans, but also adventurers and were currently chasing down the remnants of the old Sydnia, so they were entrusted with this. Ah yes, Father had requested if it would be possible to trade Sanctuary wine to our country, even if only a little? I understand. Ill ask the people in charge of the alcohol brewers if there is a surplus. Im an adult age-wise, so I can drink if I want to, but I dont know much about it. I cant judge if something is easy or hard to drink. Thats why Ive delegated anything and everything about alcohol in the Sanctuary to the experienced Dwarves and the Elves. Aside from the alcohol, the Sanctuary vegetables and fruits were also a big hit. Especially the fruits sold to Yggurle Kingdom. Even if they cost a large sum, they sell out in the blink of an eye. Certainly the fruits from the orchard that Melty-san manages are exquisite items. Whether it was the influence of the Spirit Tree or because of Dryas, the fruits collected from the orchard left to Elf Melty-san and her two daughters were the treasure of treasures in taste. After that, I visited the area where the mermaids live, settled some paperwork, and Sophia had come for me. The sun had sunk before I knew it. Takumi-sama, its time for dinner. Everyone is waiting at the base. Gotcha. Be right there. We came back to the base from the Transfer Gate in the mansion basement. To me, days like this are a good refresher. Id like to spend my days leisurely, just making things. *** Chapter 267: A discovery Chapter 267: A discovery We continued the search while also leveling the Aligerous Tribe, and their abilities were coming along well. Today, we made two teams of five from the Aligerous Tribe and three from our party then went searching the Demon Continent. The mobility of the Aligerous in the sky was as expected, and because we moved by focusing on the search, our investigation was many times faster than before. The six city-states of the Demon Continent, which includes Accuros, had conducted searches in their respective countries surroundings, increasing the number of unchecked areas on the map. At Berkuts proposal, we shuffled the members searching from time to time. I did not know Berkuts ulterior motives, but I think it was a good idea because the young Aligerous Warriors were able to gain combat experience in varied situations. Sophias Gloam, Akanes Ferryl, and Laevas Seru were also participating in the search, and though it was limited to grasslands and open monster nests, Tsubaki joined as well, so it goes without saying that we were making far more progress than when we were doing it by ourselves. And at last, we were able to find a monster nest that clearly felt off. I was the first to find it. Amazing, right? The ones who discovered the monster nest was Berkuts team. Then the pair, Laeva and Seru, said it felt off having a monster nest for human-type monsters. I feel dense magic power from the central part of the monster nest. It is similar to the magic power I felt at the cathedral of the Divine Empire Sydnia.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels A dungeon? It is likely so. Wa-wait, I found it first. Praise me, praise me! ......a-, yeah, youre amazing. Recently, its like Berkuts character had been crumbling. Shes no different from Kaede when shes like this. Did we receive word of discovering the remnants of the old Sydnia? It was then that Sophias team came back. Yeah, Laevas team had apparently discovered the monster nest. I was thinking of checking it out with Kaede. ......haa, recently, Bagworm has been in the same team as me for a while and...... According to Sophia, unlike everyone else, Bart-kun who was the only person who chose the sword and the shield was often in Sophias team as she was proficient in both the spear, and sword and shield. To Sophia, Bart-kun who snarls at me was detestable and so she deals with him harshly. Nonetheless, for some reason, the harsher she was, the more emotionally attached he became. Umm...... could that be his fetish? Ugh, please stop. I am getting goosebumps. Sophia looked completely disgusted. Oi! Stop clinging to Sophia-neesan! While Sophia and I were whispering, Bart-kun realized this and this time chewed me out. Gon! Bata! Eh!? You embarrassment to the Aligerous Tribe! Berkut hit Bart-kun, who was approaching me, from behind and knocked him out. Takumi-sama, we must check the suspicious place in the map. Lets go, Takumi-sama, Sophia-san. Ah, yeah, will it be okay? Leaving Bart-kun here? You dont need to call him by Bart. Bagworm is good enough for a guy like that. Berkut-san took our hands and pulled us into a meeting room in the base. Poor Bart-kun. Hes been downgraded to Bagworm even by his own race. *** Chapter 268: The Six Nation Conference +1 Chapter 268: The Six Nation Conference +1 The Varguard city-state is located in the middle section of the Demon Continent. Here, the rulers of the six nations of the Demon Continent gathered. Succubus Queen Fraal who governs Accuros, Devil King Gandalf who governs Rhodes, Bearkin Beast King Guzhr who governs Varguard, Oni King Jairu who governs Schimihazaar, Lionkin Beast King Ryvar who governs Atropolis. Members who rarely gather together had assembled. Even the two Beast Kings that do not possess the spirit of cooperation had made an appearance, though with persuasion from the three rulers` Guzhr, Fraal, and Gandalf`, but this was likely because they were wary of a new power appearing in the Demon Continent. Moreover, that power could potentially become an enemy. So, what is that human male? Aint he just takin pretty ladies around? When I was referred to, the Lion Beastkin man who was probably King Ryvar of Atropolis made a pass at Sophia and Maria perhaps because he could not stomach me being here. The rulers of the nations, their escorts, and three Prime Ministers were participating the conference held in a large conference room. Sophia, Maria, and I were participating there too, but just as we had initially expected, while there were no problems with Queen Fraal, King Gandalf, King Guzhr, and King Jairu, the two Beast Kings` King Ryvar and King Deega` pointed piercing gazes at me. Ryvar, stop lowering even our dignity with your words and actions. Heh, though were kindred Beastkin, your head is obstinate, Guzhr. Even your brain is muscle. What did you say!? You bastard, you askin for a fight, Deega?! The three Beast Kings turned the atmosphere into an explosive situation. Stop it, if you are going to fight then do it outside! Devil King Gandalf scowled at King Deega and King Ryvar with his deep voice. Lets not let it get to that, please. Did we not come today to meet??iscover new chapters on The internal organs of the Trolls and Cyclops are parts that can be used as material for restorative medicine using alchemy, but unfortunately, there were no alchemists in the countries of the Demon Continent. We have our reasons, and we chased them to this continent because of it, so we intend to capture the dungeon, and shut down the remnants of Sydnia, including the Evil Spirit. When I said so, Beast Kings Ryvar and Deega laughed scornfully. Hmph, you all have a lot on your shoulders, dont you? I will personally lead my elite troops to destroy the dungeon. No, I will do it. Looking at King Deega and King Ryvar compete with each other from the side, King Gandalf made a proposition to me. Iruma-dono, it is much easier for you to move independently. As such, I believe our countries should dispatch a select few elite dungeon capturing units as well. Fumu, thats a good idea. I dont think we could cooperate with each other. It would be ideal for each country to send out an elite unit, and immediately destroy the dungeon. When King Jairu supported King Gandalfs proposal, King Guzhr also nodded, and Queen Fraal showed approval. If we can move freely, then Im ok with it too. Same here. Ill be the one to destroy that dungeon though. King Ryvar and King Deega also appear to have agreed, so it disbanded after deciding on the day and time of the operation. And so, in addition to our party, the six countries of the Demon Continent would dispatch elite dungeon capturing units. Surprisingly, the rulers of the six nations were participating in their respective elite units. They were the strongest power in their respective countries, so to them, it was only natural. *** Chapter 269: Strategy Commence Chapter 269: Strategy Commence It was a forest-type monster nest. In front of that monster nest, seven teams of warriors of various races eagerly awaited the signal to start. It had been a great deal of trouble to arrive at this point since the six nation conference. There were differences in the distance from the countries to the location of this monster nest. So as to not get a head start, the two Beast Kings` King Ryvar and King Deega` had stubbornly insisted on starting at the same time. Distance varied from their respective countries to location of the dungeon created by the remnants of the old Sydnia in the monster nest too, so it was necessary to coordinate the schedule of dispatching the capture teams, which was fine with us. We went ahead on the Ouranos and set a barrier up on the outside of the monster nest, establishing a provisional camp until all teams arrived. Berkut and the Aligerous Tribe would still be out of their depths to dive into dungeons, so they were entrusted with protecting the provisional camp. Haa, I wont say to make friends, just dont get into a fight. My apologies, Iruma-dono. Ah, not at all, I wasnt directing it at you, Ryuka-san. I watched King Ryvar and King Deega, who were on as bad terms as ever, glare at each other from a slightly farther spot, and Queen Fraals close aid Ryuka-san heard me mutter those words. King Ryvar and King Deega arent truly on bad terms. ......they...... both just simply hate to lose...... I seeee, ......its a relief Queen Fraal is a good ruler, huh. ......yes, those. King Guzhrs still had one healer. Though you wouldnt think so from his large build. Moreover, he was a Beastkin so he shouldnt have been suited for magic, but he said he does it out of sheer willpower. I dont get what he meant. The Oni King and the two remaining Beast Kings probably only considered a brute force approach. This time, there are a lot of races with high aptitude for magic, such as the Succubus and Devil Clans, so we offered some of the potions we made. That might have been unnecessary for the team of brutes...... no, it doesnt concern me. Since the conference days prior, each nation made preparations and in two weeks, their dungeon capturing teams gathered in this place. Unlike us who got here using the Ouranos, the teams of each country rode beasts and I think they arrived quite fast. In the early hours of the day each team finished preparations and had plenty of rest, Queen Fraals close aide Ryuka-san informed us that the dungeon capture was commencing. Iruma-dono, it is almost time. Okay, then Queen Fraal, please. Well then, everyone, our goal is the destruction of the dungeon. Please put destroying the core as your top priority. Lets begin. Queen Fraal looked at her surroundings, and giving the order for each countrys capture team to commence the operation. And so, the six nation (+1) dungeon capture began. *** Chapter 270: The Strength of the Rulers Chapter 270: The Strength of the Rulers You all! Secure the orc meat! Ha! A total of about 100 soldiers from the six countries in the provisional camp set up outside the monster nest, and instructing the soldiers from their country to secure meat were King Ryvar and King Deega who forced their way to the forest as if to compete with each other. It does not matter how much. Please exterminate the monsters. Understood! Queen Fraal told her troops so and they, too, headed to the forest. Ou! Dont fall behind to those from the other nations! Ou! King Jairu took the opportunity, shouldering an all-metal hex rod as he walked in quick steps. Then King Gandalf and King Guzhrs teams, too, entered the forest. Now then, should we get going? Yes. So were going, okay! The Aligerous Tribe will remain to maintain this provisional camp and to subjugate monsters. Right now, the leader heading the Aligerous warriors was Berkut. We headed to the monster nest after entrusting the camp to them. Takumi-samaaa! Please do your best! Sophia-anesan! Please be careful! Berkut, Bart-kun and their companions waved as they saw us off. The Aligerous Tribe were left with all sorts of golems used during the Sanctuary invasion war. The golems werent suited for dungeon diving, but they were just right to protect them from monsters from the nests. Berkut was given one of the Magic Bags I made. Inside it were a large number of food and all sorts of potions, so even if our dungeon capture took a while, theyd be fine. As we defeated the Goblins and Orcs that appeared from time to time, we headed to the strong magic power that we sensed at the center. It was then that Kaede who went out to scout came back without even so much as a sound. Lightly waving the heavy halberd that was made of magic steel down to its very hilt, confusing the monsters with Dark magic, and healing subordinates with the Water magic, Water Heal. The all-rounder Devil King Gandalfs fighting style was proper. I want to try the arms Iruma-dono made with the best materials. Yeah. Would he say these arms they made were makeshift if we asked him? I had gotten Iruma-dono and his companions to show me their arms, but it is very likely that there is no arms of that degree in the Demon Continent. Umu, once this mess is over with, should we try commissioning one sword? ......what to do for compensation............ Compared to the halberd Gandalf had been using until now, the current halberd fit in his hand so well that it was ridiculous. The passage of magic power in it was also good, and the difference in sharpness was so much it made him laugh. Shall we enjoy using these magnificent arms? Ha! Gandalf and his subordinates proceeded to exterminate monsters at terrifying speeds. Their expressions were brimming with pleasure during the fight. Similarly, Beast King Ryvar, Beast King Guzhr, and Oni King Jairus teams were supplied with high quality weapons, and the kings were enthusiastically exterminating monsters at the forefront. Even Guzhr, known as the Wise King, did not hate fighting. Manipulating an estoc in her right hand and a main-gauche in her left, Queen Fraal produced masses of monster corpse. Protecting her back, the Queens close aide Ryuka killed several monsters wielding szablas[1] with each swipe. Fraal was a magic user proficient with magic, but to focus on magic fights in the dungeon, she mainly fought with weapons as she advanced through the forest. The Oni Ryuka freely wields a large single-edged sword, capitalizing on her physical prowess. Ryuka, this is fun! ......your Majesty, paperwork is also important. I know! But moving my body suits me more! While piercing the neck of an orc that attacked in excitement from seeing women, Fraal answered Ryuka with a pleasant smile. With the effort of the six rampaging rulers, the capture of the monster nest progressed at frightening speeds. *** Footnotes: 1. A szabla is the polish name of a saber. I have no idea if there is a difference with others. Chapter 271: Labyrinth of Heresy 1 Chapter 271: Labyrinth of Heresy 1 7 teams of elite warriors united and were progressing to capture the monster nest with intense momentum. We, the usual party members, werent babysitting the Aligerous Tribe for the first time in a while, so we were clearing the place very fast, probably because we were able to move freely. I wonder what those two Beast Kings would do if an astral-type monster were to appear. W-well, we gave them weapons that magic power can flow through easily, so wouldnt they be fine? The two Beast Kings we were referring to were, of course, King Ryvar and King Deega. Their teams have no mages. They were given a somewhat larger quantity of Heal Potions, but in the coming dungeon where undead are expected to appear, I think it would be impossible to get by with just fighting spirit. Lets believe they can use magic swords. Incidentally, the Oni Tribe has skills that can deal damage to Astral-type monsters while clad in fighting spirit. When we cleared the forest, the six rulers leading their nations teams who looked at the entrance of the dungeon were surprised. To think a church all the way out here is the entrance of a dungeon...... For something like this to be created with the efforts of Humans......no, they are no longer human. Its really stupid, isnt it? The human supremacists of the Light God Faith had stopped being human. Sophia and Marias thoughts directed at my shocked mutters were different, as they appeared to be disgusted by the spectacle before us.Finndd the newest novels on Lets go! Dont fall behind! Ou! Tch, were leaving too! Ou! After saying so, King Gandalf and Queen Fraal checked their luggage and proceeded to go to the entrance of the dungeon. Okay then, should we head out too? Yes. Okaaay! Master! Upon stepping into the dungeon, just like when the cathedral in the capital of Sydnia had turned into an otherworldified dungeon, the first floor was cathedralesque. But compared to the dungeon we had already gone through, the miasma felt stronger here. ......the miasma is dense. Its a relief that we distributed amulets to everyone. Indeed. It is clear that the amulet would be very effective. Considering what we could prepare when we capture this dungeon, we, of course, distributed enough amulets for the teams of all six countries. I dont know what effects the mind and body would have when exposed to strong miasma at extended periods of time. So, while it isnt a prevention, I thought to make something that could cope with it. Kaede, do you know the location of the other teams? Hmmmm, I know the Queen and Big Blue are near, but...... I dont know where the others are. Just as expected inside the dungeon, our searching range is much narrower. We can somewhat tell from the traces of battle, so lets search while avoiding those areas. Understood. We dont know which ruler is leading which team, but if it hasnt been much time since the battle, I can somewhat tell from the remaining magic power what kind of battle happened in this place. We proceeded to move through the paths that the other teams hadnt been through as much as possible. *** Chapter 272: Labyrinth of Heresy 2 Chapter 272: Labyrinth of Heresy 2 When we explored the first level with Kaede and I at the lead, I felt a sense of malaise from the ground. I think it was because of my experience with the last dungeon and my Insight skill. Hold on! When I cautiously examined the floor, there was a pitfall trap set in place. Traps in the first floor, huh...... what a nasty dungeon. I took out the stones and soil we prepared from the Item Box and used Alchemy to create a bridge, then crossed over to the other side. I wonder if the other teams are alright. Each team has at least one scout, so I believe they would be fine. When we crossed the impromptu stone bridge, the dungeon swallowed the stone bridge. The dungeon swallows foreign matters. This meant that the intruders corpses and equipment, and defeated monster corpses are absorbed after some time had passed. Since we were in a hurry this time, aside from the especially important parts, we just stripped off the magic stones. Still, theyre all man-like monsters huh. Indeed. The first floor is all goblins though. But Sophia-san, dont you think that the goblins of this dungeon seem like theyre controlled even though theres no ruling species? ......right, thats unpleasant. Just as Maria had said, it wasnt strange for goblins to appear on the first floor, but it was strange that they were unusually under control. Though it wouldnt have been strange if there were superior classes mixed in with them. We got our bearings straight and returned to exploring the first floor. Our time with Heath-sans party in the Divine Empire Sydnias last dungeon had become a great learning experience for me. Even I had become able to vaguely know the location and type of traps. Perhaps because of her monster instincts, Kaede was remarkably more keen to the presences of monsters and traps compared to all of us. Now we werent having much trouble with the traps on the first floor. Moreover, what showed up were goblins. It wouldnt have mattered even if superior classes appeared too. We didnt explore the entirety of the first floor and were lucky enough to find the floor to go down within half a day. Ah, Kaede! We discovered three orcs at the turn ahead. Then, Kaede merrily rushed out. The first orc was decapitated without knowing what had happened to it. Ei! Using the wall and jumping, she then swung her claw weapon at the second orc, and at that moment, the third orc was entangled in Kaedes threads. Yah! Kaede dismembered the third orc to pieces in an instant. Master! Meat, meat~! I get it, I get it. Ill dismantle it right now. Kaede, who killed the three orcs in an instant, waved her hand, asking me to come dismantle them. Reluctantly, the girls and I nimbly dismantled it, then stored the choice cuts and magic stones. Okay, lets hurry up. Ka~y! Master! We resumed our exploration of the 2nd level with the lively Kaede at the lead. The monsters in the 2nd floor were the higher ranking Goblin Mages, Archers, General, and Orcs in addition to the Goblins that appeared in the 1st floor had begun appearing. As always, we only took the magic stones from the goblins, and the orcs became food for Sophias Thunder Eagle Gloam, Akanes Luna Wolf Ferryl, and Laevas wildcat Serval Seru who were on standby in Kaedes and my subspace. The subjugation itself went smoothly, partly because of the levels of the monsters that appeared on the 2nd floor, and it didnt take much time to find the stairs to the 3rd floor. *** Chapter 273: Labyrinth of Heresy 3 Chapter 273: Labyrinth of Heresy 3 Walking onto the 3rd level, we couldnt help but be dejected, like Ah, so its like this even here?. The 3rd floor was like a single floor modelled after some ruins. With this being the case, it was likely that what would appear would be undead. Zombies and Skeletons would not spawn naturally in the Demon Continent where man do not live. However, this is a dungeon. Though the monsters produced by the core have limitations in strength, theres no restriction on the variety. Thats why it isnt strange for Zombies and Skeletons to appear. Kaede haaaates zombie smell!! I dont think theres anyone that likes it. Akane replied so. Now, when it comes to the Undead, Akane was the strongest against them. Our party could be said to be exceedingly rich with party members. Those with the aptitude for Light Attribute Magic in the party were Akane, Laeva, and myself. More than just for recovery magic, it was also a powerful advantage against Undead and Astral-type monsters.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels Ah! What? Zombies? Perhaps discovering something, Kaede exclaimed and Akane looked around restlessly in search of the undead. Thats not it, you know? The people who went in the dungeon with us are heeere. Hearing this, I tried using wide area detecting magic and, sure enough, I sensed magic power that I memorized. Theyre coming closer. ......I wonder if these are Queen Fraal and King Gandalf. The others didnt approach, but I detected the other teams exploring. It seems they still havent gotten that far away. It seems theyre having a hard time with Wraiths. Yeah, it doesnt look like there are that many people who have the aptitude for Light attribute magic within the Succubus Clan and Devil Clan. I glanced at Akane and Laeva, who were vanquishing Wraiths with Light magic Light Arrow so leisurely, as I said so. Meanwhile, Queen Fraal and King Gandalfs teams came over, and when we faced each other, Queen Fraal greeted us. Yes, well, please be careful. Queen Fraal and King Gandalfs teams parted with us on the 4th floor, and we resumed our exploration. Its a grass field so wolf-like monsters might show up, but ......... as expected, its still humanoid-types. Yeah. humanoid-type monsters have high intelligence, so they must be easier to control. We still had the room to be talking as we beat around the aroused goblins and orcs that approached. Since it was a vast grass field, Sophias Gloam, Akanes Ferryl, and Laevas Seru came out of the Subspace and fought freely. Since I also let Titan out, we were way too overpowered. Bugiiii!! Zashu! A small shadow weaved between the goblins and orcs at high speed. It was Lulu-chan who swung two daggers left and right. Lulu-chan is in high spirits. Yes, it looks like she doesnt want to lose to Ferryl. ......the one competing with her is Ferryl. While Akane and I were talking, a group of more than 20 goblins and orcs were decimated. It took a while because the place was so vast, but when we found the stairs leading down, we ended todays exploration and set up camp by the stairs. *** Footnotes: 1. A tsuyuharai might something like one of the people leading the entry of sumo wrestlers for the opening ceremony of a sumo competition(?). Im not too well versed in sumo, so I dont quite understand it. But the image I had in my head is like being led by the Pied Piper but instead of children, these are able fighters. Chapter 274: Labyrinth of Heresy 4 Chapter 274: Labyrinth of Heresy 4 The 5th floor was configured as the typical cave-like passages and rooms. However, because the width and height of those passages were wide and high, and the dimensions of the rooms were large, it meant that large monsters would begin appearing. Once we went down to this level, we joined up with the teams of each country. It seems they were in need of extra potions, so we distributed mana potions, heal potions, and all sorts of antidotes to each team, and after a bit of a briefing, we switched our focus to exploring this floor. A little while after starting our search, Kaede and I almost simultaneously sensed the presences of monsters. Master, 3 monsters are coming. Yup, theyre a bit big...... Ogres? Before long, 3 meter tall Ogres that grew two horns on their head, had huge muscles all over their body that were covered by red skin similar to those of the Oni Tribe appeared in the distance. Ogres and the Oni Tribe are entirely unrelated, and saying that they were a cross between people and ogres was a horrible insult to the Oni Tribe. In actuality, regardless of whether it was an ogre or any other species, when monsters use people as seedbeds, monsters are born 100% of the time. As for the Oni Tribe, aside from having slightly red skin and the two 5-10cm horns growing from their head, their appearance was no different from humans.Finndd the newest novels on eanwhile, the Ogres had mean, ugly faces, and tusks, which werent teeth, growing from their mouths. Gaaaaaaa````!! When the ogres saw us, they yelled excitedly and began running. Haa, why is it that when Orcs and Ogres see Sophia and the girls, their eyes change color? I readied my spear and lunged immediately. The tip of my spear pierced the throat of the Ogre grinning fully at the lead, and without confirming the results, I made a sweeping stroke aimed at the throat of the ogre running immediately behind the first. Its head fell. Gaaau! Doga! Ferryl and Seru were in elated being given a place to participate after four continuous floors. Titan also fought steadily as our partys shield since the 3rd floor. Titans defenses were unyielding against attacks by the likes of Orcs and Ogres. On the other hand, Titans giant fists beat the Ogres and Orcs to death. If this was outside of the dungeon, the monsters would have probably run away, but perhaps because of the will of the dungeon, even if there was a hopeless gap between strengths, the monsters wouldnt run away. Gooo`````!! Doga!! Sensing two Ogres in the corner ahead, Titan revved the Magic Jet Propeller on its back and glided on the ground over 20m in an instant, then its adamantite alloy fists collided with its target. Gusha! Ewww, thats gross. Akane inadvertently reacted to the face of the highly regenerative Ogre being smashed in and dying. The other Ogre died shortly thereafter to Ferryl and Serus coordinated attacks. Its just right as an opponent for Ferryl and Seru. Is that so? I think they could go for something with a bit more bite. Nah, fighting to their utmost limit is way too spartan. Akane looks like she wants Ferryl to become much stronger, and wanted a stronger enemy for it. With Titan and the familiars participating, our partys exploration speed rose remarkably, and we were able to find the stairs going down faster than any other team. *** Chapter 275: Labyrinth of Heresy 5 Chapter 275: Labyrinth of Heresy 5 Im really glad I requested for the cooperation of the rulers of the six nations. The lower floors starting from the 5th floor had masses of monsters, enough to overflow. At this rate, if left as they are, the horde of rampaging monsters which became the former Sydnias hands and feet would descend upon the monster nest and the surrounding nations. Currently, the six nations dungeon capturing teams were in the middle of clearing the 8th floor. Its the 4th day since we began storming the dungeon. No one has died yet. However, we did gather again so I could distribute more potions. There were people that got injured, but the morale of the rulers and their troops were high. Im convinced that all of them were battle maniacs. Also, when we reached the 8th floor, the variation of monsters that appear on the floor increased. Of course including the superior goblins, there were superior Orc species such as Orc Knights and Generals, superior Ogre species such as Grand Ogres, Trolls, Minotaurs, and a whole array of humanoid monsters. And even Undead such as Duhallan and Living Armors also began to appear. Fortunately, Astral type monsters dont appear, so the teams of the two Beast Kings, King Deega and King Ryvar, and King Jairu were probably relieved. An abnormal event that happened was when we stepped foot into a large room. We saw the six teams ahead.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels At that moment, I had an unbelievably bad premonition, and then it happened when I called out to the teams. In the middle of the vast room the size of a baseball dome. A large magic circle shone, summoning a mass of monsters. The room itself was the trap. It was teeming with monsters. A monster house! Takumi-sama! The other teams are running this way! Titan, equip your shield and to the front! Kaede, thread traps! Laeva, Marnie, Akane, Lulu-chan, to the back! Sophia, Maria, beside me! Yes! Giving out quick orders to everyone, we got ready to intercept. Sophia, Maria, Laeva, Akane, shoot magic to protect the rear of the escaping teams! A third of the monsters in the monster house were dead or near dying, but those remaining climbed over the corpses to attack. When the monsters were 50m away from us, a large amount of monsters were suddenly cut to pieces. Kaede had activated her trap. Perhaps because Laeva and Sophia randomly casting their magic, Titan left its shield at the front. Maria and I situated ourselves just behind Titan with our spears. Haa, haa, you saved us. Haa, haa, we will fight too! Give it your all, everyone! Hah, hah, we will back you up! Its our turn now! ......support, to the back! Having recovered with healing magic and potions, King Gandalf and Queen Fraals teams immediately returned to the battlefield. Clutching their respective weapons once more, they psyched themselves up and assaulted the monsters. King Guzhr and his subordinates also carried large shields, so they lay in wait near Titan to stop the monster attacks. Queen Fraals team joined up with Sophia, Akane, and Laeva at the back to fire magic again and again. King Ryvar, King Deega, and King Jairus teams came forward with longswords and battle axes. King Gandalf instructed the rear guard of his team to join and fight together with Sophia and the girls, and he himself stood in the front line with his full metal halberd. We killed a considerable number of monsters with our magic attacks, but were still around 300 monsters remaining. The curtains of the hard fight raised. *** Chapter 276: Labyrinth of Heresy 6 Chapter 276: Labyrinth of Heresy 6 The vicinity was filled with the suffocating stench of blood. Bits of carnage were scattered all over the floor. Burnt, frozen, and cut up bodies were dropped here and there. Breathing roughly, not caring about the blood that smeared my body, I mustered my strength to swing my weapon and fire magic. The lower species of Goblins with childlike stature were marched on by those largely built, 2m tall monsters. The bigger bodies of the Knights and Generals of the superior goblin species were torn apart and flew about like garbage. When Titan swings his ultra-heavy mace, superior species of Goblins and Orcs were equally met with gruesome ends. The Lion King and Tiger King wrapped cloth on their right hands so that their blood soaked swords wouldnt slip away, and wielded them in the front lines. Their respective subordinates matched with opponents, defeating monsters one by one. The Bear King, which wouldnt lose to the physique of a Minotaur, routed monsters with a gigantic shield, and his subordinates deal the killing blows in those opportunities. Brandishing a hexagonal magic steel rod, the Oni King and his red army smashed up the Ogres[1]. The bewitching Succubus Queen cruelly defeated monsters with magnificence. The Devil King easily waved his long, hefty, all-metal weapon about. About an hour after the battle started, there were only a countable number of monsters remaining in the baseball stadium-sized dome. I was at a slightly distanced area from Titan, continuing to only defeat monsters. Receiving Kaedes support, I lunged, swept, and threw my Ice Spear. While my magic spear was out, Sophia and the girls supported me with magic. Just how many monsters were defeated already, I wonder. I used Spear Handling[2], Taijutsu, magic, and everything in my arsenal to annihilate the monsters that poured out. Before long, the monsters cries ceased, the sounds of weapons swinging and slicing wind had lulled, the sounds of the monster slaughter had come to an end, leaving only the sound of ragged breathing. At last, I stopped moving and looked around.Finndd the newest novels on I swung my ice spear Ice Bringer once, and the blood cleanly fell from the spearhead. ......fuu, we pulled through somehow. I understood my comrades situations using Magic Perception and Presence Detection the entire time, so I knew everyone was fine, but when I looked back to check on them again, it seemed this fight was really tough as even Sophia and Maria who were high leveled and had excellent capabilities were also showing signs of being tired. Oni King Jairu moved beside me, patting me on the shoulder as he thanked me. Great moves there, Human lad. Yeah, you joined the fray even earlier than us, youre better than I thought. Ha, I seeee. It seems that King Ryvar and King Deega evaluated my proactiveness to fight quite highly. After confirming the safety of all the team members of in the six countries, we who had recovered with potions were pressed for time to process the scattered corpses of several hundreds of monsters. If we didnt hurry, the dungeon would consume even the valuable materials. So before that happens, the dismantling and stripping of materials had to be divided with everyone so we could get the needed materials. Especially the superior Orc species, it was material that the people of any country was happy about, and the carcasses were dressed with glee. With exception to the meat taken from the Orc-types, magic stones were the only things harvested from the monsters, Among them, there were Onis that stripped the horns of superior Ogre species to process weapons, but because of the sheer amount of monsters, there wasnt enough time to strip everything of their materials. By the time the dungeon devoured the monsters scattered in the vast room, we were already preparing food. Today, it was unanimously decided that we would rest in this place in an attempt to recover our stamina and vitality. Taking out the portable barbeque grill from the Item Box, we began rubbing some homemade barbecue sauce into the freshly dressed orc meat. I thought it was weird to have a barbecue in a dungeon, but it would probably take a while before monsters appear again, so everyone enjoyed themselves with peace of mind. Lets have a meal, some rest, and prepare for tomorrow, the final stages of the dungeon capture. *** Footnotes: 1. Typo maybe? it says ħ. 2. This was a skill that already changed Spear King Technique, and Taijutsu is already upgraded to Fist King Technique. Sphys Notes: Hello, thank you to Kifujin-san for bringing up that the translation of ?˥ is not Sydnia but actually Cydonia (ԦĦئͦ?) which is in reference to Athena. It is also connected to Anat (Light God/Evil Spirit) as it is the Canaanite equivalent of Athena. So, please just keep these references in mind while as you read this. I will leave it up to the readers if you want me to change from Sydnia to Cydonia for all future chapters. To my understanding, the origins of the name do not actually have as big of an impact to the story, aside from some cool facts, so I do not mind either way. Chapter 277: Labyrinth of Heresy 7 Chapter 277: Labyrinth of Heresy 7 Having overcome the large-scale monster house, we had a BBQ party after it. As might be expected, alcohol wasnt consumed, but everyone still enjoyed the BBQ. Takumi-sama! The Orc General meat is super tasty!! Y-yeah, it is. Youre right, its delicious. But it might be a bit too rich for me. Takumi, I want fruits later.Finndd the newest novels on Ah, sure, I think I put some in the Item Box, so Ill bring it out later. It seems the superior species of the orc was tasty, and Maria excitedly held an Orc General skewer on each hand. Akane demanded a dessert as if it was natural. This is a dungeon though. After that, with everyone taking turns as the lookout, we slept like logs in that place. The monster corpses scattered in the large room were now all gone. Majority of the corpses were abandoned, but after nimbly dismantling and stripping others, they disappeared as though the dungeon floor swallowed them. As a result of discussions with the rulers of the six nations, we decided to rest in this place for a day. During that time, I would be responsible with the maintenance of everyones` the rulers and their subordinates included` equipment. It was fine even if we just clean ourselves with purifying magic and lightly check our partys adamantite alloy weapons and mithril alloy armors, but that definitely wasnt the case for the weapons and armor supplied to the six rulers and their subordinates. Laeva and I split the work up and quickly did maintenance on them. Though its made of magic steel, the weapons Takumi-sama produced are still durable. You too Laeva, youre now able to do maintenance without a hitch. While Laeva and I were working, Queen Fraal and the other rulers turned up. Iruma-dono, truly, thank you for everything. Since the six rulers have gathered here, we decided on the plan from here on. Every ruler agreed that the deepest floor of this dungeon was the 10th floor. It depending on the floors environment, but the passageways and rooms wouldnt be small beyond this point. If that is the case, wouldnt it be better if we each explore not too far from the others? I agree with King Gandalfs opinion. It isnt likely that there would be another monster house trap, but if we fall into another unforeseen situation, it makes a huge difference whether Iruma-donos party is close by or not. Its frustrating but its as Fraal says. We would have probably been annihilated at the monster house trap if it was just us alone. Hou, this isnt like you, Ryvar. Dont poke fun, King Deega. Youre thinking the same, arent you? King Jairu warned King Deega, and King Deega shrugged as though to accept it. Hes right. I also think that were already past the point of moving around scattered beyond this level. For the floors up to this point, we all scattered so that monsters inside the dungeon could be annihilated as much as possible. I have a feeling that its about time that the enemies, including the remnants of the former Sydnia, would start appearing. It would be difficult to cooperate all of a sudden, but I insisted that, from here until the lowest floor, we should think of it as training. If we rotate which team goes to the front, we could also prevent fatigue from building up. Wouldnt that be good? ......agreed. As the taciturn King Guzhr had agreed, we had gotten everyones approval, so once we confirmed that preparations were complete and that everyones stamina recovered, we started the main event. *** Sphys Note:Hello, sorry Im late. I was unable to upload earlier because I had recently suffered through a lot of the side effects of my 1st dose of vaccine. Sorry again for the inconvenience. Chapter 278: Labyrinth of Heresy 8 Chapter 278: Labyrinth of Heresy 8 Regarding the result of our search from the 9th Floor, our attempt at everyone cooperating was the right choice. This was because the density of monsters was high, and our encounter rate was really out of the ordinary. It was a big advantage that everyone was able to take turns resting. The overall size 9th Floor was a lot smaller than the 8th floor, but the size of passageways and rooms were bigger in relation to the monsters that appeared. And the issue was with the individuals who were the knight and soldiers of the former Sydnia. The meaning of why I said were was because it really was in past tense. I think its possible to deduce if Yamatos alteration into a grotesque being was taken into considerion. Yes, they stopped being human. How sickening. I dont want those things to be called Majin. King Gandalf swung his halberd from overhead, cutting a remnant from the former Sydnia vertically. The bodies of the knights and soldiers whom were remnants of the former Sydnia had been altered into grotesque beings, appearances of which were now monstrous. Those that had four arms, those that grew tentacles, those that sprouted horns, and those that grew thick tails. Those figures that they call Mazoku could not even be compared to the Devil Clan, Succubus Clan, or Oni Tribe. What is a religious country with a human supremacist teachings doing by quitting to be human? Everyone nodded immediately at my unintentional grumblings. However, perhaps because the knights and soldiers-turned monsters were their last line of defense, they were highly intelligent as former humans and they were able to fire the magic they once used as weapons. On top of that, they could even cooperate, so they make for exceedingly troublesome enemies. Ha! Ah, were only taking the magic stones, right? Laeva will lend a hand too. However, it looked like the only people who still thought of them as former humans were Akane and I. The other people present werent repulsed. I feel like I understand how Takumi-sama feels about it, but...... Beyond Sophias gaze were the figures of the Demon Continent groups securing the magic stones from the corpses of the remnants of Sydnia even more naturally than Maria and the girls. Pulling myself together, we resumed the exploration. The rulers of the six nations were leading their teams and practicing teamwork when we found the floor going down. Its a little early, but the next floor is the 10th. I believe that it is most likely the lowest floor. Thats why, even though its early time-wise, lets take a break and take it slow today. Were inside the dungeon so the flow of time is harder to grasp, but time-wise, I think wed be fine whether or not we proceed further. Still, if this was a game, itd be about time for the midboss and last boss to make their appearances. We have a lot of people too, so I suggested that we rest to be absolutely sure we are at our best. Youre right, we might not feel it, but our subordinates might be tired. Since the musclebrained King Ryvar said so and his partner King Deega agreed, my suggestion was easily accepted. After that, having eaten and rested plenty, we descended the stairs to the 10th floor. *** Chapter 279: Labyrinth of Heresy 9 Chapter 279: Labyrinth of Heresy 9 The remnants of the former Sydnia, the origin of this dungeon, have settled in this place, and weve finally reached the 10th level. So this is definitely the last floor, huh. Yes, it is a straight path from here. Sophia affirmed what I had muttered. The floors until now were caves, grasslands, ruins, and various sceneries, but this floor was similar to the Otherworldified Cathedral in Sydnia. Small rooms were arranged on both sides of the long, straight, and wide corridor. The teams split up and searched all the rooms. This floor also had plenty of traps. There were those that had been injured by poison traps, but all teams were close by, and they were able to recover using potions and antidotes. After some time, our party, the six rulers, and their elite teams finally arrived at a door taller than any before it. When I examined what was beyond the door using magic perception, I realized that there were strong responses, as though they were lying in wait. Could it be the boss room? I feel a presence similar to a Spirit at the farthest back of the room. ......but its a presence that could no longer be called a Spirit. Sophia glared at the door with an intense look in her eyes. This was probably the Evil Spirit that Undine and the Great Spirits talked about a while back. Everyone checked their equipment, readying themselves for the last fight. I stood at the center of the door with the large shield-wielding Titan and King Guzhr to my left and right. When I looked over my shoulder, King Gandalf and King Deega nodded to say they were ready anytime. Lets go! I placed my hands on the door and opened it in one go, and we rushed into the vast space comparable to the size of the monster house trap. I charged at the monsters, whom were once the Holy Knight Order, gathered at the front with enough force to break the ground I stepped on, condensing magic power into the Ice Bringer and swinging it sideways. Please be sure to kill them! They probably cant feel pain! Ou! The former Sydnias soldiers and knights were reduced to monsters, but I am almost sure that they were given the characteristics of the previous Immortal Soldiers. If Im unlucky, they could have the strength of ogres. I instructed everyone to make sure to kill them. Buoooon! The halberd clad in magic power cut through the metal armor like tofu. Making the most of the Devil Clans abundant magic power and high physical prowess, Devil King Gandalf went on a rampage. Normally, he would be seen as calm, but in the end, there was no mistaking that even this King was a battle enthusiast. Gandalf smiled in the face of a formidable enemy. Hahahahaha! This is fun, oi! Swinging the large sword with all his might, he crossed swords with the former Holy Knight. Gan! Zaba! Guooo! The Lionkin were proud of their high physical prowess even within the Beastkin. Among them, Ryvar continued to polish his strength in fights and attained kingship. Within the country where the strongest was king, there was no one who could contend with Ryvar. Therefore, those that could compete against Ryvar were the rulers of the other countries, Deega, Gandalf, Jairu, and Guzhr. Whos next!? Ryvar ran around to choose an even more formidable opponent. *** Chapter 280: Labyrinth of Heresy 10 Chapter 280: Labyrinth of Heresy 10Lunging with the Ice Bringer, I stabbed 5 in a single strike. Dobaan!! The grotesque, near 3-meter tall figures scattered like clumps of meat. Then, sensing an uncomfortable presence behind my back, I started running towards it so I wouldnt lose it. It was no longer human. A giant lump crawled on the ground. Yes, it was something that turned into a clump. Silver metal was exposed in places and it had parts that were not so different from a monsters. Eat! It uttered no other words after that. It was no doubt a chimera. But it wasnt as simple as a lions head, sheeps head, and a snakes tail. It was like a cluster of random things jumbled together. Something there creeped its way towards Akane. Wha!? What is that!? AkanEEe! LEt mE EaT yoU! N-no way...... is that Akira............? A-aKanE! cOmE LEt mE Eat y0U! Akanes body stiffened at the true identity of that repulsive monster. You okay, Akane!? Takumi! When I rushed in, I threw a Fire Lance spell at that monster. Huh!? The moment I thought that the flaming lance pierced the monsters body, the spell disappeared as though it was consumed. Kukuku, isnt my work magnificent? It isnt simply a chimera. It is a gluttonous chimera that eats both organic and inorganic matter. That also includes magic. Kuku, can you defeat our greatest masterpiece? The Lich Homers words surprised me. Guua! Suddenly, Homers arm holding the staff danced in the air. Lulu, who erased her presence like a shadow and was waiting for an opportunity, struck at the chance when Homers attention was solely on Akane and Laeva, dealing damage using a dagger. Lulu! Get back! Yes nya! Homer, in his anger at having his arm severed, created a large opening. Atone for your sins in hell! The lance made of light that Akane fired had pierced Homers body. Furthermore, Laeva who was defending with a shield also joined in attacking, and Homers body was pierced by lances of light like a porcupine. Guoooooo!! Youuuu! Homer who turned into a Lich screamed with a voice filled with resentment as he turned into a bead of light and broke down. Gan! Gin! Kin! Shit! This girl! Dont think youll win with just a sword! I am much older than you though? The former Holy Knight Order Leader Packard could not curb his impatience as he swung his sword at Sophia. (Why? Did I, who had been blessed with strength from the Goddess, not reach new heights!?) Certainly, in terms of strength alone, his strength was likely much higher. However, that was all it was. Led around by the nose through speed, and with his lack of skill, the tables were turned with him caught in a dilemma. Zaku! Eh? H-how could this be...... Packard was overcome with surprise upon seeing a sword embedded into his chest. Aiming for the peak of the sword through wielding uncontrollable strength and a body unable to feel pain, how laughable. A, guh...... Sophia withdrew her sword and went to support her comrades. Afterwards, the shell of a man who once wore a once-silver armor and served as the leader of the Sydnias Holy Knight Order tasked to protect the Pope had crumbled. *** Chapter 281: Labyrinth of Heresy 11 Chapter 281: Labyrinth of Heresy 11 (Just how many people and monsters did it take in?) With various types of arms and tentacles shooting out of the haphazardly combined mass and attacking me, I was exposed to the fierce attack of the grotesque Monster, so I had to switch to the defensive. As I was grasping for a way to attack the monster that regenerates even when its cut with the sword and spear and absorbs magic attacks, I avoided its attacks and counterattacked. (Rather than the magic not passing through, its more like it gets absorbed. ......no, there are magic that get through.) I stowed the Ice Bringer into the Item Box and, in the middle of the storm of attacks, I moved towards the monster. Repelling a tentacle attack that came from my blind spots using my gauntlet, I reached for that tentacle and activated a spell that could be called my own. Decomposition! I discovered a clue in the tentacle that I completely destroyed. It absorbs magic launched at it, but the Alchemy skill Decomposition! still connected.Ree?ad latest novels at I had discovered an weakness, but it doesnt seem like I could make an opening. Since I was preventing its regeneration with Decomposition, the Monsters sense of danger made it refuse to approach me. An ogre-like arm swooped in from outside my senses. In an instant, its claws came down on me when my reaction lagged behind, and at that moment, Swish! A wind magic spear cut off the ogre arm that grew from the monster. Sophia! Please concentrate on the main body! Im here too! Boom! Maria rushed in and cut a tentacle using a flame magic spear. That was when I realized that the battle was tilting in our allies favor. Our side seems to have injured people that retreated to the back, but weve managed to keep anyone from dying. !? Wha!? Something is...! EAAAaaaa4aAT!! What are you doing!? I am the Pope!! Leaving only shrieks behind, Warvaal was consumed by the monster. The Monster that devoured Warvaal pulsated and began catching the troops of Sydnia that had turned into monsters. Mo0Oo0ooRe! Eaa4aAt!! The monster that had cut loose of its bindings started to rampage wildly. Rear guard units fall back and support from a distance! Vanguards, dont get too close! The injured, fall back momentarily! Queen Fraal, King Gandalf, and King Guzhr jumped in to instruct their troops to surround the Monster. I alone faced the Monster. When I become unsure of my remaining magic power from the continuous usage of Decomposition , I drank mana potions and used every bit recovered back into casting it more. To break down even a part of a monster like this is a lot of work, but perhaps because the Monster was originally a tattered being, its ability to resist the skill was weak. Ag4N3eeeEee! LeTs b3cOmeE onE!! The face of Akira which had surfaced from the Monster called out Akanes name. The exterior of the Monster had heads, arms, and legs of not only Orcs, Ogres, Goblins, Trolls, but also Wolf-type and Insect-type monsters haphazardly projecting from it, but its main consciousness seemed to be Akiras. I kept my strong feelings in check and exposed myself to the storm of attacks. Sophia, Maria, then King Gandalf and King Guzhr, and before I knew it, even King Ryvar, King Deega, and King Jairu were repelling the attacks that I could not evade. Akira! Well set you free! *** Chapter 282: Labyrinth of Heresy Conclusion Chapter 282: Labyrinth of Heresy Conclusion Damn it, why do I have the duty to send off the Divine Empire Sydnia? As I cried that out in my heart over and over, I continued to chip away at the Monster bit by bit. !? I sidestepped because my intuition told me to, and the spot I was at just before was hit with magic at point blank range. Damn it, magic from that close is dangerous. I brimmed with strength as I grumbled so. It wouldnt be a fatal wound if you use just a little bit of magic and physical attacks! Thank you very much! Queen Fraal seems to have used support magic that had buffs on us vanguards fighting. At the same time, she used support magic to cast a debuffing effect on the Monster. Ora! Ora! Oraaaa!! Wielding large swords with their huge bodies, King Ryvar and King Deega jumped in to cut thee arms and tentacles of the Monsters in such a fierce attack that it doesnt have enough time to recover. Waon! Gan! Doga! Swinging the all metal hexagonal rod, King Jairu blocked the incoming attacks. As an Oni, he has a technique to manipulate the fighting spirit obtained by having a high physical capabilities and low aptitude for magic. He used that to envelop his weapon. Akane and Laeva, please treat the everyone! Leave it to us! Understood! At Sophias instructions, Akane and Laeva took over healing everyone fighting in the frontlines using healing magic. Doga!! The two 3 meter tall giants, Titan and King Guzhr, blocked the Monsters attacks using Super Heavy Shield Bash, and dealt attack with their enormous weapons? Thanks to the rulers of the six countries and their elite subordinates, Sophia, Maria, Akane, Laeva, Kaede, and Titans support, the pressure from the Monsters attacks abated, and I dished out Decomposition more than ever before. Guoooooooo!! Kneel, you irreverent fools who dare defy our Goddess! Your numerous acts are unpardonable to our Goddess! The voice uttered by the Princess whose body was occupied by the Evil Spirit had just that much pressure. Kuh, so its a spirit no matter how corrupt it had become? Then try this on for size! I threw something at the entity that was once Princess Elizabeth. !? You! What did you do!? All of a sudden, the movements and magic power of the woman were restricted and she shrieked. I had an item from the Great Spirits which I held onto for this moment. It would be difficult to destroy the Spirit during battle. That was why the Great Spirits had entrusted me with a Sealing Stone. Takumi, good job. Leave the rest to us. Undine, Sylph, Dryas, Gnome, Selene, Nyx, and Salamander appeared all around Elizabeth who was unable to move. You! You Spirits dare defy a Goddess!? Pitiful child...... start over from the beginning as a wandering Spirit without a will. The Great Spirits held their hands over the foul-mouthing Elizabeth. Just as I thought the outline of Elizabeth grew blurry as she was engulfed in light, that light grew into a smaller and smaller lump. Undine held that small light in her hand and she thanked us. Takumi, and the inhabitants of the Demon Continent. Our kin had caused you trouble. .................. The sudden appearance of the Great Spirits and the subsequent events had dumbfounded the rulers of the Demon Continent. Then, upon processing that the Great Spirits were before their very eyes, they simultaneously kneeled on the spot. It looked like the Great Spirits were objects of faith even to the inhabitants of the Demon Continent. A bit later on, once they recovered, we escaped the dungeon with the Great Spirits power. For as long or short it was, whichever the case, our adventure between two continents was marking its end. *** Chapter 283: Good Work Chapter 283: Good Work Undines voice called out to me, who was lost in my strong emotions. Takumi, this child, the core of this dungeon, is now gone, so it would be best to escape this dungeon quickly. Eh!? Undine, that is too inadequate. Takumi granted our request. Its just as Sylph says. We will teleport you to the outside. Just as Salamander stated so, light engulfed everyone on the floor, and in the next instant, we were outside the dungeon. Whats that in your hand, Undine? This child is a Wandering Spirit that barely has any power now. After several decades and months, it will become a low ranking Spirit with its own ego. It would take hundreds of years for it to become a mid-ranking then high-ranking Spirit. This time, we will keep watch of it by our side so that it does not distort to peoples wills. Well, to begin with, it would not have any recollection of falling to evil. Gnome looked at the the wandering Spirit in Undines hand with pity. M-may I have a moment, Iruma-dono? While I was talking to the Great spirits, Queen Fraal timidly spoke to me. Yes? May I help you? U-umm, are these personages truly the esteemed Spirits? We are able to discern that they are not normal, however...... Everyone from the Demon Continent were equally as puzzled, and Queen Fraal seemed to have felt the same. I guess that would be the case, beings that suddenly appear on the lowest floor of a dungeon, where that normally is not be possible, would bring about such a presence. Additionally, those presences which the rulers and their subordinates kneeled to had teleported them out of the dungeon, so......... Hmm, ......youre right. The Spirits a while ago were definitely the Great Spirits ruling the attributes whom had manifested. Well, how do I say this, we met by chance, and they entrusted this matter to me. While I was explaining the request from the Great Spirits to the rulers, I learned that Spirits are recognized, or more precisely, revered in this continent. The Genesis Faith had not spread to this continent. Nor had any other religion been established. Each race had their own beliefs, whether it be something natural, or that of a great hero of bygone days. To us who live in this harsh continent, Spirits are beings equal to gods. Thats right, and they were the esteemed Great Spirits that had manifested, you know? Even King Ryvar excitedly continued after Queen Fraal. Umu, this is no different to us Devil Clan and the Oni Tribe. Is it that their faith in nature and animism are equal? But please dont worry, Norn-sama. Even this continent, the Goddess of Creation is you as well. If this was a request from the Great Spirits, our six nations would have cooperated with no expense spared. Umm, well, they were also opponents tied to us, so...... Master (Husband), meal preparations are done. Ah, okay, well be there soon. Now then, lets go together Queen Fraal. Just as Queen Fraal had, for some reason, start to pester me for not talking about the Great Spirits, Marnie called with great timing. In addition to our party members, the six rulers and their subordinates, Berkut and the Aligerous Tribe had a feast in recognition of everyones efforts. The dinner party was near the heart of the monster nest, but thanks to the monsters being hunted to exhaustion, and the sudden drop in mana because of the dungeons destruction, this monster nest barely had any monsters. We have to search for Berkut and the Aligerous Tribes old home, the Sky Island, but we can relax for a little bit, cant we? *** Chapter 284: Return to Everyday Life Chapter 284: Return to Everyday Life The large banquet called the Dinner Party at the Center of the Monster Nest went on until the morning of the next day. We had Berkut and the Aligerous Tribe rest up at the base we built in the Demon Continent for the time being, and we returned to the Sanctuary. Fuaah, its been so long since I slept soundly. Good morning, Master (Husband). Perhaps because I slept in my soft bed in the Sanctuary last night, I was able to sleep like a baby. When I went down to the 1st floor while stretching, Marnie brought me my breakfast. She timed that perfectly. Good morning, Marnie. Fuwaa~ Good morniiing~ Morning, Kaede. Kaede rubbed her eyes sleepily as she came down. She plopped herself onto the chair made especially for her and waited for breakfast to come. Good morning, Takumi-sama. Im sorry for being late. Hmmm~ Good morning, Takumi-sama. Just as Sophia and Maria who rarely ever woke up later than I sat down, Lulu-chan carried breakfast over and started eating. Are Laeva and Akane still sleeping? Still, we had troubled you all greatly this time. Nu uh, at the very beginning, that Human country worshipped a strange god and that Spirit was dragged into it and mistakenly got distorted, so neither of you are in the wrong. I dont know if it was because the Spirit wanted to become a God, or if a group of bad people gathered power and worshipped the Spirit as a God. No, at the very least to Akane and those boys, that child and those who worshipped it had caused them distress. At that time, I glanced at Akane who had woken up a lot later than normal and was walking down, and she had a complicated expression. She looked cheerful, but she was probably thinking about having been unable to save her two classmates. Moreover, while Norn-sama had rendered any future hero summoning magic circle unusable, the hero summoning that had already been performed was apparently also the influence of the Evil Spirit. So the summoning really was related to the power of the Spirits? There was not much direct involvement, but that power was most certainly used. An absurd spell that crossed time and space was activated because of a combination of magic power from the Earth Vein and the atmosphere collected over several years and the Evil Spirit. Serious topics were dropped after that, then everyone noisily finished breakfast and I moved to the living room to drink tea while spending my time relaxing. The Divine Empire Sydnias actions that derailed Akane and her classmates school lives were unforgivable, but we werent inclined to destroy the Wandering Spirit that had no more ego. Well, if I had to talk about those dragged into it, it would also include me, but Ive more or less already settled in to this world. Berkut and the chief of the Aligerous tribe have said that it is fine even if we dont hurry with looking for the Sky Island. Well, they did also say that a few more years would be a mistake. Since its like that, lets enjoy creating things and adventuring while making improvements on the Ouranos. *** Chapter 285: Nominated Quest Chapter 285: Nominated Quest A few days after returning to the Sanctuary, I came back to our house in Volton. Long absences harm the house, after all. And for the first time in a long time, I headed to the Adventurers Guild with Sophia to take a quick peek at it. As soon as we entered the guild, Hans-san beckoned us over. Its been a really long time. Sorry about that, Hans-san. Weve been really busy lately. How have things been? Yeah, there havent really been anything problematic. With the completion of the city and forts aside from Volton and Wedgefort, business was good thanks to the traffic from adventurers and merchants from neighboring countries, and the adventurers wandering in increased as well. It would appear that Volton City was also booming. Even when it came to monsters, he said that there hadnt been a need to summon high ranking adventurers. Takumi-kun, a nominated quest came from the feudal lord for you. A nominated quest from the Margrave? What I learned from Hans-san was that it wasnt a subjugation request, but a request related to this city from Margrave Volton. It would have been preferable if you heard it from the Margrave himself, but its about the expansion of this city. An expansion? Yeah, thats right. You might have also noticed this, but the Volton as of late has been troubled with the lack of land because of the rise in population. Well, its true that the influx of liberated slaves from the former Divine Empire of Sydnia are also affecting it too...... I knew that with the fall of the former Divine Empire of Sydnia, the undeservedly abducted Elves, Dwarves, and Beastkin who were turned to slaves for being subhumans were being set free and that a large influx of those former slaves and refugees were going to the countries except for Triaria Kingdom. The details of the request was to assist with the expansion of Volton City for its rapid increase in population. Since he already knew about my Earth magic because of the construction of the forts and Wedgefort, his request was no mystery. It has been booming everywhere recently. We havent been able to gather Earth mages because of that. When it comes to expanding the walls of a city, it isnt entirely impossible for normal mages, but it isnt feasible with a small group. In that respect, those that could use Earth Magic besides me were Maria and Titan. And how big will you expand it? Umu, take a look at this. Margrave Volton unrolled a blueprint onto the table. I would like for the wealthy district on the north to remain unchanged, the south side to expand 200m, and another 200m on the west side.. It would expand quite a bit if the citys south and west side each adjust 200m. Understood. Would it be fine to keep the structure of the walls as they are? Yeah, thats no problem. Very well. I will start tomorrow. Umu, I appreciate it. After a bit of chatting, we boarded the carriage that Xervus-san had prepared and returned to our Volton mansion. *** Note: Hello! I have to get my 2nd vaccine shot tomorrow, and I am already expecting to have bad reactions again. So, I hope you could be understanding if I do end up missing the update day. Ill try to make up for it on a different day if I must. Chapter 286: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 286 Wall expansion Chapter 286: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 286 Wall expansion Iruma-dono, the wall over here please. Got it. Maria, Titan, and I raised walls on the area indicated by a civil official from Margrave Voltons family using Earth magic. The earth rumbled and the ground raised, creating an adequate wall that looked out onto the the Savage Lands [1] . The citys two sided expansion would have been a large construction project if it werent for us. It was work that would take a lot of time even with several tens of Earth mages. Maria and I were capable of building one side in several days while chugging down mana potions. ......even so, Iruma-dono, your partys Earth magic is nonsensical. The civil official holding the blueprint in hand looked astounded, shaking his head as he watched Maria, Titan, and I build the wall at a quick pace. Will this moat be filled with water? ......no, we planned for it to be a dry moat. A moat formed on the exterior part of the wall that was being built. Titan hardened that moat. Takumi-sama, would it be alright to let Gloam play? While we were working, Sophia who always came with me as my escort had asked if it was alright for Gloam, her Thunderbird familiar, to go out. Ah, then my Ferryl too, okay? Sure, as long as they behave. Let them out of the Subspace then. ......ah, yes, the development project in the expanded section has been decided. I believe it would become the residence of the influx of immigrants, businesses, and workshops of craftsmen, though there are also plans for housing complexes. Hee~, a housing complex? The condominiums, apartments and multi-unit residences that were so commonplace on Earth were never before seen in this world. The multistoried buildings were castles, forts, churches, and even other buildings such as the Adventurers Guild and Commerce Guild buildings were 3-story buildings. Based on my conversation with Mr. Civil Officer, it seemed to be in the likeness of a 3-story apartment or condominium. The person who planned this in this world is amazing. Though, for the time being, it would be focused on low-rent leasable properties. Well I suppose thats how it goes. The people immigrating to Volton have no money, so the Margrave Volton household wanted to arrange for dwellings and jobs, and provide a bare minimum environment. Neglecting this would lead to the formation of slums. If so, I wonder if they know to leave that large undertaking to us? It would really save them a lot of money. The land preparation and dwelling construction could give work to the incoming people. So the wall was built in a hurry for that reason, wasnt it? Yes, if they work outside the city, it would normally require preparing adventurer soldier escorts. In that respect, since we wouldnt be affected by monsters while we worked near the city, we could have waited a bit before starting the nominated request. The job of expanding the two sides of Volton City was a type of job that could easily be finished in a few days if we consider the time we built Wedgefort City. When I said that, Mr. Civil Official was shocked. *** Footnotes: 1. Typo? Raw says monster nest. Chapter 287: Remodeling the Ouranos Chapter 287: Remodeling the Ouranos Having finished the nominated request from the Feudal Lord to build the expansions for Volton City, I started to move to fulfill the wish of the Aligerous Tribe. Alrighty, Laeva. I think its about time we start preparations to return Berkut and her tribe to the Sky Island. What do you think we need? Hmm, perhaps we should first improve upon the Ouranos? I suppose so. I began to work on the improvements on the Ouranos in the Sanctuary workshop with Laeva. Long flights are fundamentally difficult for the Aligerous Tribe. Since that was the case, it was the Ouranos time to shine, but because the Ouranos was made for our party members use, it would be tight with everyone on board despite the space inside being expanded. We must also find the location of the Sky Island. Yeah, youre right. ......I wonder if we could make a radar-like thing. A radar? Ah, umm, how can I explain this properly...... a type of detection magic device, maybe. A magic device that is able to detect somewhat large objects over a wide range. The Ouranos is indeed in need of such a function. While the two of us were sharing our opinions about the Ouranos, we also brought up what would be feasible. The output of the propulsion device would have no problem even if the Ouranos increases in size, right? Yes, it would be fine. Were able to get excessive output even now, and theres also the Weight Reduction enchantment that we can reapply. Lets start with the fuselage then? Laeva left the workshop, and I went to the shipbuilding dock by the sea. The Ouranos size wouldnt really require the dock, but there are usable materials in a vault near the dock, so I thought we may as well just finish upgrading the Ouranos there. Maria and Marnie would get mad at me if I destroy the mansion garden too. Two days later, ore that was smelted by the craftsman Golan was brought to the dock. Okay! Were starting immediately, so move back a bit. Ouranos and materials like mithril, adamantite, steel, and chrome were placed on top of a large magic circle drawn to support the transmutation. Once I was sure that Sophia and Laeva were away from the magic circle, I placed both hands on the floor and began to pour magic power into it. At the same time, I held a strong image of the process of upgrading the Ouranos and its complete form in my mind. Transmute! The pile of materials and the fuselage of the Ouranos were enveloped in light, intersecting as though fusing into one. ......fuu, looks like theres no problem. The light settled and a single, large Ouranos was in front of me. I will check on it immediately! Laeva rushed over to the Ouranos as she said so, then began to examine all the parts. You got this! I waved my hand and returned from the dock to the workshop. I now had to begin designing the detection magic device, so I left the inspection of the Ouranos to Laeva. *** Chapter 288: Evolution Chapter 288: EvolutionOnce the upgrades on the Ouranos were complete, I moved onto the development of a magic device that was capable of detecting objects from the sea to the sky. To put it simply, it would be a reproduction of an electromagnetic radar that sends out electromagnetic waves and detects those said waves when it rebounds from hitting an object, but it is proving difficult. Although not completely impossible, it didnt feel like I would be able to create something that could understand radar waves emmisions and responses from objects mechanically. Hence why I decided to go with a magic device that amplifies Wind magic based detection. However, the speed of the wave-like emissions of magic power using the Wind attribute are overwhelmingly slow in comparison to the electromagnetic waves that were practically the speed of light. Hmm, radio waves are a kind of electromagnetic wave, right? ......its no use, I dont get it. Since I dont know the type of electromagnetic waves used by a radar, I settled on a form of emitting magic power that would be converted to a Lightning attribute before the spell activates, even though the speed falls short overwhelmingly. However, it was still impossible for me to visualize the effect of the response. The best I can do was perceive it as an image in my head just like with Detection magic. In the end, it was like an upgraded version of Detection magic. I would like a visual representation like with a radar though...... Detection magic was simply an image that shows target monsters and obstacles within the users mind, so I wonder if it could be visualized in something like a monitor? After a lot of repeat trial and error, the results of the detection were visualized by light attribute magic. Kaede came bursting in while I was working alone in the workshop. Master! Master! Tsubaki! Tsubaki is`! W-whats going on!? What happened to Tsubaki!? What happened to Tsubaki? I unwittingly stood up and asked Kaede loudly.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels Yup! Thats her Dragon Energy! I still cant control it well. But I believe I will have it down pat soon. How much she grew was more to the degree of Did she grow a bit bigger?, but the air of intimidation she gave off definitely increased. Tsubaki said that that was the Dragon Energy that Dragon species possess to coerce others that was leaking out from her. This had already been the case so far, but now, weak monsters really wouldnt dare to come near. When I looked at Tsubaki who had evolved again, her protruding horn looked stronger and sharper. If something gets caught on that horn, they wouldnt be able to avoid serious injury. The scales that covered her body were a deep green, but it was so dark it was nearing black. The impression I got from those scales were that they would repel anything. There were some finer changes too, but the biggest change was her overwhelming presence. Tsubakis evolved race was Great Dragon Horse. I should investigate it in the Adventurers Guild later. Master, Master, can I ride on and play with Tsubaki~? Yeah, you can go outside the Sanctuary, but dont scare the merchants and adventurers, okay? Yup! I got it! Kaede jumped on Tsubaki and Kaede was able to hang on even when Tsubaki had no saddle, armor, or reins as they ran off. Tsubakis all out running speed was amazing even before her evolution, but......... now its just out of this world. *** Footnotes: 1. Tsubakis original race was Ryuuma oR, which then became Dragon Horse ?饳?۩` . This is the first time Author used Drake Horse Chapter 289: Off to an adventure Chapter 289: Off to an adventure Once the Ouranos upgrades were finished and the Detector MD installed, I began preparing to search for the Sky Island. Now then, we will be holding a meeting for the search for the Sky Island. Yay! Woohoo! Claps When I announcement the start of the meeting in front of everyone, Kaede clapped her hands and hollered. Our group was gathered in the living room of the Sanctuary mansion to talk about our search for the Sky Island. Considering the position of the solitary island where Berkut and her tribe lived, I was thinking we should explore the area surrounding the Demon Continent first. Were excluding the areas we searched when we found the island, arent we? Sophia checked the scope of the search on the map. It was then that Sylph suddenly appeared. As always, I couldnt help but smiled wryly at the freewilled Great Spirit. You still appear so suddenly. Of course I would. Wind is free. So, did you come here to say something? Yeah, Takumi, youre looking for the Sky Island, right? Yep. Sylph, no way, do you know where it is? I dont remember the rise and fall of each and every civilization, you know. ......its still only been a few hundred years since the Aligerous Tribe settled in, right? So it really was likely that the story of this ancient civilization was thousands of years ago. Sylph said that she doesnt remember when the Aligerous Tribe began their lives at the Sky Island. According to Valkan-san, a large number of monsters lived within the forest, so they would have dug caves along the mountain and lived there. If I remember correctly, Valkan-san and his tribe fled because monsters overflowed. When I talked about what I learned from Valkan-san, the chief of the Aligerous Tribe, Sophia chimed in about the reason for their escape to the solitary island. The historic ruins of the ancient civilization were engulfed by the forest, and maybe the apparatus which utilizes a dungeon core to keep the island afloat is in it. Then it broke in some way and the dungeon core regained its primary function, didnt it? Probably. If so, then maybe we will have to repair the device that utilizes that dungeon core. From Sylphs faint memories, the ancient civilization definitely used a dungeon core to control the floating island. And she knew that it hadnt been that long, time-wise. I think it would be fine for 100-200 years, but I think you should hurry if you want to repair the control unit of the core. Maybe, if left at is, at the 300th year, it would no longer be able to support the island and fall. Eh!? Thatd be horrible! Takumi-sama please calm down. Sylph-sama said it would be fine for 100-200 years. Ah, ahhh, youre right. But it would be better if we dont hang around to find out. Theres a chance that it would take time to repair it. We now cant just look for the Sky Island and thin out the monsters that flooded out from the dungeon. We need to restore control of the core and create an environment the Aligerous Tribe could return to. *** Chapter 290: Takeoff Chapter 290: Takeoff Thanks to Sylph, weve identified the general direction and distance of the Sky Island. We didnt know how long the search would take, so were bringing a lot of extra food. Also, because it is absolutely necessary that we go to the monster-overrun place where the dungeon core is, we prepared a Magic Bag filled with all sorts of potions, and relief goods for the Aligerous Tribe on site. After transferring to the Demon Continent through the Gate, we joined up with Valkan-san and the tribe. I would like for you to choose people with high combat abilities from the Aligerous Tribe to work towards searching for your tribespeople for when we find the Sky Island, Valkan-san. Fumu, this place also has women and children. It is inevitable that it is only when it is safe that everyone can move. Valkan-san nodded and decided who the members for the Sky Island search would be. Our party members, Valkan-san who knows their tribesmen from the Sky Island, Berkut, two spear users, two bow users, and, for some reason, Bagworm-kun (Bart-kun) were going. While we were clearing the Demon Continent dungeon, the Aligerous people who subjugated monsters at its monster nest had each developed their strengths, making exceptional progress in comparison to when they had first started. I think Bart-kun also grew enough that he cant be called Bagworm-kun anymore.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at Only Bart-kun isnt particularly skilled, but he forcefully added himself to the party as he claimed he would be the next chief. Valkan-san looked apologetic, but the person in question didnt realize this. Please get on the Ouranos. Were off then! Bart-kun waved merrily at his tribespeople who remained as he boarded the Ouranos. Once everyone was on board, the Ouranos took off. There is a possibility that monsters would attack at low altitude, so we flew higher. Oooh! S-so hiiigh!! Bart-kun clung to the window and yelled. Apparently. we were at an elevation that the wings of the Aligerous Tribe could never reach, but the remaining tribespeoples eyes were chilly. Thats all I could really say. Since Maria had taken over steering, I drank the tea that Marnie brewed as I rested, and I could hear that Bart-kun and Berkut were quarreling again. Berkut! You, youre being too brazen to me, your fiance?! Who is whos fiance?? I dont remember ever becoming engaged to someone like you! What are you saying!? If I, the next chief, say so, then thats how it would be! There is no way someone like you is the next chief! Bullshit! Hee, so these two were engaged. As I was watching the two bicker, I sat down on the sofa across Valkan-san and asked. Berkut and Bart-kun are engaged, right? ......no, Bart just think so. Eh? Theyre not? But if Bart-kun is the next chief, I thought it wouldnt be strange if he was Berkuts fiance, though?...... If Chief Valkan-sans only son, Bart, was the next chief, I thought for sure that because he and Berkut were close in age, this would definitely have been the case. In the first place, he is not the next chief. The position of chief is not hereditary, worthy people are nominated and chosen. ......With how everything is going now, Bart will not become the chief no matter how hard he tries. HaChaha, youre got a lot on your hands, Valkan-san. You understand me, Iruma-dono? Valkan-san who looked at his incompetent son with a lonely expression was pitiful. *** Chapter 291: The floating island in a sea of clouds Chapter 291: The floating island in a sea of cloudsA while after passing through the Demon Continent and coming out to the ocean, low, heavy clouds hung over us. The weather worsened, so I raised the altitude of the Ouranos to go above the clouds, and left it suspending in the sky to stop for the night. So the strong wind at high altitude wouldnt set the aircraft adrift, a barrier was activated around the Ouranos. And so, the aircraft stabilized as though it had landed on the ground. Fua~ Good morning, Sophia. Good morning, Takumi-sama. When I woke up, the airspace around the Ouranos that stayed afloat in the air was so clear which was unthinkable from yesterdays weather, the low and heavy hanging clouds were gone, and the sun was rising from the horizon. Hmm, as expected, staying suspended with a barrier active the entire night consumes a lot of magic power. As I supplied magic power to the large magic crystal installed into the Ouranos, I checked how much magic power was consumed overnight. Ah, Takumi-sama, I will supply magic power too. Please allow me to replenish it as well.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels With Maria and Sophia contributing, the outrageously large magic crystal was filled to the brim with magic. Master (Husband), breakfast preparations are complete. Thank you, Marnie. Lets have breakfast? Okay. The Ouranos stayed parked in the sky as we finished breakfast, which was when Akane and the others woke up. Fuah~ Morning~ Morning, Akane. Good morning, Iruma-sama. Good morning, Valkan-san. Did you sleep well? Just like yesterday, the Ouranos suspended at sundown, and just to be sure, we took turns replenishing the magic crystal and sleeping. Then, at around noon of the next day, the Detector MD had a response from a large object close to 3000m above sea level. ......could that be it? When I took the Ouranos up to 3500m in altitude and headed to the location shown on the Detector MD, a giant island floating in the sky appeared right ahead. ......amazing. Sophia, could you call Valkan-san? Y-yes, right away. I asked Sophia, who was overcome with surprise at that spectacle, to call Valkan-san, the only person who knows the Sky Island. I lowered the speed of the Ouranos as we approached the giant island suspended in the sky. Oh ohhh! Surely, that is our birthplace. The land where we had been separated from our tribe, this is no doubt the Sky island! Cheers rose as the other tribesmen looked out the window when they heard the voice of the tearing Valkan-san who was rarely worked up. Woah! Thats amazing! Is that the Sky Island!? Shut up, Bart! Dont shout so close to my ears! Bart-kun and Berkut were bickering loudly as usual, but their other tribespeople were deeply moved as they gazed longingly at the Sky Island that their parents generation lived in. ~Volume 6 END~ *** Note: Thank you all for your patience with regards to my reasons for delays recently. Unfortunately, I always take a 2 update break whenever I complete a volume (contains usually 50+ chapters of nearly-consistent updates) and that is now. The next update will be after a week. I truly thank each and every one of you for your patience, understanding, and support! I hope to see you all soon! Chapter 292: Landing on the Sky Island Chapter 292: Landing on the Sky IslandThere was an island floating 3000 meters in altitude, as though sitting on a bunch of clouds. The mountain that was 1000m in elevation had likely been the place that the Aligerous Tribe resided in. A lake was visible in the island. It would seem that clean water springs forth mysteriously. The water, which flowed from the lake to the river to all the way out of the Sky Island, forming waterfalls. The water that flowed down from those waterfalls turned into clouds, giving rise to the wonderful spectacle. The forest has encroached upon it so its hard to tell, but there are still vestiges of an ancient civilization that remain, right? The dungeon is likely within the ancient ruins swallowed up by the forest. Alongside Sophia, I couldnt contain these feelings of excitement at the fantastical scene like this as we looked at the ruins that could have once been stone buildings that have collapsed and covered by the forest. Still, where does the water in that lake come from? Ahh, that lake? I can tell you that a magic device from ancient times for welling water works even now. Valkan-san answered my question, telling me the sayings from his ancestors. The Sky Island had other things from ancient times. He informed me that one was a special barrier that covered the island. This barrier didnt have the ability to block the invasion of flying monsters, but could protect against the strong winds at this altitude and doesnt let lightning strikes pass through. However, it doesnt completely stop the flow of wind, it is just to defend against factors that could cause harm to the island. Since it doesnt hinder peoples and monsters movements, it did not become fetters on Valkan-san and his tribe when they fled. Another thing, this island has a proper cycle of seasons, creating an easily livable environment for its inhabitants. Because the climate on the island which had been no different to those above ground was being maintained, the people, animals, and plants had no problem surviving. For starters, we must first think about looking for the tribespeople that Valkan-san and the others had been separated from. I didnt feel comfortable accepting too much gratitude. As for why, it was because I genuinely wanted to see a floating island in the sky, and Valkan-san and his tribes circumstances had become a chance to do that now. I just didnt want to miss the opportunity to have The Fantasy known as a flying island. The only other member who was like me, Akane said Wouldnt you want to fly to it if you were told of its destruction? when we talked about a certain super popular animated movie [1] ...... a masterpiece that transcends generations. Then well land at the foot of the mountain and search there, right? Please do. If I remember correctly, there should be a place a bit farther north where we can land, but...... As expected, because his memory is from 200 years ago, Valkan-san gave directions without confidence, so I lowered the Ouranos altitude and speed as we searched for a place to land at the foot of the mountain. Everyone, were landing so please take a seat. Just as Valkan-san said, we found enough space for the Ouranos to land slightly northward, so we made preparations to land. Soundlessly, the Ouranos descended vertically, and landed carefully. *** Footnotes: 1. Reference to Laputa: Castle in the Sky | դγǥ?奿. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Alighting from the ramp of the grounded Ouranos, we took our first steps onto the ground of the Sky Island. Takumi-sama, it seems theres something peculiar in the forest vegetation. Hee, I cant tell them apart. Nothing less from an Elf. Sophia was able to identify this with just a slight look at the forest that filled the other side of the mountain. I didnt know any of the other plants aside from the medicinal ones we normally use. I have a way to appraise and harvest them, but the Elf Sophia was definitely faster at identifying it. Ill ask Sophia to teach me later. When I turned to look back on the mountainside, I was able to pinpoint holes that seem like caves halfway up. And so, I used presence sensing and detecting magic. ......I cant say for certain if they are Valkan-sans tribespeople but...... theyre there. Yes, there are around 200. Coincidentally they have roughly the same number of people with Valkan-sans community. You can tell from this distance!? Sophia and I sensed people halfway up the mountain, and hearing this, Valkan-san asked excitedly. Probably, I think we should make contact over there, just like we did with your people, Valkan-san. Perhaps being vigilant, the presences in the cave moved after an hour. Well, if a flying object suddenly came down from the sky and landed near my home, then suddenly unknown people alight from it, Id be wary too. Still, if they looked closely, they would have recognized that some were fellow Aligerous Tribespeople, but Valkan-san said that theyre being cautious because they live close to the forest that has a history of monsters increasing. And as soon as I thought of speaking to the presences, I realized they were approaching us. Since they didnt try to conceal themselves, they must have spotted Valkan-san and the others. Before long, a man nearly same age as Valkan-san along with 20 warriors landed slightly away from us, then approached while staying vigilant with bows and spears. The Aligerous man walking in front looked surprised, and talked to Valkan-san in a hoarse voice. ......y-you, could you be...... Valkan? Niisan...... youre alive. To be able to meet with you once more...... Id like for the discussion to advance, so I might be pouring cold water onto their touching reunion, but I talked to Valkan-san. Umm......Valkan-san. O-, ohh, pardon me, Iruma-dono. Niisan, thanks to Iruma-dono here, we were able to come back. Ohhh! I am Valkans brother, Valzak. I am Takumi Iruma. I happened to have a chance to help Valkan-san return to the Sky Island. I calmed Valzak-san who shed tears as he held my hand in gratitude, and had him lead us to the cave they live in for the time being. It is a slight distance away, shall we carry you? No, were fine. I stowed the Ouranos into the Item Box and flew after Valzak-san and everyone. ............Valkan, is everyone in the outside world capable of flying without wings like that? No, I think Iruma-dono and his party are just special. Valzak-san and the Sky Island Aligerous warriors looked at us in surprise after witnessing us hopping our way from the foot of the mountain to the cave halfway up the mountain. We ran up the the face of the mountain like grasshoppers without concealing our superhuman strength when they glance behind. Valzak-san and the others who did not know of the outside world were shocked. *** Footnotes: 1. Bart will be changed to Vart. 2. I will probably shorten Aligerous Tribe from the Sky Island / Solitary Island to Sky Islanders / Solitary Islanders, its too much of a mouthful.[ Chapter 294: Present state of the Sky Island Chapter 294: Present state of the Sky Island Walking into the cave halfway up the mountain, I could tell that it had taken many months and years to dig as the chisel marks remained.?iscover new chapters on Its quite spacious inside, isnt it? The cave we were led to was so wide it was like we were walking into a concert hall. Its been broadened quite a lot. Yes, having to part with Valkan, it was necessary that we unite. We needed to defend ourselves as much as we could to survive. It must have changed considerably since the time Valkan-san lived here. I looked around. The residents of this settlement seem to have gathered inside the spacious hall. Everyone stared anxiously at us. I could see there were a few children scattered here and there. The quality of their warriors felt considerably better in comparison to Vart-kun when I first met him in the solitary island. However, as far as I could see, everyone was malnourished. Thank you once again, Iruma-dono. I never thought the day would come that I could still meet Valkan alive. Not at all, meeting Valkan-san was a coincidence, and theyve assisted us too. Nevertheless. It is thanks to you that our family is whole again. According to Valzak-san, their father, the previous head, and their mother were still alive, and would be delighted to be able to meet Valkan-san and their grandchild. This was the situation in this race, Valkan-san had escaped with the women and children 200 years ago, but there were still elderly who had limitations and many others who remained in the Sky Island. As for the Aligerous Tribe living in the Sky Island, in the 200 years that elapsed, the elderly had passed their lifespans, fewer children were being birthed, and the population was in decline. This was also an issue that Valkan-sans group also carried. The dungeon monsters have flowed into the forest and hunting has been difficult. To the Aligerous Tribe who did not have any other means to attack besides the bow, the monsters in the forest are too much. Valzak-san also wanted to go to the control room of the dungeon core, but the reality was that they were already having trouble hunting in the forest so they couldnt reach it. With our numbers diminishing, were feeling the limits in preserving our village. My my, they just met but theyre just like each other. Fumu, they have exactly the same bad qualities. ......Im sorry. With their fathers harsh words, Valkan-san and Valzak-san apologized to their parents. Valzak-sans son is Valto-kun. His age was coincidentally the same as Vart-kuns. They were similar because they were cousins, huh. I feel sorry for Valkan-san and Valzak-san, but they were disappointingly similar. At that time, Marnie proposed that everyone have a meal. Master (Husband), how about we offer food to everyone? Youve got a point. Lets eat the food in the Magic Bag and my Item Box and eat with everyone. I told Valkan-san my offer to supply food. That, is that truly alright? Yes, we planned to so from the start. Then we should also help. Betoris-san gave an order to the Aligerous women, and they began to prepare the food with Marnie and Maria. Considering everyones malnutrition, Id like for them to be nourished even if only a little bit. *** Footnotes: 1. Save me from the suffering of naming these characters. (T~T) Theyre all too similar lol. I didnt wanna change Bart ( ?` ) too much, so I chose Vart but maybe I should have chosen Vaht since Valto (?) is a bit too close to it. Oh well. Chapter 295: Banquet and Hunt Chapter 295: Banquet and Hunt Maria, Marnie, and the women of the Aligerous tribe worked together to cook the copious amounts of ingredients that we prepared. Uwaa! Mama! So much meat! Youre right, how nice. The little childrens eyes sparkled seeing food cooked one after the other. Monsters have been running rampant for 200 years, making it difficult to hunt, therefore securing enough foodstuff has been challenging...... we have been doing our best to keep the children from feeling hungry, but...... Just as with Vart-kuns group when we met, the Sky Islanders weapons were mainly the bow, so their offensive ability against wild animals was meager, and even less so with monsters. It would have been different had they at least used magic steel for their arrowheads, but there was no one among them that had advanced smithing skills. Valzak-niisan, could you leave the hunting to us? Hes right, Uncle, we got this. The monsters in this place are easy peasy with our weapons. Valkan-san was filled with confidence as he asked Valzak-san to entrust the hunting to them. It was then that Vart glanced at Valzak-sans son, his cousin Valto, boasting proudly as he pounded on his chest and said hed hunt monsters. Valto-kun glared at him with a frustrated look.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at Only Haa, I wonder if theyll be able to get along...... I couldnt see it directly, but from the presences I sensed, the monsters inhabiting the forest that swallowed the ruins of the ancient civilization were not strong in our eyes. There was a reason for this. The forest is not a monster nest. Naturally, mana is thin in land that isnt a monster nest. Dense mana is an absolute requirement for strong monsters to live. Y-you......... We were probably the only ones who could perceive Kaede, who had gone so far as to wear the Overcoat of Existence Concealment and use her Stealth skill to not scare everyone, until she talked. Seeing an Arachne, an S rank monster, right in front of him all of a sudden, Valto-kun looked like he would faint at any moment. Kaede-san, please stop with the bagworm. I beg you...... On the other hand, Vart-kun was begging Kaede with clasped hands and a pathetic expression. Being coiled in threads and hung from high above at our first meeting had become Vart-kuns trauma. Anyway, lets think about the hunt later, we should enjoy the food now Ah, yes, youre right. Niisan, Kaede-dono is Iruma-donos familiar, so please calm down. I-is that so? I-I see. Perhaps to be expected of the chief, Valzak-san did his best to collect himself in one way or the other, though he was still pale faced. Additionally, among the Aligerous Tribe in the Sky Island, the women and children soon grew familiar with Kaede and began to come together to enjoy the food. It must have been fine since Berkut and the others were together with us. That day, I offered wine from my Item Box. The adults grew excited and the feast continued late into the night. *** Chapter 296: Survey Chapter 296: SurveyThe day after the banquet, we left early in the morning to walk into the forest to go hunt for food reserves while also investigate the monsters living in the forest. The aforementioned dungeon core and the device that controls the dungeon are the middle of the ruins, right? Yes, there was a time when my predecessors and I headed to the control room. We somehow managed to get there shortly, but our inherent racial characteristics is to fly in the air and attack from a distance using bows. We were capable of reaching the center of the ruins, but could not advance further than that. Our party surrounded Valkan-san who was acting as our guide as we trudged deeper into the forest. The Aligerous Tribe were not assertive with flying above the forest. There were no Wyverns, Griffins, and other strong flying monsters, but there were raptor-type monsters which would come flying. Flying above the forest was only for emergencies. Ha! Berkut brought out her sharp spear and pierced through the neck of the monkey monster, and Vart-kun threw his spear right down the middle of the monsters forehead. ......Valkan......that girl is your daughter, right? Why isnt she using a bow and arrow to defeat monsters? Whats with that girls spear and skills?Re?a?d new chapters on Seeing that young boy and girl of the same age in the tribe were fighting Silver Monkeys in close combat by themselves and were unmatched had surprised him. Onii-san, dont talk too loudly. Monsters will draw near. Ah, yeah, my bad. Onii-san, its normal that youre surprised. Iruma-dono had kindly taught us how to fight. Valkan-san explained to Valzak-san about the power leveling we did in the monster nests inside the Demon Continent. We did not investigate the entirety of the Sky Island so I am unable to say for certain, but if we thin out the monsters and retake control of the dungeon core, it might be possible to reclaim land for agriculture. Oooh, I would be glad if that were true. Relying solely on hunting leaves uncertainty in the long run. A life that relied so heavily on hunting and foraging would inevitably be unstable. This forest had wild fruits, mountain yams, and all sorts of mushrooms were forageable, but it wasnt possible to forage as one pleases within a forest that monsters inhabit. We roughly understand what kind of monsters tend to come out, so lets end things here and go back. Indeed. Valzak-dono also seems to be tired, so I think this is a good idea. I called out to Sophia, and we took a different route back to the caves. As a result of our exploration into the forest and its surroundings, there were no monsters that could be threats. There were also lesser monsters than in a monster nest, and as long as one is capable of fighting a wild animals such as wolves or bears, then there shouldnt be any issue. Also, according to Laeva, she could hardly find any medicinal plants. She reported that medicinal plants grow in places that have somewhat dense mana, so it would be difficult to secure fixed amounts of it. Valzak-san and Valkan-san also had limited knowledge on medicinal plants, so this had been the case for a long time. Having obtained results from a tentative exploration, we decided to go to the center of the ruins, and hunt while we make our way there. *** Footnotes: 1. Bear wasnt included in previous list. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 There was a young man who tried to stand in front of us as his legs quivered. Wh- why cant I win...... A young man from the community in the Sky Island. Valzak-sans first born son, Valto-kun. It was Vart-kun who beat up Valto-kun one-sidedly, and Valto-kun glared in frustration. As for why this was happening, it was because of Berkut. Valto-kun was smitten by the beautiful Berkut who was of the same age, but as Berkut tried to handle Valto-kuns forceful advances, it was then that Vart-kun snapped. Berkut is going to be with me! Dont you dare make passes on her, you asshole! ......no, Im not going to go out with you. What did you say!? Berkut-san suits ME! Someone like you cant be with her! ......no, I dont like you either. You bastard! Ill make you learn your place! Ou! Just what I wanted! Ill fuck you up! ......these guys just dont listen. The fight between Vart-kun and Valto-kun, which started because of a stupid argument, was naturally won by Vart-kun who had undergone our power leveling. Iruma-dono, I apologize for my son. No, its alright. Besides, Vart-kun would be practically unhurt in a brawl with Valto-kun at that level. About that, would it be possible to train us like Valkan and the others? An unexpected request came from Valzak-san. Still, even bears and wolves were formidable enemies to normal hunters despite not having monstrous strength. ......lets see. Powering up your community would also be an advantage for living in the Sky Island in the future. Very well, we cant go right away because preparations must be made, but lets train you until we search for the ruins. Kaede and Lulu-chan were having fun with the village children at poking at Vart-kun who was like a tattered rag. ......okay, Ill be making a room to install the Gate in. Yep, lets pretend we didnt see that. Lets reinforce the walls and ceiling of the cave first. To prevent it from caving in, right? Yup, it looks like fairly solid bedrock, but its best to be careful. With Valzak-sans permission and Sophia in tow, I enchanted the walls starting from the cave entrance in order to expand the cave and establish a gate. The place which had a risk of collapsing changed form and hardened. Theres no risk of an earthquake because this mountain wasnt volcanic, so there shouldnt be any concern of it caving in with this much fortification. How about we make a hole in place of a chimney and install a magic tool for ventilation? Youre right. It looks like the Aligerous Tribe sometimes uses Wind magic to ventilate the place. Itd be difficult having a kitchen inside a cave, after all. Even after Valkan-sans group migrates to the Sky Island, theyll probably live in the cave too. Its definitely much safer than living at ground level. Thats why I decided to first expand the existing cave and dig several new caves. Additionally, we decided to connect our base in the Demon Continent and asked them to manage it. To Valkan-san and the others, that base was indispensable for hunting monsters for food and raising levels. *** Footnotes: 1. I dont know why Akanes name is included here. I assume its a typo for Kaede who can make things, so I will change it. Chapter 298: The tattered rag and bagworm Chapter 298: The tattered rag and bagworm While breathing heavily, we advanced through the forest filled with dense amounts of mana. Whats with these guys? Are these really women and children?! Theyre killing the attacking monsters left and right all while humming. We followed desperately so we wouldnt fall behind. This place is one of the countless monster nests in what they called the Demon Continent. They said that monster nests were places with high concentrations of mana. And apparently, that dense mana meant that that place would have a ton of monsters living in it. I want to yell at the me of the time when I imagined that the monsters here would be like those in the Sky Island. LikeDont go!...... Kishaaa``!! Hiih! Shu! Botari! A snake monster so large it was almost funny darted out of the treetop and attacked me as I walked in a daze. I reflexively crouched down, shrieking and eyes shut............huh? The pain isnt coming? Was I saved? What I saw when I opened my eyes nervously was the head of a giant wolf. Gururu .................. Hatan! Ah! Hey! Valto fainted! Ferryl, stop it. Thats not tasty. It felt like the people were talking like that about me as my consciousness faded. Ha! W-what happened! My old man asked that human brat Takumi to train us. And they brought us here. At first, he started changing the inside of the caverns in the Sky Island to his liking, then just when I thought he made a room for a magic device called a Gate, we were brought to place he was based in at the Demon Continent. Here, we were reunited with the tribespeople we were separated with 200 years ago, but minus the elderly, women, and children, everyone was stronger than us from the Sky Island. What was most shocking was when I found out that the bastard who beat me up was not the strongest among the warriors of the tribe. It happened when I asked some dude my age. Eh? Vart? That guys the weakest. Eh!? Youre lying, right......? Hmm hmm, whats up? Ah, Berkut? Nothing much, I was just answering this guys question about how strong Vart is. Bagworm is dead last. B-bagworm...... I was done in by a bagworm...... To begin with, this place is abnormal. Today, the one commanding us Sky Islanders was a female elf warrior. Shes scary so I didnt go near her. And there were two Human girls. One was using a spear to overpower the monsters. Wasnt she that Iruma guys maid? The other one was the master of that ridiculously huge wolf. Maybe she was a mage? She mainly used magic. I beg you, please keep that wolf away. Tattered rag, hurry over nya. And what the hell with this one? Shes just a Catkin child, why is she so much stronger than me? Shes still just a young Catkin child. Wasnt her name Lulu? I thought she was a servant of the owner of that wolf. I spurred my heavy body to rise and chased after my old man and comrades. How did this happen............ *** Chapter 299: Let’s improve their living conditions Chapter 299: Lets improve their living conditionsThe three of us` Laeva, Kaede[1], and I would make Valzak-san and the Sky Islanders equipment. It was the same with Valkan-san and the Solitary Islanders, though their equipment were not at all excellent by any standards. Because they had likely been living quietly in their islands, it was dangerous to even bring them as they are for power leveling. I asked Sophia and the girls to not let Valzak-san and the Sky Islanders fight and simply let them finish off dying monsters to level them up even just a little bit. During that time, Laeva and I would finish their weapons and armor.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at Only Leather would probably be enough for their armor. It would be unreasonable to wear heavy metal armor when they fly in the sky, after all. Were making the same number of weapons like bows and spears that we gave to Valkan-san and others. I asked Kaede to make the underarmor like always. The underarmor made by Kaede has far higher defense than bad armor, so it would be fine against some attacks. Once we complete the equipment for the Aligerous Tribe from the Sky Island, Laeva and Kaede will join everyone else at power leveling. During that time, I will plan out improvements on their dwellings. Hey hey, Oniichan, whacha doin? Umm, a magic device where water comes out and a toilet. Children from the tribe talked to me out of interest while I was working inside the caverns of the Sky Island. Just like with Valkan-sans community, the number of children in this community were not that many. If these two communities merge, I think things would get a bit better. I was doing things separately from our group today. I had already established a gate and added new caverns, but frankly, this settlement had no toilets. They also only store potable water in large earthenware pots. I was providing a magic device to improve on those. Until now, water was gathered by the people with aptitude for the Water attribute taking turns casting it into the pots. Then why not just migrate closer to a lake or river after the monsters are exterminated to a degree, instead of staying in the caverns? was what I asked Valzak-san, but he said that it was the Aligerous Tribes nature to live in high places. For example, even if they knew that they were safe being surrounded by walls, their anxiety wouldnt disappear. Meanwhile, a high place calms them even if it was confined. Now that I think about it, the Aligerous Tribe used the rooms in higher floors even in the Demon Continent. So, here I am, working to improve the parts of the building where water would circulate so they can have a comfortable time even inside the caverns, and so they wouldnt have to go outside to simply do their business. Alrighty, the water issue should be fine with this. I transmuted a coating of diatomite from the entrance all the way to the interior. I built four large rooms inside, and I used diatomite on the walls and floor of the forefront rooms. Then the walls and floor of the two rooms in the farther back were processed into a water-repelling stone. Something like this, I guess? What I purposely took a whole day to make was the public bathhouse. I created segregated changing rooms for men and women, and installed a large bathtub in each. The Aligerous Tribe, both the Sky Islanders and Solitary Islanders, basically didnt have a custom of bathing. It only amounted to wiping their body with a wet cloth and washing themselves at a river. Still, they dont hate it. Valkan-san and the others were crazy for the large bath built in the base in the Demon Continent. Both the men and the women were pleased by the gloss on their wings. Keeping ones body clean is important for leading a healthy life, after all. *** Footnotes: 1. Again, changing to Kaede from Akane. TL Notes: This will be my last update for 2021. Thank you everyone for the time youve tagged along with this novel and me this year. I hope to be able to continue this until the end, so Id be glad if you continue riding along. I wish you all a prosperous new year! See you all in 2022! Chapter 300: Commence the exploration Chapter 300: Commence the exploration While I was developing the caverns in the Sky Island, the Aligerous tribe raised their levels to some degree and acquired skills with Sophia and the girls leading them, so its just about time that we start to thin out the monsters and investigate the ancient ruins containing the dungeon...... or so it should have been, but......... Please take me with you too! No, I should be the one that goes! What did you say?! When we decided on the members for the exploration, Sophia, Maria, Kaede, Laeva, and I who have an interest in the ruins were the five from our party immediately chosen. Akane and Lulu-chan said they would have tea with Princess Mimir at the mansion. So she had gotten close to the Elven princess at some point, huh? Next, we talked about heading for the ancient ruins with Valzak-san who was one of the chiefs that knew the monsters since the overflow, Berkut who was proud of being one of the strongest among the tribe despite being a woman, plus one more person, but...... I am the next chief! Bullshit! I will be the next head! Doga! Uu! You bastard, you done hit me now! Baki! Guh! You son of a`! The two who began trading blows to compete for the last spot were Valkan-sans son Vart-kun and Valzak-sans son Valto-kun. These two were definitely the sons of chiefs, but...... Theyre competing for the lowest in strength though. Bagworm is still a bit stronger. Sophia stated her opinion so sharply. Kaedes follow up wasnt good either. I sincerely apologize. Guh, that aint true! I am stronger than anyone in the Aligerous Tribe! No way, Vart-kun has been slacking, so leave him out. Guh...... As expected, he couldnt deny that they was clearly competing for the bottom. Valkan-san was right in front of him, after all. Hey you, you can use recovery magic. Use it on me! Gon! Valkan-san who reached his limits dropped his fist directly onto the crown of Vart-kuns head. Im very sorry, Iruma-dono. I will monitor my foolish son, so I will rely on you for the search. Ha, haha, I understand. The fainted Vart-kun and Valto-kun were dragged to the back. Now then, let us make our way. ......right. There were a few bumps before our departure, but it looks like were finally going to be able to start our exploration. *** Footnotes: 1. Takeshi Gouda, the bully from Doraemon. Once again, happy new year! Lets have a blast this year! Chapter 301: Ruins of an ancient civilization Chapter 301: Ruins of an ancient civilization We walked through the primeval forest, which was difficult to walk in, at such a brisk pace that it was like we were walking on flat ground. There arent that many monsters, but this forest is taking quite long to get through. Indeed. It had been said that the ancient civilization suddenly disappeared over 5000 years ago. Even we Elves only know about the events from that era through the literature. We moved through the forest at a pace that Valzak-san and others wouldnt fall behind. This forest was an old-growth forest which included the mountain-side that Valzak-sans community inhabited. It was like a primeval forest from ancient times. Perhaps having difficulty walking through the overgrown forest because of his age, Valzak-san would at times fly low. The Aligerous Tribes wings were only support for flying, but as expected, it could be used this way too. He would repeatedly jump and glide for short distances to consume little magic power.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels Valzak-san, lets take a small break. That helps. Though we live far longer lives than Humans, I am already considered aged. Traversing this dense forest is difficult. You dont need to push yourself, so lets take it slow. Was our pace a bit too fast? Valzak-san looked young, so I must have deluded myself, but he really was someone whos lived several times longer than humans. I must have lacked some consideration. I set up a simple and disposable Barrier MD in a spot and we rested there for a bit. Our regular party members were alright, but Valzak-san was basically artificially trained, so it must have been hard for him to catch up to us while fighting with monsters. Fuu, Berkut is still lively. Chief Valzak, I often subjugate monsters in monster nests with Takumi-sama and the others, so this much is nothing. Valzak-san who had been resting his weary body was in admiration upon seeing Berkut still being full of energy. Berkut was emotionally attached to me for some reason, and she would actively participate when we would clear out monsters in monster nests. It was also for that very reason that Berkut had become the strongest among the Aligerous Tribe. Takumi-sama, have some tea. Lets postpone examining the ruins. Checking on the dungeon core takes precedence. Indeed. Investigating the defect on the device that used the core. We headed to the dungeon entrance by relying on Valzak-sans memory. The closer we got to the center, the more ruined buildings there were. Eventually, we discovered a three-story architectural structure similar to a smaller version of Mexicos Teotihuaca?n Pyramid[1] in the ruins encroached by greenery. Valzak-san pointed at that structure, saying that it was the way to access the dungeon core. Iruma-dono, that building is the entrance to the dungeon core. As we approached it, we could tell that the structure very likely had a special magic that prevented decay as it didnt seem like thousands of years had passed. ......its amazing. I dont know what the buildings were like a thousand years ago, but it had roughly remained the same. Takumi-sama, lets first stop the monsters from coming out by raising a barrier at the entrance. Afterwards, lets have dinner. Right. Gotcha, well set up a barrier, so please make dinner, Maria. Then Kaede will hunt monsters around us, kay~? The minute Kaede said so, she disappeared into the forest. *** Footnotes: 1. Teotihuacan Pyramid info here. Chapter 302: Raiding the ruins of an ancient kingdom Chapter 302: Raiding the ruins of an ancient kingdomThen lets go with Kaede and I taking the lead, Valzak-san in the middle, Berkut on one side of him, Maria on the other, and Sophia at the end of the line. Yes. We stepped into the dungeon entrance of the ruins of the ancient civilization which was similar to a minimized Teotihuaca?n Pyramid. Hey Master, its a dungeon but the mana is low? Youre right. This might explain why the monsters are all small. We dont have that much experience diving into many dungeons, but we can tell that the mana here was incomparably weaker than in the dungeons we have experienced. The monsters that appear in the dungeons are created from mana, so the interior of a dungeon should fundamentally be dense with mana.Re?a?d new chapters on It doesnt seem like the core controller has completely lost control yet. That seems to be the case. If it lost control completely, the Sky Island would fall to the ground, after all. I agreed with Sophias conjecture, slightly relieved that we still had time. Monsters would occasionally attack us as we made our way through the Ruins dungeon. Though the monsters of that caliber would run away as soon as they discover us if we were outside a dungeon, they come attacking inside the dungeon. We were clearing out the monsters anyway, so it was easier if they come to us. Master, can Kaede attack the monsters on this floor by herself? Hmm, ......lets see, if its you then no matter how far we are, you wont lose us, so sure, you can go. Kaaaay! Maybe because she was bored, Kaede proposed to annihilate the monsters alone. If the monsters that come out of the dungeon were of this degree , Kaede would be fine no matter what, so I just let her do as she pleased. After watching Kaede until she was out of sight, we examined the floor carefully. According to Valzak-san, he was told of the dungeons appearance by their ancestors as per their oral traditions. This is a story from 1000 years ago. This was prior to the overflow of monsters so the dungeon may have changed, but I heard that it was a small structure at the 3rd level at the time. I dont know how much it would have changed in 200 years, but I think it would be alright. With the boss defeated, the door which likely leads to the room that had the dungeon core appeared before us. Yes, monsters didnt appear before, so our ancestors seemed to have come to investigate this place, however I was told that they were unable to open this door. Heee. As a test, Valzak-san placed his hands on the door, but sure enough, nothing happened. Let me try. After that, even when Kaede, Sophia, Maria, and Berkut tried, there was no change with the door. Should we break it? Hold up, let me check it out too. Growing irritated, Sophia started talking about breaking down the door, so I hurriedly stopped her. Hmm, maybe it has a trick to it. Then, when I placed my hand on the door, the door shined for an instant and an electronic-sounding voice could be heard from somewhere. DNA pattern analysis complete,Human species confirmed. Disengaging lock. Gogogo ......it opened. ......it really opened. Master, youre amazing! ......well, it opened so I guess thats a good thing. I dont know why it only responded to me, but checking the core takes precedence right now, so we timidly moved past the door. *** Chapter 303: The Control Room Chapter 303: The Control Room We heard an electronic-voice and the door opened. We cautiously went inside and what we arrived at was a scenery unlike that of a normal dungeon. (This is no doubt a control room.) The room where the dungeon core was placed was a small room 5 meters in each direction. A large circular stone was enshrined in the middle. It would have been a bare core if it was a normal dungeon, but this core was surrounded by mechanical devices. It must be a magic power siphoning device. What could this be? Glass? What Sophia touched as she said so was a glass pane installed slantingly on the waist-level pedestal. It was like a tablet pc. This might be an entry terminal......woah! Huh!? It didnt respond when I touched it though! When I touched the glass surface after Sophia did, the semi-transparent-like glass shined, a line of light moved across the palm of my hand as if to scan it, then a listing of characters appeared. Human species confirmed. Administrator validated, registered. Ah! Characters of some sort appeared! I was puzzled by what Maria, who was peeking from the side, said. (Huh? I can read it just fine though. Im pretty sure I received the ability to read and write common languages, but...... that was this diverse?) Then Kaede will hunt all the monsters inside the dungeon, kaaay~! Ah! I will help too! Once all the monsters in the Ruins dungeon are exterminated, well only have to deal with the monsters left in the forest. Kaede took it upon herself to exterminate all the monsters in the dungeon. Since Berkut also volunteered, I asked Maria to follow them. Yup, thanks. Maria, could I ask you to support Berkut? Leave it to me. Lets go then, Berkut-chan? Yes, Maria-san! We saw off Kaede and the girls who left cheerfully, then I faced the tablet once more. This room is no doubt the control room, and this tablet seems to control the climate, maintain the barrier, maintain and regulates altitude, and the like in the Sky Island. Now, another part that malfunctioned was affecting the Sky Islands altitude control, and because of that, the Sky Island was moving like a kite slowly drifting in the wind after its string was cut. I checked if all the controls were working, then checked on everything else that would probably need maintenance. This was possible because it was an apparatus that allowed me to inspect the database which monitors the current state of the dungeon core that was making the humungous Sky Island float as well as amplify its magic power. Thanks to that, I could repair the malfunctions quickly, but...... *** Chapter 304: For the next generation Chapter 304: For the next generation Having cleared the ancient ruin dungeon, I touched the core control unit and ended up having new issues. Everyone, I have something to talk to you about. What is the matter? I returned to the caverns where the Aligerous Tribe was for the time being, and set up a meeting which included both Valzak-san and Valkan-san. The malfunction plaguing the device controlling the dungeon core had been resolved, but a new problem had come to light. The dungeon core keeping the Sky Island afloat was likely equal to the size and performance of the core of an S rank dungeon. And now, that magic power was running dry. Of course it would, a dungeon would lure monsters and people into it and consume their magic power to grow and preserve itself. When the ancient civilizations flourished, there were many people living in the Sky Island, and I think this land had such high concentrations of mana that an S rank dungeon and powerful monsters inhabit the monster nest within it. Because of the wisdom of the ancients, the dungeon cores ability to produce monsters was taken away, and adopted a method that would forcefully use it as energy. No, please wait. If were talking about monsters, when our ancestors arrived in this land, the forest only had monsters that even children could defeat. Valzak-san was perplexed by the sudden discussion. Hes right. At this rate, those monsters would also disappear...... Valzak-san and Valkan-san turned pale. Valkan-san, who was happy to be home after 200 years, questioned me, as though imploring. C-could something be done? ......we would need the continuous cooperation of the Aligerous Tribe, but its not not like theres no way. We will do whatever we can. Please. Please save our birthland. ......understood. It would take a bit of time to prepare, but at the bare minimum, the Sky Island will continue to fly in the sky. Thank you very much! Theres no way you could refuse if aged adults asked for your help so desperately that theyre in tears, could you? Actually, after I found out how much the flow of magic power was losing in a day, I knew that it was an amount that could be replenished if there 2-3 people from the Aligerous Tribe do so every day. However, it was a ton of work to get 2-3 people to refill the core with magic power every single day. Id like to maintain a slight surplus since the expenditure is gradual. Also, I definitely have to research the magic devices that gather mana from the atmosphere and the ground as efficiently as the ancients did so I can upgrade Titans performance. Laeva would definitely be happy to research this as well. *** Chapter 305: Project Initiation Chapter 305: Project Initiation Still, people of the ancient civilizations were strange. Right? They built a city in a place that had an S rank dungeon and strong monsters living within it.?iscover new chapters on For the time being, I returned to the Sanctuary workshop, and I polished a plan for a magic device that would support the control unit of the Sky Island together with Laeva. What Laeva and I were thinking was to first improve the Sky Islands floats and barriers, and take the amount of magic power used for regulating the climate from the atmosphere. We continued to add more and more ideas in. Even so, this is a frighteningly efficient mana collection device. Fortunately, the Sky Island didnt stall in one place and kept moving. You got that right. As the surrounding mana grows thinner, the resulting negative intake and output accelerates. As part of the plan, will we prepare auxiliary magic crystals? Well, simply put, itd be like that. As per usual, we will be transmuting several giant crystals, but that alone wasnt enough this time. For now, well combine it with the usual magic crystals, and it must be something that could be replenished by just Valkan-san and his tribe. It would be great if the intake and output balances out in the end...... It might not be possible immediately. It would be great if we come up with an idea though. Preparing several magic crystals requires gathering materials, but that isnt much of a problem. The problem is that when its just the Aligerous Tribe by themselves, replenishing the magic power would be difficult. Sophia and I could replenish a days worth of magic power by ourselves, but Id like to avoid constraining everyone from the Aligerous Tribe to replenishing the magic power. How about we structure it so it is possible to set magic stones to replenish the magic crystals with magic power? Laeva unrolled the blueprint, and began explaining the magic device that would link the 1m+ magic crystals to the dungeon core. Large, high purity magic stones... you plan to hunt dragon types? Akanes face cramped as she was shocked by the dimensions of the magic crystals drawn on the blueprint. As expected, Akane. Actually, Queen Fraal told me that there were dragon-type dungeons. Wha! Youre serious? Since I needed a ton of magic stones, I asked Queen Fraal for a suitable dungeon. Apparently, there was a very difficult dungeon where dragon species appeared in great numbers. From Lizardmen who were not much different to lizards, Wyverns, Earth Dragons, Thunder Dragons, and even Undead Bone Dragons Monsters appear. And if we reach the deepest part, an Ancient Dragon that would be too much to handle makes its appearance. Well, we arent going that far in though. Magic stones as large as they could be are much more efficient for transmuting, after all. Incidentally, if we train the Aligerous Tribe on the shallow floors, securing magic stones would become a simple task to them. Haa, fine I get it. Still, safety first. Of course. Master, that seems fun. Kaede couldnt help but find the thought of fighting dragons fun. Our full party and several of the Aligerous Tribe will go dungeon diving, while the remaining tribesmen would be asked to thin out the monsters left on the Sky Island. *** Chapter 306: Gathering Magic Stones 1 Chapter 306: Gathering Magic Stones 1 At the heart of the Demon Continent, in front of the entrance to the dungeon where dragon species were aplenty, we were dumbfounded. As to why...... ......umm, why are Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san here?Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels Naturally, to clear the dungeon. Haaa, my apologies, Iruma-dono. Queen Fraal who acts like its obvious that she should be here and the apologetic Ryuka-san were present. Umm, is everything okay? Queen Fraal is the head of your nation, isnt she? Capturing a dungeon is also something that a ruler must accomplish. Ryuka looked at Queen Fraal, who stated as such so grandly, with a troubled expression, but it reminded me that the rulers of the Demon Continent were much the same. Haa, I understand, but please dont get hurt. I wont take responsibility. I wanted you to say that you would take responsibility though. Of course, we will take responsibility of ourselves. Ryuka-san icily cut off the words Queen Fraal was sending my way with a sexy gaze. What a close master and retainer. Iruma-dono, you will sell the materials besides the magic stones preferentially, wouldnt you? Yes, were fine with just the magic stones. Queen Fraal and Ryuka forcibly joined us into the dungeon for some reason, but other than that, they were quite calculating. The dragon-type materials that would be obtained in the dungeon will be stored inside my Item Box and I promised to transport them to Accuros. Behind me, Queen Fraal who I consulted was smiling, and Ryuka-san who was aware that the Queens true nature was no different from the other rulers of the Demon continent retorted. Its so vast, even wyverns and the like come out. Thats a Lesser Wyvern, isnt it? A Lesser Wyvern is a downgraded version of a Wyvern. Basically, its a monster ranked within the lower levels of the dragon types, but its strength was nowhere near those of real dragons. Its a flying lizard. Even thats a threat to a human country, isnt it? Titan go BAM with hand! Hand BAM! Sophia called the Lesser Wyvern a flying lizard, and Maria shook her head as her common sense was way out there, while Kaede requested that Titan make his hand fly. Theres not even a shred of nervousness in the air. No helping it. Even a dragon is prey to these members. I apologized to Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san for the lack of tension among our members. A wyvern that cant emit a breath attack would definitely be one punch for Titan, after all. Look forward to Basilisks, Cockatrices and the like start appearing from the middle levels. ......well make sure to. Yup, Queen Fraal is definitely one of the rulers of the Demon Continent. *** Chapter 307: Gathering Magic Stones 2 Chapter 307: Gathering Magic Stones 2As we went hunting for lizards, better known as Fire Lizards and Wyverns, we descended to the deeper floors. Magic stones were larger and purer the stronger the monster were. This time, I want to transmute large, high purity magic crystals so that they would be fine for several hundred years even without means of being replenished, so Id like to focus on gathering magic stones at the deeper levels. Werent Basilisks the rulers of snakes? It doesnt feel like a dragon type though. If were talking about this, then a Cockatrice might have the wings and tail of a dragon, but its head is that of a chicken. Cockatrices and Basilisks began appearing when we entered the middle floors. Also, monsters that had poison and breath attacks also began appearing in these levels. And while I was questioning things in a mutter, Maria said to not mind the small things if were just taking their magic stones. I dont think it isnt trivial though. Doga! A head fell to the floor after being cut by a blade of wind. There really is a different sense of security that could be felt when I think that Iruma-dono and Akane-dono, who were capable of curing petrification, are present. Thats right. I dont feel safe if I dont have a lot of potions prepared at all times too. For instance, even if someone were to receive a status abnormality-type attack, Ryuka-san and Queen Fraal know that Akane and I were capable of curing it, so they were also able to go towards monsters energetically. Shes the head of a state so I would like it if she didnt charge right at the monsters though. Queen Fraal, thats dangerous! Itll be fine! A Cockatrice is just an oversized chicken! No, thats definitely not a large chicken. What is one to do if the rear guard suddenly charges in? Apparently, Akane and I were insurance, so she were going to enjoy fighting to her hearts content. Ha, haha, yeah. Of course she would. She is normally the calm and obedient close aide of Queen Fraal, but she is from the battlecentric Oni Tribe. Doga! Yup, she just hit a 4m+ tall cockatrice. Lets stop thinking about this so much. Everyone seems to be having fun anyway. This dungeon doesnt seem like it would have anything unlikely to happen in the middle floors, so Sophia, Akane, and Laeva called their familiars out and hunted with them, while Marnie and Lulu-chan were occupied with supporting them. While I was watching everyone fight, Kaede came to my side. Hey, hey Master, Blue-ojichan and Red-ojichan are coming. Blue-ojichan? Red-ojichan? Who is coming to this dungeon? Kaede left behind a trail of her silk when we passed through the dungeon so that we do not get lost. And there were apparently some beings raiding the dungeon. Moreover, Kaede knew who they were. Haa, I have an idea who the blue one and red one are. Eh, are they your acquaintances, Queen Fraal? If I had to say theyre acquaintances, then yes they are. Iruma-dono, you also know them. If theyre Queen Fraals acquaintances and Kaede and I know them, then it could only be them, but......... seriously, what are they doing............ *** Chapter 308: Gathering Magic Stones 3 Chapter 308: Gathering Magic Stones 3 As we cleared the dungeon at a frightening momentum, I sensed two presences coming closer to us. The fact that I can feel them now means theyre already on the same floor as us, huh. Well, we practically decimated all of the monsters in our way, so those two had mostly been moving without any fighting. This time, our goal was to gather magic stones, so we didnt just hunt down the monsters that caught our eye, we thoroughly exterminated any and all monsters that come within our wide area search. Naturally, it would take time for the dungeon to birth new monsters. Particularly this dungeon which happens to be called a Dragon Dungeon, the cost of even producing a small fry was high, so it would probably be hard to find monsters for a while. Ahh, we already caught up. Inside the vast dungeon, a loud voice could be heard from far away. Getting a head start is unfair of you, Queen Fraal! Youre just hogging all this fun! The voice that spoke so loud it hurt was the red-skinned, muscular, two-horned Oni King who was smiling ferociously and displaying his large fangs, King Jairu. For the King of the Oni Tribe to not even come with an attendant, are you sane? The same goes for you, Gandalf! How could you enter the dungeon by yourselves!? What, the shallower floors would be easy if I was with Jairu, right? Arent those absurdities coming out of your own mouth!? The one seemingly enjoying the confrontation with the angered Queen Fraal was blue-skinned, muscular, two-screw horned ruler of the Devil Clan who had folded bat-like wings growing from his back[1], King Gandalf. No, I also think that what Queen Fraal said is right. Why would rulers of their own countries come to a high level dungeon without any escorts? Queen Fraal had taken her close aide Ryuka-san even if it was only her, and she dove into the dungeon together with us, so that was enough for an escort. And these people............ What, we also have the weapons that Iruma-dono gave us in the last dungeon. Those huge lizards are nothing. And so they all agreed. I guess. The necessary quality of a ruler in the Demon Continent was being strong anyway. Well, theres no helping it since youre already here, lets restart the capture after a bit of rest. Ou! Leave whats ahead to me and Gandalf! Umu, we havent fought that much. Leave the front to us. I quickly gave in to the two kings who did not look even slightly ashamed when looked at with fed up expressions by those around them. Its fine as long as they dont die. Its easier on my mental wellbeing this way. Maria, Marnie, and Lulu-chan prepared tea, and we all took a break in a large room after collecting all of the monsters. After resting, we resumed our dungeon diving, but in reality, we began moving with King Jairu and King Gandalf at the front. Kaede, please back them up. You got it, Master! Leave Red-ojichan and Blue-ojichan to Kaede! The two kings would probably be fine going ahead of Titan and Tsubaki if I leave them to Kaede. Yup, lets think like that. *** Footnotes: 1. As far as I can recall, it had never been mentioned that he had wings on his back. Chapter 309: Gathering magic stones 4 Chapter 309: Gathering magic stones 4 Ku ha ha ha ha ha! This is so fun! Its overflowing! Dogoon!! With each swing of the solid hexagonal, all-metal rod, monster heads were crushed. King Jairu fought while coating his weapon with fighting spirit which was characteristic to the Oni Tribe. ......Fn! Kuku...... Buon!! Beside him was King Gandalf brandishing a magic-power infused halberd. Hmph! Theyre getting along well. Queen Fraal was in a foul mood as she watched the two kings merrily fight an Earth Dragon. It seems shes expecting her turn in fights would decrease. Titan and Tsubaki were covering the two, but were in a bad mood at being used by King Jairu and King Gandalf. Even so, isnt it about time we get closer? Well, theyre having fun, but the area is still dangerous. Sophia and I were at a slightly farther area, watching the two kings fight. The ranks of incoming monsters were rising, and things would be getting too close for comfort even for the kings of their fighting style if not for our follow ups. For some reason, its like entertaining corporate higher ups. As we were watching the spectacle, I remembered business golfing. Doooon!! The Earth Dragon fell, and above it were two old men who had satisfied smiles as they hoisted their weapons. Yup, even Im getting annoyed. In the end, we hunted two more of those Huge Gluttony Wyrms, and their whole corpses went into my Item Box...... The dragon species that appeared were Fire Dragons and Lightning Dragons which were higher ranked among the attribute dragons, and when Ice Dragons also started appearing, we all fought to the best of our abilities. I blocked the strong Breath attacks with my full strength magic barrier; Akane and Laeva supported with magic; Sophia and Maria maneuvered themselves with a hit and run strategy as they used their magic spears clad in fire and wind to attack and evade. From behind, Titan fired himself like a bullet and attacked the huge 30m long Fire Dragon. Kaedes threads sewed the Fire Dragon onto the ground, not allowing it to fly to the sky. The moment the light in the Fire Dragons eyes disappeared and its body collapsed to the ground, we all sank down to the floor. Haa haa haa, that was quite the high ranking dragon. ......yes, I suppose this is a good place to stop for now. Sophia and I judged that our dungeon diving should only be to this point. Muu, as expected, with enemies of this class, you cant have burdens. I can use magic so Im better, but Jairu is solely focused on hand-to-hand combat. King Jairu and King Gandalf had no objections to turning back here. Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san were looking quite pleased with obtaining materials from the Fire Dragon, but they couldnt hide the exhaustion from their face. Our objective of gathering magic stones was achieved, so were going out of the dungeon. Now that were walking, Im a bit afraid of the two kings who were approaching with smiles on their faces. *** Footnotes: 1. This Ground Dragon (ظo) can also be read as Earth Dragon, but the usual spelling that Author uses is `?饳?, so Ill use ground for distinction. Chapter 310: Stability for now Chapter 310: Stability for now Since we have obtained copious amounts of high rank magic stones, I secluded myself in the Sanctuary workshop, focusing on manufacturing the magic device. Together with Laeva, we single-mindedly transmute magic stones. Our goal was to make magic crystals of 1m diameter. The magic stones gathered at the dungeon were synthesized to raise their purity. A process repeated over and over again. If we transmute magic crystals of this size, the magic power we would expend would be terrible. Very true. Even though it had taken Takumi-sama and Laeva who have plenty of magic power several days to make, its really at a level that other alchemists would give up on. I suppose. We plan on making four of these 1m magic crystals and it would take time even for both of us. When I think about filling this magic crystal with magic power, I really want to be given a break. No, well definitely be asking for everyone to help with that. When it comes to filling four giant magic crystal with magic power, that amount needed is exponentially large. On the other hand, the Sky Island wouldnt stabilize if we dont do that, so we had no choice. Then a soft breeze blew, and Sylph suddenly appeared. As always, youre way too free. Wind does as it pleases.Finnd new chapters on The Great Wind Spirit Sylph appeared without a care for the situation here. Sylph seemed to be able to read the air, and appearing like that was no issue by her standards. So, whats up today? Im right in the middle of stuff. Its about the Sky Island that youre involved with. According to Sylph, it was about the Sky Island, so my hands stopped and I listened. What about the Sky Island? Today, Marnie was the only one left behind in the Sanctuary mansion to take care of my meals. Sophia and Maria left with Kaede, Titan, left with the army of familiars to retrain the Aligerous tribe at the Demon Continent. Akane and Lulu-chan have recently been going to Princess Mimirs place for some reason. Once the four giant magic crystals were complete, we went to the room of the dungeon core in the Sky Island. The Sky Island had a Gate connecting to the Demon Continent which the Aligerous Tribe could use, and a Gate that connected to the room with the core which was restricted to authorized personnel only. Laeva and I transferred directly to the what is now called the Core Room and installed the four giant magic crystals. Then we connected it to the system which drew magic power from the core. So this is a magic device that replenishes magic power if you put magic stones of various sizes into it? Yup, I will install it, so please connect the line. Understood. When all line connections were complete, magic power began cycling from the magic crystals into the core. Ohh! The cores dwindling of magic power is beginning to be reverse. Its a success. Thats great! The magic device that gathers the mana in the atmosphere is functioning without issues. Well then, all thats left is to charge it up. ......thats definitely still the case. After that, we got the Aligerous Tribe to help out with filling the four magic crystals with magic power, and we were able to finish the entire process in 10 days. *** Footnotes: 1. Chapter 311: Stability and Development Chapter 311: Stability and Development It was decided in a discussion with Valkan-san and Valzak-san that a city would be established in the so-called ancient ruins at the heart of the city before the Sky Island moved to the airspace specified by Sylph. The Sky Islands situation was resolved, the barrier had no issues, and the altitude maintenance and mobile altitude control were also stable. There are too many trees in the area we intend to develop in, so lets use them as wood. Drying and treating them could be managed with magic. I dont think we need something this big. No, Valkan-san. Things like this are a pain to expand, so lets develop it largely from the beginning. With the decision to move the Sky Island closer to the Sanctuary, the Sanctuary residents there talked about being able to go to the Sky Island. Is it alright to develop over the ancient ruins? Valzak-san, the building that serves as the entrance to the dungeon core has layers of Self-repairing enchantments and State Preservation enchantments so its the same as it was in the past, but the rest are just scattered rubble. I believe it is valuable research for those who study ancient civilizations, but...... Its okay. They will be restored them to their former state as much as possible. Valkan-san and Valzak-sans face had faces that said, No thats not it. Well, even I was aware. Still, Id like to think that itd be safe if we restore it. This time, constructing brand new structures on the site of an ancient ruins felt out of place even for me, so I considered it as a form of restoration. The exchange with the Sanctuary is a welcome discussion to us. Right. Even when Valkan and the others came back, their numbers were few too. Our race would have no future like this. The Aligerous Tribe were different from the all-female races like Mermaids and Lamias, but even if one of the parents is not from the tribe, theres a 50% probability that the child would be of the Aligerous Tribe, so they were thankful for the chance to interact with other races. Whats new will be the outer walls, I see. Did the ancient city not have outer walls? No, I was able to confirm traces of the wall. Then could you to reproduce them in their original place? When we talked about the walls, Valzak-san had come out with a request. If the walls were built in their original location, the scale of the city would be far larger than what we had originally planned. At any rate, we were reproducing the ancient city in its entirety. Its possible, but...... it would take time. We will also help. I seeeee, understood. If it isnt a Sky Island, then it would become a tourist attraction, wouldnt it? Currently, if someone wants to come to the Sky Island, theyd have to fly or use a gate. However, one would need to tame a wyvern or griffin and mount it as a way to fly, but there was currently no one who could tame such monsters. As for the Transfer Gates, its only connected to our base in the Sanctuary and the Demon Continent, so it isnt available to the commonfolk. It would be a lot of trouble if the Gates become known. Its technology that any country would love to get their hands on. Indeed it is. We might eventually build a sightseeing blimp. It had helium gas, if I remember correctly. That would probably have very little risk. But maybe thats unreasonable for transport. I wonder if were at the stage where we should seriously consider the management of gates. *** Chapter 312: Rebuilding the ruins Chapter 312: Rebuilding the ruins I made a mistake. I want to punch the me from a little while back. Here at the heart of the Sky Island, the ruins of an ancient civilization were in a sorry state after having been subjected to the flow of time and the encroachment of the forest. Transmute! Zugogogoooo!! Buildings lining the damaged stone paved streets from ancient times were being restored. These are comparable to todays residences. The ancient era buildings seemed to have a prerequisite of using various magic devices within them. I, alone, silently used alchemy to restore the historic ruins. The only one close by was Sophia who was standing by as my guard. The Aligerous Tribe were out exterminating monsters and wild animals from the central area with Kaede and Maria backing them up, and Titan was cutting down the trees that have grown here. I just had to say Id restore the ruins. Anyway, it was a pain. Youre using your nerves. It cant be helped. These old ruin stones are all weathered down, after all. They were definitely weathering down. So much so that there were stones that seemed like they would crumble at a touch. I had to return these to the state they were in when they were constructed. I transmuted the soil and stone I had on hand for each brick that was lacking on top of keeping the image of the structure being built. This is really time-consuming. Indeed. You have had to surmise what each and every building was in that era, study it, and transmute it based on your imagination. Yeah, I feel like an archeologist. It felt like excavating ruins. Moreover, this job wasnt for making new buildings so it wasnt something that an Earth Mage could simply assist with. Sophia seemed to not understand my explanation intuitively. That was because until the present day, the form of government of countries in this world was a monarchical rule, with the sole exception of the the Divine Empire Sydnia. In any case, it was in the form of a monarchy. Could it be? The ancient country that made this Sky Island might have been a republic country. A government that does not have a sovereign? I dont understand. Well, I suppose not. Ahh, right, the Sanctuary doesnt have a ruler or nobility, right? Arent the leaders chosen from its residents managing the city? Eh? The Sanctuarys ruler is Takumi-sama. The Sanctuary residents should all think so too. Eh!? I-is that so!? I didnt know. Who would have thought that would be the case...... I thought it was unthinkable for a happily working ruler to be going all over the Demon Continent, Volton, Sanctuary, Sky Island, and wherever. You are the Spirit Trees Protector and the Sanctuarys Keeper. Perhaps everyone, even the small children in the Sanctuary, would say that if asked. ......how did this happen...... Was it because everyone recognizes me as such that I could develop whatever I liked in the Sanctuary? ......by any chance, even Margrave Volton and King Valkyra? Well, you have yet to declare the founding of a nation, so I believe they wouldnt perceive it as a similar standing to that. Conversely, the six rulers of the Demon Continent completely consider you as a king, Takumi-sama. Oof......what the heck. Sophia smiled at me as my head hung low, dejected. In the Elven country, you are revered as the apostle of God. You are the protector of the Spirit Tree, after all. ............shall we head back to work? I heard all sorts of shocking facts, but I decided to escape reality completely now. My lower middle class self cant handle it. *** Chapter 313: Next Village Chieftain? Chapter 313: Next Village Chieftain? Eh!? Id like it if you dont involve me in something like that. You do know Im busy, right? Please dont talk like that, Aniki~! Who are you calling Aniki? Look, dont come close, its dangerous! Transmute! Its just reaping what one sows, but there was a guy who brought his trifling quarrel to a place where people were working so had to restore the ancient ruins. Whos the Aniki, just who? When I was hard at work restoring the ancient ruins in the Sky Island, Valkan-sans son Bagworm-kun, also known as Vart-kun, came to talk about his trivial matters. And what was that stupid thing about? I think Im the best candidate to be the next village chieftain. Dont you think so too, Aniki? As I said, quit it with the Aniki. What did Valkan-san say? To begin with, I dont want to interfere with things like the chieftain successions of the Aligerous Tribe.Finnd new chapters on Well, the old man said that he cant leave the head to me. Yup, I think thats right too. Im going to be the chieftain and marry Berkut! Hee, so youll marry Berkut? Transmute! Of course I am. Are you saying theres a better partner for Berkut than me? As pointlessly positive as always, this guy. Did Berkut agree? Im busy right now, so Ill talk Valkan-san and Valzak-san after. Really!? Thanks a lot! Please do! Saying so, Vart ran back with a smile. No, I said I was busy, Vart. As shameful as it is, my son Valto has bragging contents over the most trivial matters with Vart. It might be time to reconsider how the chieftain role, which had been hereditary[1] until now, is passed on from here onwards. I couldnt stand the heavy air, so I changed the subject forcefully. Oh yeah, Vart-kun and Valto-kun both said that they would like to marry Berkut, but is that a love triangle? Haaa~ Oh crap, I chose the wrong topic. Iruma-dono, its definitely been since long ago that boy Vart liked Berkut, but not once had he been taken notice of. Haa, isnt your situation better, Valkan? Valto fell for her at first sight and was being aggressive, so he was beat up by Berkut who was creeped out. ......ah, I saw that, Niisan. Valto...... that boy was happy to be beaten up. Dont say it! Uwaaa, thats no good. Hes hopeless. Oh yeah, the Aligerous Tribe are a race of longevity, arent they? Then couldnt you wait for Valto-kun and Vart-kun to grow up? ......that did not cross my mind. Is that fine, Valkan? We have no choice, Niisan. I think we should thoroughly retrain those two while were still healthy. ......right. This was the moment Valto-kun and Vart-kuns hellish retraining was decided. I wonder if I could take a break from the ruin restoration. *** Footnotes: 1. If I remember correctly, it said before in a previous chapter by Berkut(?) that the chieftain succession was NOT hereditary. Now it says that it is. Also, changed chief to chieftain. Chapter 314: Passion is unstoppable Chapter 314: Passion is unstoppableToday too, someone visited me while I was working on restoring the ruins. Oh, whats up, Berkut? Takumi-sama, Im sorry to bother you when youre busy, but I would like it if you could listen to me for a bit. I wonder why? Bagworm and Tattered rag were supposedly being retrained, but could it be something else? Whats up? Actually, Vart and Valto came to me and proposed. I have no plans of marrying just yet so I refused, but after that, theyve been persistently...... Umm, youve heard that Vart-kun and Valto-kun are in the middle of being rigorously educated by Valkan-san and Valzak-san? Berkut seemed to think that it was to early to get married. It wasnt strange to get married at 15-16 years old, but that doesnt apply to the long-lived Aligerous race. Sophia who was also listening in was nodding her head in sympathy. In that case, why were Vart-kun and Valto-kun in such a hurry? Why are those two that impatient? Perhaps Valto-kun and Vart-kun are competing with each other. According to Sophia, Vart-kun is Berkuts childhood friend, so he wasnt impatient for marriage like the Aligerous tribe would normally be. However, that changed when Valto-kun fell for Berkut at first glance.?iscover new chapters on So the two are competing. The two are bothering me. Berkut said so, looking fed up. ......yep, thought so. Ill tell those two that if they have time to think of those things, they should get stronger. Before I knew it, this girl became a muscle-brain. I wont like you if you arent stronger than me. Vart-kun, Valto-kun, you cant win by being stubborn. Maybe because she was able to voice our her complaints, Berkut looked refreshed. Oh yeah. If I get a bit stronger, I want a weapon made by Takumi-sama. Can I? The Aligerous Tribe were given leather armor and spears, so that wasnt the case. Hmm, I guess. It would be hard to make one equivalent to Sophias and mine, but I dont mind making equipment specifically for you. Youre the one who did your best among all the young people of the Aligerous Tribe, after all Berkut. Hell yeah! Thank you very much! Ill do my best to be stronger! Saying so, Berkut flew at great speeds. That child will also be impossible to love for a while. It cant be helped. Shes having fun feeling stronger right now. Vart-kun and Valto-kun have it rough though. I just hope those two dont become stalkers in the future. *** Chapter 315: Come at me Chapter 315: Come at me Three days after Berkuts consultation, she, once more, came to me, who was busy restoring the ruins. Whats up? I advised Vart-kun and Valto-kun just in case though. For reasons, Berkut became a musclebrain who wouldnt recognize a marriage partner unless they were stronger than her. Even if Vart-kun and Valto-kun courted her, Berkut didnt think about marriage because she was still young. Or so I told them, but...... I thought I convinced them though. I told them that the still-adolescent Berkut of long-living Aligerous Tribe wasnt considering things like marriage yet. I told them that and those two boys nodded. So, what did those two do? Takumi-sama, please listen to this. Those two idiots thought it was fine as long as theyre strong, and they made a whole mess involving the young men in the tribe. Seriously, those two made trouble by involving the young men of the tribe, proposing a tournament with them, saying that the champion could marry Berkut. Why a tournament? More like, the champion gets married, ignoring Berkuts will? Hey, arent they so dumb? Still, those guys got so into it and talked about special training and stuff for the tournament. Uwaa~ Idiots. What a bunch of idiots. Berkut should have said it. That she doesnt like those that arent stronger than her. Rather, Berkut was the strongest among the youth. There was a reason why Berkut was strong. The reason was because my party members were all girls, with exception to myself. When we go hunting in monster nests, Berkut who was the same gender was brought along. Sophia and Akane found her cute, so they brought her to dungeons too. As a result, her skill levels were far higher and she was strong in the tribe. Hmm, so will you go round-robin and beat everyone, Berkut? T-t-thats it! Berkut yelled loudly and clapped. Theres no meaning in a tournament without me. Its the same if its decided that the champion and I would fight at the end. Yeah, thats good. Ill fight everyone!Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels Well said. Then I, a master of the spear, would train you earnestly with Maria. Then Sophia clasped Berkuts hands in hers and promised to help. Seriously though, if she gets any stronger than this, no one would be able to catch up to Berkut. Do them in nya! Todays tournament was being held on a hurriedly built stage on the Sky Island, and our party and the tribe were the only ones spectating. And of course, our party was cheering for Berkut. I get Kaede and Laevas cheers, but I dont know what to think about Akane and Lulu-chans. Ah, Valto-kun is next. I just took my eyes off the stage for a bit, and before I knew it, only those two were remaining. Valto-kun charged at Berkut with desperation, but backed away. He cant win like that...... see? He didnt even last 5 seconds. Ill win against Berkut and marry her! Sleeptalk when youre asleep! The last to come up was Vart-kun, but for some reason, he was carrying a sword, not a spear. Hey, did anyone teach Vart-kun swordsmanship? No, Im not sure. Im pretty sure he said that the sword was cooler. Sophia denied teaching him how to use the sword, and Kaede told me his reason. He would already lose in terms of level and talent even under normal circumstances, what is he doing choosing a specialized weapon that would be even more disadvantageous for him? When I said that in my shock, everyone nodded in agreement. Yaaahhhhhh!! In three steps, Berkut calmly and repeatedly jabbed her spear at high speed towards Vart-kun who raised his sword overhead and was charging at low altitudes. Guhee!! Vart-kun rolled all the way to the edge and lay motionless. When Valzak-san, who was refereeing, raised Berkuts arm, cheers erupted from the women and children of the tribe. ......I guess it was a success as entertainment? ......I suppose. I dont know if there will ever be a second, but the first ever Berkut Martial Tournament ended. *** Chapter 316: Reward Chapter 316: Reward The first ever Berkut Martial Tournament ended successfully somehow, but I had to prepare a reward for Berkut who eliminated everyone by herself. I was busy with the restoration project, but a promise is a promise. Takumi-sama! When I heard that you would give me a reward, I couldnt control myself and came here! And Berkut herself came to me at the restoration site all hyped up. Ah, yeah, you did your best at the tournament. Congratulations. Thank you very much. However, the next competition will be in an actual tournament format. Eh!? Youre doing it again? Yes, it would seem that the adults and children enjoyed it, so its been decided that it would be changed to a festival held yearly. The Berkut Martial Tournament was a result of young bachelors of the Aligerous Tribe assembling 80 people and participating, but it wasnt as though there were no bachelorettes aside from Berkut, so the other men who werent set only on Berkut likely wouldnt participate in the next tournament. Taking that into consideration, Valkan-san and Valzak-san decided to establish it as an event that was purely a tournament to be held annually. The chieftains realized that the tribe is in need of an enjoyable event. They have a point. Amusement is important. And its useful for the young warriors training too. Yes, they said that too. From here on, the Aligerous Tribe had to hunt monsters in the Demon Continent to gather food and magic stones to maintain the Sky Island. Valzak-san and Valkan-san saw the Berkut Martial Tournament from the other day and thought they would be able to use it. Next time, the Berkut part of it will be removed. Right now, the spear she is using had an orthodox form, right? I forgot to ask what I should do for her new spear. I had asked about that. The spear that Berkut was using right now was quite generic in size and spearhead shape. Im quite proud that it was a spear that could stab, strike, and slice at a higher level. The shaft uses reinforced Treant wood, but that was it. So I didnt think there was any problem with upgrading this spear which she is currently using, but......... A charging spear? Yes, a spear specializing in thrusts would be good. In this world, a conical, bladeless spear specialized in thrusts like the lances used in jousting matches in the medieval Europe did not exist. When I heard a spear specializing in thrusts, I imagined that, but when I asked asked more, it wasnt it. She said that she wanted a spear that would have the strength to pierce even for a powerless Berkut. ......what a complicated request. Ill think about it for a bit. Please do. Even Sophia was asking me to, so I couldnt make something half-heartedly. First of all, I should increase the size and weight of the spearhead and adjust the weight of the butt end of the spear to balance it out. The spears length, the spearheads size and shape, and the butt ends form and weight for counterbalance. Considering Berkuts physical abilities at using spears, Ill have to make some prototypes. Im busy with restoring the ruins, but its fun thinking about all sorts of things to make a new weapon in the meantime. *** Chapter 317: New Spear Chapter 317: New Spear I had fun experimenting all sorts of things when Berkut told me she wanted a new spear, but I was still devoting time into restoring the ruins. Simply enlarging the spearhead to match Berkuts request had no merit. So I tried thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of the Aligerous Tribe. First, their ability to fly was their biggest trait. The fact that they fly by using their wings and Wind Magic was their greatest advantage but also their greatest constraint. The present Aligerous Tribe doesnt have mages. One could say they were natural born Wind Mages, but it wasnt being applied for anything but flight. There were individuals that had the aptitude for several attributes, but in order to use magic while flying, they would have to invoke multiple spells at the same time which is difficult even for mages. I, who thought it was normal to fire different spells while keeping a barrier up, didnt notice until recently why there were no mages among the Aligerious Tribe. Still, Sophia, Maria, Laeva, and Akane were using it normally, so it was inevitable that I would have difficulty realizing it. Recently, proper mages appeared because of our (mainly Sophia and Akane though) coaching, as people who had more aptitude for magic than the spear and bow trained with the goal of becoming mages. So until now, the only option the Aligerous Tribe had for long range attacks had been the bow, and it was hard to replace with the spear. With the equipment being predetermined, people would team up for hunts. However, while there was no problem with that when hunting wild animals, there were some monsters that repel arrows. Magic is powerful at such times. So what I thought of was a spear that carries the functionality of a staff. In the first place, the material used on the shaft was Treant Wood, but this time, Ill use Elder Treant Wood which is one rank higher. The metal which include the parts that would cross blades would use mithril alloy and adamantite alloy, raising its capability as a magic catalyst. And I had a special material to add to the spear Im making for Berkut this time. I took that 30cm long thing from the Item Box and placed it on my work bench in the workshop. Ah! Thats a crystalized dragon fang! Thrusts were common in fights with monsters, and I do believe that this crystalized fang would display tremendous power. And it would even fill in the role of magic metal halberds and axes when swung sideways. But first, I have to prepare the shape of the crystalized fang. ......that sounds like it would take a lot of time. I was taking my time to thoroughly blend my magic power into the crystalized fang. I will do so until I can use Craft, a smithing spell, but the higher the rank of the material, the longer it takes. Since it wasnt a complicated shape, I was able to change the crystalized dragon fang into a spearhead tip. It came together with two crescent moon blades as crossguard. These blades were transmuted with mithril alloy. To counterbalance the spearhead, the butt end was made of hefty adamantite alloy. When I first came to this world, I wouldnt have been able to swing something this heavy, but the current Berkut will be fine. The Gunlance Rod I made for Berkut was complete. *** Chapter 318: Equipment Presentation Chapter 318: Equipment Presentation Now that Ive completed a Gunlance Rod which can shoot magic from the spearhead, I asked someone to tell Berkut to come see me and I went back to restoring the Sky Island ruins. I sensed someone coming at breakneck speeds.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels Takumi-sama! Is it complete!? I was silently transmuting and reconstructing stones to be used to repair the ruins when Berkut who was flying at reckless speeds came over as she shouted her lungs out. Takumi-sama! Where is it!? My spear!? Calm down, Berkut. Look, its here. Ill give you the rundown. I took out the Gunlance Rod from the Item Box and gave it to the overly excited Berkut. The spearhead tip uses a crystalized dragon fang, and it can also fire magic attacks. And for the shaft, it uses quality materials with high magic conductivity and its etched for better grip, so you can steady your spear, circulate magic into it, and fire. I explained the spears performance and functions. The crystalized dragon fang had been bestowed with Self Repair on top of strengthening types of enchantments, so theres no need to worry about it chipping. Well, I think this spear will be hard to chip anyway. And because Berkut had affinity with the Wind attribute, it could fire quick Lightning spells which was the upgraded affinity of the Wind attribute that she herself could not use. In fact, it would have no problems even if it wasnt a Wind spell. As long as it could be charged with magic power, it could be used, after all. The fact that I got depressed when I learned that later on was a secret though. Amazing! This is too awesome, Takumi-sama! Even I can use magic!? Woah woah, calm down, Berkut. Watch how much MP you have left when you use it. Berkut, who got the Gunlance Rod from me, was no longer listening. She probably wanted to go to Sophia and ask her to spar, as she smiled from ear to ear. Hmm, am I the only one that thinks its unhealthy for a girl her age to be so happy with a weapon? I think shes really happy because she got a reward from you, Takumi-sama. No, that I understand with Sophia and Maria, but......Berkut! You cant use magic here! Haa...... listen here, I gave the spear to Berkut as a reward because she won against everyone in the tournament. Vart-kun, Valto-kun, werent both of you 1 hit KO? Thats because Berkut is a girl! I cant fight girls seriously! Yeah! I cant beat up the girl I like! What a pair. Moreover, these two were the last to fight Berkut in hopes that she would get tired. Even if I exclude Berkut, it was tiring being pestered by these two, who were rivaling for last place among the youth of the Aligerous Tribe, for a request. Lets see. If you can win the next competition, Ill make you the weapon you want. Really!? Thank you very much, Aniki! Thank you very much Aniki! If its like that, I cant pass this up. Im going to practice with a spear! Ah! No getting ahead! After Vart-kun flew away to do some spear training, Valto-kun hurriedly chased after him. Do those kids really think they can become the champion? Sophia, dont say that. They look like theyre gonna give their all. Its likely that even in the next tournament, it would be difficult for those two to become the champion. *** Footnotes: 1. Hes basically calling them birdbrains = stupid. Chapter 319: Revival of the Ruined City Chapter 319: Revival of the Ruined City Although the Berkut Martial Tournament and the subsequent spear-making reward happened, the restoration of the ruins at the center of the Sky Island was still progressing smoothly. However, what was surprising that even though this city was from many centuries ago, I could already tell from the lighting equipment that this city was already fully equipped with waterworks and sewer systems, as well as water magic devices like those popularized in Volton nowadays. I wonder why civilization regressed. ......the Great Spirits would know, but...... They wouldnt tell us, huh. Yes. As Great Spirits, Undine and the others had watched the rise and fall of man, so they must know the reason why these civilizations came to their ruin, but for some reason, they wouldnt talk about what had a hand in it. Do they have their own set of rules? What I first noticed when I looked at the buildings aside from the residences was that they were constructed with the premise that magic devices would be used. Its the Sky Island so I knew there wouldnt be water wells, but they didnt have cooking stoves which were typical in the Continent, and had layouts that seemed to use fire magic devices. Because of the circumstances of the Sky Island, it was already a condition that the houses would use magic devices.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels Perhaps. If they had to rely on firewood, the forest would have immediately been consumed. It was definitely an advanced civilization since they built the Sky Island, and it came to no surprise that the city was brimming with magic devices. Actually, if you look at the decaying metal of the streetlights, you could guess that they were were illuminating magic devices. Thanks to that, were stuck here making a ton of magic devices though. ......for a while, there wont be that many people that would come to this city, so how about limiting it only to the essential places. Watching Takumi transmute wood, stone, and rubble from the ruins as he rebuilds the ancient city in silence, Sophia recalled the blunder she made in her expression from what Takumi said not long ago. The Elven race had very weak instincts to leave behind descendants. Moreover, it was physically difficult to bear a child, but the Great Spirit Dryas taught her a recipe to resolve this. (I will protect the graves of our many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, their families, and Takumi-sama. Together with children Marie and Marnie bear with Takumi-sama, and their descendants......) Sophias wish lined up with Sylph, Dryas, and the Great Spirits purpose. This was for Takumis descendants to take over the guardianship of the Spirit Tree and Sanctuary. Some among the children Sophia would birth would naturally be Elves. They seem to want those children to take the lead in managing the Sanctuary, which would be stable by then. In between restoring the ruins on the Sky Island, I was busy managing the Sanctuary, doing business with the Papeck Company in Volton, maintaining and expanding the base in the Demon Continent, as well as trading with Accuros which Queen Fraal governs when, finally, ...... the ruin restoration was finally completed. Haa~ its finally done. There are some places that we havent finished installing interiors and magic devices in, but weve reached a point where we can pause. I was stretching when Sophia reminded me of something bad. ......yeah, I know. I have to make extra magic devices. Its also necessary to prepare for the people that the Great Spirits gave their stamps of approval immigrating to the Sanctuary. Yeah, the Sanctuarys population is growing and its getting cramped. The Sanctuary cant expand any further, so problems show up as the population increases. The restoration of the city in the Sky Island was for that reason. I wonder if I can relax for a while. ......yes, surely. *** Note: The other girls arent featured as much ....but Sophia is best girl. Im saying it. She is. Aww. >w< Chapter 320: The first nominated request after a while Chapter 320: The first nominated request after a whileFollowing the completion of the restoration of the Sky Island ruins and the walls that surrounded it, the selection of residents from the Sanctuary for immigration began. A Gate exclusively for the Sanctuary inhabitants will be established so that they would be able to come and go between the Sanctuary and the Sky Islands Ancient City as they please. Even the Sky Islands relocation to the west of the Sanctuary had been completed. During that time, the cousins Vart-kun and Valto-kun often demanded for equipment, but Berkut repelled them each time. Once I was finally had time to relax, I visited the Volton mansion for the first time in so long and I did my routine tasks. Marnie and Maria cleaned the mansion and managed the stock in the warehouse. Laeva was doing some personal research. Lulu-chan prepared tea for Akane and I, and we lounged around in the living room. At that time, Maria let me know that there was a guest. I went to the parlor and standing there in greeting was Margrave Voltons chamberlain Xervus-san. It has been a long time, Iruma-dono. Sorry for not staying in contact, Xervus-san. Please take a seat. Once Maria finished serving tea, I asked about him about the important matters. For some unknown reason though, Xervus-san found it difficult to say. ......I apologize for this, but we would like to nominate you for a request, Iruma-dono. I believe that, if possible, it would be best to hear about it from our Lord directly...... Understood. So its fine if I meet Margrave Volton to talk, right? Thank you very much. I have now carried out my duty. Xervus-san seemed relieved. Could it be a really difficult request? I brought Sophia and Maria with me, and we headed to the Volton Castle in Xervus-sans carriage.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels Normal medicine and spells are ineffective for Miss Emilias disease. ......Miss Emilia is afflicted with the Magic Depletion Syndrome. Magic Depletion Disorder? Seeing that I was puzzled by this unknown disease, Margrave Volton informed me of its particulars. Magic Depletion Disorder was a disease where the magic power throughout the body was gradually lost. Whether it man, animal, plant, bug, and of course monster, all living beings in this world possess magic power in their body. Even people who cant use magic or had no training with using magic hold magic within their bodies. And the opinion of todays magic scholars is that the magic power retained within ones body unconsciously supports its movements. And based on the hypothesis of magic power supporting the living beings in this world, if that magic power were lost, it would be difficult to sustain life. ......are there no outstanding healers in the Royal Capital? There have been very few cases of Magic Depletion Disorder in the past, and neither cause nor cure had been established. As such, even if mana potions were prescribed to alleviate the symptoms, the patients condition cant be stopped. Umm, should I try using Recovery magic since we have nothing to lose? I cant imagine stopping magic power from depleting at all. I think I could cure diseases and even cancer, but I dont know how I could picture something that I cant understand in the slightest. Thats why its really impossible. However, Margrave Volton denied this. No, there is only one miracle drug that would completely cure it. A miracle drug? Yeah, a miracle drug known as Soma. *** Chapter 321: Miracle Drug Chapter 321: Miracle Drug Yeah, a miracle drug known as Soma. The name of the miracle drug known as Soma that Margrave Voltons mouth uttered was something I had information on even in my past life. If I remember correctly, it was the drink of Deities from Indian mythology. Soma? Mhmm, we can cure Miss Emilias Magic Depletion Disorder if we had Soma. I believe you already know, but Lord Rockford and I are friends. Lord Rockford is, among all of nobility I have ties of obligation to, the only one I could call a close friend. I even heard that ever since Miss Emilia had been stricken with disease, the ever bright Madam Rose began wasting away. If there is a possibility, then I wish to gamble on it. Margrave Volton used every connection he had to search for the recipe for Soma. Even though his wager had paid off, the challenge of the ingredients being uncommon was high. ......would you mind if I consult with everyone? As it wasnt something that we could decide on on our own, I said I would like to talk to everyone in my team before answering. That is, of course, if he wouldnt mind. Fortunately, it wouldnt progress in one or two months. However, if possible, I would like results within half a year. We rocked our way back to the mansion in the carriage that Xervus-san prepared, and I thought about the request. The Soma recipe was acquired from Yggurle Kingdom which they gained an amicable relationship with through the Sanctuary. Naturally, a price of equivalent value would have to be paid, but the records of the so-called miracle drug or spirit drug must have remained because of the Elves who had existed long before the countries of this continent were created. However, even if one could say they know the recipe, the fact that it was difficult did not change one bit. Rather, the degree of difficulty was more towards things spoken of in legends and folklore. For producing Soma, the most difficult part would be that it was nigh impossible to collect the materials. There were three necessary ingredients for Soma. The heart of a dragon A fresh dragon heart was an ingredient used in various drugs for the dragons high vitality. Think about it. The dew and leaves of the World Tree could be substituted with the Spirit Tree, no? Dryas nodded. Rather, the current Spirit Tree would have more effect than the World Tree. Listen, thats one settled. Second, the dragon heart. Cant you take enough to be sick of it if you go to the Dragon Dungeon? Third is the Hermit Peach which grows in the depths of the Forest of Death. Sure, the Forest of Death is filled with boss class monsters, but not even that is a problem for us who hunt regularly in the Demon Continent monster nests and in the Dragon Dungeon, now is it? I pondered over what Akane said. ......yeah, we could manage even if a group of dragon-class monsters appeared. ......huh? The freshness of the a dragon heart and the Hermit Peach wouldnt be an issue with an Item Box. ......looks like theres no issue. Right? Akanes smug face was a tad irritating, but I was dumb so I couldnt help it. Youre right. We have to be on guard, but it will be alright if its us. If its just us regular members and our familiars, we would all survive. Sophia and Maria spoke with confidence. Gotcha. Ill give our reply to Margrave Volton. Everyone, make preparations. Yes. Our first nominated request after a along time looks like it will be quite hard. *** Chapter 322: Request acceptance Chapter 322: Request acceptance The day after talking to everyone, I visited Margrave Volton to tell him that we accept his request. After that, I went with Xervus-san to the Adventurers Guild to the Adventurers Guild to process the formal acceptance of the request. Oh, Takumi-kun. Its been a while. Sorry for not being in contact, Hans-san. When I passed through the doors of the Adventurers Guild, Hans-san immediately recognized me and greeted me. You doing a request today? Iruma-dono accepted a nominated request from My Lord. Xervus-san who came with me to the guild informed Hans-san of the important bits. The details of the nominated request are written here. I will review it. ............wha!?! Hans-san was at a loss for words upon accepting the written request that Xervus-san presented. Xervus-sama, this...... is this real? Yes, there are no mistakes in the content of this nominated request from My Lord to Iruma-dono. Please wait a moment. Saying so, Hans-san stood up from the counter and went up the stairs to the second floor of the Guild. Well, thats the normal reaction. Its a request that even I, someone who has ventured to the Demon Continent and the Sky Island, thought was impossible at first. Xervus-sama, Takumi-kun, please come to the conference room. GM[1], is that okay? After Takumi and Xervus left the guild, Hans asked Barack, who had returned to the Guild Masters room, if accepting that request was fine. ......I probably wouldnt have accepted if it was anyone other than Takumi. The request details were absurd. A dragon heart, the leaves and dew of the World Tree, and the clincher is Hermit Peach. Its basically a fairytale, even those S rankers would have thrown their hands up. Then why did you accept? He understood that Hans eyes were criticizing him. Hans had been in charge of Takumi ever since he first stepped into the guild. He had an emotional attachment to Takumi, even considered him like a younger brother. Itll be alright, Hans. The current Takumi isnt the same Takumi who was crawling on the ground when he sparred with me. Now I wouldnt win against him no matter how hard I try. Maybe even without using his hands or feet. Really? If GM who had left active duty is going that far...... Hans wasnt a fighter, so he doesnt know the extent of Takumis strength. But if the top dog of this branch said so, then he believed it. Margrave Volton wouldnt make a request that had absolutely no potential. He might have more information about Takumis true strength that we do not know. Well, Takumi-kun had been busy recently, and hadnt been doing any guild work recently, after all. Takumi, who came to the guild for the first time in a long time, accepted a request from Margrave Volton which Barack was compelled to say was impossible. However, this was Takumi and his companions who started the construction of Wedgefort city, helped with the war with Triaria Kingdom concerning the Sanctuary and substantially crushed the Divine Empire Sydnia. And the Takumi they met after a long time today had gotten monumentally stronger once more. Itll be fine. If its Takumi, hed be able to accomplish it safely. Right...... He was no longer the helpless kid from when he first came to the guild. Barack and Hans were convinced that Takumi had grown into a full fledged adult. *** Footnotes: 1. Short for Guild Master, I dont remember what I used for ?ޥ which Hans uses to address Barack, so Ill use this. Chapter 323: Begin mobilizing Chapter 323: Begin mobilizingHaving accepted the request for collecting the ingredients for the soma, I held a strategy meeting with everyone in the Sanctuary mansion. Even so, for it to be Soma, what a nostalgic name to come up. Still, if its Magic Depletion Disorder then only a Soma or Amrita would work. Dryas knew about Magic Depletion Disorder in detail. Magic Depletion Disorder, as Margrave Volton had explained, was a disease where magic power from the body is depleted, but if more than a certain amount is lost, preserving life would becomes difficult. Margrave Volton was being ambiguous in explaining that part, but it was definitely a life threatening illness. Incidentally, Dryas mentioned Soma and Amrita. If Amrita was ingested, one would gain a long life, not to the point of immortality but longer than even a High Elfs. To a normal person, that could only be a curse. Therefore, at present, the only possible choice of medicine for curing Magic Depletion Syndrome was the Soma. Dryas, you know about Soma, right? Of course I do. Despite how I seem, I am the Great Spirit that governs over vegetation. The dragon heart could be at the lower levels of the Dragon Dungeon in the Demon Continent, right? I wonder. It would be nice if you could secure the heart like that. Akane asked about where to collect one of the ingredients for the Soma, the dragon heart, so that confirmed it. I really should have kept at least one. Well, isnt that good? I think we can go straight down and it wouldnt take that much time. If its Master and Kaede, well be there lickety split. Even Akane said it wouldnt take that much time just going down the floors, and Kaede added on that if it was just her and I, it would be even faster. Sure, we thoroughly decimated the floors in a search and destroy tactic because our objective was to gather magic stones last time, but if we avoid fights as much as possible, it wouldnt take that much time to reach the lower floors because weve already finished mapping out the dungeon. Since that settles the dragon heart, do you think we can get Princess Mimir to sell us the leaves and dew of the World Tree if we ask? Oh? You dont even have to make your way to the World Tree, the ones from the Spirit Tree are enough. So well first secure the dragon heart from the Demon Continent, right? Indeed. The Forest of Death will probably take some time, so lets go to the Dragon Dungeon before that. On our search in the Forest of Death, we will leave a marker and teleport back to the mansion to rest instead of camping out. Even so, we cant predict how many days it would be, so it would be better to put it off. Also Takumi, Berkut wants to come with us. Uhh, Akane did you already give the OK? I didnt give a definitive answer, but I may have said that itd probably be okay to? Hmm, Berkut did accompany us in the last Dragon Dungeon dive, so I think its fine if she came along this time too. Could it be, do you mean with the Forest of Death? Yeah, its also my first time at the Forest of Death, but itll be fine if Berkut did too. She also has the spear that you gave, and if youre still worried, you could give her new armor? She has a point. Its also Akane, Marnie, Laeva, and Lulu-chans first time in the Forest of Death...... Takumi-sama, this is different from before, Titan is here, and so are Gloam and Ferryl. Dont you think we would be okay? Sophia-san! You cant forget about Seru-chan! Right. Mhmm, then give Berkut the OK. Since even Sophia was saying that our current party would be fine even if we support Berkut, I decided to take her along. Though, naturally, I would need to strengthen her armor. *** Chapter 324: Dragon Dungeon, once more Chapter 324: Dragon Dungeon, once more Seriously, Im so happy I want to fly. Berkut was all smiles. In addition to the spear she received as a reward from the tournament, I gave her leather armor and gloves that used plenty of dragon materials. Shes been hyped up ever since. Berkut, calm down. Well run right through instead of fighting needlessly, so concentrate on not getting hurt. Okaaay! Berkut answered cheerfully. Will Vart-kun and Valto-kun catch up? The cousins who were already behind seem to have the goal of becoming stronger than Berkut, but I havent seen them train that much. We had come to the Demon Continents Dragon Dungeon from before. Now then, lets keep the monster battles at a minimum. Yes! Kaede, who had excellent detection abilities, took the lead and stepped into the dungeon. Sophia and I were behind Kaede, Akane and Lulu-chan were in the middle, Maria and Laeva were to their left and right, after them were Berkut and Marnie, and Titan at the end of line. With this as our battle formation, we advanced at the shortest distance. If it turns into a battle with multiple monsters that we cant avoid, we would summon Ferryl and the other familiars to end the battles sooner. When we finished several fights, Sophia talked about the difference between the dungeon dive last time and this time. The number of monsters is lesser. Yeah. Its definitely because we hunted down the monsters in the dungeon. I guess even a dungeon of dragons would take time to recover. Yes, our monster encounters were extremely low in the dungeon dive this time. It wasnt completely none, but because we were making our way down using the shortest route possible in order to avoid fights. we fought so little that Berkut complained. Honestly, I should have put a marker on the lower floor so we could just simply teleport there. It cant be helped. Even if you had placed a marker down, the dungeon would recognize it as a foreign object so it would be absorbed after three days. Well, we didnt leave a marker so all this is impossible in the first place. Moreover, if we simply teleport to the lower floors, complaints would come from our battle-crazy girls. Baribaribari!! The lightning attack fired from Berkuts speartip assailed the Basilisk. GYAOOOON!! Dogaaaaan!! Titan started up the jetpack on his back and fired himself like a gigantic bullet at raging speeds. The Rock Dragons scales which looked like boulders attached to its body were shattered by Titans attack, and waiting for this chance, Akane and Laevas magic rained down. Marnie and Berkut attacked the places deeply gouged by magic and immediately retreated. The Rock Dragon, which had been one-sidedly damaged beyond its imagination, tried to fight back, but its body had been robbed of freedom by Kaedes threads. Lastly, Sophia, Maria, and I simultaneously stabbed the Rock Dragon, dealing the final blows. Zudoooon! The 30m long giant sank to the floor. Hmm, as expected, when its something of this class, we wouldnt be able to bring it down and kill it. Thats not the case. Berkut, I think you all will be fine if you take your time. When it comes to high ranking dragons, it would take time for Berkut, Marnie, and Lulu-chan who lack power. Berkut, who was dissatisfied with this, was already a full fledged battle maniac. This girl, can she become a proper wife? The heart of this Rock Dragon would probably be enough for the Soma. Lets dismantle it immediately. Indeed. We might need parts aside from the heart someday, so we wont sell this Rock Dragon and keep it in stock. We split up the large body of the Rock Dragon to quickly dismantle it. Titan cracked and tore off its scales with his huge hands, while Laeva and I prepared barrels to drain the blood into. Sophia and the remaining girls butchered the Rock Dragons meat. The meat of a high rank dragon was definitely exquisite. Okay! Heart secured! When I harvested the heart, I immediately stored it in my Item Box to preserve its freshness. The meat which Sophia and the girls cut up, the scales peeled off by Titan, even the dissected organs, bone, claws, and fangs were all stored, leaving only the rubble from the smashed scales and traces of blood on the dungeon floor. Now then, lets go back immediately. Having achieved our objective, we climbed back up while fighting monsters at Berkuts request. *** Footnotes: 1. While they both said Rock Dragon the spelling was different. Sophia said å?饳? while Takumi said C Ҹo Chapter 325: Forest of Death, once more Chapter 325: Forest of Death, once more That forest seemed to be enveloped with magic power which kept people away. Its nostalgia inducing. Indeed. Though there was only 4 us including Kaede-chan at the time, our members have grown considerably. Yeah, yeah! We were in such a pickle with Elder Treant-san toooo. Sophia and I were lost in our emotions as I looked at the forest. Maria remembered the Elder Treant we encountered. I felt the nostalgia in that too, I was a novice adventurer and it sure was dangerous.?iscover new chapters on No, isnt it still dangerous even now? The outer edge looks like its got a lot of Treants like always. Treants will not attack unless approached unnecessarily, so I believe it would be best if we ignored them. Right. We stepped into the forest with Kaede at the front this time too. As expected, the Forest of Death was entirely different from the other monster nests. The density of monsters was strangely high. We tried advancing to the inner section while avoiding monsters, but even then, our encounter rate was still high. Zan! Dosa! I sliced a camouflaged Chameleon Mantis. The Chameleon Mantis was a 3m long praying mantis monster. Just like its name, it hunts for prey while camouflaging based on its surroundings. Well, facing against our search abilities, it was basically a wooden doll though. Since our search capabilities were high, we were always ahead of the monsters, so we were able to defeat the monsters in a short time no matter how strong they were. Normally, a large colony would be very difficult to achieve in the Forest of Death. This was because it was a fierce fight for survival, where even the colony led by the Orc King would have found it difficult to increase their numbers. Particularly inside the Forest of Death where man do not set foot. Races which had little to no females like the orcs needed to abduct other females to breed, making it even more difficult to build a large colony. And Sophia found the orc colony from the Spirits voice. Nevertheless, if an unusually large colony were to grow in the Forest of Death, Sophia and the girls wish would be the annihilation of that colony. Gyaaaaaaaaaaa!! The hoarse shriek of orcs echoed all around. An Orc King is as strong as a mid-grade dragon, right? ......Watching that, I think it is pitiful. The Orc King, which was over 3 meters in height and had arms and legs that were thicker than my torso, was exposed to the all out attacks from our girls, showering in it. The excitement it held when it first discovered Sophia and the girls was no longer there. It was only a monster exposed to a vicious storm, screaming, and being hunted. Nevertheless, the Orc King was still tough. It endured around 20 minutes fighting with the girls and Titan and I supporting them, until finally... Zudoooon!! Its huge body fell. I thought the refreshed smiles on Sophia and the girls faces at their accomplishment was a bit scary, but it wasnt unusual. Aside from them, Kaede came back after dealing with the small fries, so while all the girls were resting, Titan demolished the colonies structures and I went around processing the orc wreckage. Didnt you all fight way too much? ... something I was too scared to say. Lets just say its fine because Berkut leveled up a bunch. *** Chapter 326: The vastness of the forest Chapter 326: The vastness of the forest Three days since starting the search in the Forest of Death, we have yet to find the Hermit Peach. The three days were spent searching all day, laying a marker as a teleport point before the sun sank, then teleporting to the Sanctuary mansion and returning again the next day. Were seriously having no luck finding it. Please forgive me. It would seem that in the Forest of Death, even the Spirits are hindered by miasma, unable to search long distances. No, its not your fault, Sophia. I think itd be unreasonable even for the Spirits to locate the Hermit Peach in a monster nest this vast. Spirits like mana but avoid miasma, and there were a few places known as monster nests. In such places, even Spirits who were contractually or closely related with the Elves and Dwarves were reluctant to move too far from those Elves and Dwarves. Well, there is nothing better than finding it quicker, but we still have time, so lets do our work thoroughly without rushing. Indeed. We must search carefully so as to not overlook it. Sophia and I were downcast for not knowing where to find the Hermit Peach, but Maria and Berkut were having fun everyday for some reason. When I looked properly, even Laeva and Marnie werent all that dissatisfied either. And then, Akane shook her head, exasperated. Figure it out, why dont you. Its troublesome looking for the Hermit Peach, but unlike the other times, arent they just having fun spending time with Takumi? Put more effort into understanding womens hearts. ......sorry. Everyone, thank you as always. I think it was different for Berkut and Laeva, but now that I think about it, I should reflect on not spending more time with Maria and Marnie lately. Okay, lets go today too?Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels After soothing my tiredness with a bath and eating Marnies homecooked meal, I headed to my room to prepare for the search that would resume tomorrow. Our search in the Forest of Death reached the 10th day, still without a single clue. Takumi-sama, with Berkut getting this strong, will Vart-kun and Valto-kun be alright? As Sophia talked to me, my gaze pointed towards Berkut who was splendidly handling the magic spear that came from me against a midboss class monster, one on one. ......well, men arent all about strength......maybe. Takumi-sama, I think that is impossible. I cant imagine Bagworm and Tattered Rag to be good matches for Berkut. Hey, at least call them by their names. Vart-kun and Valto-kuns wish to become stronger than Berkut seemed like extremely unlikely to come true. Then when I tried to follow up that men arent all about strength, Maria added on that those two were hopeless. Berkut getting stronger is good for the entire Aligerous Tribe. If they can support her from the shadows, they dont need to be that strong. Takumi, give up on those two. Those two are nothing to Berkut. Lulu also has the same view nya. Since even Akane and Lulu-chan were saying that, I who had forced out a follow up became the absurd one. They call me aniki so I really want to help them, but Valto-kun and Vart-kun werent well received by our female group. Ahh, she defeated it by herself......what to do. Shell probably get even stronger by the time we find the Hermit Peach. *** Chapter 327: Mana Spot Chapter 327: Mana Spot Its been 12 days since the exploration of the Forest of Death began. As we searched the forest, we were also able to map it out, complete with data on the distribution of the monsters and vegetation within it. Weve gathered plenty of materials that could seemingly be used for superior restorative potions and mana potions. Well definitely have to research recipes. Laeva harvested copious varieties of plants and mushrooms that grew only in environments with dense mana. We have to try a variety of things to see if we could use them for medicine with high efficacy.?iscover new chapters on As we continued the search while still securing more precious monster materials and herbs, I noticed that there were more monster presences compared to yesterday. Basically, our strategy was to avoid presences that were too big, the type of monster one would guess was a dragon type. Thats because were doing our best to avoid fighting for too long here. For that same reason, we essentially tried to avoid large groups, but I felt uncomfortable somehow. I carefully investigated the presences around and then suddenly, the presence of a monster popped up from a certain place. What could that be? Hmmmm, Kaede doesnt know. Kaede and I wondered about it, and Sophia talked about a possibility. Ive only heard this from an elder, but there could be spots inside a large monster nest where especially high amounts of mana gather. An accumulation of mana known as a Mana Spot, it had been said that monsters could suddenly be born there. Monsters, you mean a phenomenon where monsters could be born without parents......? We managed to come back to everyone safely and I let out a sigh of relief. Kaede and I wouldnt have lost even if we had encountered monsters and fought them, but we would surely use up our magic power and physical strength. I would like for conserve as much of our strength as we could while in the danger zone known as the Forest of Death. When I was catching my breath, Akane who couldnt wait patiently asked. So, what was it? Hmm, I dont know if its connected to the world of the Spirits or to the afterlife, but theres no doubt that it was a Mana Spot. I explained to everyone what we saw. So this thing where it produces a set number of monsters and the mana disappears is happening all over the forest of death? Probably. It might not just be here either. Its possible that even though they are less frequent in smaller monster nests, similar Mana Spots pop up there too. Theres no way monsters in a monster nest could run out, right? It is known that monsters breed similarly to normal living beings. Aside from this, it is also known that the monsters born from dungeons overflow and live in monster nests. If I was pushed to say, a Magic Power Spot felt similar to how a dungeon produces monsters. Because the Magic Power Spot disappeared, we couldnt investigate any further, so we went back to searching for our original objective, the Hermit Peach. It was also important to explicate the principle behind the origin of monsters, but right now, collecting the ingredients for Soma was our first priority. *** Chapter 328: The Hermit Peach tastes heavenly Chapter 328: The Hermit Peach tastes heavenly The search continued as we encountered the phenomenon known as the Mana Spot. For some reason, theres fewer monster presences. Master, they dont come near this place. We always felt the presence of monsters to the point of hating it when we were exploring inside the Forest of Death, yet I sensed that there were fewer of them around for some reason, but if even Kaede sensed this then there was no doubt about it. Less miasma? No, I can barely feel any. For there to be hardly any miasma inside a monster nest, that is unusual. As Sophia said, monster nests where monsters run rampant are fundamentally areas encroached by miasma. Even when exterminating the monsters of a small monster nest and liberating the land in order to reclaim it, it is necessary to first purify the land. We headed in the direction that wasnt monster nest-like. I could feel the air gradually becoming purer until we reached a mysterious space. In one of the vastest monster nests in the continent, a mysterious space where mana was dense but miasma couldnt be felt existed. ............amazing. ......how beautiful. Uwaa! So pretty! A marvelous tree. It was about 10 meters high, but its trunk was thick and the branches protruded sideways and spread greatly. What a wonderous tree. Yes, this must be the Hermit Peach Tree. Yup, no doubt. According to Dryas, even if we take all the ripe fruits this tree has right now, it would bear fruit to a new batch before long so it would be alright. Since we got Dryas seal of approval, in addition to the ones to be used for the Soma, we harvested all the peaches that caught our eye. Everyone, hand me the seeds of the Hermit Peach that you ate. Dryas gathered the seeds from everyone. I asked about what she would use the seeds for. What will you do with the seeds? Grow it in the Sanctuary. Eh? Grow it in the Sanctuary? Wasnt it some legendary fruit? Seeing my surprised face, Dryas shook her head. Takumi, what are you saying? The Sanctuary has the most legendary tree there is, the Spirit Tree. Takumi-sama, I think it is much too late. Eh, what do you mean? When I asked Sophia what was too late, apparently there were already a lot of rare plants being raised in the Sanctuary without me knowing it. So rare that some were said to have been extinct in this world...... I didnt know...... My apologies. Sophia-chan isnt at fault. It was because I asked the Elves to manage the vegetation in the Sanctuary. Well, its not like theres a harm in it so its fine. In the Sanctuary, there was no one who would aim for the rare plants, so whats a few more? At Dryas instructions we collected several leaves, flowers, and branches for grafting, and just to be sure, I placed a marker down and then teleported back into the Sanctuary. ***?iscover new chapters on Chapter 329: Creation of the miracle drug Chapter 329: Creation of the miracle drug After exploring the largest and strongest monster nest in the continent, the Forest of Death, every single day, we were finally able to find the legendary Hermit Peach, an ingredient for the miracle drug Soma. With this, all ingredients for the Soma had been gathered.Re?a?d new chapters on The Spirit Tree leaves and dew The heart of a high ranking dragon Hermit Peach If I had purified water filled with magic power to mix with this, I could complete the legendary miracle drug, Soma. Before secluding myself in the Sanctuary workshop, I received the sacred spring water that had been purified in a purification ceremony under Undines influence. Even if we fail to produce the Soma, it wouldnt be difficult to gather the materials again, but Id like to do this in one day for the sake of Earl Rockford and the Madam who were eagerly awaiting the medicine for Miss Emilia. Laeva, lets begin. Yes! Im ready! Laeva and I were in the workshop. Today, my escort, Sophia, was on standby outside the workshop so we could concentrate. Okay Laeva, please prepare the sacred water. Understood. We ate the Hermit Peach that we discovered in the Forest of Death while we were there, but the fruit itself which would be an ingredient for Soma had great effects. Stamina and magic power recovery, as well as a 5% increase in all stats. However, this was only a one-time bonus, as there was no more effect even after eating it several times more after that. But even so, to people like us who already have a difficult time increasing our levels, a 5% increase was very big. Thanks to that, my head was clear and I could only imagine succeeding with the transmutation of the Soma. I prepared the ratios of the dragon heart, leaves and dew of the Spirit Tree, and the Hermit Peach according to the recipe. Laeva and I split the work to make bottles and lids strengthened with Bestowal magic, then we would subdivide the completed Soma into them. Laeva will do the rest, so Takumi-sama, please apply the State Preservation enchatments. Mhmm, okay, I leave the portioning to you. Even though we had already prepared special bottles and caps, I still applied State Preservation enchantments on the bottles that contained the completed drug. My Item Box had that effect, so the Soma wouldnt have deteriorated in it, but that wasnt the case for other people. It wouldnt be funny if the legendary miraculous drug were to just deteriorate with time and lose all its efficacy. It felt like this was the first time in a long time that I had used a great deal of magic power. I-its done! I plopped onto my stool and let out a big sigh. Whether it was because it tired me out or because I was nervous, I felt exhausted for the first time in a long while. In the end, we prepared 100 50ml vials of Soma. ......the legendary medicine...... weve made quite a lot. ......yeah. But isnt it better than running out of it? Aside from what will be handed over to Margrave Volton, I recommend placing the remainder within your Item Box, Takumi-sama. ......Ha, haha, youre right. That way, it wouldnt cause discord in the world. Only after Laeva pointed it out that I realized that we had overdone it. Legendary medicine wasnt something that could be tagged with a price. I should discuss how to handle the Soma with Margrave Volton. *** Chapter 330: Delivery of the miracle drug Chapter 330: Delivery of the miracle drug Emilia, the daughter of Margrave Voltons sworn friend Earl Rockford, had fallen ill with an incurable disease known as Magic Depletion Disorder. Magic Depletion Disorder is a disease where the the bodys magic power, which is vital to maintaining life, is gradually lost. Normal medicine and recovery magic are ineffective, and the only way to cure it is with the legendary miracle drug, Soma. As such, in a last-ditch effort, Margrave Volton had earnestly requested us by way of a nominated quest to secure the ingredients for the Soma and its creation. The first of the ingredients were materials related to the World Tree, he must have thought that we could somehow obtain it as we were acquainted with the Great Spirits.Vissit for new novels As for the dragon heart, it could be found out through a bit of research that I sell dragon materials to the Adventurers Guild. Aside from this, Margrave Volton already knew all sorts of things, so its too late to hide anything. Lastly the Hermit Peach, it was a story that was like catching hold of clouds that relied on literature, but he bet on that tiny possibility. And Margrave Volton won that bet, so he too was lucky. And now, there were 100 bottles of the completed miracle drug, Soma. The ridiculous amount was inevitable. This was the result of calculating a good division of doses when I was making it according to the recipe. Thanks to that, I decided that majority of it would be stored in my Item Box. As expected, a miracle drug that could cure any curse or incurable disease shouldnt be distributed into the market. As a cure-all, it pairs well with the Elixir, another miracle drug which can heal a lethal wound in an instant and restore large parts that had been lost. I brought three doses of Soma and headed to Margrave Voltons estate.As for why three, I had already confirmed the efficacy of the Soma using Appraisal, but I brought extra to ensure Emilias complete recovery. It should definitely be just one dose, but there might still be individual differences. Xervus-san expressly came to meet me. Oooh! To think I would be able to see the legendary miracle drug, Soma...... Margrave Voltons expression changed from one of excitement from gazing at the Soma to a complicated one. Muu...... three bottles of the legendary miracle drug, huh. To make doubly sure of Miss Emilias complete recovery, I prepared two reserves. Sure enough, Margrave Volton was racking his brain over how to handle the Soma should there be any that remained. Master, lets think about that after Miss Emilia has recovered. ......youre right. Iruma-dono, I am sorry to have to ask this, but could you accompany me to mansion of the Rockford household. I had the duty of producing the Soma, so that would be no issue, but will we go now? I had a vague feeling it would be like that, so I wasnt surprised when Margrave Volton asked me to go with him, but if were leaving, then I have to send word to everyone. No matter how impatient we are, we cant go today. I am still a Margrave that governs this land, after all. However, I do truly wish to hurry. What do you think about leaving tomorrow morning? Understood. We will prepare for that. Well then, Iruma-dono. Tomorrow morning, I await you in the eastern gate. Sophia and I were seen off by Xervus-san outside the gate, and we returned to the mansion in Margrave Voltons carriage. It was decided that the completion reward would be discussed once more after Emilias recovery had been confirmed. *** Chapter 331: To the Rockford Earldom once more Chapter 331: To the Rockford Earldom once more Tsubaki cheerily pulled the sturdy looking carriage. Recently shes had very few chances to give people rides or pull the carriage, so she was in a very good mood. When Tsubaki leisurely ran along the highway, the travelling adventurers and merchants were startled at the sight of her exposed physique. That couldnt be helped. Reaching the evolution that was capable of telepathic communication, her size made war horses and Demon Horses look like ponies despite not changing in size. That large physique was covered in tough dragon scales which made it difficult for swords and magic to even leave superficial scratches on it, and the horn protruding from her forehead grew sharper and stronger, so much so that it could cut through steel like it was candy. A figure that intimidated its spectators. The carriage drawn by Tsubaki who had evolved into a Great Dragon Horse, a monster that had no written record in the literature of the Elven nation Yggurle Kingdom, and the Demon Horse drawn carriage of Margrave Volton which ran behind ours headed eastward along the highway, directly to the Rockford Earldom.Finnd new chapters on Tsubaki looks really happy, right Master? Yeah. We werent able to bring Tsubaki with us to the Forest of Death after all. She must be happy to be out with everyone after a long time. That was because the Forest of Death was impossible with my body. Kaede sat on Tsubakis back, which could be said to be her special seat. I was sitting in the drivers seat, but I left the maneuvering to Tsubaki. As we had to match Margrave Voltons carriage speed, it would still take three days at the earliest to reach the Rockford Earldom. Normally as a noble, Margrave Volton would stop by and spend money at each village and town, but because we were travelling the maximum distance possible each day, it was necessary to camp out. Iruma-dono, that Dragon Horse...... it looks completely different but...... While the escorting knight, maids, and servants hurriedly put up tents and prepared meals, Margrave Volton observed Tsubaki from a distance and asked if she was different from his memory. Although I had already experienced war, I dont want to go hunting for thieves. Perhaps because it is a world with statuses, even without a Mind entry in status, mental fortitude might grow stronger when ones level rises. If thats the case, then its a bit scary...... Maria and Marnie worked together with the chef of Margrave Voltons household, and they laid out food that were unthinkable in a camp. Margrave Volton spent the night in the tent guarded by the knights, and us in our space-expanded carriage. We were exempt from taking a turn at guard duty, but in reality, Kaedes thread boundary was strung up all over in case monsters or thieves do approach. Departing early in the morning the next day, we arrived at the Rockford Earldoms capital before the sun sank on the third day. We headed straight for the Feudal Lords mansion. Because of preliminary announcements from the knights, standing in front of the feudal lords mansion was Earl Rockford himself. Beside him was Madam Rose, and even the now grown up Rod-kun. Perhaps because he had been informed beforehand by Margrave Volton about obtaining the Soma, the expressions on the faces of the Rockfords were of expectations and unease. Following Margrave Voltons carriage, we parked at the waiting area near the main entrance of the mansion. After brief greetings with Earl Rockford and his family, we immediately rushed to Miss Emilia. *** Chapter 332: Complete Recovery Chapter 332: Complete Recovery We just passed the parlor room as time was precious, and I was being guided to Miss Emilias room. I was accompanied by Earl Rockford, Madam Rose, heir Rod, Margrave Volton, and Sophia. The other escorts and my remaining party members were waiting in a separate room. Lord Volton, no, Godwin, thank you very much. When I heard about the Soma from you, I carried doubts. Lord Godwin, I truly thank you. For you to save Emilias life...... Dont be so distant, Lord Rockford, no, should I call you Marcus like always? Miss Emilia is like an adorable daughter to me. I had to help in any way I could. As we walked briskly through the hallways, Earl Rockford spoke words of appreciation to Margrave Volton, and Madam Rose shed tears as she did the same. Huh, so Earl Rockford was called Marcus. So what condition is Miss Emilia in? Hmm, she is now unable to leave her bed. A healer from the church comes to cast recovery magic on her everyday, but it merely provides temporary solace. Seeing the tomboyish Emilia becoming bedridden is painful...... Magic Depletion Disorder wasnt a sudden deterioration, but I couldnt even begin to imagine the pain of a mother watching her child gradually weaken. When we entered Miss Emilias room, there was young lady that had grown since the last time we met that was sleeping in bed. Her breathing was frail and the childlike plumpness that remained in my memory was not present. Its more debilitating than expected. The patients condition seems to deteriorate more from the half-year mark to the first year. Lord Volton, truly, thank you for handing Iruma-dono that nominated quest. No, it is all thanks to Iruma-dono. He turned the absurd things I said into reality. Nor did I expect them to achieve this quest so quickly. Iruma-dono, thank you. Please tell me if there is anything I could do. Naturally, the remuneration for this Soma is separate. Though my hand was clasped and pulled slightly by Earl Rockford who shed tears as he gave his thanks, I would like to finish the more important matter first. Then, Miss Emilia woke up. Emilia! Aaa, Emilia! Earl Rockford and Madam Rose ran to her bedside. Father, Mother...... Ahh, Emilia! Im so glad! Im really so glad! As I watched the rejoicing parents and child, I checked on Miss Emilias condition. I think shes fine now, but we need to observe her for two- three days. Indeed. She had also been bedridden for a long time, after all. Yup, rehabilitation is necessary. Iruma-dono, what is rehabilitation? While Sophia and I were discussing Miss Emilias condition, Margrave Volton asked about a word he had never heard of before. Ummm, Miss Emilia had been stuck in bed for a long time, so she has to slowly start practicing to walk. I struggled with how to explain it. A body that doesnt move for a long time deteriorates was how I ended up saying it. I see, certainly, our bodies also change if we skip training for an extended time. After convincing Margrave Volton somewhat, it had been decided we would stay for two to three days to observe her progress. *** Chapter 333: Dealing with the Soma Chapter 333: Dealing with the Soma Three days have passed since we stayed at Earl Rockfords residence. Miss Emilias condition had stabilized. No, perhaps as a result of exhausting her magic power for extended period, the capacity of her magic power had doubled in comparison to before her illness. The original amount of magic power she had was bordering between being able to or not being able to become a mage, so while her level is low, it was within the bounds of common sense, but the magic power suddenly increased as it rampaged within her. That was settled by Sophia by adjusting her magic power from the outside. Then Emilia could become a mage, right? Yes, she has the aptitude for the Earth and Water attributes. Until now, the amount of magic power she could possessed was average at best, but as a side effect of the recent treatment, it had doubled. As she is still in her growing phase, her magic power retention would increase. If she were to make great efforts in magic training, I believe she can become a mage when she becomes an adult. Oh my! Dear! We must send Emilia to the Royal Capitals Magic Academy! Calm down, Rose. While watching Miss Emilia practice walking with the assistance of a maid, I had a friendly conversation with Madam Rose and Earl Rockford.?iscover new chapters on Rose was somewhat excited over the fact that Miss Emilias magic power was enough to make a living as a mage, and she was told to calm down by Earl Rockford, but she really wasnt listening. Madam Rose had a reason for being assertive with Miss Emilia training to be a mage. It would seem that originally, it was difficult to feel and manipulate the flow of magic power, and learning to control magic power required substantial training. As to why I said It would seem, that logic didnt apply to me, someone who could acquire any skill easily. The moment Sophia suppressed the Miss Emilias rampaging magic power by forcibly manipulating it from outside the body, Miss Emilia began to awaken her Magic Perception and Magic Power Manipulation skills. Arent you and I not friends, Marcus? Among all the nobles I have ties to, you are the sole person I could call a friend since childhood. Even then. Allow me to thank you. Now, about the reward this time...... Earl Rockford mentioned a reward, but as this request was a commission from Margrave Volton, I couldnt accept a commission of some sort from Earl Rockford. The reward presented by Margrave Volton was 1000 platinum coins. It was a cheap price for the legendary miracle drug, but as someone not in need of money any more, it was a more or less just needed as a form of receiving a reward to me. Perhaps if I was informed of Miss Emilias illness, I might have gathered the ingredients for the Soma regardless of the reward. The reward had been paid, but the problem is the remaining Soma. Umm, it was intended for one to be handed over to Earl Rockford in case something were to happen to Miss Emilia again. Umu, of the three Somas weve received, one was used, the second will be kept stocked for Miss Emilia, and one more remains. Margrave Volton seemed to think that it would not be good if the other nobles and merchants knew that the legendary miracle drug Soma was made. Should we present it to the King in secret......? My heart pounded hearing Margrave Voltons muttering. What to do? He might get angry if I told him there were 97 more. *** Chapter 334: To the Royal Capital Chapter 334: To the Royal Capital I dont want to go............ At this moment, I was rocking in a carriage on the path to the Royal Capital. Since then, Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford figured out that I had stock of Soma based on my expression. And so, feeling the pressure coming from the two, I ended talking about the supplying Soma. [1] However, the country would not be able to purchase all the Soma, so I said I would present one or two at most to the kingdom, and for the rest, the country would adjust to how much their budget would allow. And so, Margrave Volton was traveling to the Royal Capital on a fast horse. I thought it would end with a correspondence via a magic device, but apparently it was necessary to dispatch a messenger to the royal capital to request an audience. I never imagined that I would have the chance to meet an important person such as the King, much less a second time. Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford laughed when I thought that I would just be handing over a few vials to them. What would we do if we were to present the legendary miracle drug Soma to the King without you, the creator, present, Iruma-dono? Dont worry. Godwin and I will protect you with all our power so you would not be disadvantaged. We cant let the good beget evil. ......haa. With such an exchange happening, were now heading to the Royal Capital. Our members were riding the carriage pulled by Tsubaki like always. Taking the lead was Margrave Volton and his knights, while Earl Rockford and his entourage took the rear so our carriage was in the middle as we headed to the Royal Capital in an ostentatious file. ............ Takumi-sama, please cheer up. I imagine the audience would end after receiving reward from King Lobos. Seeing me sullen inside the carriage, Sophia cheered me up. Its done! Simon smiled at the delighted King Lobos who shouted in a non-king-like fashion. You have an audience with the Guild Master of the Commerce Guild. Afterwards, an audience with the special envoy from Lomaria Kingdom, and then an audience with the two Dukes. Once the audiences are over, you must check the draft of the agenda to be discussed in the next Trination summit. ............ King Lobos collapsed face down on the desk. Then, nearly forgotten, he was told of one more request for an audience. Ah yes, speaking of audiences, Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford had a made a rare request for an audience. As for where to fit them in, the plan is to have an audience with them as soon as they arrive in the Royal Capital. ......it couldnt be about that guy again, now could it? King Lobos couldnt stop the bad feeling creeping on him. The culprit for all their dizzyingly busy life right now. No, he knew he couldnt be called a culprit. He knew this, but he still could not help but complain. It was a request with the signature from those two, so it is likely that it concerns that gentleman. ......jeez, I want to step down. The prince is still a child. I know! I just wanted to try saying it! Just what trouble will he bring this time? King Lobos, whose spirits have frayed in comparison to the prosperity of his nation, practically begged for it to be ordinary. *** Footnotes: 1. holy heck. Im so annoyed by Takumis completely wimpish attitude. Hes totally asking for it. Hes doing this on purpose. :angy: Chapter 335: The audience that pains stomachs Chapter 335: The audience that pains stomachsThe convoy of Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford, two highly influential nobles even in Valkyra Kingdom, which included their knights was truly impressive. A bizarrely impressive carriage ran as if caught between the center of them. Pulling the carriage was an intimidating Dragon Horse that had tough scales covering its body and a sharp horn protruding from its head. Even as it lined up at the queue for nobles arriving into the Royal Capital, the attention it drew did not diminish. Led by Margrave Voltons carriage, we arrived in front of Margrave Voltons capital mansion. Knights on horseback approached our carriage and guided it. Iruma-dono, please park the carriage for a moment and travel with us afterwards. No need, itll be fine because I will store my carriage. Tsubaki who pulls the carriage will also return to the Subspace. I-is that so? I could tell that the knights expression stiffened, but as Margrave Volton already knew that I can bring my familiars in and out, as well as store large quantities in my Item Box, there was no point in being prudent this late. Xervus-san, who ushered us into the Margravial residence, informed us that the audience with His Majesty will be 3-5 days after, so until then, we were to stay in the mansion until then. That night, I had a dinner meting with Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford. The audience, am I needed for it? Naturally. What would we do if we exclude the maker of Soma? Though I certainly did request the ingredients for Soma, the one who did gather them was you, Iruma-dono. Not noticing that I was panicking by myself, Margrave Volton continued to speak. However, the Hermit Peach was the only one that impossible for anyone other than Iruma-dono. I was puzzled when he said that. Sure enough, the Hermit Peach spoils suddenly when harvested. However, that shouldnt be a problem with the existence of the magic bag which had a time delay effect. No, dont look so puzzled. First of all, no one aside from you would walk into the Forest of Death. Well, its definitely a harsh environment, but...... Now that I think about it, we would leave markers at night and teleport back to the mansion, so maybe it would be hard to camp out in the Forest of Death. There you have it. Well, if information about the Soma is leaked out, there would be foolish nobles and merchants who gather materials by letting money talk would surely come out. In doing so, just how many adventurers would be sacrificed...... At that time, the door to the room opened, three people entered with Royal Knight Commander Galahad-dono at the lead, followed by His Majesty, and Prime Minister Simon. Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford rose from their seats and so I too hurriedly got up. ......first, take a seat. The King took his seat, Prime Minister Simon sat beside him, and Galahad stood at attention behind the King. We sat down at His Majestys urging, and the stomach-wrenching audience began. *** Chapter 336: The King, at his wits end Chapter 336: The King, at his wits end So, for what reason could Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford have specially requested an audience with a joint signature? Though, Im afraid to ask. Prime Minister Simon addressed Margrave Volton, who was the highest in standing among us. Moreover, Earl Rockfords daughter should have been inflicted with the Magic Depletion Syndrome, so I would have assumed that you would not want to be distant from your territory, but...... impossible. Simon-sama looked at me with a shocked expression. ......if so, then I understand clearing the room of people. No record of this should remain. Oi! Tell me so I understand too! I dont get what you mean! His Majesty demanded an explanation from Simon-sama who was the only one who understood our reason for coming. Your Majesty, you have heard of Earl Rockfords daughter, Miss Emilia, falling ill to the Magic Depletion Disorder. Hm? That thing? The disease thats said to be incurable and no known cause? Then Earl Rockford shouldnt be nonchalantly coming to capital. Im sure there is work to be done, but Im not so narrowminded as to reproach him for staying close to his daughter in a matter of life and death. Your Majesty, Earl Rockford had brought Iruma-dono along with him here. Do you still not follow? I felt like running away at Simon-samas roundabout way of saying things. Then His Majesty looked at me wide-eyed. No way...... Iruma again, you have something to do with it again!? Your Majesty, please calm down. Your tone is too discomposed. As if I could calm down! He cured an incurable illness that couldnt be fixed by medicine or magic! Just what did you do!? Be honest! His Majestys energy sure is high today... When I wanted to escape reality, Simon calmed His Majesty and began explaining. Wh-, wh- whats with those ingredients!? The leaves and dew of the world tree, I understand. A very limited supply circulate the market. But a dragon heart? Hermit Peach? What a jest. The heart of a 100ft (30m~) dragon is enough. Pick the fruit of an elusive tree that grew natively in the depths of the Forest of Death. That is madness. Margrave Volton only continued once the trios unrest had settled. Today, weve come to the castle today to present Soma to the kingdom. However, the issue is as Lord Simon had stated, if it is known that Iruma-dono had created the Soma, the rotten parts of the Kingdom would act rashly, which may cause Iruma-dono to leave the kingdom. ......we have no choice but to cover it up. Indeed. I will secretly falsify the Treasury inventory. Eventually, it had been decided that we would sell three vials of Soma to the kingdom in secrecy at a reasonable price. The cost would be taken from the Kings personal assets and emergency funds, unrecorded in the ledgers. The kingdom wanted to purchase three more vials, but they judged that buying all six in one purchase carried high risk of being leaked out. Lets take our time, pretend its from a dungeon and circulate it into auctions to disrupt the information. Mhmm, if its an underground auction in the Royal Capital, the seller would not be identified. His Majesty wanted to create favors from their allies Lomaria Kingdom and Yggurle Kingdom, and secure several more for his own country. As such, he was teaming up with the Adventurers Guild to make a fake continuous quest. Lets pretend its a quest that continues for even several years. We will process the record of the time of acquisition properly. His Majesty and Prime Minister Simon confidently made secret accounts, so it might go okay. It wasnt like someone would lose it. After discussions regarding the Soma, His Majesty said that he had something he wanted to ask me. It wasnt a good hunch, but I couldnt say I didnt want to. It looks like this will take long............ *** Chapter 337: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 337 Unexpected Development Chapter 337: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 337 Unexpected DevelopmentSpeaking of which, Iruma-dono, about Miss Sophia and Miss Maria. When are you getting married? Eh? After discussions about the Soma were done, His Majesty suddenly talked about that. I was surprised that he even knew about Sophia and Maria, and I was even more surprised when he talked about marriage. Hm? You havent gotten married yet? If I remember correctly, theres one more, Marnie, wasnt there? Hou, Iruma-dono had three lovers? And like a follow up blow, Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford grinned and teased. To be brutally honest, I want you to marry at least one person from Valkyra Kingdoms noble families. N-no, Your Majesty, I am a commoner. An enclosing remark about marriage flew in from His Majesty. Why did the topic of my marriage come up from His Majesty? When I asked properly, there were apparently many inquiries from domestic and foreign nobles. My base of operations was in Volton City, but Ive also been absent from that one recently. Ive been in the Sanctuary mansion, the newly built Sky Island base, and the Demon Continent base the most these days, and even things like the delivery of goods to the Papeck Company had been all left to Laeva as of late. I see, it was hard to make an appointment with me. At the same time, rather than lower nobles such as barons, one would have to be at least a relative of the Margraves or Earls to be married to me. Iruma-dono, you had been an adult for a number of years as well, so it isnt too early to be married anymore. Yeah, Iruma-dono, you will soon be 20, no? Youre late in getting married. Since even Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford were teasing, I grew red in the face from embarrassment. ......do even commoners hold wedding ceremonies? Ah, Iruma-dono, you were from a remote village. Border villages might not have had the complacency to do so, but in the villages and city in the Volton Margravery, even commoners hold banquets. To say nothing of your marriage, Iruma-dono, it would not be meager. Eh!? M-marriage...... A marriage, I would marry Takumi-sama...... ............ Oh my, Margrave Volton sure did it. If it was just you, you would be eternally indecisive, so isnt this just perfect? When the word marriage escaped my lips, Sophia and Maria turned strange, and Marnie reddened and cast her eyes downward. In contrast, Akane nodded her head as if saying finally. Fufufufufu, okay! Lets make it as showy as possible! Showy nya! Yaaay! Marriage! Akane stood up energetically and clenched her fists with all her might as she declared so. Beside her, Lulu-chan shouted Ohhh! and tossed her fists up. I dont think Kaede really understood it, but she was celebrating. W-wait, Akane, what do you mean showy...... Give up! Youre already acquainted with senior statesmen and rulers from various countries. Also, youre connected to the Papeck Company and Adventurers Guild, the Sanctuary and the various nations in the Demon Continent, and even the Great Spirits would want to celebrate it. You cant just have a small, plain wedding! Ugh, e-even if you say that...... Leave it to me! Well shoot up some flashy fireworks! Seeing Akanes nose flare as she spoke in absolute confidence to leave it to her, I could only worry. When I glanced over at Sophia, Maria, and Marnie, the three seemed happy as they fidgeted. Ahh, seriously, I cant stop it anymore. Even though it should have been about me too......... *** TLN: Ive mentioned this before, but I am really sorry for the inconsistency between usage of suffix and prefixes for people, I keep switching between japanese and english ones. It just doesnt fit sometimes. Chapter 338: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 338 Marriage Concerto Chapter 338: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 338 Marriage ConcertoIt should have been a presentation of Soma to Valkyra Kingdom, but for some reason, the conversation turned to my marriage with Sophia, Maria, and Marnie. No, its not that I dont want marriage. Were basically already in a de facto marriage. Still, a proposal is needed, huh. I was pretty sure that the married higher ups when I was a salaryman said that stuff like that were important too. Sophia, Maria, Marnie, it might be insincere of me to get married to the three of you in one go, but will you marry me? Yes. Please treat me well for many years to come. I called the three of them to a separate room, and proposed to them one by one, and they each gave their answers. Sophia and Maria who were former slaves were apparently a bit conflicted about whether they could marry me. And it seems Marnie who would be remarrying was also largely conflicted. Even so, remarriage isnt uncommon in this world. In this world where life is cheap, the widowing of a spouse was a common tale, so naturally, remarriages were aplenty. Even in my previous life as a salaryman in his 40s, there was no reason to be averse towards a second marriage. Having received the Yes from the three, I began the preparations for the wedding under the leadership of Akane who was, for some reason, gung ho about it. Now then! Were going home! Home nya! At Akanes command, we departed for Volton City from Margrave Voltons capital mansion. Actually, it would have been fine if we teleported, but we couldnt afford to be found out, so our return trip was also in the carriage that Tsubaki pulled. However, since we were going separately from Margrave Voltons and Earl Rockfords carriages, we travelled fast. We held back on the speed so as to not endanger the other people travelling on the highway though. When Akane reiterated so, it seems it would become an outrageous wedding even with only family and friends. Hey, you understand, dont you? Thats why we have to talk to Mimir-chan and the others. Oh yeah, lets call Berkut while were at it. And then, lets also invite Queen Fraal and Ryuka-chan. Wait, hold up. Is it fine to add chan even to Ryuka-san? This time, Queen Fraal and Ryuka-sans names suddenly came up so forthrightly, but she adds chan even to Ryuka-san. Youll go bald if you mind the small things. I wont go bald! How rude. Ill have you know that when I was a salaryman in my 40s, my hair was still thick. And this is the body made by Norn-sama. It wont go bald, now would it? If you get it then lets get to the Sanctuary mansion! The old dwarven men that youre friendly with are there, so youll be able to discuss the alcohol to be served at the wedding too. Sure, Doganbo-san was someone had been associating with ever since the I started living in Volton City when I was learning to handle magic metals. I had no choice but to invite him to the wedding. Then, I remembered the very first people that had taken care of me when I came to this world. Id be really happy to be congratulated by Vanga-san, Martha-san, Bobon-san and the other villagers from Bohd Village. Thinking so, it seemed like it was impossible to have just a small wedding...... *** Chapter 339: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 339 Inconvenient situation Chapter 339: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 339 Inconvenient situation The wedding ceremony being planned for Takumi, Sophia, Maria, and Marnie was a more serious matter than they had expected. Thanks to His Majesty instigating Iruma-dono, incessant inquiries have been coming from Lomaria Kingdom and Samandour Kingdom. No, its troubling if they inquire with our country......U?pTodated novels on Ten days have passed since Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford took Takumi along for the audience. Nevertheless, inquiries came from the nobles and wealthy merchants of the two countries. People who want to have a connection to Takumi. At His Majestys one careless comment, masses of people in the content are swarming Iruma-dono. Iruma-dono is not the type to come out center stage of his own accord, but influential nobles and merchants have noticed the various items brought about by Iruma-dono. If one does a bit of investigation behind the great strides of the Papeck Company, they would find out. So where Iruma-donos wedding is concerned...... People would definitely want to attend. First, there is an issue of where the wedding would be held. It would become an issue if Takumi chooses to hold the wedding in the Sanctuary. That place was one that not even Prime Minister Simon nor the King, could enter freely. Among the key figures of the nations, the sole person who could enter the Sanctuary freely was Yggurle Kingdoms Princess Mimir. Isnt that bad? Yes, very much so. Despite his base being located in Valkyra Kingdom, there is a possibility that there would be no attendees from our nation in the wedding of Iruma-dono, who is an important figure despite being a commoner. We would need the permission of the Great Spirits to enter the Sanctuary. Thats bad... Thats bad, Simon! Above all, the rare herbs produced from the Sanctuary and the materials relating to the Spirit Tree. The supreme fruits grown by the Elves, and the various types of alcohol such as wine produced by the Dwarves living in the Sanctuary. No matter the product, nobles and merchants inside and outside our nation would like to obtain them. There are products produced from the Sanctuary, yes, but the greatest effect of the Sanctuary is the benefit of purifying the Savage lands which, not only our nation but also Yggurle Kingdom and Lomaria receives. Beginning at Wedgefort, the city built by the Trination alliance in the Savage lands where the current Sanctuary is situated, Valkyra Kingdom, Yggurle Kingdom, and Lomaria Kingdom of the Trination Alliance have all been growing prosperously in recent years. All of these were because of the Takumis Sanctuary management. Pushing the daughters of nobles and royalty would be a poor move. At the worst, Iruma-dono would part with our nation. However, as long as he still has a base within our territory, we must show that we have a strong bond with him than any other nation. If possible, I would like the ceremony to be held in the large church in the Royal Capital, but I wouldnt mind Volton. To King Lobos and Simon, it would be momentous to have the ceremony be performed in Valkyra Kingdom. Ask Lord Volton and Lord Rockford for their assistance, if we could somehow hold the ceremony in our country, we can gain our attendance. Umu, lets ask the Papeck Company President for his cooperation too. King Lobos and Prime Minister secretly acted to keep information from leaking to other countries so the ceremony could be held in Valkyra Kingdom. *** Chapter 340: Preparations are going steadily Chapter 340: Preparations are going steadily Unaware that Valkyra Kingdoms King Lobos and Prime Minister Simon were on the move to hold my wedding within the country, I, for some reason, was holed up alone in the Sanctuary workshop. It all began when Akane confirmed with me, who had been relieved after the proposals. Takumi, the proposing is nice and all, but have you prepared wedding rings? Engagement rings would also be great. Eh............... I froze when Akane mentioned the rings. Did this world have wedding rings and engagement rings? Akane looked at me dumbstruck and shook her head in disbelief. I had guessed as much. Listen, Takumi. Wedding rings and engagement rings are important items to women. Its not about how big or small it is. O-okay, Ill prepare it as soon as possible. You may as well make them the best magic items. While youre at it, please make my accessory too. Ah, and you cant use a ring for mine. Leaving me with Akanes brazen request, I hurried to the workshop. If I actually think about it, even if Sophia, Maria, and Marnie wanted rings, they wouldnt tell me themselves. Im an idiot. In the workshop, I placed all sorts of materials on top of my work bench and gave it some thought. Now then, is it fine if the base is mythril? I was a salaryman in my 40s in my previous life, but I had never been married. Ive attended the weddings of friends, relatives, and subordinates, but I was comfortable on my own. Seeing me, Akane asked. No, this is the living room of my house, so Id like it if she didnt treat me like some nuisance. Well, I had something Id like to ask. And so, I asked if there was a custom of presenting rings, if it does indeed go on the left ring finger, and if both engagement and wedding rings go on the same finger. Oh, you realized? Eh? What do you mean? Akane had an evil look as she asked if I had finally realized. The custom of wedding rings and engagement rings wouldnt exist in this world. Here, rings are treated as equipment. Or they could be an accessory that noble ladies use to adorn themselves. Wha!? Then, why? Isnt it obvious? If I get married, I would want rings! Eh............... Akane asserted her own desires so brazenly. That said, Sophia and the girls who were born in this world did not refute Akane. In the end, is it that girls loving accessories is the same in any world? In any case, the wedding rings were complete, and I plan on making the engagement rings according to Akanes instructions. The girls saw me off and waved their hands as I returned to the workshop. They could have at least let me drink some tea...... *** Chapter 341 Chapter 341 By no ordinary means After somehow creating the wedding rings and engagement rings, I then confronted my next problem. Where to hold the ceremony. I thought it would be fine to hold it normally in the church built in the Sanctuary, but there were those waiting in anticipation here and there. Simply put, there were plenty of people who would be troubled with the ceremony being held in the Sanctuary. Only the people acknowledged by the Great Spirits were permitted to enter the Sanctuary. This was related to the innate goodness of the person, but even if they were a good person, the Sanctuary did not have the capacity to accept them so thoughtlessly and without principle. Haa~ this is hard. Haa~ this is tough. Akane, who was in charge of the wedding, sighed, and I followed suit. It was supposed to be held at the Sanctuary church, but doing so would limit invitations to only Princess Mimir who could come and go freely and the leaders of the Sanctuary inhabitants. Personally, I have no issue with that, but ......it would be distasteful.Re?a?d new chapters on Of course it would be. Setting aside who can and cant come, you have to at least invite Margrave Volton, Barack-san or Hans-san from the Adventurers Guild, Papeck-san and Thomas-san from the Papeck Company. And we have to invite Earl Rockford if we invite Margrave Volton. Then, in turn, aside from Princess Mimir from Yggurle Kingdom, wouldnt it be bad if you only invite Sophia-sans parents? Uwaaa~ here comes the difficult topics. Ah! !? Whats wrong!? Dont scream like that all of a sudden, you scared me! Sorry, sorry. Uhh, are Sophias parents doing well? Do you need to have marriage greetings? Ahh~ that was a thing, huh? Maria and Marnie no longer had anyone they could call family. However, Sophias parents were doing well in Yggurle Kingdom. I had met them once before when we visited, but her brother was working in the capital. A man asking for their daughters hand in marriage. Perhaps you need to greet them to be able to marry a nobles daughter. I also have no clue about social etiquette with nobles, so perhaps we should ask Princess Mimir. Instead of choosing where to hold the wedding, that should come first. Then I will ask Princess Mimir. Saying so, Akane left the room. That said, Princess Mimir was in her mansion next to ours, a mere 5 minute walk away. Do I have to make marital greetings to my partners parents? Oh man, now Im nervous. *** Footnotes: 1. Im pretty sure that the city built by the Trination to the east of the Sanctuary was called Valor [mentioned in ch204/ch209], but I guess the author changed it, soooo Ill be changing too. Chapter 342: A father, flustered Chapter 342: A father, flusteredIn the heart of Yggurle Kingdom, a huge tree towered as though it reached the heavens......and at its feet lay its royal capital. When Takumi had an audience with King Lobos in the Royal Capital, the conversation turned to Takumis marriage to his lovers, and so, when Takumi began moving towards that goal upon being pushed on the back, that information was brought to Yggurle Kingdom by way of a spy. Inside a room in the Royal Castle overlooking the World Tree, Yggurle Kingdoms Prime Minster, Elder Balza who was over 700 years old, and this nations ruler, King Forselty van Yggurle, were talking about the information brought to them. Lord Sylphides eldest daughter, Lady Sophia and Takumi-dono Irumas wedding seems to have been decided. According to the report, it seems the selection of the marriage venue and invitees are under way. ......what do you think, Balza? Do you reckon we would be invited? Takumi Iruma, an adventurer and artisan known by the central figures of various countries who is based in Valkyra Kingdom, is getting married to a knight of our country. It is a story to rejoice over if one only heard that, and there would be nothing for Forselty, the king of a nation, to worry over. He was an adventurer and a commoner, and even if she was the Sylphide familys eldest daughter, she was no more than a former knight. It was not an issue that should involve Forselty, a king. ......normally, that is. Our nation has Her Highness Mimir who has a deep relationship with the Sanctuary. Now, while that may be the case, a commoner would normally not send an invitation to the king of a foreign country. However, if we who respect the Spirits are not invited by the protector of the Spirit Tree, the custodian of the Sanctuary, and the individual acknowledged by the esteemed Great Spirits, it would be troubling. It is likely that in Valkyra Kingdom, Lord Volton whom he has a deep connection to is for certain, and perhaps King Lobos would also make a visit. Lomaria Kingdom is questionable. They have a alliance with Valkyra Kingdom, but their direct relation to Iruma-dono is weak. King Forselty thought his own nation was still in a better position. He had heard that his daughter Mimir had built a good relationship with Takumi and his companions. It may be a poor act to forcibly attend the wedding by way of Mimir, but he thought that if the request had been from Mimir, the invitation would proceed surprisingly smooth. Naturally I would ask as such of Mimir, but should I express that I would like to attend the ceremony and the congratulations by way of the Sylphides?Vissit for new novels It is their eldest daughters marriage, as such, Iruma-dono would reunite Lady Sophia and her parents once more, they must visit her parents home. If they will hold a ceremony this time, they may give their greetings. At the time, he was conscientious enough to purposefully come to Yggurle Kingdom so Sophia, a slave he purchased, could meet her parents. Balza believed that he would likely visit them for marital greetings. Discourteous it may be, why would a correspondence from the capital come to me, a Chevalier in a rural area? Please verify the details yourself. I was simply dispatched ahead by Lord Balza. !? Lord Balza!? When the knight said to see for himself and the name of Prime Minster Balza, the eldest in Yggurle Kingdom, a man far higher than himself emerged, Dante looked pitifully flustered to the knight that came. Taking the correspondence from Balza with shaking hands, Dante understood its contents and looked at the knight even more confused. What is written there is true. Lord Balza has already departed from the capital. However, please be at ease. Lord Balza requests that peerage not be minded, and to treat him like normal. ............ After the knight left, Dante, who was stunned, regained himself, running out of his office and into the living room. Freesia! Freesia! Whats wrong? Youre too loud. Freesia, his wife who was sitting on the living room sofa and embroidering, looked surprised as she asked why Dante, her husband, had rushed into the room in a panic. She wondered if something serious had happened. *** Chapter 343: A father, learning of a daughter’s wedding Chapter 343: A father, learning of a daughters wedding Assuming that something major had happened based on the how flustered her husband, Dante, was, Freesia instructed the maid to make tea and had Dante sit on the sofa. After Dante drank the tea and calmed down slightly, she asked once more if anything had happened. What happened, dear? Lord Balza is coming! Lord Balza......you say, as in Prime Minister Balza? Eh!? No way! Even the normally composed Freesia lost her cool. Of course she would. Normally, the low ranking nobles and the leaders of the country do not meet. Moreover, rather than being summoned, Balza himself was coming to the Sylphide residence. It was impossible not to be flustered. Dear, lets make preparations immediately. Y-youre right. Dante and Freesia quickly acted to instruct the maids and butler. The day continued without rest, and a carriage protected by several knights arrived before the Sylphide familys humble mansion. The nervous and shaking Dante, the relatively composed Freesia, and their few vassals were all present to meet the guests. I appreciate you coming out to greet me. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Sylphide. I am Balza who serves as the prime minister. It is an honor to meet you. I am Dante von Sylphide. This here is my wife, Freesia. It is nice to meet you. Welcome. Freesia who was introduced by Dante greeted Balza with graceful conduct. The daughter whom they have not had a chance to meet again since the last time was coming to greet them for marriage. In contrast to Freesia who was rejoicing more than ever, the wrinkles on Dantes brows deepened. Dear, we must celebrate tonight. ......isnt Sophias marriage a little too early? Hah?! Dante broke his silence and uttered something ridiculous, and Freesia and Balza exclaimed in surprise. Dear, what are you saying!? No no no, Lord Sylphide. Lady Sophia is a splendid adult woman, is she not? Moreover, Sir Iruma is a human. Wouldnt he become old in the blink of an eye!? His strictly raised daughter, Sophia, who aimed to be a knight since her childhood had become a slave since becoming a prisoner of war, but he was able to see that she was healthy after a long 50 years. At that moment, Balza could not understand Dantes complicated feelings as doting parent, but his objective was for the attendees from Yggurle Kingdom at Sophias and Takumis wedding to not only be Princess Mimir, but also the King and himself. Dear, Takumi-san was the person who saved the injured Sophia. Sophia also wants to live with him for her entire life. No, thats why Im not opposed to it. Its just, I was thinking, isnt it a bit too early? And if so, then shouldnt she live with her parents with outsiders barred for a short while? Thats unreasonable. Thats absolutely impossible! That child doesnt wish for that either! No, but...... It was a day before Takumi and Sophia visited the Sylphide residence that Freesia and Balza were finally able to persuade Dante to not oppose the marriage when Takumi came to give his greetings. *** Gotta love the Bakaoya at times. lol Chapter 344: If you want to, then defeat me Chapter 344: If you want to, then defeat me Without any family or relatives to greet, we couldnt do anything for Maria and Marnie, but when Akane told me that it was necessary to go and greet Sophias parents, so without even deciding on a location for the wedding yet, we had a bit of a commotion finishing our preparations and headed to Yggurle Kingdom. We teleported to an area off the beaten path away from the barrier raised at the national borders of Yggurle Kingdom, and I brought Tsubaki out of the Subspace and fastened the carriage to her. Haa~ how daunting. Takumi-sama, I dont believe it is necessary to greet father and mother, though. No, this is the right thing to do. Having to do marriage greetings to my future in-laws, something I had not done even in my previous life, is a very stressful event to me. I was able to communicate with Tsubaki using telepathic communications so a coachman wasnt really necessary, but there were eyes from other people travelling the highway, so we more or less took turns sitting in the coachmans seat. Kaede was in her special seat, riding on Tsubakis back. Well reach the border anytime now, right? Indeed. We are nearing the Elven forest. The forest that the Elven race had placed a gigantic barrier over had come into view. Entry into Yggurle Kingdom with a carriage proceeded smoothly. It feels like theres more people and carriages coming and going on the main road than before. The reason for this was likely the trade between the three countries. Yggurle Kingdom had changed considerably. Sophia gazed at the passersby and muttered earnestly. Its really changed that much? I mean, compared to when we visited your home before, I do think theres more people on the main road though. Takumi-sama, the Elves believed themselves to be the best out of all the races that exist. As such, it was difficult to say that diplomacy with other countries was going well, beyond the bare minimum necessary. Im back, Hal-jiji. You seem well. Not at all, I think I will soon return to the roots of World Tree. The Elves belief was slightly different from Humans and Beastkin. They similarly believe in Goddess Norn, but the Elves themselves also believe that they become one with the World Tree when they die, then their soul would ascend to heaven and repeat the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Bam! The door opened aggressively, and Sophias father Dante-san, Sophias mother Freesia who could pass for her sister, and an aged Elf who I somewhat recognize came out. Have we met somewhere......? Father, Mother, it has been a long time. ............ Sophia, Im glad you seem well. Though Sophia had greeted Dante-san and Freesia-san, Dante-san was glaring at me for some reason. Umm, did I do something? While I was wondering so, Dante-san declared something unbelievable to me. Iruma-dono! Y-yes! If you want to marry Sophia, you have to beat me! This is a duel! Huh? The calm atmosphere had frozen over. *** Chapter 345: A Father-in-law, scolded and down Chapter 345: A Father-in-law, scolded and downIt should have been a marriage greeting, but for some reason, I was challenged to a duel, and among our party, Freesia, and the aged Elf we dont know were dumbstruck, the first one to recover was Freesia. Gon! Just as I thought I heard a dull thud, Dante-sans eyes rolled white and collapsed, and Freesia-san was swinging around a mace from who knows where. Now then, its a small house, but please come in. ............ As if nothing had happened, Freesia-san invited us into the mansion.?iscover new chapters on ......will Father be okay like that? Leave him. Sophia directed a cold gaze at the white-eyed Dante and stepped over him as she made her way into the house. Sorry for the intrusion. We also stepped over Dante-san and entered the mansion. At that time, Kaede purposefully trampled over Dante-san in amusement and entered. Hes not a welcome mat, Kaede. Now now, please take your seats. ......e-excuse me. Slightly taken aback by Freesia-san acting normally, we sat on the sofa. Since we came here for the marriage greetings, only Sophia and I were sitting here, while Maria, Laeva, Akane, and the other girls were resting in a different room. Just as I was thinking it was strange that the old Elven man from a while ago was not in the same room, an unsteady Dante entered the room. Freesia, wasnt that too mean? You, sit down too. ......yes. Freesia-san was smiling happily and beside her was a sullen Dante-san looking away. Dear, please put an end to what you are doing. W- no, but Freesia, isnt marriage a bit too soon? Its not at all too soon. Dear, just how old do you think Sophia is? Mother! Please dont talk about age! When Freesia-san began talking about Sophias age, Sophia hurriedly stopped the conversation. Sophia who was over 80 years old was treated as a young girl by Elven standards, so it wouldnt be wrong to say that it was too early for marriage, but it was likely that Dante-san would disagree no matter what age Sophia was. I recall a coworker who had a daughter saying something similar. Well, apart from Sophias age, our daughter had already left home, so I will not allow any objection to this marriage. Thank you very much, Freesia-san. When I thanked her once more, Freesia-san asked me if we were to have a ceremony. Will you offer up a ceremony? About that, Mother, we are commoners, but in Valkyra Kingdom, we are known as adventurers and artisans. Originally, this topic came up in the audience with His Majesty, so its been said that even Margrave Volton whom we are indebted to would be troubled if we are holding a ceremony for our inner circle...... We spoke honestly to Freesia-san about many things that had to be settled, such as how we plan on having a wedding ceremony, where would it be held? Or its scale? Oh my, you have difficult problems. Ah, of course, Dante-san and Freesia-san, you are invited. Fufu, thank you, Takumi-san. Lets leave the difficult subjects here, and we welcome you with all we can so rest well. When the conversation ended without a conclusion, we were told by Freesia-san to relax in the guest room until it is time to eat, so I quickly headed to the guest room where everyone was waiting so I could escape Dante-sans glare. *** Chapter 346: A request from the Yggurle Kingdom’s Prime Minister Chapter 346: A request from the Yggurle Kingdoms Prime MinisterHaving safely(?) finished making marriage greetings to Sophias parents, we stayed in Sophias home. As soon as we entered the room, Sophia bowed deeply and apologized.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels Takumi-sama I apologize. No, I dont mind it at all. I think fathers are really like that. I knew why Sophia was apologizing. It was about how Dante-san had been interacting with me ever since we arrived. Still, I think parents who have daughters would more or less act similar to that. If I ever become a parent and have a daughter, even I might end up saying I will not approve of a man weaker than me. Yeah, its not something to worry about. A bit......well, he was a bit out there, but Freesia-san was sensible, so isnt it okay that it balances out? Akane-san, youre not praising him, are you? Sophia was also surprised by this side of Dante-san that she saw for the first time. To Sophia, Dante-san seemed like a strict man to both himself and others, and not a person that would throw a tantrum and sulk because he didnt want to marry Sophia off. No, based on Freesia-sans attitude, he really had that side to him. Though it was surprising that Freesia-san suddenly beat up Dante-san. I agreed with Marias opinion. It was surprising that she hit him so hard he fainted. The Sylphide familys maid came to us, who were relaxing, to say that dinner preparations were complete. She is not a formal maid. Our family is a Chevalier governing over a small territory and has no money, so were employing the old people from a farmer family in the neighborhood. The maids working in Sophias parents room were the elderly who had retired from farming. I didnt want to harbor unpleasant feelings in Sophias parents home. Dante-san and Freesia-san who raised Sophia must not have been averse to other races for Sophia to be like that. This was unusual for the Elves. The hard reality is that many of the Elves, even the commoners, look down upon the other races. The slightly depressed Dante-san, the smiling Freesia-san, and the aged Elf was at the head of the table. Takumi-kun, I will introduce you. This is the Prime Minister of Yggurle Kingdom, Balza-sama. He appears to have something to request of you. Wha!? ......haa. Sophia was at a loss for words hearing Prime Minister, but I somewhat expected it, so I wasnt as affected. Sure enough, I remember he was among the Sanctuary observation group. Moreover, I could imagine what he wanted to ask. Even though Princess Mimir, who is close with Akane and the girls, was attending the wedding, he was likely discontent about there being no other representative from Yggurle Kingdom. Allow me to greet you. I am Balza who had been conferred the role of Prime Minister of Yggurle Kingdom. Yet, I am simply an old fogey. As Madam Freesia had stated, King Forselty has a matter he wishes to ask of you, Iruma-dono. Me? The prime minster of a country had come to inform me of his kings request. What a joke...... If possible, I would have liked it if we had such a conversation after dinner. I cant taste anything like this. *** Chapter 347: Elven Ceremony Chapter 347: Elven Ceremony The marriage of Iruma-dono and Sophia-dono of the Sylphide family is joyous even for Yggurle Kingdom. The Elven race have a tendency to look down upon other races. Therefore, I believe it is well known that our diplomacy and trade with other countries often do not fare well. However, because the Great Spirits had manifested in the Sanctuary, we had begun working more and more with Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, and trade had flourished. The significance of the marriage between the Human Iruma-dono and Elf Sophia-dono is enormous here. Haa...... So from our country, aside from Princess Mimir, we think we would like it if King Forselty and I could also attend Iruma-dono and Sophia-donos wedding. It felt like he was going to say something troublesome. And just as I thought that and heard what he said, sure enough, it was. I thought it was suspicious because his intro was so longwinded. Wait, what does he mean he thinks theyd like to attend. Normally only the invited get to attend, dont they? Is it different in this world? From Valkyra Kingdom, Lord Volton and Lord Rockford would attend at the very least. If so, I believe our attendance would be of no issue as well. Ahh, so it really was that kind of request, huh? Of course it would be. But I couldnt refuse it if I consider Dante-sans situation. Thinkin so, I glanced in Sophias direction and she nodded while looking sullen. Haa, we have yet to decide on the schedule or venue, so we will send a written invitation at a future date. Inadvertently sighing deeply, I agreed to inviting the people from Yggurle Kingdom to the wedding. It couldnt be helped. Ohh, that is much appreciated. I can face His Majesty now. Also, Iruma-dono, this is another request, but could we ask you to hold the ceremony in the Sanctuary? Ummm, could you tell me the reason why? Look, there was yet another bothersome topic. The Prime Minister, the eldest of the Elven race, wouldnt have gone out of his way to a Chevaliers residence only for the King to attend the wedding ceremony. I believe Sophia-dono knows, but when Elven nobility perform a wedding ceremony, they swear their future at the base of the World Tree. Certainly, Iruma-dono is not a noble and Sophia-dono had left her position in nobility as well, so it is not necessary to adjust to our style, but could you hold the ceremony in an environment where you are able to receive the blessings of the Spirits? For us, it is preferable to hold the ceremony at the base of Yggurle Kingdoms World Tree, but we are not a monolith either. You must cast away any possibility of all sorts of disturbances and unforeseen situations from occurring. As such, the land that receives the blessings of the Spirits, the Sanctuary, is the only option. When Akane mentioned it, I remembered. I heard that the Sylphide familys eldest son, Sophias younger brother, had joined the Chivalric Order in the Royal Capital. Id like to invite Darphy, but I am unsure for how long he could leave the order. So hes called Darphy. Sure, if hes in the Chivalric Order which protects the Royal Capital, then it might be hard to take days off just like that. Fuah~, Master, can Kaede go sleep already~? You can go sleep for the night. Okay~ Good night~ Kaede yawned loudly and sounded sleepy. Ever since entering Yggurle Kingdom, she had been on Tsubakis back and was on the lookout. Lulu-chan and Akane-chan also left together, over to the next room provided to us. Should we all head to bed earlier than usual? Indeed. We do have to leave early in the morning tomorrow. Sophia said so and left the guest room. Dante-san wouldnt approve of Sophia and I sleeping in the same room, after all. That day, I went to bed alone for the first time in a long time. Its not like Im lonely or anything. *** Chapter 348 Chapter 348 I woke up just before the sun had risen. Hnnngh, this bed is hard. Although I cant say it was really bad, the bed that Dante-san and Freesia-san provided in the guest rooms in the Sylphide residence wasnt that great either.Re?a?d new chapters on I got out of bed and finished grooming myself, then, as if waiting for this, there was a knock on the door. Come in. Good morning. Ah, good morning, Sophia. The person who came in was Sophia. Did you sleep well? I was raised in our small residence in the Royal Capital, so I was unable settle in during my first night here. Is that so? The Sylphide family becoming nobles with territory was after Sophia had become a prisoner of war. The last time we came here, we were just in the parlor. This time, Dante-san seemed to have prepared Sophias room. Takumi-sama, I apologize. Sophia apologized all of a sudden. I have no idea why shes apologizing. But it couldnt be helped. I consoled Sophia who was thinking so. Sophia, you dont have to be sorry. I understand your homes circumstances, and they will become my father-in-law and mother-in-law too. Id like to avoid worsening your familys position. Thank you very much. Dante-san, Freesia-san, and her younger brother who had been worried for over 50 years mustnt be disadvantaged, after all. The fact that the Prime Minister of the country had gone out of his way to visit them meant that the countrys honor was concerned. Im just a commoner artisan though...... Then I remembered. Oh yeah, I guess we wont meet your younger brother this time either. A young Elven man called Darphy did not respond to Sophia and their parents, glowered at Sophia, then scowled at me in utter disdain. Why did the prisoner of war who became a slave, the disgrace of the Sylphide family come back!? Moreover, to let Humans and Beastkins into the house, Father, Mother, are you insane!? Wha!? Darphy! Dont be rude to Iruma-dono! Darphy! What is wrong with you!? Sophia was at a loss for words from the immense shock of being met with harsh words upon reuniting with her younger for the first time in over 50 years. To become the slave of a human, it seems you have no pride as an Elf. Because he was Sophias family, I endured in silence, but something in me snapped when I heard his excessively abusive remarks , and I answered back at Sophias brother the next instant. Thats enough! Sophia is no longer a slave! Besides, she became a prisoner of war because she was betrayed by her ALLIES! It wasnt Sophias fault! Dont talk to me you human trash! Darphy! Sophia yelled in anger when Darphy began spouting nasty remarks to me. What, does my wretched sister want to say her final words to me? Fine! I would still tolerate if you said those words to me. But when you say such things to Father and Mother, much less Takumi-sama, I will not allow it! Darphy drew the sword from his hip, and Sophia readied her sword as well. Sophia Please do not worry. This will just be a little bit of discipline. When I tried telling Sophia to not overdo it, she nodded and replied as she confronted Darphy. Why did it turn out like this...... *** TLN: The title actually says VS Younger brother. Chapter 349: Difference in siblings’ strength Chapter 349: Difference in siblings strength Sophia and Darphy-dono were glaring at each other as they squared off. Neither Sophia nor Darphy-dono were using mock weapons, but rather, real weapons. As one would expect, Freesia-san grew pale upon seeing her children drawing their swords to fight each other. Believing that Sophia wouldnt cause him great harm, our companions watched without worry. Sophia held her sword in one hand as she eyed her opponents blade, unmoving. Darphy-dono readied his long sword and and round shield, gradually shortening their distance. The first to move was Darphy-dono. When Darphy-dono swung his longsword diagonally and Sophia easily brushed it off with one hand, his body drifted. He hurriedly jumped backwards, but Sophia remained still without pursuing him. Kuh! Dont look down on me! Darphy-dono shortened the distance in one leap, and swung at Sophia with a side sweep that was difficult to avoid. Sophia handled this so easily, as if it was nothing. Darphy-donos sword fighting was likely the orthodox style of knights. It looks to be the type of swordsmanship for interpersonal fights. On the other hand, since Sophia was also trained in this sword style since she was a knight of Yggurle Kingdom, but perhaps as a result of fighting multitudes of monsters with me, and because she sparred with us, she had refined it into her own original style.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels The little brother is being treated like a child. Its inevitable. There is a 4-fold gap between their levels, so the difference in their status is too vast to bridge with skills. Even Sophias sword skills are higher than his, though. Even to Akanes untrained eyes, the gap in Sophia and Darphy-donos strength was still overwhelming. She could tell they were absolutely safe. Similarly, Freesia-san, who watched her own children fight with swords, was relieved when she figured that the worst would not happen. On the other hand, Dante-san, a knight, was frozen in shock by Sophias strength. (Shit! Why! Why wont it hit!? Wasnt she a useless person kept in a slave shop for 50 years!? Darphys sword continued to swing at and miss Sophia without even landing a graze. Ever since he joined the Chivalric Order, he had been compared to his elder sister Sophia. The sister that was a genius who excelled not only with the sword, but also spears and magic. The younger brother should do his best to get even a little bit closer to her...... Kin! Darphys longsword spun around in the air. Ah!? Dosu! Sophia struck the Darphys head using the hilt of her sword, taking his consciousness. Fuu...... Sophia looked unimaginably lonely as she watched Darphy collapse. When the unconscious Darphy was brought into the house, Dante-san and Freesia-san apologized to Sophia who looked sad. Sophia, were sorry about Darphy. We must have made a mistake with how we raised him. Perhaps ever since that time, we had averted our eyes from our responsibility to this child who was becoming arrogant. Father, Mother, please take care of Darphy. Sophia shook her head, saying that Dante-san and Freesia-san need not apologize, and entrusted Darphy-dono to them. Dante-san, Freesia-san, we would be glad if everyone could attend the wedding. Iruma-dono, I will try to talk to Darphy properly once more. Im sorry. I will persuade Darphy as well. I bowed my head, giving my farewell greetings and went on my way. There had been many tiring things, but the real match starts here...... TLN: Takumi switches between Darphy and Darphy-dono... not that I understand why he needs to add dono to someone who just insulted him and his group. *** Chapter 350: Darphy’s Darkness Chapter 350: Darphys Darkness Inside the carriage traversing along the road in the forest leading to the national border, everyone was comforting the dispirited Sophia. Still, I wonder why Sophias brother ended up having that attitude? Yeah. Even if it is said that Elves were unsociable, Dante-san and Freesia-san werent that extreme. That person looked at Lulu, Laeva-san, and Marnie-san with bad eyes. Sophias expression darkened as Akane and Lulu-chan spoke of their discontent towards Darphy-dono. The Darphy I remember was the little kid always clinging to my back. These 50 years...... I suppose it was impossible for that child to remember me. Sophia muttered, dejected. Given how she didnt meet Darphy-dono when we visited last time, it was even more than 50 years since. It was great that she met that tiny younger brother who had become an adult, but that younger brother directed hostility towards his sister. We could tell it was an unbearable feeling. It is a fact that there were still plenty of bigoted individuals that believe in Elven supremacy among the Chivalric Order and vested nobles in the Royal Capital even now. Darphy must have also been tainted by that...... According to Sophia, the knights of common origins were still better, but a certain number of individuals among the group of knights who were sons of nobles that were like that. She said that they wouldnt accept her, a prisoner of war that was sold to a slave company in the human nation by an enemy nation. Sophia wasnt responsible for being taken prisoner after being betrayed by her comrades though. To Darphy, it must not matter who was responsible. To that boy, the only facts were that I had become the prisoner of war of the enemy nation and then sold to a slave company...... Neither Dante-san nor Freesia-san knew that Darphy thought badly of Sophia. Even though he must have hated seeing his parents worry over Sophia and reminisce for over 50 years, he could not stop them. Hmm, I wonder why that was. I hope Sophia wouldnt beat herself over how ridiculous Darphy was being too much. Now, lets leave Darphy-dono to Dante-san and Freesia-san. And Darphys torment continued as he entered the Chivalric Order in the Royal Capital when he became an adult. Many of the knights in the Order had fought alongside his sister. They evaluated his sister highly, that she was a beautiful prodigy of a knight. And each time, Darphy would be compared. Darphy worked harder than others in order to succeed his family. However, those around him compared him to his sister, patting him on the shoulder and telling him to do even better. The contemptuous evaluation as a disgrace to the Elves, and the praiseworthy evaluation as a beautiful prodigy of a knight. The inferiority complex that he did not want to accept. Darphys emotions regarding inheritance of the territory they gained thanks to his sister were always unstable. It did not take long for Darphy to incline toward the Elf Supremacy faction that denies his sister. (Shit! What the hell was that!? Why was she that strong!?) It was like all the effort hes exerted thus far had been a joke. Though it was entirely due to his persecution complex, Darphy could no longer make the correct judgments calmly. (Ill wreck you up. Getting married to a Human? You think Ill let you pile on more shame on top of everything?) Darkness fell upon Darphys bitter eyes. Darphy wanted to destroy everything, including the territory they gained because of his sister and his position as the successor of that territory. He wanted to destroy it all. Hoever, Darphy did not realize. That Sophia is loved by the Spirits...... That is, that any disturbance would very likely end in failure...... *** Thank you everyone for sticking around for Volume 7 of Greatest Alchemist! As always I take a 2 update break and Ill be back on the 3rd update [Approx. June 13-14]. So Ill see you all then, I have a trip to go to for a bit. I really appreciate everyone sticking with the story! Chapter 351: Ceremony Preparations 1 (Volume 8 START) Chapter 351: Ceremony Preparations 1 (Volume 8 START) We crossed the national border of Yggurle Kingdom, and teleported to the Sanctuary from there. I immediately met with Undine and the other Great Spirits to have a discussion with them. Weve heard the gist of it. So I dont even have a shred of privacy, huh. Everyone gathered, and I grew weak as Sylph said so. I suppose she could listen as much as she likes because of the Wind Spirits...... Takumi, it would be best to hold the wedding ceremony in the Sanctuary. Eh, why? Wouldnt it be difficult doing each and every single check? Undine said that the Sanctuary was the best option to hold the wedding ceremony in. We dont know how many invitees there would be even if it was just our close friends, but there is no doubt that screening everyone would be complicated. When I looked at Akane who was nearby, she was nodding. It seems Akane supported Undines opinion. Regarding security, the Sanctuary which does not let people with evil intentions enter would be easy to defend, leading to the safety of Takumi and the brides. Undine also agreed with Akanes explanation. There are fools everywhere. At the very least, Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford from Valkyra Kingdom would be attending Takumis wedding. Mimir and Forselty would also be present from Yggurle Kingdom. If anything were to happen, Takumi can hold someone accountable. Ah, yeah ......wait, address the king of Yggurle Kingdom properly. It seems that they dont hold back even towards Elves who revere Spirits. As expected of the Great Spirits, I guess? But if thats the case, Im not sure about the size of the church. Then it would be fine if it is rebuilt...... by Takumi. Sylph was pretending to think. She was definitely not thinking of fanything though. Considering this, Undine said that the visitors could stay over in the city beside the Sanctuary. Sure enough, the city that the Trination established together had their embassy-like establishments, and there are high class inns too. Moreover, it was just a carriage ride away, so she said it was perfect. Isnt it distasteful to the other countries if Yggurle Kingdoms King and party were the only ones to stay over in the Sanctuary? But why would they bother traveling to a difference city when their daughter has a mansion here? These are Elven royalty who believe in us. Undine said it couldnt be helped if we give a bit of partial treatment to the Elves. If we consider the Elves relationship with the Spirits, I guess that could be. Why not build some accommodation because of this occasion? Hmm...... Sylph said it so simply, but because it was lodging to be used by high ranking nobility and royalty, it wouldnt just be a building. Theres also the issue of staffing. Though its called accommodation, isnt it okay to just let them use the rooms? After all, nobles and royalty bring people who wait on their hand and foot. No, you see, not just anyone can enter the Sanctuary, right? What would they do if not a single one could enter the barrier? Sylph said it so simply, but the worst could also happen. If that happens, the Kings would have to make their own food...... You need not worry that much. For several days, we will loosen the conditions for people to pass through a little bit. Majority of people, barring those with clear ill intent, would be able to pass through. Will that be alright? Either way, security needs to be perfect. *** TLN: Hello! I really appreciate everyone for sticking around for this long. Weve now started Volume 8. I hope you all continue to read this ^^ Chapter 352: Ceremony Preparations 2 Chapter 352: Ceremony Preparations 2 I was forced to create a new, larger church and construct lodging facilities little by little. Moreover, for the church, we werent simply tearing it down and rebuilding it, there were many things we could reuse, Goddess Norns statue of course being one of them, so it wasnt double the time. Undine and the Great Spirits think that there would be all sorts of risks if the wedding was to be held anywhere other than the Sanctuary. Firstly, since we ended inviting important personages from various countries, they would need a great number of escorts if it was held anywhere else. So on that point, if the ceremony is in the Sanctuary, those handful of people could have minimal escorts because of how the Great Spirits would repel them. What the Great Spirits said was not not wrong. Though, the people who would be repelled might complain. So, are we inviting Berkuts tribe? Theyll sulk if you dont. Ah! The Sky Island would be visible when they pass through the barrier! Since Akane mentioned Berkut, I remembered something important. Currently, the Sky Island is floating above the sea to the west of the Sanctuary. Normally, its visible from the sea side, but invisible from the continent side because of the Sanctuarys barrier. I wont move the Sky Island just because of our wedding. Isnt it fine if its found out? Aside from Berkut, you also have to invite Valkan-san and Valzak-san anyway. Ah, yeah, youre right. Some folks from the Aligerous Tribe were going in and out of the Sanctuary. Especially Berkut, she frequently stays at our mansion. It is inevitable that we invite them. Takumi-sama, will we invite Queen Fraal? ......well, Im fine with inviting Queen Fraal, but...... In any case, if the church and accommodations arent built, a schedule for the wedding cant be finalized. I got a request for the design of the church from Akane. Do a church with a lot of stained glass. Like the Sainte-Chapelle of France? I was thinking a Cologne Cathedral-like exterior would be cool though. Akanes request was a stained glass-covered church. It would definitely have a mystical air about it. Its a heck of a lot of work for me to make though. When I had gone overseas just once because of a work trip in my past life, I remember going to the Palau de la Mu?sica Catalana [1] in Barcelona, Spain. Though it wasnt a church, I have such a powerful memory of the abundant stained glass used, even building a stained glass-shaped dome. Ive also seen pictures of the Sainte-Chapelle too. Stained glass might be good. Its a lot of trouble for me though. Its so important that I have to say it twice. Haa, we cant finalize the schedule without finishing these structures, so I better start now. Ill think about how far the invitations would be taken afterwards. *** Footnotes: 1. Sainte-Chapelles stained glass is this. Cologne Cathedral looks like this on the outside. Palau de la Musica Catalana looks like this inside. Chapter 353: Ceremony Preparations 3 Chapter 353: Ceremony Preparations 3The nonsensically large (by my old lifes standards) Spirit Tree was in view from across the Spirit Spring. If I were to transmute a structure at the level of a cathedral as is, it would create the same amount of space underground, so, because I dont need that big of a basement, I would have to pile up wood, stone, steel, copper, silver ingots, as well as stone and sand to take out silica, sodium carbonate, limestone for the glass, and lead in advance.?iscover new chapters on In addition to these, I prepared the complete blueprint of the inner structure, a complete layout of the outer structure, and a diagram of the interior appearance. I also arranged the perfected illustration of the stained glass on the ground. This was so I could drill the complete image into my brain. Considering the buildings strength, the position, thickness, and number of pillars that were also drawn in. Honestly, it took a long time to get this far. The pews, the statue of Goddess Norn, and anything related to lighting equipment and magic devices from the previous church were all stored in my Item Box. Of course, so they could be reused. Fuu~, focus, focus...... The exterior will have a gothic style, the interior would use lavish amounts of stained glass. This had gotten so absurd...... Transmute! Gogogogogogooooo!! The light of magic power enveloped the piles of materials, and a gigantic structure rose. A large amount of magic power suddenly left me. I hurriedly drank mana potions, and continued to concentrate. The magic power I regained immediately with the instant-acting high efficacy mana potions was being consumed with staggering force. When my magic power was verging on exhaustion for the second time, I drank another mana potion. I went back and forth between exhausting my magic power and replenishing it using mana potions. Then, before my unsteady selfs eyes, a complex design emerged, and the characteristic steeples were complete. As for the inside of the structure, a fairytale-like interior covered in stained glass was perfected. Of course! I came to see the church, after all. Right, Lulu? ............ah! I-its amazing nya! So big nya! Lulu-chan was jumping up and down in excitement at the cathedral that, by no exaggeration, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Lulu! youre too excited! Ha! Im sorry nya! I have shown an unsightly appearance nya. Since Lulu-chan seemed to have calmed down, I brought Akane and Lulu-chan with me and we stepped inside the church. ........................ Oooh! It came out just like I imagined. Leaving behind the dumbfounded Akane and Lulu-chan, I checked every inch of the structure. The stained glass that seemed to cover the interior of the building produced a mystical space that the word magical wasnt enough. A churchs stained glass would normally have a religious motif, but having a religious things from my old life would be strange. Thats why I presented the Great Spirits and Goddess Norns images together with a plant pattern. The structure of the church was also designed in a way that light that shined through the stained glass would cover the interior. After that, I had to install Light magic devices at various areas of the building. *** Chapter 354: Ceremony Preparations 4 Chapter 354: Ceremony Preparations 4A gothic cathedral was built the Sanctuary. Undine and the Great Spirits were overjoyed. Of course they would be. Their images were portrayed in the stained glass, after all. Though the stained glass depicted Undine, Sylph, and the other great Spirits were depicted in a botanical style, the Great Spirits were delighted that Goddess Norns image was strikingly similar to the statue and paintings of the continents Genesis Faith. To me, who had seen Norn-samas appearance, that much was only natural. I also thought it was quite similar when I made the Goddess statue in the previous church, but it was definitely more pleasing with Norn-samas depiction in the multicolored stained glass than with a stone statue. Though the church had been constructed, my work was not over. The church pews were being reused from the old church, but their sizes wouldnt match, so Im remaking them. We also needed a considerable amount of Lightning MDs, so Laeva had to help to increase production. The church had space for the custodians dwelling space too, so it needed various magic devices and furniture for daily life. I was going around checking various places in the completed church when Dryas requested a modification. Umm, adjust the outside? Thats right. Isnt it strange for there to be to only be a building and nothing else built on the grounds? Youre right. In the center of the Sanctuary, if we exclude the Concert Hall and the Church, there was our mansion, the mansion Mimir uses as her villa, and the buildings related to alcohol making, but they all more or less had a fence, and the mansions had gardens. Certainly, a building standing by itself would be strange. Transmute! What I was imagining was a horizontally-long three story resort hotel. A spacious lobby and all rooms were suite rooms of the same size. A space for the manager of the facility. All of which were drawn in a blueprint I drew in advance. I imagined that and activated the magic. Gogogogogoogoooo!! The same amount of magic power I used when I built the church had suddenly left my body. I chugged the potion so as to not lose concentration, and by the time the building was finished, I was completely exhausted again. ......again, I transmuted it in one go. I just cant help it though. Its a pain in the butt. Even though I thought about doing the construction in parts when I did the church, it was definitely a lot of work, so I ended up just doing it in one go. Ooh! What a wonderful building! ......ah, yeah, Laeva. Toilets, lightning equipment, and then water. Leave the magic device installation to Laeva, Takumi-sama, you should rest. Thanks. After I rest up a bit, Ill make the wall around it. When I sat in front of the completed resort hotel, Laeva came with a magic bag filled with magic devices. She said I could leave the installation of magic devices to her. After this, I will isolate this place by building a wall and digging a moat, but...... Ill rest today. ***U?pTodated novels on Chapter 355: Ceremony Preparations 5 Chapter 355: Ceremony Preparations 5 The completed lodge in the east was similar to an isolated island similar to the Dejima[1] in Nagasaki when foreigners were excluded during the Edo period. I doubt it was necessary, but we should keep security in mind. Near the lodge, there was a highway from the center of the Sanctuary to the eastern city. This was enclosed in a moat and walls, becoming the Sanctuarys sole entrance and exit. Well, us inhabitants in the Sanctuary who arent affected by the barrier are exceptions though. The size of the plot was 2 hectares wide, slightly larger than the historical Dejima. I constructed 10m tall, 2m thick walls using Earth Magic, then transmuted it to reinforce them into strong stone walls. I formed a moat on the outside of the wall, then built a 5m long bridge, and created a strong steel gate. As if a matter of course, autonomous acting security golems were deployed to police the area. On the highway connecting to the outside of the Sanctuary, a gate was installed at the border where the barrier was raised. The Security golems and Gatekeeper golems were remodeled from those used for the war against Triaria Kingdom. Im glad the golems that had been rotting in my Item Box could be used again. The church that was just as good as a cathedral was complete, and I had the Elves and Cat Siths assist with the other construction. In accordance with Dryas instructions, flowers decorated the surroundings of the church. The high class hotel-like lodging was also complete, and right now, Akane and Kaede were working hard on the interior. Akane was just listing furniture to be ordered at the Papeck Company, but Kaede also has to work on my fiance?es wedding dresses, so shes very busy. The furniture of the church and the accommodation were being worked on by Doganbo-san and the Elves too. The Dwarves who saw the church I transmuted with reckless abandon were burning with a sense of rivalry, and for some reason, the artistic sculptures and ornaments decorating the church and lodging were increasing. With the establishment of the church and the lodge, Ive reached a point where I could pause my work. Next though, Ill have to send out written invitations...... Umm...... of course well have to send a written invitation to Sophias mother and father, then just in case, to her younger brother too. That works. Then well send one to the king. Things related to royalty and nobles are like this, I guess. Barack-san and Hans-san of the Volton Adventurers Guild, AH! We also have to invite Heath-san, Lyle-san, and Bogah-san! Lions Fang, was it? Theyre A rank adventurers, so its fine if theyre around nobles and wealthy merchants. Isnt it perfect then? You want to invite people from Bohd Village, right? Id feel sorry for them if the only people around them were important people. Right. I definitely want Vanga-san and Martha-san to attend. The issue is how far Bohd Village is from the Sanctuary. Normally, it would take a regular horse three days to reach Volton City. Then it would take another two days from Volton to Wedgefort. Then from there to the Sanctuary. It was a very difficult hurdle for Vanga-san and the others living in Bohd Village. About that, arent you already going there to meet them? Of course you cant show them you teleporting, but youve shown Tsubaki when we went there once before? You have a point. Ill deliver the written invitations personally and then bring them back with me at the same time. That sounds like a plan. I left the decision of who else to invite up to Akane. I wrote the invitation for Vanga-san and the others, and began preparing to go to Bohd Village. *** Footnotes: 1.Dejima example. -Dejima (Japanese: u, exit island), in the 17th century also called Tsukishima ( Bu, island that sticks out), was an artificial island off Nagasaki, Japan that served as a trading post for the Portuguese (1570C1639) and subsequently the Dutch (1641C1854). For 220 years, it was the central conduit for foreign trade and exchange with Japan during the isolationist Edo period (1600C1869), and the only Japanese territory that Westerners were permitted to set foot. (Source: Wikipedia) Chapter 356: Ceremony Preparations 6 Chapter 356: Ceremony Preparations 6 My view changed in the blink of an eye. The Sanctuary landscape changed into one with a village that was still nostalgic yet had developed even more since the time I visited the second time. I teleported to Bohd Village in between the busy hours preparing for the ceremony. The last time I came here, it was when we had just taken guardianship of Akane and Lulu-chan, so we went to Bohd Village to disappear from Volton just a little while. Now that I think about it, compared to that time, Akane had lost all her reservations. Since were pretty similar age-wise, it was probably like she was treating me like a brother. The walls and gate beyond the villages means came into view. Since it would be bad if I teleport right in front of the gate, I teleported a slight distance away from the village, but Im glad no one was coincidentally passing through the main road. There were no visitors the first time I came into the care of Bohd Village, but now, there were those who visited for various reasons, so I was lucky I wasnt discovered teleporting. I have to be more careful. When I walked closer to Bohd Village, I saw two security golems standing imposingly at either side of the gate. They seem to be working just fine. 2.5m tall all-magic metal-made golem possessed enough strength to discourage those like thieves. When I reached the gate, there was someone who Ive never seen in Bohd Village standing there, and he called out, suspicious of me who had walked here by myself. Oi! Did you come to this village by yourself? What is your reason for coming? Umm, I came here to meet some of my acquaintances, but...... I guess it was suspicious to be alone even as an adventurer. As I thought so, I presented my Adventurers Guild card. Wha! Pardon my discourtesy. Welcome to Bohd Village. Thank you very much. Okay then, sorry for the intrusion. Since I came to Bohd Village this time to give Vanga-san and Martha-san a written invitation, I obediently agreed and followed her. Now, come in, come in. Ill make you some tea. Thank you very much. Vanga-san and Martha-sans house which I hadnt visited in a long time wasnt rebuilt, but they did place some fine carpeting and couch inside. It was proof that the once near-destitute Bohd Village had become wealthy. After talking to Martha-san for a short while, we heard the door slammed open loudly, Vanga-san came back. Martha! There was apparently someone who looked just like Takumi in the village! Dear, your voice is too loud! Thats not it, Takumi is...... isnt that Takumi?! Say it if youre coming back! Vanga-san, its been a while. Vanga-san approached in long strides and hugged me, who had stood up to greet him, and patted me on the back. Vanga-sans conveyed how he was truly happy to reunite with me through his hands, and I also smiled happily. Yep, Bohd Village is great. I thought once more about how Im so glad that the first people I met since coming to this world were the people from Bohd Village. *** Chapter 357: Ceremony Preparations 7 Chapter 357: Ceremony Preparations 7 What was that!? Thats a celebration, isnt it!? Vanga-sans loud voice echoed throughout his house. After visiting Vanga-sans house and having a feast of a lunch, the three of us drank tea. During that time, I talked about why I came to Bohd Village, and Vanga-san and Martha-san rejoiced as if it was their own sons special day. My, my, congratulations Takumi-chan! Thank you very much. So, I came to deliver the written invitation to you two, Martha-san, Vanga-san.Re?a?d new chapters on I retrieved the invitation from my Item Box and handed it to Vanga-san and Martha-san. ......oh Takumi, sorry but Ive never left Bohd Village. Could you write the directions to the place? Is it alright if people like us attend? Both Vanga-san and Martha-san spoke of their worries about departing from Bohd Village. Moreover, the Sanctuary was not in Valkyra Kingdom, nor was it a place that ordinary villagers could readily travel to. Majority of the normal people living in this world spend their entire life in the place they were born in without leaving. Unless they were a merchant or an adventurer, they would not travel with the risk of encountering monsters and thieves. Much less venture out to a foreign country, such things were beyond the imaginations of those living in villages. Well, the Sanctuary wasnt a foreign country. Rather, it isnt even a country at all. That aside, I had to persuade them that they could leave everything to us and that it was fine as long as they just come. Understood. After the ceremony and a break, everyone will come to Bohd Village. Everyone in the village would be happy. And so, my affairs in Bohd Village are over. Next, I have to drop by the Papeck Company and Adventurers Guild in Volton. As could be expected, I couldnt take the invitations directly to Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, and King Valkyra, so it would be mailed to them via the guild. Because that would take time, the wedding will be 2 months from now. Sending invitations by way of the guild, it would take roughly a week by express mail within Valkyra Kingdom, however, it also had to be sent to Lomaria Kingdom and Yggurle Kingdom. Actually, if were only speaking of invitations, it could be transmitted through the communications MD that the Adventurers Guild has, but official invitations in the form of a written letter were important. Thats why nobles and royalty who were sent invitations in each nation were apparently making preparations to depart for the Sanctuary before the written invitations arrived. If it was two months from now, there was no need to rush the construction of the church and accommodations. Well, considering that it takes several days from the Royal Capital to Volton on a normal carriage, it couldnt be helped that it takes time. According to Akane, wedding ceremonies take several months to prepare even in Japan. It was something that I had no clue about in my previous life. I promised to pick up Vanga-san and Martha-san a few days before the wedding, then left Bohd Village. I walked until I was out of sight from the gate, and after making sure theres no one around, I teleported to the Volton mansion. Maybe Ill go to Papeck-sans place first. *** Chapter 358: Ceremony Preparations 8 Chapter 358: Ceremony Preparations 8 Its been awhile since I went to the Papeck Company personally. Recently, product delivery were left entirely to Laeva. Huh? Did the store get bigger? I shouldnt have forgotten where the Papeck Company was located, but it feels like the building became large and extravagant. It has a store sign that says Papeck Company so this is definitely it. It was originally a large company so its building was large even in Volton, but...... When I entered the building, an employee seemed to have recognized my face and went to the head clerk Thomas-san. My, my, Iruma-dono, it has been a long time. Sorry for not keeping in contact, Thomas-san. Come now, this way please. Papeck should also be coming back soon. Thomas-san led me into the reception room, and there, instead of the room I came to previously, it was one or two ranks more extravagant. I will bring some tea right away, please wait. Ah, please dont worry about it. After a bit of waiting, Papeck-san entered the room. My apologies for the wait. Takumi-sama, It is great to see you. Long time no see, Papeck-san. Likewise, Ive been so busy I havent been able to come here personally. We exchanged greetings and moved onto the main agenda for today. Today, I brought an invitation to Sophias, Marias, Marnies, and my wedding. Ohh! It is finally happening! I had been so worried it hadnt happened yet. Congratulations, Iruma-sama. Papeck-san and Thomas-san gave their blessings. When I handed Papeck-san the invitations, Papeck-san immediately verified its contents. Yes. When I entered the Guild Masters room, Barack-san was covered by documents like usual. Ou, its rare for you to come visit me yourself, Takumi. It doesnt seem like trouble. Well, sit. Yes. Ah, Hans-san please listen to this as well. Me too? The three of us sat on the sofa for guests, then I handed them the invitations. On this occasion, Sophia, Maria, Marnie, and I are going to have a wedding ceremony. As such, we would like it if Barack-san and Hans-san could attend. Ohh! What a celebration! Congratulations, Takumi-kun. I told them the schedule of the ceremony and talked about the lodging for invitees. Of course well attend. Hes right. We will definitely have to adjust GMs schedule, but thats fine. That means, GM, please settle the official documents. Wha!? You arent saying all of them, are you? No, all of it. Being told so, Barack-san had a faraway look at the mountain of official documents piled up. I handed the invitations for the Lions Fang to Hans-san, as well as request the delivery of the invitations to Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom by way of the guild. ......it cant be helped, Ill finish up the documents in a jiffy. Ok, well work on making some spare time, so lets meet in the Sanctuary. Yes, Ill be waiting for you. Having finished my errands for the Adventurers Guild, I teleported from the mansion to the Sanctuary for the wedding preparations. *** Chapter 359: Wedding Ceremony 1 Chapter 359: Wedding Ceremony 1 In the city to the east of the Sanctuary, extravagant carriages gathered one after the other. From Yggurle Kingdom, the King, Queen, and Prime Minister Balza entered the city with their escorting knights. The countrys key figures had vacated their country, but the Elven nation has advisors who have a powerful right to speak known as the Elders, so it seemed to be fine. Dante-san and Freesia-san planned to come directly to the Sanctuary. What could Darphy-san be doing...... Similarly, from Lomaria Kingdom, the King, Queen, and Prime Minister Drehd arrived in town with their escorting knights. From Valkyra Kingdom, the King, Queen, Prime Minister Simon, Margrave Volton, and Earl Rockford brought their families and arrived in town. I dont know if Papeck-san and Barack-san were arriving at the eastern city. The royalty of each country had a great number of escorts and servants, so it was easy to tell they arrived. However, this is where some trouble started. Nobles and merchants whom I had not invited were beginning to gather in the east city. Included among them was Earl Hordia who was aiming for Sophia, and Yggurle Kingdoms King and Prime Minister were even more tense than I was if any issue would occur. The invitees from various countries and a few attendants took a break in the eastern city then moved to the accommodation located in the detached island I made in the Sanctuary. In the harbor to the west of the Sanctuary, I received contact that Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san of Accuros arrived aboard the magic warship Oceanus. What was surprising was that Queen Fraal only brought Ryuka-san, and only the two of them visited. Inside the accommodations, Elves and Mermaids were busy preparing to greet them. Earl Hordia had snuck into the dispatched trading parties at every opportunity with the intention of infiltrating the Sanctuary, but with no success. Earl Hordia and his subordinates, Elves who had been forsaken by the Spirits, were obviously unable to pass through the Sanctuary though. Shit! Sophia was a woman that was supposed to be mine! A human is too unworthy! Even the King and Princess Mimir were in support!? ............ When Earl Hordia began spouting reckless remarks towards their own nations king and princess, the subordinate definitely remembered to keep their distance. Earl Hordia who was able to do as he pleased in Yggurle Kingdom using the power of money and connections, had finally lost the protection of the elder whom he had blood ties to. With the purge now unstoppable, Prime Minister Balza was now taking the lead in gathering evidence of Earl Hordias injustices and criminal acts hitherto, however, that man was unaware that he had forgotten sincerity in his mothers womb. Earl Hordia was not the only person with ill intentions who gathered. Greedy companies, thieves, and even the Dark Guild had headed for the city to the Sanctuary. However, because the Trinations royalty and nobles had come on this occasion, their units combined to maintain public order, apprehending a mass of thieves, the Dark Guild, and the merchants that hired them. A portion of the mass of criminals were sent to Wedgefort and tossed into jail. Whether he liked it or not, the wedding of Takumi, a simple commoner, had garnered the attention of many people. *** Chapter 360: Wedding Ceremony 2 Chapter 360: Wedding Ceremony 2 A simple carriage ran through the newly completed highway in the Sanctuary. Yggurle Kingdoms low ranking Sylphide houses carriage and it was running directly towards the Sanctuary. ............ Sitting inside the carriage was the patriarch of the Sylphide Family, Dante, his wife Freesia, as well as the young man who had a stiff expression and spoke not a single word, the younger brother Darphy who wanted to destroy his sisters things. Darphy, please watch your attitude. King Forselty, the Queen, and Prime Minister Balza are also attending the ceremony. Behavior like before is unacceptable. ............ After the fight with Sophia last time, Dante repeatedly explained the truth to Darphy, but essentially nothing reached him. A dagger was concealed in Darphys bosom. Moreover, the blade was covered in poison. Like this, as long he could cause an injury...... that was all Darphy thought about. His target was Takumi. He thought that to target what his sisters greatest source of grief and suffering would be, Takumi. Moreover, inside the Sanctuary, Sophia would likely not be constantly guarding Takumi. Even less so in the wedding. She would be busy with bridal preparations. Darphy had undoubtedly not realized. Though it was true that Sophia was always by Takumis side, it did not mean that Takumi could not fight. Rather, he was unaware that, setting aside experience, Takumis skills and status surpassed hers. And though the Spirits of the Sanctuary, beginning with the Great Spirits, would not permit violence in the Sanctuary, but Darphy had not realized that he could not hear the voice of the Spirits at this time. He would soon come to realize. What kind of place the Sanctuary was, how much power the Great Spirits had. From the carriage that traveled on the new stretch of highway on the southwest direction of Yggurle Kingdom, the walls enclosing the Sanctuary could be seen. Few carriages passed through the first barrier, and it did not take the carriage of the Sylphide family to pass through the gates. ......is this where we will stay? No, we arent staying here. ? Dante, overwhelmed by the extravagant accommodations of the completed Dejima, wondered if this was where they were staying, and Freesia denied it. It seems we would be accommodated in Takumi-sans mansion in the center of the Sanctuary past this gate. ......did the Spirits inform you? Dear, you should be able to hear it as well if you just calm down. How about composing yourself? When Freesia said so, Dante grew red. Darphy, who was unable to hear the voice of the Spirits, mistakenly thought that this was because he also wasnt calm . Leaving the security golems inspection, the carriage headed from the Dejima into the Sanctuary and the enormous Spirit Tree came into view. ............ ......the air is so pure. While Dante and Darphy were dumbfounded at the sight of the Spirit Tree, Freesia was impressed by the purity of thee air in the Sanctuary. *** Chapter 361: Wedding Ceremony 3 Chapter 361: Wedding Ceremony 3 To elves who have the eyes to see Spirits, the Sanctuary was a land of marvel. ......so many Spirits. ......its even more than around the World Tree. ............ From inside the carriage running along the road from the Dejima to the Center of the Sanctuary, Dante and Freesia spoke out in admiration. That once was a monster nest densely filled with mana was now a purified land overflowing with abundant greenery, and from the Spirit Spring gushed copious pure water. This was not just a place where existing Spirits gather. It had become the land where new Spirits are born. Looking at Dante and Freesia-san be surprised at the appearance of the Spirits with a sidelong glance, Darphy desperately concealed the panic by himself. Darphy realized at this point that he could not hear the Spirits voices, much less see their forms.U?pTodated novels on (W, whats going on!? Why is this happening!?) Though he was desperate not to show it, cold sweats ran down his back and his body was trembling slightly. Had Dante and Freesia not been in a trance at the spectacle of the Sanctuary, they would have immediately realized Darphy was acting abnormally. And, he soon realized that the dagger on his chest was missing. That meant that the Spirits were monitoring him. When he thought that, even without his sword and dagger, he could still launch a surprise attack with magic, he realized that he could not refine the magic power in his body. This was, of course, the result of the Great Spirit Sylph, whom the Sylphid family based their name from, temporarily sealing it, and Darphy who had been forbidden from using magic that could be an Elven trait was unable to calm his panic. The knights of Yggurle Kingdom, all of whom were elves, were different from other knights as they were more similar to magic swordsmen. Therefore, even a physical ability enhancement becomes a support magic type fighting skill based on manipulation and control of magic power. The current Darphy is appalled to learn that he had fallen to a second rate swordsman. Thats right. Besides, it makes us seem self important. Fufu, rest at ease. Sylph, Undine, and Dryas talked to Dante-san, Freesia-san, and Darphy-dono who were practically prostrating. Y, yes, we are extremely honored to meet the Great Spirits. ............ Dante-san greeted Sylph and the Great Spirits very tensely, and beside him was Darphy stood unmoving, frozen like a statue. Sophia, could you get Mimir-sama to come? Indeed. If Mimir-sama were to act as the buffer for the Great Spirits, Father and Mother might feel slightly more relaxed. We somehow managed to guide the Sylphides into the mansion, and the man acting as coachman and the two maids were guided to a separate room. Sophia left to call Mimir-sama who had recently mostly been staying in the mansion next door. As a result, the Sylphides nervousness only increased. Now that I think about it, Mimir-sama was Yggurle Kingdoms princess. I guess its only natural to be nervous if youre in the presence of the princess of your country. *** TLN: I think I should specify that I will now be doing a 3-4 schedule for updates. 4 day intervals seem too long and unfair, but I cant do 3 day intervals either because I am always exhausted, so it will most likely alternate between 3 and 4 days so there are still 2 chapters per week. I hope to have your understanding on this, and if this does not agree with you, I still appreciate all the support you all have shown me up to this point. Chapter 362: Wedding Ceremony 4 Chapter 362: Wedding Ceremony 4 The people who stepped past the walls and moat at the western part of the Sanctuary were uniformly wide eyed in amazement. ......Drehd, isnt this completely different from the previous observation? ......quite so. Your Majesty, would that be the place we would stay at? It is quite the splendid building. King Lomaria and Prime Minister Drehd were surprised to see the Dejima and accommodations the last time the Trination came to observe. The Queen was genuinely delighted with the extravagant lodge. Because it was a secluded area, the royalty and nobles were permitted to bring their attendants and escorting knights. The accommodation built with great attention to detail by Takumi and the Dwarves was so breathtaking even for Royalty. Your Majesty, the comfortability of this sofa...... it is magnificent. Could we ask if we could buy it? Fumu......it definitely is extraordinary. Checking in and relaxing in a luxurious room, King and Queen Lomaria were amazed at the various furnishing of the room and by the quality of the bed and sofa. The day after King Lomaria arrived at the Sanctuarys accommodation, Valkyra Kingdoms royalty, Margrave Volton, and Earl Rockford arrived at the Sanctuary. ......oi oi, Simon. Did the Sanctuary have a place this luxurious to stay at?ViiSiit for latest novels ......No, it did not exist when I visited last time. Takumi-chan guided us here so its okay. I guess we wouldnt have to meet the important people if we have room service. Vanga and Martha of Bohd Village were picked up by Takumi, brought to the Sanctuary, and checked into one of the rooms. The grade of the room was lower than those for royalty and nobility, but the room which was still more extravagant than the luxury inns in Volton and the Royal Capital was a first for the couple who had never left Bohd Village. Having received an explanation on how to use the bath and toilet from Takumi, they sat down on the extremely comfortable sofa, drank high quality black tea, and did their best to calm down. Papeck and Thomas of Papeck Company, now one of the leading trading company in Valkyra Kingdom, were, of course, not phased, but even so, they were still captivated by the never before seen gothic-style buildings and artistic sculptures. ......Thomas, do you think they would trade with our company? ......these are quite the magnificent furnishing and sculptures. Perhaps Iruma-sama was not the only one, the Dwarven masters must have also been involved. ......Takumi-sama is busy so that would be impossible. No, if its just a few...... but, I cant say that it is for our company...... Papeck stared intently at the furnishings, sculptures, and the structures, talking to himself as he walked aimlessly inside the lodge. Mr. President, please calm down. The objective this time is Iruma-samas wedding. Please save such talks for another occasion. Mu, hmmmm~ you have a point. It cant be helped. Warned by Thomas, Papeck reluctantly returned to their room. His indomitable spirit for commerce would likely get carried away with appealing to Takumi after the wedding. *** Chapter 363: Wedding 5 Chapter 363: Wedding 5 The guests and Sanctuary residents were eagerly waiting for the leading actors from inside the cathedral. The royalty from the Trination, who were initially overwhelmed by the exterior of the cathedral, stepped foot inside and were so deeply moved that they shed tears at the stained glass adorning the interior. ......Your Majesty, would it be possible to request this in the Capitals church? ......n-, wait, the budget............ King Valkyra hurriedly dodged the request of the Queen who had been entranced at a glance. He frantically explained to the Queen that if they were to build a church like this, the expenses would be outrageous. In actuality, Takumi transmuted stones, wood, and the like using magic, but even then, commissioning a building of this magnitude is not something he could simply agree to, even taking alchemy to account. Somehow, it was when they took their seats they noticed that there were a large diversity of races from the invitees inside the cathedral. Lord Volton, isnt that a Devil? Lord Rockford, there is a race with white wings over there. Yes, inside the Cathedral, Queen Fraal from the Demon Continent, and even Valzak and Valkan of the Aligerous Tribe were present. There were Mermaids also present, but in their humanoid forms, they look no different from normal humans. The Seven Pillar Great Spirits lined up in a row, awaiting the entry of the brides. The Great Spirits duties today were to replace the minister. If pushed to say, I thought they themselves were also the subjects of faith, but they said it was fine because they were the divine messengers of Goddess Norn to the very end...... but it doesnt seem like it was fine at all. Aside from Princess Mimir and the Elves residing in the Sanctuary who had gotten used to them, Yggurle Kingdoms King, Queen, and Prime Minister shedding tears as they prayed...... Last time, Balza-sama who visited the Sanctuary as part of the observation group of the Trination should have met them, but he was down on his knees crying as he prayed at the sight of the Great Spirits. Ahh ahhh, your snot is dripping. The Elves working behind the scenes hurriedly ushered Yggurle Kingdoms royalty to sit. When the inside of the Cathedral calmed down, the Sanctuary Orchestra began playing music. Ahh, another one of Akanes doings. Mendelssohns Wedding March. This was the thing that signals the entrance during the wedding. Theres no way the people of the Sanctuary would know that though. Then, the door opened, and Sophia, Maria, and Marnie were lined up in their wedding dresses. Dante-san was escorting Sophia. Though it could be said to be a matter of course, he was trembling. Poor thing. Marias escort was a pale faced, nervous Papeck-san who had likely been asked in a hurry. Marnies escort was Doganbo-san, and he was standing magnificently. As expected, Doganbo-san isnt phased by anything other than smithing and alcohol. Seeing the three brides, the guests involuntarily gasped. The girls who were always so close to me were so beautiful that I was in a daze. *** Chapter 364: Wedding 6 Chapter 364: Wedding 6 My beautiful brides, Sophia, Maria, and Marnie stepped forward, onto the red carpet laid down. Sophias wedding dress was apparently called a Princess Line. It was a showy dress with a traditional design, but it suited Sophia well. Maria wore a mini wedding dress. It was perfect for the very lively and cute Maria. And Marnie was wearing a mature dress that was fit from the bust to the waist, and hem extends into a tailfin-like hem known as the Mermaid Line. The guests from Yggurle Kingdom were awestruck as they watched the three walk down the isle. Perhaps because they were seeing newborn, low ranking, and high ranking Spirits happily flying around. Before long, the guests aside from the Elves were gasping inadvertently. Even without being able to see the Spirits, they could still see the faint light emitted by the Spirits.Finnd new chapters on Its strange, but after creating this church which could be called a cathedral with no exaggeration, the inside of this church became the place overflowing with Goddess Norns presence inside the entire Sanctuary even if it wasnt intended. It might be easier to understand if its called a strong power spot. Perhaps as a result of this, it had become possible for even those who werent Elves to see the Spirit lights so easily inside the the church. As the Spirits mood rose, faint lights flickered, creating a whimsical scenery. Lights danced around the stained glass depicting the Great Spirits which covered the entire church. As the music played, I received Sophia, Maria, and Marnie from their bridal escorts. Dante-san, Papeck-san, and Doganbo-san returned to their respective seats, and Undine began to offer us words of congratulation solemnly, yet it echoed to every corner of the church. We were amazed by the building made for our accommodation, but on the day of the wedding, the church built in the center of the Sanctuary had us jaw dropped. It was far more impressive than the Genesis Church in the Royal Capital. That thought became even stronger when we went in. Did they paint on the glass? The glass was so expensive that it couldnt be used on the windows of a commoners house, but...... the glass walls drawn with the Great Spirits and natural scenery covered the church. It was as though we came into a dream world. When the boy wearing formal attire appeared in front of Goddess Norns statue and the Great Spirits manifested behind him, the officials of Yggurle Kingdom cried and offered prayers. When the Great Spirits of their respective elements gathered, the residents of the Sanctuary began playing instruments I have never seen before. With music Ive never heard playing in the background, the three brides walked down the red carpet towards the place the youth was waiting at. What happened then? Werent faint lights of all colors beginning to fly around? It was as if it was conveying how it couldnt help but be happy. Could these be the light of the Spirits? From the Elves reaction, it was likely that the Spirits were dancing around inside this church. There, the beautiful Elf Sophia-dono who was wearing a pure white dress never before seen in any party in the Kingdom, the beautiful Maria-dono who was overflowing with cuteness, and the Marnie-dono who had a mature feminine beauty were walking towards the front where the boy was. The three who had been escorting them returned to their seats. Sophia-donos father, and... isnt that Dwarf who should have been a blacksmith in Volton? So he was in the Sanctuary? And the last one was Papeck, huh...... One of the Great Spirits accepted the marriage between Iruma-dono and the three brides, and when she openly declared them to be married, light began to gather in Goddess Norns statue. What is happening? *** Chapter 365: Wedding 7 Chapter 365: Wedding 7The light that gathered on Goddess Norns statue transformed into a large figure of light in Goddess Norns form. As I stared at it, stunned, it felt like the Light Norn-sama smiled. Light Norn-sama opened both arms and that light burst like sparkling rain as if to bless those gathered. Norn-samas light glittered and danced in the space where the Spirits were flying around. The melody played by the Sanctuarys orchestra played inside the church where everyone watched speechlessly. ......Norn-sama has descended. ......yeah, it is most certainly Norn-sama. Even to the Great Spirits, Norn-sama was a special existence. Gnome and Salamander were amazed. ......I can feel Norn-samas power. ......yes, its exceedingly warm. ......it was thanks to Takumi. Right. ............ Undine, Sylph, Dryas, Selene, and Nyx were in tears, deeply moved. The Great Spirits were trembling with emotion...... which meant, when I looked at the guests, there were those who were off of their seats and down on their knees in prayer. ......Norn-sama, Im glad youre giving your blessing...... but what are we gonna do about this? Well, the event isnt over just yet. After this, the guests will move to the banquet space of the lodge, and the reception would be held there. In commoners marriage in this world, after receiving a simple blessing from the priest at the church, they do hold banquets, but because royalty and nobility were attending, the reception was similar to what was held in my old world. That said, even though its called a reception, it was closer to a ceremonial dinner. there werent things like entertainment and celebratory toasts. Sophia, Maria, Marnie, congratulations. Now then, well escort you to the reception hall. Now, this way please! Akane came with Lulu-chan and took my wives with her. It was necessary to touchup their makeup. Though they wouldnt be changing dresses. And as for me, I rushed to the lodges kitchen. For the bridegroom to help with cooking, isnt that strange? I talked to myself about how this didnt make sense. For the marriage reception today, the Sanctuary inhabitants were helping. However, the menu was decided by Maria and Marnie after consulting with Akane, and for some reason, I, the bridegroom, ended up helping with food prep. Takumi, your Cooking Skill is high, so you could make anything. was why I was pushed into it by Akane. Sure, its more efficient if I help because I could use magic to save time. But that said, Im still not convinced. When I burst into the kitchen, the Sanctuary residents who were skilled at cooking were busy working. Instructed by the Elven woman taking charge of the kitchen as the head chef, I moved around as their hands and feet. Why did it end up like this............ *** Chapter 366: Reception 1 Chapter 366: Reception 1 Although Norn-samas descent happened during the wedding, the ceremony somehow ended peacefully and the guests returned to the Lodge. After a short intermission, the wedding reception opened. Inside the kitchen, Elves, Beastkin, and Humans were in a state of war. Umm, the main will be Dragon Steak alla Rossini[1], right? I took out the dragon fillets from my Item Box and handed it over to the Elven Head Chef. The dragon steaks was cut up to single serving sizes and grilled. The grilled dragon steaks were then stored in the magic bag I made. That magic bag doesnt stop time, but it had been enchanted with a time delay effect, so the steaks would rest with just enough time. Another Human staff saute?ed the Storm Bird liver. The liver of the Storm bird was very similar to foie gras. I made the sauce. Madeira wine was mixed into the fond de veau and reduced. For the final touches, I mixed butter into it to emulsify the sauce and I tried tasting it for flavor. Okay, this is it. I sprinkled a bit of salt onto it to complete it, then handed it over to the head chef. Still, to be able to make madeira wine in the Sanctuary, the Dwarves are terrifying. To make madeira wine, grape juice undergoes a yeast fermentation, then ethanol concentrate is mixed in to fortify it and kill off the yeast, forcefully stopping the fermentation. Since the fermentation is stopped, the sugar content of the grape juice remains, so the sweet wine was made. The current sanctuary produces red wine, white wine, champagne and the like, madeira wine, ale, whiskey, and brandy. I knew Dwarves obviously had it, but Elves also had a similar passion for it.Finnd new chapters on When I attended my friends wedding in my past life, I remember being served beef filets topped with foie gras alla rossini at the reception, so I decided that this would be the main course at our wedding reception. I leave the rest to you. On the table, an assortment of bright colored appetizers were being enjoyed by the guests. This was no different for the royalty, nobility, and prominent company presidents either. Everyone was equally smacking their lips at the food served and were wowed by the delicacy of the white wine. Thomas, there is a possibility we could obtain the recipe for this cuisine, right? ......perhaps. Master and Iruma-dono have a connection, so it may be alright. Yeah. Lets try asking so the people outside the sanctuary could delicious food. Takumi didnt know that the style of serving dishes one at a time like with French courses, was not typical in this world. This world typically serves large quantities of food in large platters all at once. Even Takumi didnt think too deeply about when he ate at Margrave Voltons and at Earl Rockfords, so he ate without any malaise. Even the restaurants downtown had no course meal style, just main course plus wine or ale. Takumi quickly moved up in Volton and obtained a house and workshop early on, then entrusted all the daily necessities and meals to Maria, so because he didnt eat out much nor had he gone out to eat at a high class restaurant, he did not realize this. Changing the alcohol to match the food is also superb. Yes, food served in large platters are also good, but this style is also good. The dish in front of Papeck and Thomas were switched to a fish dish. It was cooking that made the best use of the fish caught by the Mermaids at the west sea so it naturally left the people from inland cities and villages in a trance. *** Footnotes: 1. The dish comprises a beef tournedos (filet mignon), pan-fried in butter, served on a crouton, and topped with a hot slice of fresh whole foie gras briefly pan-fried at the last minute. The dish is garnished with slices of black truffle and finished with a Madeira demi-glace sauce. 2. It should be pointed out that, technically champage, madeira and many other alcohols can only be called as such because they are produced in certain regions. Examples: Champagne can only be produced in the champagne regions of France, otherwise it is only a sparkling wine. Chapter 367: Reception 2 Chapter 367: Reception 2 The main dish was served to the guests at the reception. T-this is! What dish could this be? To be served a dish this heavenly...... Father! Its delicious! Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford were astounded by its taste, while Madam Rose looked enchanted. Miss Emilia also looked at the dish in a dreamlike trance. The other nobility and royalty were also reacting positively. It would seem the main dish served, a dragon fillet steak and saute?ed Storm Bird foie gras alla Rossini, had thoroughly pleased the guests. Dragon meat tastes far better than marbled beef...... I had also eaten all sorts of monsters since coming to this world, but the best was dragon meat. In the first place, even Orc meat was more delicious than pork and boar meat. Takumi-sama, this is extremely delicious. Please teach me how to cook this later. Master, I will do my best to recreate this flavor too. Y, yeah, later. I was under the assumption that it would be impossible to eat a lot because they were wearing wedding dresses, but my ladies were stronger than expected and they ate everything that was served. Undine and the Great Spirits were enjoying the food and drinks at a table close to ours. We couldnt invite everyone in the Sanctuary to our wedding reception, so there is a banquet being held and the entire Sanctuary is in festivity. Ooh, its just about time for dessert. Fruit tarts made of plenty of fruits grown in the Sanctuary were cut up, served to the guests. The women seemed fascinated by its colorful sight, their eyes were sparkling. The sweets in this world were nothing but dry and crumbly cookies, but because of Akanes and my influence in the Sanctuary, we can eat western confectionery like pudding, pancakes, crepes, ice cream, and fruit tarts to traditional Japanese confectionery like mitarashi dango, sweet red bean soup, sweet bean jelly. And it was enjoyed not just by the girls in our group, it was also popular with the women and children in the Sanctuary. This is it, this fruit tart is the best. I like the strawberry cake with whipped cream though. Its unfortunate theres no pudding. I wonder if I could put ice cream on the fruit tart? ......I want anko. Undine, Sylph, and Dryas ate the delicious looking fruit tart. I guess Selenes favorite food was ice cream. Nyx, I dont think anko would suit the fruit tart. Beside the female Great Spirits eating dessert, Gnome and Salamander poured their own drinks. I wish the Great Spirts would stop pouring themselves alcohol. To someone like me who knew about my old worlds wedding receptions, this could only be seen as a dinner party, but this was good because it was fun. ***ViiSiit for latest novels Chapter 368: What to do on the honeymoon? Chapter 368: What to do on the honeymoon? The reception which welcomed guests with all sorts of food had ended, and the guests will stay over in the Sanctuary for the night and depart tomorrow. Apparently, after that, they would have a Trination Conference in Crossfort City nearby. Vanga-san and Martha-san who were invited from Bohd Vollage were enjoying going around the Sanctuary with Kaede. Theres no problem with it if its Vanga-san and Martha-san. Rather, Id like them to migrate. At present, there is a forest to the north and a grassland to the east of the Sanctuary inhabited by many wild animals. Vanga-san might not be able to hunt down monsters outside the Sanctuary, but he should be more than capable if its in the Sanctuary. Yesterday, we had danced a lot at the wedding, so I wanted to lay back on the sofa,......but I couldnt do that. Sophias parents were staying at our house, so I couldnt show them I was untidy. ......umm, are you alright? You need not mind us, Takumi-chan. Its not everyday one could be lectured by a Great Spirit. I heard something that got me worried, but was told by Freesia-san who had become my mother-in-law that it really wasnt anything to be worried about. What we were talking about was Darphy-san who secluded himself in a room after attending the reception after the wedding. It was as though his soul left his body, right, just like that that boxing manga from my old world where his eyes were pure white and burned out. Umm, even Dante-san had become very docile...... Yes, Dante-san had been hostile ever since we made our marriage greetings, but he had become docile ever since the wedding. Takumi-sama, let me answer that. Then Sophia, who sat opposite of me and was beside Freesia-san, talked about the reason. It would seem Dante-san was also lectured by Sylph and Undine. Dante-san had apparently been seriously depressed by the sermon from the Great Wind Spirit and Great Water Spirit whom the Elves had a strong connection to. Takumi-sama who had created the Sanctuary is somewhat of a benefactor to the Great Spirits-samas. And Sylph-sama found out that father had been scowling at such a personage, ...... He got scolded for that? Hearing Sylph and the others scold someone for such a trivial reason makes me feel even more sorry. Oh yeah, Gnomstoll, we havent gone there. Ah, thats true. Even though there are a lot of Dwarves in the Sanctuary, we totally forgot that. Well, it cant be helped. The Sanctuary and Gnomstoll Kingdom were on the western and eastern edges of the continent, after all. Maria and Sophia were in favor of the idea to visit Gnomstoll. No reluctance whatsoever. We had gone to Samandour Kingdom once or twice, but weve never had the chance to visit Gnomstoll. Doganbo-san who I got acquainted with in Volton City, Golan-san who was called the Godcraft in Gnomstoll Kingdom were living in the Sanctuary. We have to take Vanga-san and Martha-san back to Bohd Village, and we have to make preparations so we cant go immediately, but should we all go to Gnomstoll Kingdom? Eh!? With everyone? When I mentioned everyone was going, Akane explained in surprise. Yup, we may as well go with everyone, was what I was thinking. Indeed. It would be fun if everyone came. Yes, it feels weird if only we went on a trip. I also think it would be better to go with everyone. Even Maria, Sophia, and Marnie found it strange to go without everyone. In the first place, this is a world that didnt have the concept of honeymoons, so it wouldnt make sense for only the newly-weds to go on a trip. And if they werent adventurers, its common sense to hire escorts for the trip. W- well, if you guys say so then I wont say more. Though she said that, Akane looked really delighted. Of course, its much better than housesitting the entire time, after all. And so, our honeymoon plans began to move.Finnd new chapters on Chapter 369: The shocked people Chapter 369: The shocked people While Takumi and the group were planning out the honeymoon trip, the guests who attended the wedding and the reception had sustained tremendous shock. That was no different for King Valkyra and King Lomaria who had visited the Sanctuary previously. As for King Yggurle, he could not see what was around him because he could only see the Great Spirits in front of him. Seeing the Great Spirits lined up, he must have sensed the depth of the connection between the Sanctuary and Takumi once more. And above all, that phenomenon, the descent of Goddess Norn, the Goddess of Creation. When Takumi had received not only the Great Spirits but also Goddess Norns blessing, the Kings and Prime Ministers were at their wits end pondering that influence. That also include the cathedral-like church that appeared in the Sanctuary. The never before seen majestic exterior, and the eye captivating stained glass upon entry. In this world, plain colored glass used as stained glass existed. However, the stained glass they saw in the church of the Sanctuary was an entirely special case as it made the existing ones seem like childs play. That cant be shown to the officials of the Genesis Faith.Re?a?d new chapters on Just thinking about it makes me shiver. ......could they be banned from immigrating? There was a summit meeting because the three Kings and Prime Ministers would normally not have the opportunity to gather in one place, but King Valkyra and King Lomaria had a shared realization that the religious officials should not be told about the cathedral in the Sanctuary nor that Goddess Norn had descended to grant her blessings. Only King Yggurle was thinking if it was possible if he could somehow retire at the Sanctuary. Of course, Prime Minister Balza shot him an icy look. King Valkyra and King Lomarias worries were simple, if the officials of the Genesis Faith were to know of the Sanctuarys church, they surmised that they would wish for a similar church. Originally, the churches of the Genesis Faith were practically buildings constructed plainly and simply, and the church in the Royal Capital was no different. Thats because their doctrine is that if they have the money to build a gorgeous building, then they should use it to save people. That exudes more majesty than extravagance, a building worthy to be the church of the Goddess. The exterior is magnificent, but knowing the stained glass inside, they would most certainly want it in the church of the Royal Capital. Yes, they do not have the budget to build a cathedralesque church. The Genesis Faith was a remarkably respectable organization as a religious organization, and aside from the minimal maintenance costs, all of the offerings and monetary assistance from the country went towards the operational expenses of the orphanage and helping the poor. Thats why many of the church buildings were built with the budget of the state, and they couldnt tell the church should pay for the construction because it was a church building. Could we get it to be built cheaply? It is likely we would have to haggle. Our nations honor is in a bind. Haa...... The sighs of the three kings overlapped. The recent boom in the economy had improved the financial situation of each country, but the negative inheritance, namely the war with Triaria and the collapse of former Sydnia, had held them back. In the end, they went to Mimir who had come from the Sanctuary to visit the Queen to ask her to ask if they could commission for the construction of the churches for a low cost, and...... Eh, Takumi-sama? Theyre leaving for a trip with everyone. I also wanted to come along, but as you may have expected, I had to refrain from doing so. ............ The Kings decided that they would hide the information regarding the church built in the Sanctuary by any means necessary. *** TLN: Hello~ Im sort of back from my trip, but some other stuff came up immediately after so I need to attend to, so Im sorry if there are delays. I appreciate your patience! Chapter 370: Honeymoon? Chapter 370: Honeymoon? Somehow, things got weird. How did this happen? Since Akane was coming along, I knew Lulu-chan who was acting as her attendant was also joining as a set. So, it would have been sad if Laeva was left alone to house-sit. Kaede was my familiar, so there was no issue. But...... I wonder why Doganbo-san and Golan-san were discussing the route right in front of my very eyes. This all began when I asked Doganbo-san and Golan-san about Gnomstoll Kingdom. This was when we were taking Vanga-san and Martha-san back to Bohd Village. The topic of transportation came up there. We cant use the Ouranos, right? I think it would be fine if flown at high altitude. Tsubaki can pull the carriage until Bohd Village in any case. Though I think it would take too much time if we used the carriage for the entire trip.Re?a?d new chapters on I thought it would be easier if we flew there using the Ouranos, but thinking that it would stand out too much, I asked the others. Sophia said that it would be fine if we fly at high altitudes, while Akane was also disinclined to go on a carriage the entire time. Theres nowhere we cant go if we teleport to the center of the former Divine Empire of Sydnia. Takumi-sama, there are many people from other countries entering Sydnia now, so it would be troublesome if we are found out. Theres a lot of us so we would stand out, huh? I thought it would be easier if we teleport halfway, but I was stopped by Sophia. Besides, its not really much of a trip if we teleport, now is it? Well, youre right...... W, well, umm, its our honeymoon...... Even though its my honeymoon...... I was surprised that Golan-san left his wife and children to go to the Sanctuary, but Doganbo-sans parents were alive and well, huh. As expected of Dwarves. Just a long living race thing. I just thought about it like escaping reality. Sophia, Maria, and Marnie, who were people in this world with no concept of honeymoons, readily accepted travelling with Doganbo-san and Golan-san, and Akane and the others saying anything about it would be like the pot calling the kettle black. That being the case, it was decided that Doganbo-san and Golan-san were coming along for the trip. By the way, would the alcohol production be fine? I asked if it was fine for Golan-san who led the Sanctuarys alcohol production, and Doganbo-san who worked as a blacksmith for the Sanctuary residents to be gone for a long time. Theres absolutely no problem. Its Gnome-sama and Salamander-sama who are heading the alcohol production. Im just the leader of the distilled liquor division. The wine divisions leader is the Elf Vaudeville. Hell sub in for me for a while when Im out. Gnome and Salamander, you say...... I see them much less in comparison to Undine, Sylph and the others...... so they were hanging out in the brewery huh. Theres someone else who can do my job for a little while. Well, he has a point. Without realizing it, the Dwarves had increased. What should have been a route consultation turned into an increase of companions for our trip. This is a honeymoon, right? *** Chapter 371: Preparations seem to be necessary Chapter 371: Preparations seem to be necessary Having decided that the honeymoon destination would be Gnomstoll Kingdom, and with Golan-san and Doganbo-san deciding the route and coming along for some reason, we began our travel preparations. Though were travelling with Tsubaki pulling the carriage which was faster than any normal carriage, because were travelling from one end of the continent to the other, it was necessary to make preparations.Vissit for new novels We always have a ton of food in my Item Box, Sophia and everyone else also had some in their magic bags. Golan-aniki, are we taking alcohol with us? Umu, thats already a given, but...... it would be a problem if we bring too much. Ahh, certainly...... better without it. Golan-san and Doganbo-san were talking about alcohol souvenirs. Not knowing what the problem was, I asked the two who spoke with serious expressions. Whats the problem? Whats the problem he says. Its a huge problem! Thats right, Takumi! If were careless, the country would collapse! They scolded me with such intensity for my nonchalant question. I dont get it. Takumi, have you drank any alcohol from outside the Sanctuary? Hmm, did I? I dont really remember. Yeah. Were not exaggerating anything. ......umm, no alcoholic souvenirs then. Thats all one can say if one is being scared like that. Umu, that would be the safest. Please take care not to talk about the Sanctuarys alcohol. G-got it. Dwarves are frightening. Come to think of it, Golan-san travelled all the way from Gnomstoll Kingdom on the eastern edge of the continent all the way to the Sanctuary solely on the feeling hed be able to drink delicious liquor. And I forgot that there were many of such Dwarves here in the Sanctuary. Even then, Golan-san and Doganbo-san told me to keep alcohol in my Item Box for us. Well be the ones to drink it. Isnt that obvious? We can no longer be satisfied by alcohol from other places. I had intended to cram it deep into my heart, but it seems it slipped out of my mouth. Just what is Doganbo-san saying is obvious? Well, in any case, theres a lot of liquor for our consumption in my Item Box. Seriously, a lot...... *** Chapter 372: Vanga-san and Martha-san’s decision Chapter 372: Vanga-san and Martha-sans decision I should have been consulting Doganbo-san and Golan-san about a route to Gnomstoll Kingdom, but for some reason, I am storing the duos alcohol in my Item Box. When I was preparing for the honeymoon(?), Kaede, like always, entered the room energetically. I heard from her that Martha-san and Vanga-san, who were staying in the Sanctuary, wanted to talk. Ill head over to the couple for the time being. Master! I want to ask you something! Hey Takumi, I have a request but...... Whats the matter? Did something happen? Vanga-san and Martha-san were at the living room at Kaedes guidance. Vanga-san was surprised to see a large mansion built on the best location at the center of the Sanctuary, and after joking about just how far I had succeeded, he suddenly began to talk with a serious expression. Well, today, we were sightseeing around the Sanctuary with Kaede-chan. Umm, about that...... Ah, this is irritating. I will ask. Takumi-chan, can my husband and I live in the Sanctuary? Eh!? Youll move from Bohd Village? How great would it be if what Martha-san wanted to speak about after being impatient when Vanga-san seemed like he couldnt speak was what I wanted. About Vanga-san and Martha-sans migration. I wholeheartedly welcome you living in the Sanctuary, but would Bohd Village be alright? Vanga-san worked as a hunter in Bohd Village, but the current Bohd Village had increased in population and even had an Adventurers Guild sub-branch, so it would probably be fine if his primary work was not as a hunter. And since his younger son had also become a full fledged hunter, he thought to take this chance to pass on the house. I also love Bohd Village, so I thought I would live in that village until I die, but me and Martha thought that it would be nice to live in a place like this. Hey, Takumi. If Vanga-san and Martha-san are becoming residents of the Sanctuary, isnt it okay to just teleport to and from the Sanctuary? ......is that so? Would it be alright making a round trip between Bohd Village and the Sanctuary? Vanga-san and Martha-san who would become Sanctuary residents would sooner or later find out that I could use teleport magic, so instead of postponing our travel for a few days, wouldnt it be better to shorten the time by teleporting? ? What is a teleport? Going there and coming back? Hearing Akane and I talk, Vanga-san and Martha-san were bewildered. The installation-type Gate was a given, but even Teleportation magic was considered a legendary class magic in this world, so Vanga-san and Martha-san who lived in a village on the outskirts of the region had no inking as to what we were talking about. Then Ill take Kaede along because a large number of people would stand out. That is fine. Were busy with preparations, after all. I dont know what exactly they were busy with, but it seems the girls had a lot of travel luggage. Just in case, everyone was given a Magic Bag. It had more than enough space to carry all their clothes from the closet, so I think theres no reason to be worried. Then Master! Lets go! Yeah, lets get going. Kaede clung onto my back and was pulling on me to hurry up, so I had taken the clueless Vanga-san and Martha-san to Bohd Village by teleportation. ***Re?a?d new chapters on Chapter 373: Moving Chapter 373: Moving The scenery changed, and I confirmed we teleported to a location a distance away where we could see the gate of Bohd Village. Wha!? I-isnt this Bohd Village? Ehh?! Whats going on!? Please calm down. I informed Vanga-san and Martha-san who were becoming Sanctuary residents about my ability to use Teleportation magic. While doing so, I told them that it was a secret to everyone other than the Sanctuary residents. ......ah, yeah, my lips are sealed. Yes. If this is leaked out, it would be made use of by countries. I think the King and Prime Minister of Valkyra Kingdom are probably fine, but they might prioritize their countrys profit. Well, there are plenty of other things about the Sanctuary that must be kept a secret, but eh, one step at a time. Master! Lets hurry up and go! Okay, okay. We were hurried by Kaede to walk to the gate. I gave the two security golems standing on either side of the villages gates. Thats when the villager standing guard addressed us. Oh, if it isnt Vanga-san and Martha-san. Youre back. And Takumi and Kaede-chan escorted you back? Good work. May we pass? Yeah, welcome back to Bohd Village. It made me happy when the gatekeeper said Welcome back. As I thought, this village is definitely an important place to me. Good morning. Ahh, morning Takumi. Good morning, Takumi-chan. We have this much luggage, but would that be alright? After greeting Vanga-san and Martha-san good morning, I handed Vanga-san a Magic Bag. Please put your luggage inside that Magic Bag. It would be handy for when you sort out your stuff in the other house. Ooh, thats amazing. Its my fist time seeing a Magic Bag. Then we shall borrow it with appreciation. Vanga-san and Martha-san stored their luggage into the Magic Bag. It was then that Ganbo-san, who was inheriting this house, showed up. Please take good care of mom and pop. Yes, please dont worry since theyll be back at the village once in a while. We shook hands and bid him farewell. It seems he was happy to have become the head of the house and be acknowledged as a full fledged hunter by Vanga-san. Met with a grand sendoff, we left Bohd Village. The villagers waved as they watched us be on our way, so we had to walk more than intended, but that couldnt be helped and I just resigned myself to it. Once I confirmed that there were no pedestrians and no one watching in front or behind us, I teleported to the Sanctuary with Vanga-san and Martha-san. *** Chapter 374: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 374 We’re leaving this time! Chapter 374: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 374 Were leaving this time! After preparing Vanga-san and Martha-sans house, I introduced them around the neighborhood, and I was relieved that they got along with Martha-san and Vanga-san faster than I expected, perhaps because of their good dispositions. I told Vanga-san about the entrance to the forest on the north and the grasslands to the west of the Sanctuary, and that he could hunt there. Just in case, I entrusted them to Sylph and Dryas so nothing bad could go wrong. Well then, contact us if anything happens. Yes, leave the matters of the Sanctuary to us. The Great Spirits have all gathered, so I believe there wouldnt be much need for Takumis strength, but we would be glad if you could come back once in a while. Gotcha, well come back every several days. In front of our mansion in the Sanctuary, Undine, Sylph, Dryas, Selene, and Nyx were seeing us, who were leaving for the honeymoon, off. At that time, we were told not to leave the Sanctuary for too long.. It isnt mentioned so much that I could forget it, but I am pretty much the Protector of the Spirit Tree and the Keeper of the Sanctuary Well, its not like anything would happen would happen while youre gone. None, huh...... well, I care about the Sanctuary so its fine though. Though Undine said it wouldnt necessarily be that anything would happen just because Im not present, Ill still come visit once in a while because Vanga-san and Martha-san will be on my mind until they become accustomed after immigrating, and if the residents have some sort of issue. What part do you want to touch on? The interior is a matter of taste and the space had been expanded so there is plenty of space, so theres no need to do anything to that. But I was thinking of tampering with the undercarriage a bit. Fumu, certainly the performance of the undercarriage of this is incomparable to other carriages, however, it still has room for improvements. Im under the impression that this carriage is fully protected against monster attacks. As for comfort, suspensions were introduced, it wasnt too bad compared to the other carriages. However, it might be possible to improve the performance of the dampers and suspension or take the magical approach to it. Yeah, I wanted to do maintenance on the Ouranos, but thatd be impossible here in Lomaria. Golan-aniki. The Ouranos definitely cant be shown to Lomaria. Is it not fine to do so after arriving at Gnomstoll. Eh? Its fine if its inside Gnomstoll Kingdom? Golan-san said that he wanted to do some maintenance on the Ouranos, but Doganbo-san said that they should be patient until we arrive at Gnomstoll. Gnomstol Kingdom is the nation of Dwarves. There is no worry of plagiarizing or stealing the work of others. Well, they may pester you with all sorts of questions though. You could be respected, and theres no need to worry about it being destroyed or confiscated Well, Golan-san and the other Dwarves also helped with the production of the Ouranos, so it would be alright with the temperaments of the Dwarves? I think its amusing that with the remodeling of the carriage, our departure from the Lomarian Capital to Gnomstoll Kingdom was delayed. ***U?pTodated novels on Chapter 375: Is this really a honeymoon? Chapter 375: Is this really a honeymoon?Having arrived at the Lomarian Capital, we stayed at the capitals highest class inn. We have a lot of money, after all. Our room assignments are as follows. Sophia, Maria, Marnie, and I are in one room. Akane, Lulu-chan, Laeva, and Kaede are in another. Doganbo-san and Golan-san in one more. After spending a passionate night, we ate room service breakfast in our largest room as we talked about our plans for the day. Since were finally on a trip, there may be places we each want to go to. Lulu, Laeva, and I will go shopping. Obviously, since were at the capital, we have to see the latest trends in fashion. Lulu wants to eat sweet things nya. Laeva wants to see the magic device shops. They all had different places they wanted to go to, but it was certain they would go shopping at the capital. Okay! Kaede will also go to delicious food stands! Umm, could I ask you to? Well, its fine if we go with 3 or 4 people. Kaede brought up wanting to do an eating tour, but this wasnt the Sanctuary or Volton, so Kaede who was my familiar couldnt walk around town by herself, so I had to ask Akane. So, should we also explore the capital? My apologies, Takumi-sama. I was thinking of going to buy cloth with Maria and Marnie...... It is for our underwear, so it would be a secret from Takumi-sama until its complete.. Dear husband. You must be tired, so please rest well today. ......ah, i-is that so. I watched my wives backs as they left happily. This is a honeymoon, isnt it? Theyre leaving me alone? was what I was thinking when Doganbo-san and Golan-san came around. Lets go, Takumi! Come on! Make it snappy! As expected, the ambiance is very different in a different country. Youre right nya. Its different from Valkyra Capital and Sydnia too. Come to think of it, you two had lived in Sydnia, hadnt you? Sniff sniff, something smells good over there! Leaving the high class inn in the Lomarian Capital, Akane Lulu, Laeva, and Kaede enjoyed window shopping. The money from hunting monsters habitually was split evenly amongst the members, and Laeva helps with Takumis work so she gets wages for that too. Thats why the three and Kaede were carrying more money than a lower noble. When were at the Sanctuary, we dont get to use money much. The shops in the Sanctuary are cheap nya. We also make our own clothes and underwear. There are stores that sell foodstuff, daily necessities, alcohol, and clothing in the Sanctuary, but Akane and the girls are saving more money than they could spend. Ah, should we go to that store next? Lulu wants to buy candies nya. Laeva wants to look at that magic devices. Kaede wants to eat meat! As they mentioned their own desires, the four of them enjoyed roaming the capital Sending a sidelong glance towards Takumi who was working in the Sanctuary workshop, they enjoyed the capital the whole day. ***ViiSiit for latest novels Chapter 376: The effects of the collapse of the former Sydnia were deeply rooted Chapter 376: The effects of the collapse of the former Sydnia were deeply rooted Even though were on our honeymoon, I entered the workshop after briefly looking around the Sanctuary and saw two old dwarves tinkering with the carriage, discussing this and that as they remodeled the carriage. Its important, so I will say this as many times as necessary, but this is a honeymoon, right? In the end, I made claws that protrude from Titans feet using adamantite alloy. Of course, I fine tuned it while asking for the opinion of the person himself. Master, my, apologies. Nah, its fine because Id be happy if you told me if you have any requests. Im paying attention to the needs of the Golem...... When Sophia, Maria, and Marnie walked around the Lomarian Capital, they attracted the gazes of both men and women. Amongst the Elven race already filled with beautiful people, Sophia was a woman whose beauty caused a noble to go mad. Maria, a woman who combines sweet and cute with the charm of adulthood. Marnie, a Rabbitkin which is ridiculed as a trophy pet race, boasted of a style that glued mens eyes onto her. When three such beautiful girls walk around in town, it was inevitable that attention would gather. And when that happens, the unsavory bunch who are up to no good come out...... Hey they, pretty oneechans. Play with us~ Hyahyahya! Were C rank adventurers, you know? They must have been fairly capable adventurers. Three men in dressed in relatively decent armor called out to the girls. In fear of getting involved, the surrounding bystanders escaped. Which meant that this unsavory bunch had gotten into the similar trouble before. However, the people they called out this time were truly terrible. The girls just walked without even so much at a glance at the men who spoke to them. Oi oi, hold up! I said lets play! The ruffians cut the girls path. Haa... insects are blocking our path. Sophia-san, its wrong to call these insects. Theyre just raw garbage. Fufu, Maria said it well. Well, it was not much different from the Valkyran Capital. When it comes to food stalls, Valkyra Kingdoms is better nya. Their magic devices are slightly behind. Kaede ate lots! The Akane group seemed to have had fun. We bought all sorts of lace and threads. For threads, Kaede-chans threads are still number one, as expected. There were some designs we could use as references. My wives also seemed to have enjoyed themselves too. According to them, the underwear designs I sold to the Papeck Company also seemed to be popular in Lomaria, and there were underwear with different designs and cloth being sold in the shops. Papeck-san, youre really making the big bucks huh. As we were travelling along the road at unusual speeds, Kaede who was on Tsubakis back saw something in front of us. Master, it seems theres a fight at the front! As soon as Kaede detected it, I also sensed it. A carriage is being attacked. Its not monsters. I could tell that the carriage running in front of us was surrounded by many horses. Lets hurry! Understood. Master! It would normally be difficult to catch up to a carriage running far us. But this is us were talking about. The carriage Tsubaki pulls can overtake them in no time at all. Tsubaki enthusiastically increased her speed even more. A gigantic Dragon Horse blasted down the highway. *** Footnotes: 1. [1] Chapter 377: Running away…… Chapter 377: Running away...... This is the main road connecting Lomaria Kingdom and Gnomstoll Kingdom. Therefore, it was an important road where many merchant groups come and go. Naturally, Lomaria Kingdom make an effort to keep public order, but...... The collapse of the Divine Empire of Sydnia to the south of Lomaria Kingdom had cast a shadow on the territories adjacent to it, Lomaria Kingdom and Triaria Kingdom. After the fall of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, four countries ` Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, Yggurle Kingodm, and Samandour Kingdom ` decided not to divide and rule the land during the council held. That was because these countries did not want to carry the evident burden of the land and its closed minded subjects who had been dyed with the idea of being the chosen race. In the end, it was decided that the former Syndnia would go from a Divine Empire to a vassal state of Lomaria Kingdom. And the aftermath of the collapse of the country extended to the main road connecting to Gnomstoll Kingdom. A portion of the Templar Knights and soldiers who had nowhere to go had, of all things, formed bandit gangs and began operating in Triaria Kingdom, Samandour Kingdom, and Lomaria Kingdom.Re?a?d new chapters on Run faster! Theyre catching up! This is the limit! Stop complaining! Well protect them even at the cost of our life! The voices of the knights could be heard from outside the carriage. Though the recent deterioration of public order was a concern, who could have imagined that we would be attacked by a large group of bandits so close to our territory. My name is Rosary von Arenberg.[1] . The second daughter of the Arenberg Margravery which controls the south west section of Lomaria Kingdom. The Arenberg Margravery, possessing the land which connected to Triaria Kingdom and the former Divine Empire of Sydnia, was a military family known as the Shield of Lomaria Kingdom. As such, we had an unbreakable relationship with Gnomstoll Kingdom, the neighboring craftsman nation governed by Dwarves, with whom we regularly make courtesy visits to. Magic fired by the bandit group hit the carriage wheels of the Arenberg Margravery. Among the thieves who, despite being rotten, were still Templar Knights, there were also magic swordsmen. The wheel on one side of the carriage fell off, and the coachman stopped the carriage. Without overlooking this, the bandits surrounded the carriage. All that was left was to kill the twenty or so guards and they were done. And so, the bandit leader snickered. Their numbers werent just ordinary bandits. They were former Templar Knights and national soldiers. !? At that time, the bandit leader, feeling a chilling sensation down his spine, turned around. Was it his knightly intuition? His body acutely reacted to the imminent crisis. Wha! What...... what is that...... Something was blazing down the road, approaching rapidly. The man could not figure it out immediately. Something that seemed like a gigantic horse pulling a black, all-metal carriage was running frightfully fast. The man understood. It is now they who should run away. *** Footnotes: 1. The author had already used ?` for the name of a character C Vaudevilles wife, but he used it again here, so to differentiate them, Ill use Rosary instead. 2. Perhaps a typo. Gnomstoll is at the eastern edge and they were departing from Arenberg, but the raws say west, so I changed accordingly. Chapter 378: Cleaning up afterwards is troublesome Chapter 378: Cleaning up afterwards is troublesomeThe bandits were surrounding the carriage that stopped because of a dislodged wheel. We made it in time somehow. Even so, Ive never heard of a bandit group having horses for all its members. Tsubaki roared coercively. In doing so, the horses that the bandits were riding all bucked up in surprise, then fainted where they stood in fear. Yep yep, this is convenient. Kaede disappeared from Tsubakis back unnoticed. At the same time, the thieves that fell from their horses were incapacitated. It did not take long for all the thieves to fall to the floor like caterpillars. Yep, good job, Kaede. A giant horse-like(?) thing roared. Kuh! I, who once served as a commanding officer for the Templar Knights, was immobilized in terror. I tried to check on my subordinates, but I couldnt even move my neck. Looking as far back as I could with my eyes, I somehow managed to figure out that the thing that roared was Dragon Horse, but it was completely different from the Dragon Horse in my memory. Its imposing gigantic body, long sharp protruding horn, scales that gleam in the sunlight, and glowing red eyes. I could tell it was a monster that was in no way the level that should be pulling a carriage. Even if it was, it only increases my despair. The Dragon Horse was unbelievably pulling a large metal carriage. That meant that, inside that carriage was the outrageous person who could control a Dragon Horse. I shouldnt care for how it looks and just give my subordinates the signal to retreat, but...... ......kah, my body wont move. The shock and panic caused my body to stop moving. It was likely the same for my subordinates as I could hear them fall from their horses, one by one. And I realized the blow my body had received. Ah, so I also fell from my horse...... I dont get it. The fate of the thieves had been decided. I could tell because of those fact alone. But that doesnt mean that I accept it. Ahh, I dont want to die...... When I got out of the carriage, it seemed like everything was already over. The bandits who fell from their horses were all bundled up like caterpillars on the floor. Kaede bound them in threads and even used paralytic poison. I summoned Titan and asked him to help Doganbo-san and Golan-san. I could tell that the people from the Arenberg Margravery were surprised to see the two Dwarves come out of the carriage. The instant Titan was summoned, they froze, but our first priority was to repair the carriage. Oh yeah, I suppose I could transmute a simple wagon with Earth magic. We considered killing all of the bandits, but there should be a town if we go back bit, and were not travelling in a rush, so we could take them that far. If we couple the wagon to the back of the carriage Tsubaki pulls, it probably wouldnt even take 2 hours to get to the town. While Doganbo-san and Golan-san were quickly finishing the repairs on the carriage that Titan lifted, I would cast my alchemy skills on the dirt and wood I had on hand to make a solid wagon. Transmute! Maria, Marnie, Laeva, and Lulu-chan alighted from the carriage and threw the bandits into the completed wagon. Akane was inside the carriage, drinking tea so nonchalantly. Now then, what do we do about the horses? Master, Please entrust it to me. I will instruct them to follow. Heh~ then Ill entrust it t Yes, I will not let you down. The horses ridden by the bandits which recovered from their trance will now be led by Tsubaki. I see, so theyll follow obediently. Ou, the wheels fixed. Master, repair, complete. Good work. Titan returned to the Subspace, while Doganbo-san and Golan-san returned to the carriage, saying that that was an easy job. Okay, lets hurry up and hand in the bandits. ...was what I was thinking when I returned to the carriage, but the dumbfounded Rosary-san and Roger-san hurriedly stopped me. P-please wait! Haa, this is such a pain, I would have liked it if we parted ways here. Of course, that wouldnt happen, huh. *** Chapter 379: Outrider? Chapter 379: Outrider? I was trying to leave as soon as I could so it wouldnt be too troublesome, but I was stopped. Of course that would happen. And we were going to accompany the daughter of Margrave Arenberg and her escorting knights to the closest town. Since that town would be in the territory of the Arenberg Margravery, I couldnt say that I didnt want to go with them to explain the situation. Honestly, it was annoying that we had to match their carriage speed, but I have to endure. Sorry about that, everyone. We couldnt just turn a blind eye. In the end, Kaede and Tsubaki settled things. We did a good thing.ViiSiit for latest novels Well, wouldnt we earn a bit of pocket money? Even when I apologized to my companions, Sophia, Maria, and Marnie said to not worry about it, and even Akane said that if we hand over the 50+ bandits and the horses they rode, it would be a decent payout. The horses that the bandits rode were running behind the carriage Tsubaki pulled, and even further behind them was the Arenberg carriage. So Rosary-sama wasnt turning back either, huh. Milady, please tell me why you would purposely follow them instead of turning back? Oh my, Milady had considered that far, I see. Master would always grumble about how it would have been if Milady was a man. Mel, such things should not reach my brothers ears. Haa, Father is being careless in front of even an attendant...... Rosarys sigh held two meanings. Elvis, the current Margrave Arenberg, the father of Rosary, is a talented authority in Lomaria Kingdom who is capable of handling diplomatic and domestic affairs and excels in valor. The reason such a man would unintentionally complain in front of a vassal was because of Rosarys two brothers. The first born son Ende was an impulsive, hot blooded man who only has thoughts for the sword. He was fit to be a commanding officer of a portion of the Knight Order, but he was simply lacking too much from the current head of the family who was called the Shield of Lomaria. The second born son Joshua, in contrast with his brother, was unskilled with the sword, but excelled in the internal affairs. Although he was suited for internal affairs, he did not have the capacity to govern the Arenberg Margravery, but rather, he was like a bureaucratic type that would sit quietly at his desk. Rosary, on the other hand, was praised highly by their father for her talent with the military arts, and it was not a rare sight for her to join the knights training in Arenberg. She was born with the highest aptitude for domestic and diplomatic affairs among the siblings. But her only negative was that she was a woman. Their father unintentionally laments over the fact that she wasnt born a man. Rosary did not think herself to be exceedingly special. She was definitely skilled with the sword and liked them. As for domestic and internal affairs, she simply thought that it was because she was able to use the strength of capable people in the right place at the right time. Elvis considers being able to use the skills of people was a necessary trait for the feudal lord of a large territory, and lamented for Rosarys talent. Rosary and Takumis groups, who arrived in town later that day, finished turning over the bandits and horse, then stopped for one night at that village. *** Chapter 380: Reluctant Accompaniment Chapter 380: Reluctant Accompaniment At the entrance of the town, there was a commotion when we brought the 50+ captured bandits, but because of the Lady Rosary and her escorting knights, we finished turning over the bandits and the Commerce Guild happily processed the horses that came along. The morning after our inevitable stay, as predictable as it was, the carriage carrying Lady Rosarys entourage followed behind us. Cant we just speed up and go ahead? Absolutely not. Did they not request it specifically? Thats right. We cant refuse because shes the daughter of a noble of an ally country. We have no reason to refuse either. When I spoke absentmindedly, Sophia, Maria, and Marnie all disagreed. Well, I also knew that. I was just complaining. Yes, Lady Rosary and her escorting knights asked to join us to Gnomstoll Kingdom. They would periodically visit Gnomstoll Kingdom where the Arenberg Margravery[1] imports armor from to network while also making purchases. This time, Lady Rosary seemed to be going in place of her father who was busy. Her two brothers were there, but they were ill suited for negotiations with a different country like this, so it was up to Rosary, who was a woman and the second daughter. Golan-san, do you know Margrave Arenberg? I tried asking Golan-san, who was once called the God Craft as a blacksmith in Gnomstoll Kingdom before, because he must have know of the frequent customer who purchases large quantities of arms. Hm? Margrave Arenberg, huh...... I knew the previous head well. I do remember meeting the current youngster head once or twice. Heh~ According to Golan-san, the Arenberg Margravery is a strong militaristic family because it shares a lengthy border with the enemy nation Triaria Kingdom and the potential enemy nation Divine Empire of Sydnia. Naturally, it requires a mass of good quality arms. No, perhaps because Akane was bored, she jumped out with Lulu-chan, so it is not necessary. Yes, in order to match Rosary-samas carriage speed, the speed Tsubaki pulled the carriage slowed. And to my surprise, bandits were able to catch up. I could tell when the carriage dropped. Ah, it seems its over. Maria, who had been watching from the window, opened the door then Akane and Lulu-chan entered. The knights from the margravery will do the clean up. ......i-is that so. Most of the bandits were quickly annihilated by Kaede, but the members who were bored by the slow pace of the carriage alternated fighting the bandits. I took their ID cards and valuables then buried them nya. Ha haha, is that so? For them to attack after seeing Tsubaki...... are they stupid? Moreover, many of the bandit groups had more than 20 members. Just how many bandits are there? Were being thoroughly used by Rosary-sama. I should have refused to accompany them. Well, not that I could have refused. *** Footnotes: 1. In case some people are confused, I use Arenberg Margravery when it refer to the entire family / their territory, but when I put in Margrave Arenberg, it refers to the Margrave himself. Chapter 381: Crossing the Mountain Chapter 381: Crossing the Mountain There was a road in the valley between the mountain range that obstructed the national borders of Lomaria Kingdom and Gnomstoll Kingdom. This was a path beyond my imagination. ......the Dwarves are amazing, arent they? What, if you let a Dwarf play with the earth, theres nothing they cant do. Golan-san proudly replied to my muttering. The path connecting Lomaria Kingdom and Gnomstoll Kingdom was wide enough for carriages to pass each other and was well regulated. It was similar to the roads for crossing mountains, and though the elevation gradually rose, it didnt change. And right now, what Im seeing in front of me was a tunnel so impressive I hadnt seen one like it even in my old world. We aimed to place the road on the low areas of the mountain range, but this is the only place where it was easier to dig a tunnel straight through. You were also through with the reinforcing the tunnel with bestowal magic. The tunnel was approximately 10km in length, and illuminating magic devices lined up both sides inside of it. Moreover, there were even ventilation magic devices installed like those in tunnel expressways. Its really high tech. I suspect there might have been reincarnators and transmigrators before me. I mean, there were only a few tunnels I know of that were over 10km even in my own world, or maybe it was sturdy for no other reason than being fantasy. Rosary-sama and her entourage had visited Gnomstoll Kingdom several times before, so none of them were surprised seeing this tunnel. Itll be Gnomstoll Kingdom when we pass through this tunnel. I think well reach our destination at the capital in 5 days if we accompany the lady and her group.Re?a?d new chapters on We would arrive in 2 days with more than enough time if it was just us though...... I see, so they were in a daze. I thought wed have to go through all sorts of troublesome things, but thanks to Golan-san, we were able to pass through smoothly. As expected, Golan-san has a face pass. Obviously. Golan-aniki has the title of God Craft. The only one who has a similar title is King Gnomstoll. Golan-san, so you were a much more amazing person huh. Hmph, I hear sarcasm when you say it, Takumi. The Ouranos and Oceanus were that much more. Even in the God Craft Golan-sans eyes, the airship Ouranos and the magic battleship Oceanus were at a level that couldnt readily be revealed. He said that even this carriage would have to be stored in the Item Box when were at the capital. We advanced through the tunnel illuminated by magic devices at a slow pace. No matter how many tens of kilometers the tunnel has, a carriage would not take that long to pass through. Now, Im looking forward to what kind of scenery is ahead of the tunnel. *** Chapter 382 Chapter 382 When we came out of the 10km tunnel, our eyes were filled with the scenery of Gnomstoll Kingdoms peculiar landscape. Gnomstoll Kingdom had many mines, and there were also open-pit mines that could be strip mined. Villages formed around the mines, and towns formed around the mines with larger reserves. Additionally, the piles of coal that had been mined also became part of the unique landscape of Gnomstoll Kingdom. In this world, coal isnt used much as fuel. Rural villages and towns use firewood as fuel, but while there were some individuals in larger towns that use firewood to cook food, The only people to use coal for supplementary fuel and iron manufacturing were the Dwarves. As proof, other countries do not know the recipe for making coke (carbon fuel). Charcoal is used for smithing. Though dwarves also use charcoal for it, only few use it as magic furnaces were more widely used. As degenerate as we Dwarves are, we are still Faeriekin. We have more magic power than humans. Its only natural magic furnaces popularized. Even I who have little magic power have more than human blacksmiths. I heard about the fuel situation of Gnomstoll Kingdom from Golan-san and Doganbo-san. Especially how the magic furnaces they used for smithing were essential for smelting magic metals. so perhaps it was only natural that magic furnaces were commonplace. On the other hand, because there were few magic furnaces in human countries, they must have had to rely on magic metal armaments from Gnomstoll Kingdom. The exceptions were alchemists like Takumi, but alchemists themselves were rare beings.U?pTodated novels on Will we go straight to the royal capital too? You have to escort Margrave Arenbergs bunch and us old men there. Takumi. Its Gnomstoll Kingdom, be it the capital or a regional city, theyre no different. Its our honeymoon, so I want to go see a lot of things, but it seems we have to go the royal capital first. Doganbo-san was acrimonious towards his motherland, perhaps because he was quickly bored and left early on. Growing tired of the harassment that had gotten too severe, the young Doganbo-san thought that the national policy was to be reluctant to accept new technology and ideologies, and so he would like the freedom to swing his arm in the outside world, then he fled the country. Well, I have no parents or siblings. If I had to say, then Golan-aniki is like my older brother. Thats why I didnt hesitate to leave the country. Gnomstoll Kingdom had a long history, but it is a dwarven country, and it was always in pursuit of new things and technology. And in the last 100 years, instead of the pursuit of technological innovation, the course shifted into pursuing more efficient ways of creating masses of armaments to be sold to foreign countries. And because of this as well, he migrated Valkyra Kingdom where Dwarves live the most freely even in the continent, and to the adventurers city of Volton at the border. Hmmm, youve been through a lot. Ah well. The minute theres history, its also got a lot of troublesome fetters. When I think about it, the Sanctuary is heaven, isnt it, Golan-aniki? Thats right, Doganbo. More than anything, the alcohol tastes delicious. Of course, of course! In the end, they arrived at alcohol. It felt like I wasted my time listening to them seriously. In an idyllic setting, the carriage continued on its way through as we saw the smoke billowing from the smokestacks characteristic to this country, and just around the corner was the royal capital of Gnomstoll Kingdom. *** Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Having arrived at Gnomstoll Kingdoms capital, our so called mission of escorting Rosary-sama of the Arenberg Margravery was over. It wasnt necessarily an escort request, but we just so happened to be going the same place that they just so happened to be behind our carriage...... is of course what our official statement said. If they had filed an escort request through the Adventurers Guild at the Lomarian Kingdom In addition to saving them from thieves, they would have needed to give us a generous sum. However, we chose to make the Arenberg Margravery, a prominent noble family of Lomaria Kingdom, owe us one. Making a prominent noble owe a favor was a bigger reward to us than money. On the other hand, Lady Rosary deliberately created this favor to make a connection with us. If its a margravery of Lomaria Kingdom, Im assuming she would know of me. On top of that, for her to have made a connection by way of making a favor, she was so skilled it was a shame shes a woman.Re?a?d new chapters on Just in Valkyra Kingdom, there were many nobles and merchants who want a connection to me because of the Sanctuary. Well, all this is second hand knowledge from Sophia though. It was too much for me, a former ordinary salaryman, to deal with nobles. Checking into the high class hotel that Golan-san recommended, we sat on the sofa and drank tea to recover from the fatigue of our long journey. Sophia, Maria, Marnie, and I were staying in one room because this is our so called honeymoon, but the suite we checked into had three bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen, so everyone is staying in this suite. Ah, except for Doganbo-san and Golan-san. Now, we should go around and see all sorts of things since were already in Gnomstoll Kingdom anyway, but what does everyone think? I wish to see the weapon stores. I want to go to the market, see if theres any rare seasonings. ......hmm, well, lets go around with everyone. It was our first time in the country, and because majority of the citizens were dwarves, it was safer for our members to go sightseeing together just in case there was any trouble, so we decided to go around the capital together. Afterwards, when I asked Doganbo-san and Golan-sans plans, Doganbo-san would go to workshops and stores to check the skills of the blacksmiths in the Gnomstoll Kingodom now. Observing others work is also practice. Right, one could get inspiration by looking at other peoples work. If its Doganbo-san, then he surely has the eye for it. Im thinking of seeing how my disciples are. Im retired, but Im curious about how the workshop has grown. If I remember correctly, Golan-sans workshop is the best in Gnomstoll Kingdom. Takumi, aint that obvious? Golan-aniki is the blacksmith with the title of God Craft in Gnomstoll Kingdom. Theres no way the workshop of someone like him would be small. It cant be helped. The person granted the title of God Craft has an obligation to foster the next generation. There are currently two people who hold the title of God Craft currently in Gnomstoll Kingdom, Golan-san and one more person, the King himself apparently. Is the King a blacksmith? As expected of a Dwarven Country. Golan-san said he had to go to the workshops and gave recommendations for weapons shops that handled the armaments from the workshops in the capital. Im looking forward to tomorrow. *** Chapter 384: Roaming the Royal Capital Chapter 384: Roaming the Royal Capital The capital of Gnomstoll Kingdom had a cityscape different from any other country in the continent. Firstly, in the artisanal districts where sturdy stone buildings lined the the streets, smoke billowed here and there. The main streets were paved in stone, wagons carrying ore and stone travelled back and forth on it.. Stalls of all sorts lined both sides of the main street, the scents of strong spices and condiments wafting all around. ......it sure is colorful......not. Indeed. Its all the color of stone and earth. Still, the city has pretty buildings. Though imperfect, it seems they were somehow able to develop magic formations. Every building was impressive because it was the Gnomstollan capital, but their colors were uniform at best. To put it bluntly, they were horribly plain. Of course, there were also plenty of good points as well. The sanitation in the Gnomstollan capital was not inferior to that in Valkyra Kingdom. As could be expected from the Gnomstollan Capital which boasts of its high technological prowess, Purifier MDs for water and sewer systems as well as Toilet MDs were also popular here. Actually, the magic devices they used to purify their sewers and toilets were not imported from the Papeck Company. Gnomstoll Kingdom, which had imported the magic devices I made from Volton Kingdom, had developed something similar. As a result, Purifier MDs and Toilet MDs were popularized in the Gnomstollan Capital. Well, according to Golan-san, it was still at a level far off from the original, but it seemed as though their Dwarven Pride would not allow them to use something created by humans. Golan-san laughed scornfully. Technical experts of Gnomstoll Kingdom had imitated the Purifier MD I created, but they were unable to make a perfect copy of the purification magic formula. Just in case, the core of the magic formula was transformed into a black box, so when its forcibly disassembled, the magic formula drawn into the magic device vanishes. Its fiiiine~ Take your time browsiiiiing~ Well, it couldnt be helped that Akane and Marnie were bored. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but the weapons and armor I gave them were far better than these. If they look at iron swords and chest plates now, it wouldnt interest them at all. Sophia likes simple swords, but when Laeva and I look at the works created by other people, it was motivation and reference for us, so there was a lot of things for us to see even if it was just an iron sword. The weapons and armor created by dwarven masters wouldnt be shown to a group of foreign first-time customers, so we were pulled into a large market by Akane and Kaede who were bored as hell. Hey hey! Buy those fruits too. Dear Husband, that is our firs time seeing those vegetables. Lets buy a bit of it. Ah! Theres a lot of spices! Akane-sama! Akane-sama! Meat nya! Theyre selling meat nya! Akane who was bored out of her mind at the weapon store was looking at rare fruits to buy, and Marnie bought all kinds of veggies shes seeing for the first time. Lulu-chan got all hyped up about the large clumps of meat from who knows what. I wonder if the magic device shops would be too much for today. Laeva and I will come join you tomorrow. ...... it would seem so. It seems its already impossible to go to the magic device shop today, so we gave up. Sophia and Laeva said theyd go with me to tomorrow, but Im getting the impression Ill be asked to take them to the accessory shops tomorrow...... *** Chapter 385: Workshop Tour 1 Chapter 385: Workshop Tour 1We visited weapons shops, the market, metal accessory shops, but we werent able to look at magic devices. The next day, it was arranged that we would tour the Magic device shops and smithing workshop at Golan-san and Doganbo-sans guidance. Originally, were were told that the workshops couldnt be shown to outsiders, more so to Humans, Elf, and Beastkin. I guess that was just how it is was what I was thinking, so I was content with seeing the swords and spears forged by the Dwarven artisans. And so, while it wasnt very honeymoon-like, only those who were interested would visit the smithing workshops. Although it was similar to the capitals of the other countries, the workshops in Gnomstoll Kingdoms royal capital had its own district. We walked around that area with Golan-san at the lead, and we stood out. ......for some reason, were totally being stared at. Indeed. They are by no means favorable gazes. ......shall we behead them? Seriously. Lets crush their eyes. No no no, leave their heads on, Sophia. Dont crush their eyes either, Maria. Unlike other sections, no one but Dwarves walked in this workshop-only area. We stood out because of this, so the Dwarven craftsmen must be wondering why we were walking these parts. Dont behead them. Dont ever crush them. However, there were also those who paid us no mind either. Perhaps because the gazes on her didnt contain hostility, she was doing things at her pace like always. She was humming and singing in front wit with Golan-san. Well, even those who werent very familiar with monsters could tell that Kaede was no ordinary monster, so there wasnt anyone who look at her wanting to fight. Well, thats just how it is. Come on, hurry on in. Upon saying so, Golan-san opened the stately doors and went in. We hurriedly chased after him. When I asked Doganbo-san for the details, I learned that Golan-san had absolutely no interest in the countrys administration. His stance seemed to have been If you have the time to be thinking about other things, you better concentrate on smithing.. On the other hand, though his smithing skills reached Golan-sans, King Goban excelled in terms of managing the country. The previous King was racked his brain over this, but since the person himself had no qualms of becoming the next ruler, so the previous King eventually gave up on it. ......just how lax is that. Dwarven craftsmen are more or less just like that. The only royalty to be this self-indulgent was someone like Golan-aniki. Right? It wasnt normal. Dwarven practices werent irrational, right? Doganbo-san urged us, who were in confusion, into the workshop, and when we entered the building as a group, there was a counter at the vast hall, and Golan-san was talking about something with the lady receptionist there. Ou, wait a bit. Im getting the permission of the workshop chief. P-p-please wait a moment! The lady receptionist spoke in a fluster, then she broke into a run from the counter to the stairs. Am I the only one who gets a bad feeling about this? *** Chapter 386: Workshop Tour 2 Chapter 386: Workshop Tour 2 A beer barrel-bodied dwarf stomped their short legs down the stairs. M`a`s`t`e`r!! gon! Gyaa!! Cool it, Doisy! Golan-san sympathized with the the dwarven uncle who jumped over the counter and clung onto him. The dwarf known as Doisy fell to the floor and sounded like a frog being crushed. No matter how I look at it, hes at the top of the guild, but in front of Golan-san, he appeared small. Master~, Youve come back~ I said to chill, didnt i!? It doesnt particularly mean Ive actually come back! Eh!? Why! I beg you, please come back Master! Workshop Chief! Workshop Chief! There are guests! O-, y-yeah. The receptionist grabbed the far too unbecoming Workshop Chief by the nape of his neck and forcefully stood him up. Dwarven women are scary~ Hm, now that you mention it, what business does a human and the elf have with the workshop? Hmmm?! Y-you, arent you Doganbo!? The Workshop Chief who was helped up by the receptionist had noticed we were there, then was he so happy to see Doganbo-san among us that he clung onto him and patted him on the back? He seemed to have gotten angry for an second at being told it was shameful, but Golan-sans cold stare saw through Doisy-san quickly. Doisy- aniki. Thats an imitation of the product of the product sold by Valkyra Kingdoms Papeck Company. But even as a copy, its performance is too bad. It would have been fine if it had at least 70% efficiency of the genuine item, but if its 50%, then theres no other way to say it than being poor. Kuh! This is all because Master Golan left. If it was Master, then Stop! ......eh? Golan-san interrupted Doisy-san. You think I would make a copy of a magic device made by a foreign craftsman? Doisy, weve known each other for a long time, yet it seems you know nothing about me. N-no, its not like that...... When Golan-san spoke in a low, displeased voice, Doisy-san hurriedly tried to give an explanation, but the words wouldnt come out. Well, today, that doesnt matter. As I said a while ago, I just came here to see how the workshop is doing. And because Takumi and the others wanted to observe, I brought them along. Dont mind it. ......Ahh, if Master says so. But there are things we cant show. Hmph, Dwarves are the most conceited craftsmen...... well thats fine. Takumi and the others plan to observe the blacksmiths. Doisy-san felt unwilling, but he had approved of our observation. Well, if this is the workshop Golan-san was in, there must have technology considered to be state secrets. Its no wonder there are places that we cant observe. Then Ill show you around. Golan was going to use this chance to check on the state of the workshop while also touring us around. Urged forward, we followed behind Golan-san who took the lead. Haa, I wanted a more peaceful observation. The gaze from Doisy-san, who was following behind us, was painful. *** Chapter 387: Workshop Tour 3 Chapter 387: Workshop Tour 3 Leaving the room, Golan-san gave explanations as we walked the halls.Fiind updated novels on The smithing workshop branches out in different rooms. Magic furnaces each have their own rooms. Well, Im sure Takumi and Laeva know why. Yes, even if its just hammering, it would be difficult to concentrate in the same room with the hammering sounds, and the light of the furnace, which has a different temperature from the quenching, would also be a hindrance. Umu, thats why this workshop has several areas for smithing. There seemed to be separate rooms for polishing and processing. The place where we produce magic devices is on the 3rd floor. The furnaces for smithing and smelting are underground. The reason for why the furnace for smithing is in the basement was because it made it easier to go completely dark in order to distinguish the temperature for the quench by color. Golan-san said that they used magic stones for ventilation so it was perfect. We proceeded into the innermost are of the basement at Golan-sans lead. Knowing that our destination was the innermost area of the basement, Doisy-sans face paled. It shouldnt be that hot, yet he was sweating buckets for some reason. This is the room where our workshops prided magic furnaces are. This furnace is the only one that can handle orichalcum in Gnomstoll Kingdom............ Golan-san froze in place when the heavy doors opened. Beyond the opened door, Golan-sans prided magic furnace in the workshop............ had become a storeroom. ......w, what...... what is this? U-uhh, Master Golan...... t-that, actually...... .................. I shouldnt have asked. Hey Takumi, do you remember the time when I asked you to refine mithril and adamantite many years ago? Theres no way I could forget. It was so hard. It was truly difficult at that time. I had to keep refining the mithril and adamantite we got from mining. At that time, I could say that that was impossible for my furnace, but even if it could reach mithril and adamantite smelting temperatures, it was still impossible for me to refine them. ......could it be that aside from controlling the temperature, refining mithril and adamantite in the magic furnace requires a lot of magic power. Correct. Magic power is needed to temper it, but the amount needed to refine it was a different league. Though its more than a humans my magic power wasnt that much, so refining it was impossible for me alone. So it really was that. I needed to use a lot of magic power to use Decomposition] and [Extraction from alchemy. Now Ive gotten used to it and the total amount of magic power I had had increased, it wasnt a problem, but when I refined it for the first time, my stomach got all filled up with mana potions. Takumi, you should know this from when you hammered the adamantite weapon, but it isnt easy enough to wield a hammer with magic power. There are lots of Dwarves who can hammer mithril, but there are few that could adamantite are few. Even more so with orichalcum, it had to be someone like Golan-aniki. Well, there arent many chances to see its ore anyhow. Simply put, it was difficult to refine mithril and adamantite ore, and this room which contained Golan-sans prided magic furnace had become a storage room. On top of that, right now, there were no craftsmen who could hammer adamantite in Gnomstoll Kingdom. For some reason, its because they all went to the Sanctuary to make alcohol......... no matter how I look at it, its a problem. Haa, I came here for my honeymoon, I hope I dont get involved in anything. *** Chapter 388: Workshop Tour 4 Chapter 388: Workshop Tour 4 Furious, Golan-san forced the workshop craftsmen and employees to clean up the room with the special magic furnace. Of course, the one who was worked the hardest was Doisy-san. We came here for our honeymoon, we didnt wanna spend it watching an old man scold others, so Doganbo-san ended up guiding us to the magic device workshop on the 3rd floor. As expected of a Dwarf. Their work is careful and detailed! Both Golan-san and Doganbo-sans craftsmanship are good too. Golan-anikis crafts is first-class, but I focused entirely on smithing. My craft dabbles into adorning weapons and armor. Doganbo-san was being humble, but his metalworking and woodworking skills were most certainly top-notch. With that dexterity, he could probably make a living making magic devices. The working craftsmen creating magic devices on the 3rd floor workshop were doing their jobs carefully. But............ It looks like theres no problems magic devices with simple magic formulas. But...... the magic formula of the Purifier MD is horrible. But, well, that cant be helped. It isnt a device whose magic formula could be copied just like that. There aint any Dwarf that could use Purification magic either. Perhaps a trait of the Dwarven race, many had high aptitude for Earth and Fire attributes, but there was no one with an aptitude for Light. On the contrary, it makes me want to praise them for being able to draw the magic circle that well. One can draw magic circles even without having the aptitude for the Light attribute. Thats because priests just have to be taught the magic circles for purifying magic . However, the Purifier MD doesnt simply activate the purification magic. The ones installed onto toilets was a device that had settings like activation timer and magic power consumption regulator. Thats why the locally made Toilet MD had a bad reputation as it had poor magic stone efficiency and had to be replaced frequently. Still, things like magic stove-ish thing were the as expected. It would seem they were carefully made and durable. Umu, the magic oven is also a popular item of this workshop. Stoves and ovens, huh. Thats nice. But our place has those made by Takumi-sama or Laeva. The magic stove and magic oven had nice simple designs. I was told that these two were popular goods in different countries. Haa, I really will only make enough for one. I reluctantly casted Decomposition, Extraction, and Synthesis on the adamantite ores on the table. Ohhhh``! The young dwarves exclaimed in surprise. Mhmm, this should do it. Yup, next is this. Upon saying so, Golan-san brought out the mithril ore. If it isnt an alloy, it wouldnt stick to the sword. No, Ill do it. Well, mithril is much easier to do, so Im fine with it. I said that to Golan-san as I refined the mithril alloy. Okay, you can go back to the inn today. Wha!? Kukuku, it cant be helped when Golan flips his switch. Takumi, go back to the inn for today. Was this really part of the honeymoon? Well, theres no one in this world who knows about honeymoon, so theres no one to compare it to...... *** Chapter 389: Bura City Chapter 389: Bura City Leaving Golan-san by himself and returning to the inn, we relaxed a bit in our room, then ate dinner in the restaurant on the first floor with Doganbo-san.ViiSiit for latest novels As always, its still heavily spiced. Well, Dwarf cuisine is like that. Didnt we buy all sorts of spices because of that? Because we requested for the food to not be too spicy for Kaede and Lulu-chan, the two were able to enjoy the food too. Dwarven Cuisine is spicy when its spicy, and sweet when its sweet, so for those of us who were used to the food Marnie and Maria make, it was a new experience, but it was impossible for us to have it all the time. The next morning, we went to the Magic Device shops at the guidance of Doganbo-san and Golan-san. Golan-san returned to the inn late at night yesterday. He said he would make adamantite into one sword, but I refined a lot and had plenty of room to spare, so he used all of it up before returning. In the end, he said he created two swords, a knife, and taught them strictly. Takumi, sorry about yesterday. The apprentices were too disappointing that I couldnt take it. It was only a bit of refining, so it was alright. Ever since Doisy-san[1] succeeded as the Workshop Chief, they succeeded in sales. They sold a mass of good quality steel weapons and armor in the war with Triaria Kingdom and the mayhem of Divine Empire of Sydnia as of late. Those foolish apprentices had not made a single mithril weapon or armor these past three years. Im speechless. A knight orders uniform equipment was normally steel, and the knight leaders with enough allowance in their coffers had prepared mithril equipment by themselves. Thats why Doisy-sans strategy was not wrong, but it was wrong to make the room which had Golan-sans treasured magic furnace into a storage room. U-umm, is that okay? Just leave it at that. Both of them have the title of God Craft, Golan-aniki who has nothing but crafting in his mind, and His Majesty Goban who preferred to manage the country. As a Dwarf, Golan-anikis way of life is correct, but as royalty, His Majesty Goban is right. Recently, Ive gotten close to Kings and royalty, so I wouldnt shrink away even if Golan-san was royalty, but...... Back then, Golan-san who had absolutely no interest in succeeding the throne had abandoned his right to succeed and built his own workshop, which was the start of the workshop from yesterday. From when they were kids, the previous King had drilled blacksmithing into the siblings. The two brothers likely had great talent. They were able to attain the title of God Craft after practicing for a century. However, Golan-san was not satisfied with the title of God Craft. There were two patterns for attaining this title. First, a written status for having been recognized by many people. This was how the two siblings obtained theirs. The other was a status conferred when Goddess Norn has acknowledged the person. This pattern was similar to my status as a Dragon Slayer. Despite not having been recognized by Goddess Norn, to be conferred with a title with God is scummy. Its not like that. The current Golan-san is definitely a God Craft. After devoting himself everyday for a long time, Golan-san lived up to his title. Well, that doesnt matter. Rather, weve arrived at my recommended company. The building Golan-san showed us to was a large building the size of Golan-sans workshop. *** Footnotes: 1. Doisy is pronounced as Dwa-see. Chapter 390: Takumi’s shopping spree Chapter 390: Takumis shopping spree It was owned by one of Gnomstolls leading companies, and it specialized in the sale of magic devices. They sold an array of magic devices from the 1st floor to the 3rd floor. This is the place most abundant with magic devices in the capital. There are Dwarves in the Sanctuary, but most of them took part in making alcohol. Lets take this chance to buy all sorts of magic devices. Indeed. There might be ones that might be perfect for the Sanctuary Citizens. The residences in the Sanctuary were fully equipped with water and sewer services. The residential areas of course had been installed with a Purifier MD, and it was standard for each house to be installed with a Toilet MD as well. But when it comes to cooking, many still use a traditional stove. Lighting was also typically with oil lamps too. Sophia, Maria, lets buy all sorts of souvenirs for the people in the Sanctuary. Understood. Lets buy plenty of Light MD and Stove MDs. Right. It would be very convenient to have a magic stove for cooking. Maria, who usually cooks ins the Sanctuary mansion with Marnie, agreed. Y-yeah. I think it would be convenient.Fiind updated novels on Sophia-san, you arent usually in the kitchen, though, no? Urk. Now, now, if you have anything else youre interested in getting, you may as well. Theres nothing Laeva and I cant do if we try to get all the magic devices the Sanctuary needs. But I have way too much money accumulating. So I should buy the things I could. The first floor displayed a mass of magic devices. Maria and Marnie headed to the second floor to look at kitchen-related magic devices. Akane and Lulu-chan went window shopping, wandering around to see if theres anything interesting. Now then, I should also go around Ive seen catalogues of light fixtures in Japan, but the Dwarves in this world wouldnt lose. Ahh, by now, Japan would even have catalogues on the internet huh. Lighting MDs of various designs were on display, ranging from the stand type and ceiling lights, to even the complete art pieces like sconces and chandeliers. We informed the clerk of the quantities we want of the items we liked, and the clerk noted down the type and quantity of each product. We havent really had the chance to spend money like this. Volton was one thing, but theres absolutely no opportunity to spend money while living in the Sanctuary. Maria and Marnie were having some sort of discussion in front of a large magic stove. Whats up? Ah! Takumi-sama. Please look at this oven. It looks very easy to use. The design is simple, and it think it would be very easy to clean too. It looked like they were mulling over whether to buy it or not. Hmmmm, then shouldnt you just buy it? Is that okay? Its a little pricey, you know? Even if you say its expensive, its not like our family cant buy it, right? You can buy whatever what you like. Thank you very much! Maria and Marnie thanked me happily. Was the stove at the mansion lacking? Oh well. Im not much of a cook, so Im sure there are methods of cooking that I dont know about. In the end, we spent the day shopping in the store until dusk. The mountain of products stored in a warehouse were all stored into my Item Box, but that in itself took a lot of time to do. Needless to say, the shopkeepers all looked pleased with the money that flew their way. *** Footnotes: 1. This confuses me, a few lines back, author said Maria and Marnie went to the 2nd room, but then shes here. Chapter 391: The workshop once more Chapter 391: The workshop once more Yesterday, we went shopping for magic tools, and today we were planning on relaxing at the inn, but............ I am revisiting the workshop that Golan-san used to supervise which we had visited the other day. ......just in case, could you tell me why? Sorry. It looks like my younger brother wants to see you. ......umm, Golan-sans younger brother... how many do you have? Well, just one. Rather, he just took me with him. Whatchall blabbering about!? Are you Iruma? I am this countrys King, Goban Gnomstoll. So it really is that. A dwarf who robed in excellent clothing and looked similar to Golan-san had grown impatient and began talking. There were 5 dwarven knights(?) wearing sweltering full plate armor guarding him. My brother is back in the country, yet he hasnt shown his mug even once. Upon investigation, I was told he was with visitors. I seee...... Moreover, I heard you made things with my brother. I seeee......Re?a?d new chapters on aking something with Golan-san, could it be the Oceanus? Or the Ouranos? Its true he helped me out, but...... what should I say? Does that mean that youre an artisan that is able to work alongside my brother who is a God Craft? Even though youre not a Dwarf? With those frail arms? No, I received assistance from Golan-san, but...... Cut it out! Golan-san yelled at King Goban. Goban, when was the last time you swung your hammer? R-right. ...... is a day okay? If we work hard all day, it would be fine. Work hard all day, huh. And then Akane raised her hand at me. It doesnt change even if its Valkyra Kingdom or Lomaria Kingdom, Id like it if you take me to a capital. Umm, why? When I was about to go to the Sanctuary, she said she wanted me to teleport her. Gnomstolls food is pretty good, restaurants have regular food they are heavy on the spices and heat. , but for sweets and desserts, it has to be Valkyra Kingdom or Lomaria Kingdom. Akane-sama and Lulu will buy plenty of sweets for everyone nya! When Lulu-chan said so, Maria and Marnie nodded. It looks like Akane and Lulu-chan were the representatives to go buy that stuff. Kaede wants to go with master. Oh, Kaede you want to keep me company? Kaede raised her hand energetically and said she would return to the Sanctuary with me. That makes me a bit happy. Ill play with friends`! Ah, so thats how it is. So it was to play with the children in the Sanctuary. After that, I was told by royal castle that the King was secluding himself for three days in his workshop starting the day after tomorrow. It seemed like I had to be present for a day or so. The plan is that after the King completes his sword after three days, I will go to the workshop the next day to make my sword. Its important so Ill say it as many times as I have to, I am on my honeymoon...... *** Chapter 392: Speak with Hammers Chapter 392: Speak with Hammers King Gobans smithing is in the orthodox dwarven style. His chosen material was adamantite. Refined adamantite to be used to make a single sword. Of course, the repeated folding sword steel method like that in Japan wasnt used. In the workshop, a skilled blacksmith took up his hammer. The rhythmic sound of hammering metal. The lump of adamantite in the magic furnace changed shapes. A longsword was being forged in front of me.Fiind updated novels on Heated many times over, the impurities were hammered out, and the metal structure was being adjusted with each temper. It would seem that the titles of the only two people dubbed with the title of God Craft in the country was not just for show, and in this place, it would be completed by tomorrow. King Goban hammered the longsword in a day, corrected it with Smithing Magic and a file, and tomorrow he would quench it. Even with magic metals, the hardening process by way of quenching didnt change. However, the temperature at which it is heated to is by each craftsmans eyes. On the day of quenching, the lights illuminating the special magic furnace room were all extinguished, and only the fire from the furnace dimply lit the surroundings. The heated blade glowed orange. King Goban watched the timing and finished it by rapidly cooling the blade through quenching. The lights were turned back on, and from the look on King Gobans face, he was satisfied with the sword he forged. All that is left is to make minute adjustments and sharpen it. If you accept defeat, do it immediately. Haha, I do not want to make Golan-san lose face, so I will do my best. Takumi. Ah, yes. While I was gazing at the sword, Golan-san called out to me. I handed Golan-san the sword. ......its even more perfect than before. Its a success. Thank you very much. I will help with the Enchantment. Please do, Golan-san. While Golan-san and I were reveling in satisfaction, King Goban yelled out. Wh- whats with that sword``!! Moreover, you barely even touched the hammer``!! Having witnessed the sword created practically with magic and a never-before-seen hamon emerge on the single edged sword, Goban-san could not hold it in and screamed. Ignore that loud one, lets talk about the enchantments to grant it. Umm...... is that fine? Yeah, the match has been decided. The sword he made is exactly the same level as it was a decade ago. He made no progress at all. At that point, that was his loss. Now then, lets hurry up and go. Golan-san pulled me by the arm and headed out the room, and from behind us, I could hear King Goban screaming. *** Chapter 393: Becoming a national treasure Chapter 393: Becoming a national treasureGolan-san and I moved to the 3rd Floor to make it into a proper sword. While Golan-san shaved the hilt and scabbard, I prepared the habaki[1], guard, and the leather and string that would coil around the hilt. To finish it off, Golan-san and I worked together to endow it with enchantments to strengthen the sword. This is satisfactory. Let me see too. Ah, Doganbo-san. Since when did you arrive? Doganbo-san spoke up from the other side. He told us why he came to the workshop as he received the sword from Golan-san. Obviously Im bored. Just like Sophia and the girls, theres nothing left to see. This is my homeland, after all. It seems he simply had free time. So, while he wasnt too interested, he came to see how the smithing showdown between King Goban and I was going. Hou...... is a layer of the metallic structure making the wave-like pattern on the metal? A slender, curved, single edged sword, huh? It seems difficult to use, but what a beautiful sword. Right? But it isnt just a slender beauty, you know? This sword Just as Golan-san said so, the door slammed open and an angry King Goban barged in. The match should be about the completed sword. How it was made is inconsequential! Are you in any position to say that? Younger brother of mine. King Goban said so as as he clutched a jewel-adorned long sword. Mu, its a matter of which sword excels! The type of sword is different, so I dont think either can win or lose...... I tried saying that there was no need to decide on a clear winner, but that wouldnt do. Oh what, you made a sword by changing it with magic but youre admitting defeat? Takumi, this younger brother of mine clearly doesnt understand. Goban, lend me the sword you forged. Here, Golan-aniki. Golan-san received the sword, he raised it overhead with one hand and swung it down without any spirit. The steel longsword was soundlessly cut in two. Golan-san held the blade up so it could been clearly. Take a goooood look at it! That thin sword, even if its adamantite, it would still get dama...... w-what...... far from nicking it, theres not even any cloudiness to it. Goban, its a disgrace for a Dwarf to make a mistake judging equipment. Relenquish your title as a God Craft. ............ King Goban was stunned. King Goban. Youve been so busy with the duties of a king that it couldnt be helped that your smithing skills have grown dull. What Golan-aniki is angered by is that a Dwarf who doesnt even take part in smithing couldnt even see the value of the sword Takumi forged. Why would foreign countries buy here if a dwarven armaments were so sloppy. Someones life depends on it. King Goban head hung low in disappointment. Takumi, could I safekeep this sword in this workshop? It would become encouragement for the craftsmen of this workshop. Both the adamantite and the mithril were owned by the workshop anyhow, and if it can be helpful to the novices. I decided to store the adamantite alloy longsword I forged in their workshop. I hope that a sword like this could be used as reference and provide even a little bit of encouragement to the craftsmen of the workshop. Later on, this sword had become one of Gnomstoll Kingdoms national treasures. *** Footnotes: 1. Metal collar mounted between a sword blade and the hand guard Chapter 394: A stopover on the way home Chapter 394: A stopover on the way home The carriage drawn by Tsubaki casually ran along the highway. If we were just going back to the Sanctuary, we could have teleported, but for some reason, we decided not to return directly but instead make stopovers on our way back. Yes, it was decided before I even knew it. By the way, Golan-san and Doganbo-san went ahead and teleported to the Sanctuary. They said that theyve already been away from alcohol production for too long. Then, at everyones request, we would go to Samandour Kingdom, but the route from Gnomstoll Kingdom to Samandour Kingdom was quite problematic.U?pTodated novels on We could have taken the road through the savage lands from the Sanctuary to Samandour Kingdom, but from Gnomstoll Kingdom, the only routes would be through the former empire of Sydnia or Triaria Kingdom. With that being the case, our only option was the route through the former empire of Sydnia. Without Golan-san and Doganbo-san, our members were relaxed inside the carriage...... finally...... finally it was like a honeymoon. Its far worse than I imagined. Everyone looks dispirited. What Sophia and Maria were talking about was were the expressions of t he people in the village we stopped by a while ago. Upon entering the former Divine Empire of Sydnia, what we saw from the few towns and villages we stopped in, everyone uniformly had dark expressions. The former Divine Empire of Sydnia was provisionally governed by Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom. Samandour Kingdom and Gnomstoll Kingdom were aiding with goods. The knight orders from Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom routinely exterminate monsters and go on expeditions to subjugate bandits, but the adventurers didnt come back. Isnt that serious? Right now, the savage lands are all the rave for adventurers. Maria was saying that adventurers couldnt be counted on. Recently, several new towns have been completed in the Savage Lands, and the movement of goods and people were active. Sanctuary procurement, or rather, the Sanctuary bubble. Naturally, there were plenty of jobs for adventurers, from escorting merchant troupes to subjugating monsters or escorts around the city and the surroundings of the roads. But hunting goblins, kobolds, and wolf type monsters no longer taste good. Well, just give up on that. We arent entirely unrelated to the collapse of Sydnia. Even if its Goblin Generals and Kings, we dont have the time to be gathering proof of subjugation anymore. We just go straight to burning and burying them. I understand Akanes complaints, but its true that we doomed them to their fate even if the former Divine Empire of Sydnia was the true cause, so I think a little bit of the duty falls onto us. Ah, I see a village...... is it being attacked? Tsubaki! Sophia spotted a village not so far off from the road, but it looked like it was being attacked by something. I yelled to Tsubaki, and she sped up fiercely. *** Chapter 395: A small tidy up Chapter 395: A small tidy up Tsubaki blasted through the main road. Once we got close enough to see the village clearly, we witnessed the orcs attack the village. Everyone! Get ready for battle! Were going in! Takumi! Ferryl please! Seru-chan for Laeva too please! I opened the Subspace and Akanes familiar, the giant Luna Wolf Ferryl, and Laevas familiar, the giant Serval Seru, jumped out. Gloam! Take the lead! When Sophia loudly gave directions, the Thunder Eagle Gloam was the last to come out of the Subspace and flew towards the village at high speed. GUOOOO``N!! UOOOOOOO``N!! GAOOOOON!! Tsubaki let out a Dragon Roar, then Ferryl and Seru followed up with roars of their own. It was a tragedy that could happen to anyone. People are born even in countries with collapsed systems. And on that day, the village was targeted by a swarm of orcs. The men and children would be food, and the women would be for breeding...... Uwaa``!! An excited orc slobbering in the mouth raised its club at a boy who fell on his bottom paralyzed in fear. At that moment, a roar that seemed like it could freeze hearts resounded. I deflected its club and used Decomposition. Suddenly, the log-like club disappeared and I placed my hand on the orc who was thrown off balance. Decomposition! The orc whose brain was decomposed fell like a marionette whose strings had been cut. Once we had exterminated the orcs that raided the village, the young boy hiding had clung to my leg and followed me. Mommy is, mommy is. Oniichan, save mommy. Save her. Well definitely save your mom. Understanding the situation immediately, I summoned Titan from the Subspace and left the defense of the village to him. Titan, protect the village! Akane, treat the injured! Kaede, were chasing after them! Gotcha, Master! Leaving the treatment of the rescue villagers to Akane, Laeva, and Lulu-chan, and guarding them were Titan, Ferryl, and the other familiars. Kaede, seemingly aware of what direction the orcs had left to, she began running without any hesitation. As soon as I went after her, Sophia, Maria, and Marnie also began running. Gloam! Locate the settlement ahead of us! Gloam chirped and flew past us. We should still have some time. Were running to save the women who had been abducted from the village. I immediately detected the village women kidnapped by the orcs. We strengthened our bodies and fiercely gave chase to the orcs. *** Chapter 397 Chapter 397 The new colony had one Orc General ruling the drove. Close to half of the colony raid nearby human settlements to secure food and women. They were probably waiting for their spoils to come back right about now. The Orc General who was looking forward to making the females into seedbeds did not notice the footsteps of a death god approaching. Even orcs had enough intelligence to have someone standing guard at the entrance to their colony. Especially in groups led by a superior species, the division of roles is firmly decided. Two orcs were standing on guard at the entrance to village which couldnt be called a gate. This orc settlement was made in a slightly opened space inside the forest, where a gathering of simple huts were made by logs joined together. A leader appeared from the drove of orcs that strayed in from another place and built a colony here. Then it began to attack the human villages it finds. The entire colony eagerly awaited the food and seedbed-to-be women. Even the orcs standing watch were excited hoping to enjoy the leftovers. ......though that wish would never come true. The orcs were clearing the trees, so it was easy to sense incoming enemies at this time where the sun was high in the sky. Moreover, the orcs had sensitive noses, so they presumed that they would not overlook anything that wasnt their kind. On that day, their consciousnesses faded into darkness, never to awaken once more...... Kaede and I dispatched the two guarding orcs. Sneaking up from behind, Kaede, with her claws, and I, with my dagger, stabbed the base of their necks. Considering the sensitive noses of the orcs, we would first kill them with the least possible amount of blood shed. I stored the dead orcs in my Item Box. By some chance, there may already be people whove been treated horribly here. Thats why were trying our best to not be noticed. We approached the crude structures soundlessly, stabbing at the base of their heads. Blood spurt from the two fallen corpses. Gufoooooooooo!! The orc suddenly spraying blood from its throat and the orc that fell with blood pouring out like a water fountain caused mayhem in the hut. The Orc General roared, grabbing the giant axe set aside in the room. By the time the Orc General lifted its giant axe over its shoulder, Kaede and I had slain the remaining orc and two of the Orc Leaders. Bufoooooo``!! The Orc General roared in anger. When the Orc General, with its 3m tall body, did a full horizontal swing, the crude hut collapsed. Kaede and I escaped before the hut collapsed over us. Bakyaaaaan!! Wood splintered flew as the Orc General yelled in anger. For an individual that leads a drove of a thousand, the Orc General had a stronger presence than expected. But not anymore. Compared to a dragon, right~! Kaede and I split up and ran. *** Chapter 398: Enemy no more. Chapter 398: Enemy no more. Aiming at us who had split up, the Orc General swung its giant axe sideways. With that one swing, an attack that could cut down even huge trees was headed our way. Kaede and I avoided it with ease. The Orc General, who was looking forward to enjoying the seedbed-to-be women, was in a fit of rage when we came in and killed its subordinates all of a sudden. Like a martial artist, it swung its giant axe haphazardly. (As I thought. Perhaps after having so many hard fights like in the Demon Continent, the Dragon Dungeon, or the material foraging in the Forest of Death...... an Orc Generals speed would make us yawn.) (Master, this is a weakling thats all body.) Kaede also dodged the giant axe that the Orc General swung so easily. The Orc General got more and more irritated at not even being anywhere close to hitting us. Bufooooooo``!! Its irritation reaching its utmost limits, the Orc General raised its giant axe overhead to swing it down towards me. This should be fine already. With the giant axe coming down towards me, I stood upright waiting for it without even trying to evade. Bufo!? The Orc Generals bewildered voice leaked out. I suppose that was to be expected. With over a 1m height difference, I received the Orc Generals giant axe easily with one hand. It must have thought that it would be able to cut me right in half with its downward swinging giant axe. Compared to the 3m tall Orc General, Kaede and I were far smaller. The difference was obvious, not only in height, but in width and weight too. I could tell it was bewildered. The Orc General pushed down the giant axe down more, its nostrils flaring. If we leave this place be, goblins, kobolds, or orcs might inhabit it once again. It would be best to destroy it without leaving a trace. After I placed the Orc Generals body in the Item Box, I also retrieved the Orc and Orc Leaders corpses from the hut. The orcs who remained with the colony, the orcs who were on their way back carrying women, the rampaging orcs we first encountered in the village should be close to a hundred in total. These should be useful for the revival of the village. When I retrieved the orcs and distanced myself from the colony, Kaede chopped up all the huts with her threads, turning the huts that the orcs built into nothing but wood chips. Master! Im done! Good work. Everyones waiting, lets go back. Yup! When we returned from the forest with Kaede, we walked in the direction of the village around where we had saved the women and joined up with Sophia and the girls. Thank you for your hard work. How was it? Mm, it went well. Sophia gave words of appreciation, indirectly asking if there were any other victims within the colony. Leave the watch to Kaede and I. You all support the girls please. Yes, well do our best. Caring for the women who were almost seedbeds for orcs should probably be left to Sophia, Marnia, and Marnie who were similarly women. They might be afraid of a guy like me and a high ranking monster like Kaede. It would have been easy to teleport everyone to the village, but as expected, theres no way we could use teleportation magic so openly. We had to have the women walk back home on their own feet, so sun had set by the time we returned to the village. *** Chapter 399: Within reach for now Chapter 399: Within reach for now When we met up with my wives and the abducted women and returned to the village, Akane had finished tending to the injured, and the deceased had been buried thanks to Titan. We were met by the village chief. Everyone, to you who had saved this village of ours and even saved the abducted women, my words are not enough to show our appreciation. The village chief bowed his head deeply. I hurriedly stopped him. Please raise your head. We just happened to pass by. No, if it were not for you lot, the village would have been decimated. The village women would have suffered a fate worse than death. The villagers who gathered around the village chief all fell to their knees and began to speak words of gratitude to the point their foreheads were on the ground. Everyone, please calm down! Please stand up for now! I managed to make them stand, but then I noticed. Likely because there were those who died from the attack from the orcs, the villagers were not in good spirits, nor were they energetic...... and many of them were skin and bones. When I looked around the village, the field wasnt that big. Even if they supplemented it with hunting prey for food, its barely enough to keep them alive. And so, I tried talking to Sophia, Akane, and the others about offering the orcs to them. Isnt that fine? At this point, what would we do with the money from selling the meat and materials from orcs? Yes, I think its a great idea. Thanks. Ill talk to their side. It was then that the chief regained his composure. Please make use of the materials that could be liquidated to restore the village. Please be courteous especially towards the those who lost relatives. I am eternally grateful, but is it truly alright? Its no problem at all. You will need to go to the Adventurers Guild, so please be careful on your way there. Truly, our sincerest gratitude. Quick to stop the chief who seemed to be trying to bow down on the floor again, I took out the orcs from my Item Box and lined them up. The village will be saved with this. Would it be alright to share this meat with nearby villages? I see no issue. Even if they were made into jerky, it would still be difficult for this village alone to finish off. Moreover, this village is free to use the ingredients and materials of their own volition. Don! When I placed down the Orc Generals body last, the village chief was dumbstruck and jawdropped for the Nth time today. The sellable materials and meat were to be classified I also helped out using magic. Things like Dehydration and Aging were easy enough, after all. The dismantling continued late into the night. And while that was happening, Marnie and Maria were made a large batch of food with the orc meat. The empty hands were provided with food, and the dismantling ended well into the night. Once the orc meat and materials were stored, we borrowed the plaza to rest. Night watch was covered by Titan. Ferryl and the other familiars were there too. ***Vissit for new novels Chapter 400: A journey to fix the world? Chapter 400: A journey to fix the world? I slept soundly in the carriage, and when the sun rose in the morning, I woke up and went outside to find there were many monster corpses. Out there was Ferryl who seemed to be waiting to be to be praised, Seru who was satisfied with herself, Titan who was posing as if proud of the amount of monsters it caught, and Gloam who perched on its shoulder unconcerned. Master, we hunted all the dangerous monsters in this area. ......y-yeah, you did well. I was at a loss for words at the proud Tsubaki. I had no choice but to pet the familiars as a reward. Oh my, did you all hunt these? As expected of my Ferryl. Good girl, good girl. Ooh, Seru, youre so clever! Akane and Laeva who got out of the carriage praised their own familiars. Im afraid that if theyre praised too much, they would do the same thing every time we camp out. This is...... looks like our departure will be extended. Seems so. But this village has plenty of orc meat, so should we offer it to the towns and villages we will stay in after this? I guess so. But I think it would be better to ask the villagers for help with dismantling and then give them a reward after.Re?a?d new chapters on Sophia alighted from the carriage, then she said that we should delay our departure after seeing the mountain of prey, and Maria proposed giving a bit of it as a reward for the villagers help. Lets do that. In the meantime, Titan can surveil the surroundings and repair their outer walls. The village originally didnt have a good wall, but it was destroyed here and there by the orc colony. The villagers seem to have made some emergency repairs, but that wouldnt pose much resistance against goblin or wolf-type monsters. T-this is...... I think you should do as you like, Dear Husband. Marnie 100% supports what I decide on doing. I wonder if thats fine for every case. I cant say much as third wheel, but while it wasnt very much like a honeymoon, why dont we treat it like Mito Komons country reformation journey? Whats that, the Mito Komon country reformation journey. Mito Komonya? Its the tale of man who went on a journey beating bad people. Akane gave a suitable response to Lulu-chan. Thats not the case. Theres no way a tour around the entire country is possible in the Edo period...... wait, thats not what this is about. In short, were going to stop by as many towns and villages as we can, and help as many as we can in those places? DATS RIGHTO[1] ! ......so thats how it will be. Haa, well, well be stopping by many villages and towns, so we may as well help, huh. Outside the carriage, Ferryl, Seru, and Gloam were carrying the monsters hunted by the roads. It was a hassle retrieving them every single time, but I guess I could think of it as their stress relief. *** Footnotes: 1. Spoken in english TLN: Happy holidays! Take care and have fun if you all celebrate! Also, thank you for 400. Chapter 401: The Left Out Trading Nation Chapter 401: The Left Out Trading Nation Our journey from the Former Divine Empire of Sydnia to Samandour Kingdom was more eventful than we had expected. We rescued the village that from the drove of orcs attacking it, defeated the orc colony nearby, then we offered the meat and materials to the damaged village.ViiSiit for latest novels After that, our familiars actively exercised by hunting monsters in our surroundings to relieve stress, selling materials to towns that have Adventurers Guilds, and offering meat to villages that dont have much surplus of food as we leisurely made our way to Samandour Kingdom Well, its for our self-satisfaction and a slight pang of guilt. We were the ones who dealt the final blow to collapse the Divine Empire of Sydnia, after all. With this and that happening, we crossed the border between the former Sydnia and Samandour Kingdom. Samandour Kingdom trades with every other country, thats why there was no troublesome check when we crossed from the Sydnian border. They just did a simple identification check and we were able to enter the country. We headed for the port city at Samandour Kingdom. Samandour Kingdom is a trading nation Possessing the only port in this continent, they also sail to the Demon Continent to trade there. Triaria Kingdom was actively trying to expand in the continent and they went to war with Yggurle Kingdom, Valkyra Kingdom, and Lomaria Kingdom, yet Samandour Kingdom traded equally to both sides. Not too long ago, Triaria Kingdom, which received financial support and human resources from the Divine Empire of Sydnia which was located, went to war with Yggurle Kingdom and Valkyra Kingdom. Samandour Kingdom made enormous profits from selling supplies to both factions. The new magic devices, highly effective potions, the carriages that do not shake much, the leak of funds from our country these several years isnt stopping. Its a constantly growing deficit. These several years, a trading company of Valkyra Kingdom began marketing Toilet MDs. At first, Goul didnt even consider selling the toilets. That high nobles would not buy it. Why was that. Even in Samandour Kingdom, there were noble companies that jumped in on such products. Now those companies were the only winners in the sinking Samandour Kingdom. It hurt that we couldnt be involved with the Sanctuary. If Triaria had been able to capture the Sanctuary...... The Sanctuarys products, alcohol and herbs, were traded with the Trination in small quantities, but that benefit did not extend to the companies in Samandour Kingdom. Naturally. Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom were not fools. It was impossible for them to not realize that Samandour Kingdom was behind Sydnia and Triaria. Of course, there would be no way they would take on the revival of the former Sydnia, and as a result, Valkyra Kingdom, which was experiencing an unprecedented economic boom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom were reaping the benefits. Gnomstoll Kingdom which had sold massive volumes of armaments. And then Samandour Kingdom made a mistake with their misguided scheming values. This was not just the case for the Vautarc Earldom, but to all the nobles in Samandour Kingdom who profited were unable to gain the rights to trade. They looked down on Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom. Regarding Yggurle Kingdom, they consider it as the breeding ground for high class slaves. The nobles who managed the companies of Samandour Kingdom were now desperate to gather information from other countries. Just so they wouldnt be disadvantaged somehow...... *** Chapter 402: Exploring the port city Chapter 402: Exploring the port city My first impression of Samandour Kingdom of the country was that there was something strange about it. I dont know where that malaise was coming from, but it felt crooked.ViiSiit for latest novels Samandour Kingdom, like Valkyra Kingodm and Lomaria Kingdom, shouldnt have any racial discrimination. Sure enough, the amount of Beastkin and Dwarves here are on par with Valkyra Kingdom, but...... They look gloomy. Yeah. It wasnt surprising to see Beastkin slaves. There was a constant number of criminal and debt slaves even in Valkyra Kingdom and in Lomaria Kingdom. But we could see that even the Beastkin who were not slaves also had dark expressions. Also, we saw many mercenaries in the town we passed by on the way here. Yes. On the contrary, I didnt see that many knights and soldiers. Maria must have thought that was strange. Certainly I didnt see knights and soldiers much either. Oh yeah, I had heard something from Papeck-san. That Samandour Kingdom doesnt have much of a regular army. So does that mean that when they keep the number of soldiers down by hiring the necessary amount of mercenaries that they need? It was efficient, but it made sense why the towns and villages had such a mood. Mercenaries do not pledge their allegiance to king or lord. Their priority lies in their own interests. Such people would not protect their country. There is little racial discrimination because its a trading nation, so I thought they would be more free, but because of the disparity in the economy, the slums were more horrible than I expected in larger cities. Im excited to go shopping. We have to buy souvenirs for everyone in the Sanctuary. Im interested in southern fashion. Sea means fish nya. Maria was looking forward to shopping. She should have already bought quite a lot at the capital in Gnomstoll Kingdom though. In girl-like fashion, Akane wanted to browse for clothes. Maybe because shes only been having meat ever since leaving the Sanctuary, she was excited to have fish dishes. Takumi-sama, did Samandour Kingdom have any potion ingredients or maybe medicinal plants endemic to this area? Hmm, not really, no. Thats a shame. Oh yeah. Marine products were a specialty of Samandour Kingdoms port city, but that wasnt a sales point for us who live in the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is able to export fish because of the Mermaids, so of course we had plenty of opportunities to eat it. Laeva showed interest in the medicinal plants and potion materials that Samandour Kingdom imports from the surrounding countries. Perhaps because Tsubaki stands out, there was a bit of a commotion as we were entering the city, but weve safely arrived at Samandour Kingdoms port city at the southern tip at last. Apart from the country itself, the lines of white houses with orange roofs and the blue sea are really beautiful. Yeah, the color of the South Sea is somewhat different. Blue skies, a sea-side townscape, a gentle salty breeze brought by the tide. Mmmm, this feels so nice. We were in a good mood, but am I loved by trouble? Tsubaki who was pulling the carriage leisurely had stopped in her tracks. Chapter 403: Idiots are worldwide. Chapter 403: Idiots are worldwide. I could tell that Tsubakis good mood suddenly dropped as soon as her hooves stopped. Port City Biezzer...... a bustling beautiful city inhabited by, not only Humans, but also Beastkin, Dwarves, and even Mazoku from the Demon Continent...... is how it should be, but I cant help but feel Im loved by trouble. What stopped our carriage were, indeed, some seemingly slow witted men. Was the man who came out of a tasteless, gaudily ornate carriage parked on the road a nobles servant? Tsubaki must have also thought that intimidating people downtown was very immature, so she was pouting and kicking the dirt but still being patient. The foolish man took notice of Tsubakis patience and shouted at our carriage. The owner of this carriage! Come out and show yourself at once! I was fed up with the pompous man who had caused an obstruction, but if I looked irritated, Akane and Sophia who could have competed for who look even more annoyed would have probably jumped out of the carriage to hit that octopus, no questions asked. Maaaaan, I went out of the carriage and Sophia followed after me to guard me. May I help you? You are blocking the road, so could you please move your carriage soon? Kid, I will give you the honor of offering that Dragon Horse and carriage to my Master! Hm? That woman, an elf? Thats too good for you, kid, present that woman too! What the hell is this guy saying? Hes not even here to talk. I decline. Youre blocking traffic so please move. Kid! My master, Earl Sechnal, desires that carriage and Dragon Horse! Present it obediently! That is out of the question. Tsubaki is my familiar, an important companion. I am not willing to give her to your master, no matter who he is. The carriage is also one that I made especially for myself. King Valkyra has limited the general sales, so please inquire with the Valkyra royal family.Re?a? latest chapters on I had mentioned King Valkyras name, but the man looking down on me for being young didnt stop. Walking closer with overflowing seductiveness was the Succubus Queen Fraal who governed Accuros, the entrance to the Demon Continent, and her attendant, Ryuka-san, who hurriedly followed after her. Today, unlike when we saw her at Accuros, escorting knights chased after her. Ooh! If it isnt Queen Fraal of Accuros. To think you would have even come to greet...... Earl Sechnal, was it? Queen Fraal raised her hand at that Earl who started addressing her. Hm? Who might you be? Unfortunately, I have no recollection of you. You appear to have misunderstood, but it was Iruma-dono over there whom I called out to greet. Eh? Your Majesty Queen Fraal and this youngster are acquainted? It was then that Ryuka-san, who finally caught up, saw us. Ohh! Arent you Iruma-dono and Sophia-dono!? Its nice to see you. You seem to be doing quite well` Your Majesty, please dont move ahead by yourself. Youre already strolling in town without using a carriage at your own whim. As always, Queen Fraal was as free as ever. And Ryuka-san was experiencing hardships as always. And why are you in a place like this, Iruma-dono? Are you having a dispute? No, actually...... Y-your Majesty Q-Queen Fraal! I have urgent business, s-so I-I must bid you farewell, please excuse me! When I was about to explain the situation to Queen Fraal, Earl Sechnal was suddenly flustered, remembering he had some urgent business, then boarded his carriage and left. ......what was that? Sophia and I couldnt help but stare at the tasteless;y gaudy carriage as it drove recklessly through the city. *** Chapter 404: Learning from the Queen Chapter 404: Learning from the Queen As we watched the carriage run away, Queen Fraal spoke to us. What, was that person your acquaintance, Iruma-dono? No, he was picking a fight. What!? What a fool he is for starting a fight with Iruma-don. Its Count Sechnal, Your Majesty. A vested noble without any territory, but he trades extensively, even transacting with our country, even if slight. His reputation though...... He is infamous for being one of the two foolish nobles in Samandour Kingdom alongside Count Vautarc. I dont know who that Count Vautarc is, but if Ryuka-san puts him side by side with Count Sechnal, he was probably not the definition of a decent person.ViiSiit for latest novels Instead of standing around talking here, why dont we head to the hotel were staying in? Have you decided on an inn yet? No, we thought of searching for one after this. If so, were only using two reserved rooms . We rented two floors, so you may use as many rooms as you want as well. Queen Fraal invited us to their hotel, and Ryuka-san offered the rooms that they had reserved in Accuros. When I talked about it with Sophia and Akane, it was decided we would accept their generosity, we and their escorting knights headed to the hotel in our carriage. Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san were surprised by the relaxing space inside the space expanded interior of the carriage, and were impressed by the minimal shaking of the carriage that already began moving. Now that I think about it, theyve never had a turn in the carriage. ......its amazing, Ryuka. I want this carriage in our country too. Your Majesty, this is the carriage of the Dragon Horse which is Iruma-donos familiar. It would be difficult to have an identical carriage. Hmph, certainly it would be impossible for an Earth Dragon to pull the carriage, wouldnt it? A feudal system where the kings influence is weak...... Id have to say thats closer to capitalism. Isnt it? It felt like a twisted feudal system. Samandour Kingdom is a country that prospered through trade. This was evident from the fact that they sold supplies to both sides during the the Trination C Triaria War. However, there has been a shadow looming over Samandour Kingdoms trade, which in turn caused Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc to be more unbecomingly impatient and irritable. Your Majesty, those two have always been mad scum. That sounds terrible. When I listened to it like a person unrelated to it, Queen Fraal said that I wasnt unrelated. The decline of Samandour Kingdom was because of the consequences of their actions, but you had been a large influence too, Iruma-dono. Eh? Is that so? Takumi-sama, the current Samandour Kingdom buys plently of things from Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, but they have practically not been selling anything. According to Sophia, during the war with Triaria Kingdom, skirmishes included, they profited from large sales of good such as armor and magic devices from Gnomstoll Kingdom, as well as food. Among them, salt was the chief commodity, taking advantage of the fact that other countries could practically not make it to increase the price. However, Triaria Kingdom lost the war and was no longer capable of invasions. Moreover, the Divine Empire of Sydnia which purchases large quantities of luxury products had collapsed. Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom ceased war for the time being, so Samandour Kingdom was unable to export munitions. Ah, the salt made in the Sanctuary is being sold in Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom, right? Yes. For the cheap, high quality salt sold in large quantities to appear on the market, Samandours expensive, low quality salt had to be removed. ......because of me? I dont know if that foolish noble knew about me, but I seem to be the reason for his irritation. *** Chapter 405: Going for a dip Chapter 405: Going for a dipI exchanged information with Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san, then we went to dinner together that night. The next day, it did not matter to me what the Samandour nobles will do nor the decline of the country. So anyway, we went to this hotels private beach. As could be seen from the Succubus Queen Fraals attire, swimsuit-like clothing exist in this world. Thats why its fine if we make swimwear, and so Kaede, Akane, and Maria were enthusiastic making swimwear for us. Sophia had a blue sexy bikini. The triangular bikini on her full body was poisonous to the eyes. Maria was wearing a red bikini, but it really suits a lively girl like her. Marnie was wearing a black bikini, but with her chest which seemed like they would overflow at any moment, she looked like a very sexy woman. Laeva wore a yellow dress. It suited her slender figure. Akane seemed to have worn a white bikini. It might be rude to say it but she surprisingly had good style. As a 40-ish year old mans feelings, I think the style of Japanese women recently had improved a lot. Lulu-chan was wearing a navy blue school swimsuit for some reason. Even having her name stitched on the chest area was probably Akanes doing. Kaedes lower half was that of a spider, so she was only wearing a tube top to cover her upper half. Akane, Lulu-chan, and Laeva played by the waters edge.ViiSiit for latest novels And for some reason, sitting on the beach chair drinking a tropical beverage was Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san. Moreover, they were wearing swimsuits made by Kaede and the girls. Queen Fraal was wearing something similar to her usual attire, rather, it felt like she was covering more than usual. The swimwear Kaede-dono, Maria-dono and Akane-dono made are quite nice. Indeed. The swimwear sold by the hotel and this city are unwearable because they were too unfashionable. Even as Queen Fraal yelled, Ryuka-san ignored her, unperturbed. Knowing the situation of the various nations in the Demon Continent, I imagine that you, Iruma-dono, would understand, but the men of the Demon Continent were all strength-is-everything muscle brains. There were the rare intellectuals such as King Gandalf, but generally they were like the Beast Kings. Umm, so Queen Fraal doesnt like meatheads? Thats right! I hate guys whose brains are also muscles! Theyre all idiots who see things in black and white on whether to fight or not! Well, that is true. Even the one called a Wise King was also a battle enthusiast. The Succubi have a long lifespan, but even Her Majesty seems to be growing more impatient. Im not impatient! Im still young! According to Ryuka-san, there have been a continuous flow of marriage applications from influential people from various countries, but none have won Queen Fraals favor. The Demon Continent is where the strongest person is King. Her Majesty said that she does not like men who were weaker than her though...... If you say it like that, then wouldnt that mean that it could only be the Kings of the other countries in the Demon Continent? Queen Fraals fighting strength was extremely high. If there was enough distance, Queen Fraal whose forte was magic may be the strongest among the six nations in the Demon Continent. Incidentally, the strongest person was the ruler in their own countries in the Demon Continent, but in reality, it was no different to an inheritance. In a country where the strong are revered, an excellent individual is also chosen as that strong individuals partner. And because of the superior genes being inherited, it was no mystery how the blood relatives of the ruler ascended the throne. After that, I listened to the sound of the waves as I continued to hear out Queen Fraal grumble about the men of the Demon Continent. *** Chapter 406: Man’s Greed is Boundless Chapter 406: Mans Greed is Boundless It finally starting to look like the honeymoon I imagined. Well, Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san visited frequently to drink tea and complain was unexpected though. The reason Queen Fraal came to Samandour Kingdom was, of course, because of work, unlike us who just came by all willy-nilly. In the Demon Continent, it was possible to obtain magic stones, monster materials, and other things that were hard to come by. These were sold to Samandour Kingdom at a low price, which is then sold to countries that could process them, or be sold as raw materials at many times its market value. Even in our continent, we were able to get magic stones and monster parts in the Adventurers Guild, but in the Demon Continent, even Dragon-type monsters were common enemies that appeared in dungeons, so ours cant beat the the quality of the magic stones and the materials of high ranking monsters from the Demon Continent..ViiSiit for latest novels However, the trade of those monster materials and magic stone was decreasing. And it was related to me too. Actually, despite its distance to the Demon Continent, trade takes place between the Sanctuary and Accuros. After all, we have the giant magic battleship, Oceanus. No matter how much of an advantage it has in distance, the difference in capacity and cruising speed between it and a cooking ship is like heaven and earth. Actually, the matters with the Demon Continent were reported to Margrave Volton. Even Valkyra Kingdom knows that Samandour Kingdom trades with the Demon Continent in small quantities. I was asked if there were things I could do with high quality magic stones and materials, so when I asked Queen Fraal, she said that an increase in trading partners was a warm welcome. Aside from the magic stones and monster materials from Accuros, we import condiments like pepper, the grains and steel armaments from Valkyra Kingdom, and we export magic devices created from the imported magic stones and monster materials. Additionally, Valkyra Kingdoms ally Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom whose relationship had been improving via the Sanctuary have begun exporting monster materials an magic stones for magic devices, so the amount of trade made with Samandour Kingdom was decreasing. Thats free competition, so its not my fault. A flashy carriage arrived at a certain palatial residence. Well, supplies were distributed to both sides during the war, so...... it couldnt be helped. Then Earl Sechnal suddenly changed topics. ......oh yeah, Lord Vautarc has connections to the Dark Guild, doesnt he? Yes. Their numbers are few, but I remember there was an organization with a skilled execution squad, but...... what of it? Earl Sechnal smiled repulsively at the butlers question. What, I was thinking about the get-rich-scheme that Earl Vautarc proposed. Get-rich-scheme? Yeah, that carriage that even royalty couldnt have, as well as the Dragon Horse pulling it. Those and I even found a beautiful elf Ive never seen before. ............ The butler desperately resisted the urge to sigh. His master wants to obtain something in a shady manner once again. How long would this last? The butler could only imagine his master was heading to his own ruin. Previous | TOC | Next Footnotes: 1.Count Sechnal / Vautarc = Earl. Chapter 407: Conspiracy Chapter 407: Conspiracy Earl Sechnal ran away as soon as he found out that Takumi was acquainted with Queen Fraal, but that did not mean he was giving up on Tsubaki, the carriage, and Sophia. Should I hire mercenaries to attack them at the border and have the dark guild just in case? He knew that currently, the Elf was staying in the high class seaside hotel that Queen Fraal and her entourage were renting. Obviously, it would a foolish plan to attack the a hotel with the royal warrant and its surroundings. What do we do about Earl Vautarcs share...... Earl Sechnal already had no doubt that he would get his hands on Tsubaki, the carriage, and Sophia. It did not even cross the back of his mind that this was counting chickens before they hatched. Adjust my schedule so I may meet with Earl Vautarc in private. As quickly as possible. ......certainly. The butler bowed his head deeply and left the room. Earl Sechnal moved quickly. A man whose steps were light when it came to conspiracies and money making. That was the true essence of Earl Vautarc.Re?a? latest chapters on Late at night in a warehouse by the harbor, Earl Vautarc and Earl Sechnal had a private discussion. It was improbably for two family heads to meet clandestinely in such a place. That was, unless it was to conspire and scheme. Moreover, as the Earls themselves had come, it meant that they were all the more vigilant so as to not leak this information to others. When Triaria Kingdom invaded Yggurle Kingdom over 50 years ago, Earl Vautarc was still but a child, but the previous Earl Vautarc supported Triaria Kingdom behind the scenes. His objective was, of course, to procure Elven slaves. Because the invasion was declared a draw, the Elven slaves did not fall into their hands, so the previous Earl Vautarc was burdened by that loss for many years. (The Elves that father was obsessed over...... It wouldnt be bad to have one. If I get tired of it, I could sell it for a large profit. ......Not bad.) Earl Vautarc also had information on Earl Sechnals dispute in the city. Because it happened in a grand manner in the bustling main road of the city, the dispute itself was known was public knowledge. However, Earl Vautarc had his proteges intelligence unit investigate from the place Takumi was staying in, to the partys composition, their numbers, ages, and more. As a result, just like Earl Sechnal, he had no doubt that Takumi was a commoner. And so, excluding the information regarding the Sanctuary and Wedgefort these past few years, there was a difference in quality of information because they were Samandourian nobles. In Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom, there were a few nobles and merchants who were aware of Takumi, and matters relating to the Sanctuary, and the development of the Savage Lands. However, the other countries were concealing information as well as Takumi himself refraining from standing out, accurate information wasnt transmitted to the Samandour Kingdoms companies. As a result, not even the fact that Takumi was a commoner was conveyed to the country. To the Trination, the Samandour Kingdom was no different from an arms dealer in extreme terms. They were assertive with making sure that information about Takumi being an important figure in the Sanctuary doesnt get shared. Information that is only known by very few people in the Trination leaking to a potential enemy nation was very undesirable, and must not ever happen. And that was one of the reasons why two prominent Samandourian nobles were in a predicament. After their secret meeting, Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc began moving covertly. Not even a thought that this was a step towards their distraction...... *** Chapter 408: Exposed…… Chapter 408: Exposed...... Blue seas, white clouds hovering in the blue skies, I relaxed on the beach chair and sipped on a tropical drink. (H~mm, this is the best. ............if those suspicious people werent here.) We were entangled with an insane noble just as we arrived at this city. Although he ran away because it just so happened that we met Queen Fraal, after we had checked into this luxury hotel, those guys had begun inquiring about us. (Listen, listen, Master, is it okay even if we dont beat them up?) (Dont worry. They probably wouldnt attack us while were in this city.) Kaede, who was the first to notice the presence of spies, came to be about it, but I told her that I plan to leave them be. (Theyre roughly 10 people, arent they? They alternate in shifts throughout the day. So stupid......) (Its definitely that idiotic noble,) Sophia and Maria were also bitter about it. Our party all had skills like Presence Detection, Enemy Search, and Magic Perception. Thats why the spies that the Samandourian noble could not hide from people like us. (They will definitely attack close to the border.) (Lets beat them back nya) Unlike Akane who was troubled, Lulu-chan seemed delighted for some reason. Previously, after having been attacked by a Dark Guild, we talked about how to respond to spies and assassins. This made us reexamine our equipment, but it really got us to polish our skills to protect ourselves from attackers and assassins. Of course, we dont forget to conceal our presences. We didnt like to show off being strong at a glance, nor do we like coercing others. Thats why, the spies wouldnt ever know that we were high ranking adventurers just by looking at us.Aall newest chapters on There were all types of assassins that existed. There are those who always acted alone. There were those that teamed up. Even assassins who work alone also receive help from support members on jobs. This time, their dark guild received a job request from their patron, a high noble from Samandour. The details of the job was to assassinate a silver haired brat. Apart from the assassins, there was a unit to secure that brats carriage, Dragon Horse, and the women he has along with him. And so, the assassins assignment was to murder one young man. In any case, its impossible inside that hotel. Yeah, doing it in the hotel that the ruler of the Demon Continent is staying in would be suicide. It would also be hard to aim for the target playing around on the private beach. The guards around the Queen are always vigilant. Spare me the Mazokus soldiers. It would be impossible to do our job with monsters like that keeping watch. I agree. I dont want fight those crazies who live in monster nests. Many of Samandour Kingdoms spies and the Dark Guilds assassins have been to Accuros. And they returned with their self-confidence in fighting smashed to pieces. In that case, well strike at the border just like we first planned. Yeah, theyll get the Dragon Horse and the women, and we aim for the brat. The two assassins nodded to the other and switched shifts, and the person who left went to their organizations hideout to instruct them to add distraction personel. It was nearly time for one of the Dark Guild operating extensively in Samandour Kingdom to be driven to the brink of destruction...... *** Chapter 409: Let’s head home Chapter 409: Lets head home Promising to meet Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san again in the Demon Continent, we ended our honeymoon and went on our way. In the second half, I think we finally had honeymoon-ish days.Vissit for new novels There were presences trailing a set distance behind Tsubaki who was running slowly with the carriage. Theres so many~ Kaede who was riding on Tsubakis back said so gleefully. The actual spies, the communication relay team, mercenaries, private army, and...... are those the professional killers from the Dark Guild? Lets see. Assassination seems to be their specialty, but they will likely slip in during a commotion and aim for Takumi-sama. A professional killer meant a Dark Guild huh...... Sophia and the others have no mercy for Dark Guilds, after all. After I was attacked by a Dark Guild, the girl group headed by Sophia had not even a shred of mercy for any opponent related to a Dark Guild. That owl thing that targeted me? What was it again...... Well, whatever. That organization was almost completely annihilated. Along the way, we stopped by villages and towns in the direction of the Savage Lands, yet there was no change in the number of presences coming along. Samandour Kingdom was currently being excluded from Sanctuary-related operations, so the cities and villages along the road to the Savage Lands gradually diminished. I cant say the lack of pedestrian traffic is an advantage for the attackers. If the fight happens in this area, then theres nothing to worry about. As we neared the border, we understood very well the numbers and positions of those trailing us. Sophia released Gloam into the sky and it flew high above the carriage. As the carriage Tsubaki pulled approached the border between Samandour Kingdom and the Savage Lands, a portion of the people following it started to move to cut past the carriage to encircle it. Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarcs private armies commanded their own mercenaries to pincer the carriage. The battle specialized unit of the Dark Guild blocked the front of the road. The spies watched the underlings of the Dark Guild, the mercenaries move from the rear. !? The boys presence disappeared!? Oi oi, it suddenly disappeared. Whats up with that? Assassins must always be calm. The assassins who should have had that drilled into their bodies were flustered. It was they who should have erased their presence, sneak up, and reap lives. Losing their target was a huge error. And what the hell are they, those women! I didnt hear anything about them being that monstrously strong. The assassins were surprised to see the mercenaries and henchmen of the Dark Guild who should have attacked the carriage fall down in no time. Their minds couldnt keep up with this unbelievable reality. We have to kill that youngster at any cost, or well be in danger. Wha, oi! Whats wrong!? The figure and presence of the mans buddy who was supposed to be right next to him disappeared like the mist. Uwaaaaa!! Finally, the mind of the ruthless assassin had reached its limit and he ran without watching the outcome of the attack. Kuh. Not that he was able to run away, though. I have no mercy for those who try to kill me and sell Sophia and the girls. He tried to kill, so he must be prepared to be killed. The men had nothing to identify themselves with. I quickly dug a hole using Earth Magic and threw the corpse of the assassins there, then returned to Sophia and the others. Theres still many things to clean up, after all. *** Chapter 410: Cleaning up and Roasting Chapter 410: Cleaning up and Roasting When I returned to the carriage, Titan had carried the men that Sophia and the girls defeated and Kaede had restrained to one place.ViiSiit for latest novels Are you done dealing with the assassins? Cant fool you, huh, Marnie? Yes. I can smell blood from you, dear Husband. It seems I couldnt deceive a Beastkins nose. That said, it wasnt like Marnie was criticizing me, she was genuinely just worried about me. So what do we do about these guys? Akane kicked the unconscious attackers as she asked. Youre a girl, dont do that. Well know immediately if theyre from the Dark Guild, so we can take the few that have their name tags to the next city. This should serve as a warning for those stupid nobles. This would be a warning to the nobles that fought with us. I think this would be severe warning to the professional killers related to the Dark Guilds. If they still come for revenge to save face, then fine. The next time, total destruction. Its annoying, but a massacre would probably not be bad. Its easier like that nya. A massacre... Akane seems to really have been dyed by this world. Lulu-chan is even more extreme...... Okay, well hand over the mercenaries and those from the Dark Guild in the city, but what do we do about the soldiers of the nobles? Cant we just unbind and leave them here? There were two people who were clearly the nobles soldiers based on their equipment. At least wear equipment that doesnt stand out, man. The spies in the back would also be difficult to deal with. After that. we received the money at the Adventurers Guild, then left again for the border. They really were cheap. Considering how cheap theyre be sold for, Im sure theyd wished they didnt do bad things. We received money from selling 30 people who had fallen to criminal slavery, but it was not a price that people should be sold for. I wish these mercenaries had just done their job normally...... Well, we have no room to be compassionate. Thats right. Those guys would have captured Sophia-san without injuring her but they would have played with us then sell us! Yeah, we definitely heard them when they were about to attack us. That makes me angry. Akane was enraged remembering it. Their mouths were also the source of their misfortune. That was one of the reasons why the women in our team hit them so hard that they fainted. Those stupid nobles would probably have the report from the soldiers. If they still want to come at us despite that, then we go all out. Shouldnt that be alright? When we set those two free, everyone coerced them with all their power, so we scared those two to the point they may have peed their pants. Nah, Maria also definitely went all out scaring them. In reality, those two soldiers may have been rendered useless after this. Being surrounded by us and our familiars, they might feel like they cant go out to places. Well, well return this time. To our home. We boarded the carriage Tsubaki pulls, and we we were on our way back to the border. We could teleport to the Sanctuary in an instant, but I want this trip to really feel like a proper honeymoon to the very end. Chapter 411: We’re home Chapter 411: Were home Things happened, but the fun honeymoon(?) must also end. Theres still a way to go from the Savage Lands southwards to the Sanctuary. Indeed. On the north side of the Sanctuary, Yggurle Kingdom, Valkyra Kingdom, and Lomaria Kingdom have developed and maintained roads to compete to subjugate monsters. The development of the east-west line from the Sanctuary to Lomaria Kingdom by way of Wedgefort was going well with fortress cities and highways being established along it. Also, the highway that continues to extend north from Wedgefort to Yggurle Kingdom was close to completion. The highway from Wedgefort to the Volton Margravery in Valkyra Kingdom was the first to be completed, and the monster extermination there was well underway. The Table Mountain also had a nice view though. Takumi-sama, that place is still a Monster Nest, so it isnt accessible to normal people. Speaking of which, the Savage Lands are dotted with small, but many monster nests, so much of it is unexplored. Lately, the monster nests in the Savage Lands were changing. I suppose this is another effect of the Sanctuary, but while the mana was still just as dense, it seemed like there were less aggressive monster types, perhaps because of the miasma being cleared. Even so, thered be a problem with a road being developed towards Samandour Kingdom. If Samandour Kingdom doesnt develop the road by themselves, and if we and the Trination do it, they might be taken as us preparing for war. Ive heard that in the road developments during the warring ages in Japan were made narrow and winding, making it easy to attack foreign troops. If we build the road to Samandour Kingdom by ourselves, it might really be seen as the Trination preparing for war. Finally, the carriage reached the barrier of the Sanctuary. The carriage Tsubaki pulls passed through the barrier like normal and went directly to our mansion. Fuu, Im so glad were back. Were home. My Lord, all seven of them were monsters. Additionally, they were not seven-strong. They were always followed by a Familiar Arachne. Wha, an Arachne...... Is that not a Calamity-class monster? I cant accept such a report! Please understand. It wasnt noticed by our spies eyes, and it seemed like it possessed the perfected Stealth skill. We would not have known it was there if the arachne had not shown itself. They had other familiars which were out of the norm too. Please understand that. Earl Sechnals mouth flapped open and close, no words coming out. Mercenaries, goons of the Dark Guild, the spies, and all of them were handed over to the Adventurers Guild as thieves, and they were sold as criminal slaves. The assassins from the DArk Guild werent included, so...... thats how it happened. Wha, those guys werent j-just commoners? The mercenaries and the goons from the Dark Guild were pros. Earl Sechnal should have realized. The opponent who had a Dragon Horse, which was difficult for even royalty to own, pull their carriage, couldnt possibly fall into the normal commoners. Replacing the spies would be an issue, but the Dark Guilds goons and mercenaries was unfavorable. We should go about buying all of them, but...... Guh...... The spies of the Sechnal Earldom were one thing, but the mercenaries and members of the Dark Guild couldnt be left to fall into slavery. If that happened, the Sechnal Earldom would not have any mercenaries to employ. It was detrimental to the nobles of Samandour Kingdom who had limited knights employed and relied on mercenaries. It was even more unfavorable with the Dark Guild. Earl Sechnal who always hired the Dark Guild to do work for him behind the scenes had a give and take relationship with the organization. So if he abandoned their members now, that relationship would be broken. Exposing the dark side of the Sechnal Earldom that the Dark Guild has a tight hold on would be a huge problem. Shit! I will not just end it here with that brat! I will chase him to the ends of the earth and make him grovel at my feet in apology! The subordinate who gave their report gave their final words and left the enraged Earl Sechnal. In the room, Earl Sechnal was left there, stunned by his subordinate who had arbitrarily announced their resignation and made his way out. The fall of Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc had was just beginning. *** This is the end of Volume 8! As with every volume I had finished in the past, I will take a break. Thank you for reading this far and I hope you continue to read this with me. Chapter 412: Considering a reconstruction project (Volume 9 Start) Chapter 412: Considering a reconstruction project (Volume 9 Start) Having returned to the Sanctuary, we decided to take things slow in the mansion for a while and we did what we wanted to. I had all sorts of things to think about after this honeymoon. First, it weighed on my mind that the revival of the Former Divine Empire of Sydnia. Gnomstoll Kingdom...... we could leave them be. There were many friendly Dwarves, after all. Lastly, Samandour Kingdom which we stopped at had many problems. Stupid nobles picking a fight with us, purposely sending assassins to kill just me and to take the Sophia and the girls...... yep, if they do something to us again, well definitely crush them. I think the number one thing that needed something to be done was the revival of the Former Divine Empire of Sydnia. it was also a problem that the foundations of their religion was crumbling. What was once a religious nation had now lost its foundations, without a trace of it left. What if we use this opportunity to build the church of the Genesis Faith. Under the provisional rule of Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, they were guaranteed the freedom of religion. However, they talked about what good it would do to continue believing in a fallen spirit, and recommended conversion to the Genesis Faith.ViiSiit for latest novels Then, I thought about making a community building. I know that me doing as I please would definitely be bad. So I need to go to Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom for their opinion. Should I write to King Valkyra and King Lomaria? Deciding whether or not to, I started walking to my room and thought about the contents in the letter. I asked Marnie to brew me some tea and to bring it to my room, then I returned to my room. Negotiating with higher ups is impossible for me. Id like to say you could do it, Takumi, but...... it would be unreasonable for you too. Takumi, youre a middle-aged salaryman, arent you? Dont you have a bit of experience similar to it? I was a technician, moreover, I didnt really have that many negotiations and meeting with others. From the get go, Akane rejected and said it was impossible for it. How about hiring people for this? With the Sanctuarys crops, medicinal herbs, magic devices, potions, salt, marine products, trade with the Demon Continent, I think we can hire a few people. ......I didnt even consider that. Normally, that would be the case, huh. It was so normal for us to everything ourselves. We need people who think with common sense. From the conditions of the Sanctuary, there were restrictions on employing people, but I think we could manage to look for some. At present, the managers relating to the crops, marine products, salt, medicinal herbs, and alcohol had been decided. Its fine to leave them as they are. In addition, I want to hire someone who would interact with Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingodm, and Yggurle Kingdom. It was unanimously decided that we would employ people. There was a possibility that theres capable managers even in slave companies, but I doubt they could be good at negotiating with countries. I wonder if I should discuss this with Margrave Volton and Papeck-san. I just want to help the people of the Former Sydnia, yet am I the only one who feels like were taking a detour? *** TLN: Early return! Vol 9 Yoroshiku! Chapter 413: More Serious Than Imagined Chapter 413: More Serious Than Imagined I first made an appointment with the chamberlain of Margrave Volton, Xervus-san. Margrave Volton was busier than ever before. The management of the Savage Lands, an area no country owns, was decided upon in a conference, turning the land into a neutral zone. Among them, Wedgefort, the exclave of Valkyra Kingdom; The exclave of Lomaria Kingdom which is a constructed city located between Wedgefort and their mainland; Valor, the city constructed by the Trination in the vicinity of the Sanctuary which the trination had agreed to manage together. Owing to the Volton Margavery bordering the Savage Lands, Margrave Volton whose work had increased explosively was apparently so dizzyingly busy. Obviously he would be unable to meet us if we go all of a sudden. Why dont we hire someone to manage our mansion in Volton?ViiSiit for latest novels Right. Laeva frequently travels between Volton and the Sanctuary, so the cleaning was left to her, but that might be a good idea. After delivering the letter to Xervus-san, and while I was cleaning the Volton mansion, Akane made a suggestion. We have no plans of selling the Volton mansion, so it would be better to employ a caretaker. This is way too late for this though. Wed want one for the Sanctuary mansion too, huh. Arent Maria and Marnie there for the Sanctuary mansion? When I said that, Akane shook her head in disbelief, and so explained. Maria and Marnie are your wives, no? Wouldnt it be strange if there are no maids and servants for that big of a mansion? You could hire servants from the people who want that job if its in the Sanctuary. I think there are many girls who would want to work as a maid. In such a situation, it would be untimely if Iruma-dono, who was affiliated with Valkyra Kingdom, were to greatly develop Sydnia. I just want them to be able to live a life without starving, and not be robbed by bandits and robbers at the minimum. That might be the most difficult. I know that maintaining public order was the top priority of the Trination, but there was another dispute over which country was in charge of what region. So, I was thinking that there was no church of the Genesis Faith in Sydnia. Yeah, it was a country with I dont know what religion, after all. Then how about I build a few churches of the Genesis Faith, and then the practitioners of the faith can work there? If its the church of the Genesis Faith, then I have no problem donating them. The largest religious influence in Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom worships Goddess Norn. This was no different for the Elven Country nor the Dwarven Country. Then wouldnt it be safe for the Genesis Faith to reach out to the needy people of Sydnia? ......mhmm, it would certainly be simple to make churches if its you, Iruma-dono. The Genesis Faith would gladly accept it and send personnel to be posted there. Moreover, if they find out that it was Iruma-dono, the custodian of the Sanctuary, who built the church, the archbishop would be overjoyed and thank you. It seems viable. Yes, Ill try to steer the countries in that direction. For the time being, the discussion about supporting Sydnias revival had been settled. All thats left is to talk about personnel. *** Chapter 414: Referrals Chapter 414: Referrals After we finished talking about the revival of the former Divine Empire of Sydnia, we talked about employing someone who could be entrusted with negotiations with the Trination. That is a very welcome topic. Xervus was overly pleased. Just as I thought it was strange, he told me why. Iruma-dono, you, recognized by the Great Spirits, the protector of the Spirit Tree, as well as the keeper of the Sanctuary, are known to those with good ears, not only in this country, but in other places as well. Yet, when we want to contact you, you normally spend your time in the Sanctuary, or in rare cases, in your mansion here in Volton. When you are away from your Volton mansion, the barrier and golems protect the mansion, but there was no one to hand letters to. My apologies. The Volton mansion had been protected by barriers and semi-independent golems ever since the last attack in it. Thats why trespassers in the mansion were apprehended in our absence. According to Xervus-san, there were many domestic merchants, nobles, royal family, and allied nobles and merchants want to sell wine and other liquor made in the Sanctuary. I also learned about that from Papeck-san. But the wine and other liquor made in the Sanctuary were basically not made to be sold to the outside. The Dwarves focus on making it only for their own consumption, so the amount being sold outside was limited. It would be difficult to increase the liquor production. Theres also the vineyard so it cant be increased immediately. Theres the issue of land as well. So that is how it is. If you were to buy crops harvested from a different place to use for making the liquor, the taste of the existing liquor would change, would it not? The reason the Dwarves like Golan-san and Doganbo-san purposely came to the Sanctuary was because of the quality of the products made there. I dont know what influences this, but the crops that grow in the Sanctuary tasted superb. If this was because of the Dryas and the Great Spirits, or the influence of the Spirit Tree, I dont know. In any case, be it the grapes or the grains, the produce grown in the Sanctuary made for the finest quality liquor. People other than those sent by Margrave Volton and Papeck-san, would be somewhat terrifying...... That insight is correct. Individuals like that would love to wedge their way in to the Sanctuary in any way possible. Xervus-san said that he would consult Papeck-san about screening and selecting butlers, maids, and cooks. Please leave the matter of the former Sydnia to us. Im sorry for the trouble Im causing you, Xervus-san and the margravery. Not at all. Because of you, the Volton Margravery is more prosperous than it has ever been. This much isnt enough to show our appreciation. Smiling, Xervus-san thanked me. Xervus-san said that he would like to scour for the most capable people domestic and abroad to hire, and said that he would need time. The construction of the churches in Sydnia would be reported by Margrave Volton to King Valkyra, and afterwards, discuss selecting the locations and its scale, the supply of materials, and all issues that must be cleared with the Genesis Faith and their allied countries, so this couldnt be settled immediately either. I thanked Xervus-san and went back to the Sanctuary that day. *** Chapter 415: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 415 Employing people 1 Chapter 415: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 415 Employing people 1 A message came from Xervus-san that he was having a hard time selecting people. I talked about it in the living room with everyone. Its been a challenge to gather them? Wouldnt it be better to just search for maids at a slavery company? Akane-san, even if its a slavery company, the Moulin Slavery Company is scrupulous with its training, so wed be able to get maids to work immediately, but normal companies seem to only provide the minimum level of training. We cant expect immediate workers, huh...... Akane and Maria even brought up slaves in our search for maids. We have many secrets like the Teleleport Gates and the Sky Islands, so thats a viable option for keeping them confidential, but the issue from Xervus-san was slightly different. Akane, Maria, what Xervus-san was talking about was different. Its not that he couldnt gather people. Hes troubled because theres a flood of applications. Considering how a butler needs to be a prudent individual, Xervus-san searched not only in the Volton Margravery, but all over to find a vastly capable and faithful individual.. Being employed by us also meant that they would be able to enter the Sanctuary. This meant that they had to pass in the strict eyes of the Great Spirits. The people who have hidden agendas and anyone with strings attached would not be deemed acceptable by the Great Spirits. There were many nobles and merchants who want the Sanctuary-grown fruits and liquor, after all. Laevas potions are also popular. There was no end to the number of nobles pushing their staff to, as well as other people who want to be a servant to, the person who was considered thought to be managing the sanctuary which had plenty of items that could not be obtained anywhere else. When the information that we wanted people had spread, it became impossible to gather people. So what will we do? The butler has to be quite the diligent person or it wouldnt work with us. You have a point. Should we get Sylph and Undine do the interviews? The moment I was about to say that it was a joke, not only Undine and Sylph, but even Dryas, Selene, and Nyx appeared on the spot. Takumi-chan~, leave the interviews to us oneechans~ Yeah, once the date has been decided, do tell us oneechans. Well, even if Takumi doesnt tell us, well know anyway. Then, that settles it. Undine, Dryas, and the other Great Spirits said all that they wanted to say and disappeared. I wonder if Xervus-san would be surprised. I believe anyone would be surprised to hear that the Great Spirits would gather to be the interviewers. ......itd be great if it stops at being surprised. Sophia and Maria pitied Xervus-san who had to manage the place that may turn chaotic with the Great Spirits manifesting in the appointed place on that set date. Still, it might be better that Salamander, who finds most things bothersome, and Gnome, who was busy with making alcohol, were not coming. Or so Ive been telling myself. Cuz if all of the Great Spirits were to manifest in Volton, theres no way it wouldnt cause a panic. Its really making my head hurt. Haa, Ill make some golems to police the venue. Then Laeva will help too. Yeah, please do. Laeva and I moved to the workshop to build golems for the interview that turned into a bigger deal than imagined. *** Chapter 416: Employing People 2 Chapter 416: Employing People 2 Laeva and I made several security golems. They were Iron Golems made of steel. If on the off chance that they get hit by magic attacks, we plated them with mithril so they wouldnt break immediately. There were golems equipped with 2 meter hexagonal poles and golems with two pronged man-catchers. Because they were security golems, they had nonlethal weapons meant for suppressing. Having had fun making golems for the first time in a long time, I was on cloud nine. Naturally, Laeva wouldnt act as brakes but rather as an accelerator and so the two of us made golems. I made a commander golem that would command the other security golems. Five Great Shield Golems, two Man-Catcher Golems, and a Commander Golem make up one platoon. The commander Golem was also equipped two nonlethal jitte[1] for weapons. The jitte was my doing. It had the image of a hitsuke touzoku aratamekata[2] . Perhaps this was the vestiges of my time as a salaryman in my 40s, Akane had absolutely no understanding for me. However, Laeva and Sophia, who I asked for her opinion, were amused by the jitte. When I explained that it was a nonlethal weapon meant for subduing opponents, I excitedly gave ideas about the length and shape of the hook of the jitte.ViiSiit for latest novels Well, you could say I was escaping reality. Maybe we should have just bought slaves to be maids after all...... I imagine the difficulty of finding the perfect person for it would be the same. I couldnt help but complain at the situational report from Xervus-san, and hearing this, Sophia denied it. In any case, its quite fortunate that all of the slaves that Takumi-sama bought were the best of people. Definitely...... Then the day of the interview arrived in Volton. We teleported to the Volton Mansion early in the morning, ate breakfast there, then went to training camp of Margrave Voltons knights, as designated by Xervus-san. ......youve gotta be kidding me. .................. ......theres all sorts of races too. This is beyond my expectations. Theres so many people nya We have to choose from these......? The spacious grounds of the training camp was filled with far more people than we had expected. Sophia and Maria were at a loss for words, Marnie was surprised by how many races had gathered, while Akane and Lulu-chan were surprised by the sheer number of people. Laeva was horrified at the thought of needing to interview this many people. Yep, I feel the same way. Do we have to choose from this many......? I never thought hiring people would be this difficult. *** Footnotes: 1. Jitte C or jutte (ʮ, ten hands) is a specialized weapon that was used by police in Edo period Japan Looks like this. 2. 𸽵\- A position that would crackdown on serious crimes such as arson, banditry, and gambling during the Edo period. Looks like this. Chapter 417: Interview 1 Chapter 417: Interview 1 Guided by Volton Knights, we found Xervus-san, and even Margrave Volton who was being guarded by Knight Commander Dorn-san waiting for us. Long time no see, Iruma-dono. Margrave Volton, its great to see you. I apologize for bothering Xervus-san with this. What, the bunch of nobles and merchants wanting to be connected to the Sanctuary have been asking the country and I if they could send people to you for a long time now. If a chance at a proper interview was arranged beforehand, then theyd have no more choice but to give up. It was then that Xervus-san chimed in. The interviews would begin shortly. I see, then Iruma-dono, our appearance would be hinder. Lets meet again after at the castle. Margrave Volton said so and went back. Then, Xervus-san, our party, and the Great Spirits who manifested before we knew it sat down at the table that had been set up. ......Iruma-dono, w-what is going here? Ha, hahaha Xervus-san was stiff in the cheeks as he demanded for an explanation as to why five of the Great Spirits, namely Undine, Sylph, Dryas, Selene, and Nyx, had manifested. Is there anyone more suitable than us to see through the wickedness of people? ............ When Undine said that, Xervus-san couldnt say anything more. In the knights training camp-turned-venue, close to 2000 applicants had gathered. Among them, the majority were women who wished to become maids, from girls Lulu-chans age to women who gave off the presence of long time veteran maids. There were indeed those pushed in by nobles, as well as women who just want a shot at even a slightly better life. Their numbers were headache inducing. I think so too. ......passed. Sylph, Selene, and Nyx said he passes, but we havent even asked or spoken to him. Umm, Sebastian-san, could you tell us about your previous job? Yes, I worked as the chamberlain of a ducal house. I had passed down my job to my son and thought to retire, but upon hearing about this from a credible source, I immediately retracted my retirement and applied. A-a ducal...... I suppose Xervus-sans cousin would be excellent. In fact, he said that he worked as the chamberlain for the ducal family for many years. Sebastian said that if I were to hire him, my information would never be leaked to the ducal household. The opposite is also true, so he was trustworthy on that regard. Iruma-dono, there were two people that the esteemed Great Spirits have acknowledged, and both of them were my relatives so this has become quite a bit of an unexpected situation, but Sebastian is not only capable at his job, but he is also a trustworthy man. Eh! The other person, the young one is also your relative, Xervus-san? Yes. He is my grandchild, Jeeves[2]. My name is Jeeves. I have heard much more about Iruma-sama than grandfather. I may be inexperienced, but I am learning to be a butler. ............ The young man in his mid twenties standing properly beside Sebastian-san was said to be Xervus-sans grandson. I left narrowing the candidates down to the Great Spirits, but is this fine? *** Footnotes: 1. I can only assume it to be Sebastian from the Black Butler. 2. Jeeves from the JP manga Please Jeeves. Chapter 418: Interviews 2 Chapter 418: Interviews 2 Since Sebastian-san and Jeeves whom the Great Spirits have given their seal of approval looked capable at a glance, it was pretty much decided. Sophia, Maria, and the girls had no objections either. And now, the massive amount of women would be subjected to Undine and Dryas screening. The women who came for an interview were bewildered. As to why, without even being asked a single question, they failed the secondary interview (ours) at once. Masses jumped in, but even then, not many were maids. I think its a lot of were employing for both the mansions in Volton and in the Sanctuary. We planned to choose from the people that the Great Spirits decided on, but ...... its hard to choose. For some reason, it feels like the women chosen were all skin and bones. Yes, arent they children from the orphanage? Maria spoke out about the Great Spirits choosing girls who didnt seem like they could stand on their own. If these children are left as they are, I could only imagine that they would be sold to the red light district in cities. Unlike humans, the Great Spirits are benevolent beings. If the children they can save are good, they would want to take them in, wouldnt they? No matter how good a person could be, they couldnt be 100% virtuous, but the Great Spirits had not even 1% evil in them. Then, as we went through the Great Spirits selection, we found one that sticks out from the others. Huh? There was one person among those who passed thats old. Takumi-sama, I imagine that person had been serving as a head maid. Ahh, a head maid. Now that I think about it, there was one of Princess Mimirs attendants.Fiind updated novels on Perhaps because Maria had been trained as a maid in the Moulin Slavery Company, she was able to guess what that womans role was. Among the selected, did they mix in one elderly woman who is capable of supervising and training the maids? Some of the maid candidates were people sent by Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, Valkyra Kingdoms Prime Minister Simon. These people, unlike those sent by other nobles, somehow passed the screening of the Great Spirits. There were other people associated with nobility, but those that the Great Spirits judged to be malicious or greedy were unable to pass. It feels like Ive been set up, but I have no objections. Actually, even if I didnt have anymore slots for maids, there are plenty of jobs in the Sanctuary. I looked at the remaining women. Five women, one elderly woman who was a head maid candidate, and four women from their late teens to early twenties. I started the interview from the elderly woman. My name is Maribelle. I was born in the Volton Margravery in Valkyra Kingdom. I worked as the head maid for the margravery in my last job. Maribelle spoke in a refined manner, but wasnt she the head maid of Margrave Volton? When I looked at Xervus-san, he had a complicated expression on his face. Maribelle was indeed the head maid of the Margrave Voltons household. When this started move, she offered Lord Godwin her resignation...... ......umm, is that fine? Of course. This new and exciting job makes my heart flutter. Smiling, Maribelle stated so. Apparently, she was planning on retiring soon, but hearing that I was hiring maids for my mansions in the Sanctuary and in Volton, she thought it wouldnt be bad training new recruits and living in the Sanctuary. Once she had considered it, Maribelle was the type of person to decide quickly and act immediately, and that very same day, she resigned. Ha, haha, you have a great drive. Its an honor to receive such praise, Master. Sophia and Maria had nothing more to say to Maribelle who spoke and bowed at a splendid angle, so it seems our head maid had been decided. *** Footnotes: 1. I cant find any references for a maribelle as a maid. Chapter 419: Interview 3 Chapter 419: Interview 3 After the interview with the head maid candidate Maribelle, the questioning was followed by the remaining people...... or rather, they introduced themselves. Now then, let me introduce myself. My name is Mabel. Maribelle is my grandmother. My grandmother will be in charge of training so please leave the maids job to me. Mabel who introduced herself as the granddaughter of Maribelle was a light brown haired woman in her mid twenties who had a cool air about her, the type of woman who seemed like she would certainly do her job. She seemed to be the eldest among the remaining candidates and had already taken up the leadership position between them. The next to introduce herself was the 20 year old Sala. She had black hair, which was rare in this world, but she looked like a westerner, a beautiful woman who looked mature. Next was Anna. A bright, cheerful 18 year old who had shoulder length blonde hair tied up behind her. Lastly, the teenager Tifa. She is a 16 year old blue haired girl. Her blue hair was definitely otherworldly. She seemed like a gentle girl with her soft, large doe eyes. Please entrust the training of the girls from before to grandmother and us. Mabel said so as she bowed, then as if practiced, Salla, Anna, Tifa also did bowed neatly, all at the same angle. Y-yeah, Ill leave it to you. I said so reflexively, but this is an interview, isnt it? I dont think I heard anything but their names and ages. I was so nervous and thought it was tough, but what have I been doing since the interview started? These four maids, Mabel included, informed me that they were the referrals from Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, Valkyra Kingdoms Prime Minister Simon, and even Lomaria Kingdoms Prime Minister Drehd. However, these women asserted that they would not share information relating to me and the Sanctuary to Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, Prime Minister Simon and Prime Minister Drehd, their old employers. Well then, were returning to the Sanctuary. If were away from the Sanctuary for too long, who knows what influence it would have, after all. Wai`, will that be alright? Just as the interviews had finished, Undine and the Great Spirits said they would be returning to the Sanctuary. But then, Sylph suddenly chimed in with a problematic statement. Sebastian, Jeeves, and Maribelle who I first interviewed(?) were called in and I informed them that they would be moving to my mansion in Volton. I once again thanked Xervus-san for lending us their knight training grounds, and said that I would come again some other time to show my appreciation, then left. Maria and Marnie apparently borrowed carriages to transport the employed girls to our mansion in Volton, but we moved in our usual carriage. I thought that if I show it right from the start so I wouldnt be bothered later on. But that might have been a bit too fast for Sebastian and the others. When I took the carriage out of the Item Box, everyone was just as dumbfounded. Maribelle looked like she saw something interesting, but seemed like she would get mad later. On top of that, when the giant bodied Tsubaki appeared from the Subspace, Mabel and other maids screamed. Stunned, Sebastian and Jeeves seemed like they couldnt help, so Laeva and I quickly fastened Tsubaki onto the carriage, and suggested that everyone ride the carriage. ......ha, I-, I will serve as the coachman. The revived Jeeves hurriedly volunteered himself, but I told him it wasnt necessary. Hmm, I could have Jeeves be the coachman, but you dont need to today, so come inside the carriage. Hiiiih! When I pointed to Kaede who had gotten on Tsubakis back without anyone noticing, I heard short shrieks from Jeeves and Sebastian. Ill introduce you. She is Kaede, an Arachne. Shes a member of our family. ............ Kaede was famous in Volton City, so people who werent afraid of her, but for Sebastian and Jeeves who lived in the Royal Capital, seeing the monster Arachne was far too much. After a while, we somehow managed to shove Sebastian and the rest into the carriage, and then we headed back to the mansion. *** Chapter 420: It’s hard with more people Chapter 420: Its hard with more people There was an issue regarding how much we want the girls who would become maids as well as Sebastian and the rest to know about our secrets. Naturally, the Teleportation Gates and the Sky Island were still secret.Aall newest chapters on On the other hand, there was no need to hide anything else besides the Teleportation Gates, the Sky Island, and the Demon Continent. It is already known that I am the keeper of the Sanctuary. Having arrived at the mansion, I put Tsubaki back in the subspace and stored the carriage in my Item Box, then invited Sebastian and the others into the mansion. Our Volton Mansion was guarded by security golems 24/7, so aside from our party members, only registered people may pass through the gates. We have to register everyones magic power, so please advance in turns. A-are these gatekeeper golems.........? ............ Sebastian stiffened at the sight of the 2.5m tall magic steel golems. Maribelle was also at a loss for words. Inevitable, I thought. No noble or merchant would use golems as security for their mansion. Now everyone can pass the golems without being stopped or attacked, so youre all good. Well then, please come in. .................. When we entered the mansion, the girls that Maria and Marnie brought back were lined up neatly. They seem to have bought clothes on their way back. Gotcha. Come with me, everyone. Yes! Im glad that we built a building for employees after we decided to employ maids. There were more people than we had anticipated, but there were enough rooms and beds. Entrusting the younger girls to Maria and Marnie, Sophia and I then had a meeting with our new older employees regarding the future. Everyone sat in the living room, and we once again introduced ourselves. Kaede and Titan were our comrades, after all. Afterwards, we talked about the plans from here onwards. As Ive said before, Id like for Sebastian to work in this mansion as the point of contact with the outside. And Id like for Jeeves to work in two bases, this mansion and the Sanctuary mansion, and there are two other bases that Id like you to manage. Understood. I will do my very best. Sebastian will have to have discussions regarding the construction of the churches in the former Sydnia with the people in charge of the Genesis Faith, Valkyra Kingdom, and Lomaria Kingdom. Apart from training those girls, Maribelle will have to have discussions with Sebastian to hire cooks and gardeners. Maribelle and Sebastian who have an abundance of life experiences would most likely be better at choosing than me. Some of them came from far away for the interview, but everyone had apparently come to Volton with their luggage, and because they would stay in this mansion for the meantime, its been decided theyll go check their belongings out from their inns tomorrow morning and move into the mansion, and we disbanded for the day. *** Chapter 421: The Iruma Family Chapter 421: The Iruma Family Having lived my entire life as a butler, I was beginning to consider my retirement when Xervus invited me to try to manage for this family. According to what I have learned, they were not high ranking nobles, but commoners. Moreover, Jeeves was also invited.Geett the latest novels on y interest piqued, I made use of the connections I have fostered over many years to gather information. The information that came back was a series of surprises. The person responsible for the development of the Purifier MD and the toilet with the same function which have suddenly changed the sanitary conditions of cities in recent years was...... Surprisingly, people who wanted to serve the Iruma Family were gathered today in the training grounds of the Knight Order of the Volton Margravery. Did they numbered roughly two thousand? Moreover, seeing the line-up of people applying to be a butler, I realize yet again that Iruma-dono is not an ordinary person. 80% of them were connected to nobles. Furthermore, it was clear that hey were sent by good-for-nothing nobles. Well, speaking of which, I was also belatedly approached by His Excellency the Prime Minister, as well as His Majesty though...... The interview of butler candidates came first. I was surprised. I have lived a long life and was confident that I could always stay composed, but I was speechless in astonishment. Is that Sebastian-sama? He should have been the chamberlain of a Dukes family...... though I understand that the Iruma family was important to Valkyra Kingdom. I was able to keep my composure up to that point. The Great Spirits? What joke is that? Eh! The Great Spirits were doing the interviews? This is no jest...... yes, the Great Spirits were indeed screening the applicants. And they did so speedily.. You know what was so jaw-dropping? From two thousand applicants, it decreased to only 30 people. The butler candidates were Sebastian and one more person, a young man. The maids were myself and Mabel, and another four experienced maids. The rest were orphans whose origins would be difficult to tell from their appearance? Children who left orphanages because of their age. Valkyra Kingdom has been booming recently, yet it was still difficult for children graduating from orphanages to find decent employment. Even so, the boys could likely still expect to find a job that was labor-related. Though when it comes to girls...... Why did those Great Spirits choose those kids, I wonder? Listening to Iruma-sama converse with Great Spirits, it seems they would all be employed. If it was a respectable noble family, it could be seen as a contribution to society, but...... Ahh, its my turn to introduce myself. It seems like its going to be fun from here on. *** Chapter 422: Maid Apprentice Girls Chapter 422: Maid Apprentice Girls I lost my parents when I was a kid and was raised in an orphanage of the Genesis Faith. In orphanages, you have to find a job by 12 years old as the earliest, and 15 years old at the latest. Becoming an adventurer was popular among the boys. It came with danger, but first class adventurers were rich, after all. I get why the boys want it. Even girls, those with magic aptitude aim to be adventurers. The boys could also become merchants, artisans or other sorts of jobs. But when it comes to girls, it was a bit different. Theres so little jobs for girls. Thats why many of them sell their bodies to the red light district. At the orphanage, were taught letters and numbers by the priests of the Genesis Faith, but they didnt teach us etiquette. The reality is that there are very few workplaces that can train girls from orphanages the work of a maid from 0. The orphanage I was raised in was in a city in the territory of a viscount close to the Volton Margravery. With very little budget, us orphans were desperate to find work as soon as we could. At that time, an OB[1] working in one of the countrys leading trading companies, the Papeck Company, invited us to go to Volton to try for the maid recruitment. He even said that he would come back with a carriage if we go. In the orphanage Im at, there were still 2 girls who havent found a job. We learned to read and write from the priest so thats fine, but I was uneasy because we didnt learn a single thing about etiquette, and was it okay if they had to teach us from the very start? It was the employee recruitment of a family with deep connections with the Papeck Company, so he gave his stamp of approval for the employment terms of that workplace. The interview venue was going to be held at Volton City, in a really huge place close to the castle. It was apparently the place where the knights train. There was a sea of people waiting for the interviews to begin. At a clothing store, we bought clothes and underwear for everyone, and also daily necessities. And then we were shown to Mr. Employer, no, master from now on. Masters mansion was a surprise after surprise. Protecting its gates were two huge iron golems. We registered our magic power at the Madams instructions. If we didnt do this, we wouldnt be able to enter the mansion freely. We also registered our magic power with the golems that patrolled around the mansion. After that, we were instructed to take turns taking a bath for the first time in our lives. They taught us how to take baths. Soap for washing my body, and a very nice smelling liquid soap used only for hair. It felt like I was some sort of noble. I wore the pretty clothes and underwear we had just bought after I got out of the bath and touched my hair which had miraculously become smooth. What waited after our baths were more delicious food than we could ever eat. Everyone cried as they ate in a delirium. Really, I was thinking I wouldnt regret it even if we were tricked and sold after this. Goddess Norn-sama, please. Please let me work in this mansion. *** Footnotes: 1. Old boy C someone who graduated from the orphanage. Aall newest chapters on Chapter 423: Squirming Chapter 423: Squirming During the time that Takumi was busy with employing maids and butlers, a group of people who one-sidedly held a grudge were squirming about. In a hideout which changed locations multiple times, a man was reading intelligence reports gathered from various areas. That mans name was Forbach. A stray elf, the boss of the dark guild Moonlight Owl. He made a mistake accepting a job to assassinate Takumi. Normally, the Moonlight Owl would relentlessly attempt to assassinate their target until the accepted request is complete. However, regarding Takumis murder, the client had already disappeared, so there was no reason for the organization to keep targeting him. However, the pride of the continents deadliest dark guild couldnt allow this. After all, their bases within Valkyra Kingdom had been utterly destroyed. The damage from that was enormous. But gathering information on Takumi was proving difficult, moreover, with their bases in Valkyra Kingdom destroyed and many of his underlings being apprehended, the investigation lagged and unable to proceed. Damn it, so youre one hell of a bastard huh. Forbach cursed as he read consolidated report. Unsurprisingly, after spending a lot of time, personnel, and resources to gather information on their target, Takumi was no ordinary commoner. In Valkyra Kingdom, not only is he friends with the King, Prime Minister, Earl Rockford, Margrave Volton, and other famed titled royalty and nobility, he also has deep ties with the Knight Order of the Volton Margravery, the Guild Master of the Adventurers Guild, as well as the Papeck Co. which is now the leading company in the continent. The hideout of the Moonlight Owl in Triaria Kingdoms border territory received information regarding the Savage Lands very late because they lost their bases in Valkyra Kingdom. There were fragmentary reports such as the aberrant speed of the construction of the highway in the Savage Lands between the Volton Margravery and the fortress city Wedgefort,or Lomarias construction of a fort and a highway connecting it to Wedgefort. From the wedding having the blessings of the Spirits and the Spirit Tree, to the state of the impressive church, to the magnificent cuisine served at the reception. The nobles who heard such stories from the King and the Prime Minister were riddled with envy, and talks about people wanting to go visit the Sanctuary were unending. Oi! Have you not found a way to enter the Sanctuary yet!? The orc-in-elfs clothing shouting at the androgynous elf was Earl Hordia. With veins popping and spittle flying, he screamed at his subordinating because far from being able to disrupt the ceremony, they were not even able to step foot into the Sanctuary. M- my apologies. Theres some kind of barrier stopping us...... I believe that was a barrier that would never be broken by no elven technique, no, no mans technique. Damn it! Those pesky Great Spirits! They should just float around quietly! Earl Hordia, who spewed words unbecoming of elves who revere Spirits, began to think that it would be bad to continue that with his subordinates around him. That man who married Sophia is always holing himself up in the Sanctuary. Use any means necessary. Kill him! The brunt of Earl Hordias anger was directed at Takumi who stole Sophia who was supposed to be his plaything. Receiving Earl Hordias command, began looking for a skilled assassin. Two elves who have both lost the ability to hear the voice of the Spirits were about to cross paths. *** Chapter 424: A Stagnant Puddle Chapter 424: A Stagnant Puddle To avenge their destroyed bases, to regain their tarnished honor, to take revenge for many of their subordinates. Despite the lack of evidence, the Moonlight Owl began to move to assassinate Takumi once more. However, along with their bases in Valkyra Kingdom, they were also greatly affected by the fact that many of their skilled assassins and fighters were arrested. Much to Forbachs fortune, a godsend in the form of a job request came from a noble from Yggurle Kingdom. The client concealed his name and disguised himself with a magic tool, but as rotten as he was, Forbach was also an elf. It wasnt difficult for him to see through the clients race. Forbach narrowed it down to the rich and powerful nobles in Yggurle Kingdom who make use of Dark Guilds He deduced that the client was likely Earl Hordia. The target can not be dealt with by ordinary means. To be prudent, Forbach decided to make contact with the client at Wedgefort to have a meeting to discuss the finer details. A subordinate who could be called Forbachs right hand man asked curiously. Of course he would. IT was rare for Forbach to do a job abroad personally. Boss, youll go to Wedgefor yourself? Yeah, its the place close to the target. We might figure something out. And that Earl Hordia has been known to be dirty, rotten elf since way back in Yggurle Kingdom. He probably also has soldiers working behind the scenes. Master, i think you should stop already...... Shut up! You think I will let it end with some commoner making a fool out of me!? How much do you think Ive lost? The Dark Guild and the Mercenary Guild are setting aside their incompetence and are crying out so annoyingly about compensation! Despite the chamberlain trying to dissuade Earl Sechnal from involving himself any more than this with Takumi, Earl Sechnal was not only obsessed with money, but was also had extremely proud and had the mentality of being one of the chosen people. And so, he seethed with murderous impulse towards Takumi, forgetting that it was he who tried to attack and kill Takumi. That Dark Guild isnt good enough. Oi! Look for a Dark Guild that can assassinate from anywhere in the continent! ......by your will. From his years of experience, the chamberlain knew that that it was futile to say anything more to his Master and so he gave up and began looking for a Dark Guild by following up with their connections. And funnily enough, the exact same exchange was taking place in Earl Vautarcs mansion. Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc. It was likely not a coincidence but a necessity that these two greedy people finally arrived at the infamous Moonlight Owl of the underworld of the continent. Resentment, Greed, Jealousy, and Murderous Intent were gathering in one place. Like stagnant, rotting water gathering one place...... *** Chapter 425: Let’s get things ready Chapter 425: Lets get things ready Were employing 30 people in total, so we have to make all sorts of decisions. Sebastian will get 100 gold per year. Head Maid Maribelle will get 70 gold per year. Sebastians grandson Jeeves will get 60 gold per year. The experienced maids Mabel, Sala, Anna, Tifa will each get 50 gold per year. The remaining children will get 20 gold per year. As we were deciding on their salaries, Sebastian and Maribelle said that we were paying too much for servants. Especially for the kids who will be receiving training as maids, normally they would only be given allowance. We would be providing the girls with all of their daily necessities, so 20 gold is too much. Master, that sum is too much for people can do no more than half the work. They can save up what they dont use, and could probably use it when they want to do something in the future. When I said that, not only Sebastian but even Maribelle and Jeeves looked astonished. If that is fine with you, Master, then I have nothing more to say, but I worry for the girls if they suddenly receive such a huge amount. Ahh, theres that too huh. I was called MasterDanna-sama by Sebastian, Maribelle, and the other people who were employed. I said its okay to call me Iruma-san or Takumi-san like normal, but as expected, they didnt accept. Because of how they call me, Marnie changed from Dear Husband[1] to Takumi-sama like Sophia and Maria do. Apparently only I thought it was fine to just drop the san. Even though Akane was already calling me that. In the end, as Maribelle had predicted, because the girls were terrified with holding that amount of money, so well hold onto it for the time being and would hand over however much they need each month. Roger! Kaede raised her hand enthusiastically. Our party members clothes, down to our underwear, were, of course, all made by Kaede and Maria. The threads were all made by Kaede. Lulu-chan wears something similar to maid outfits the most. Perhaps it was Akanes preference, the maid outfits were the type that would make you want to run to a maid cafe in Akihabara, so it was fine if the children got them, but not for Maribelle. At least, Maribelle, Mabel, and the other experienced maids would probably wear a long skirted Victorian maid outfit. Well need to take measurements for all of you, so please head to the workshop. Milady, please call me Sebastian. You must not add the san suffix for us servants. Please call us informally. Y-yeah, okay. Akane, who was a highschool student in Japan, might not get used to the calling them servants immediately, but she and I will both have to, I guess. At Akane and Lulu-chans guidance, Sebastian, Maribelle, and the rest of the servants went to the workshop. By the by, Lulu-chans position as Akanes exclusive maid did not change. Apparently she doesnt want to give up her duty of taking care of Akane. Now then, I guess its time to work with Laeva to make the necessary furniture and magic devices. *** Footnotes: 1. So originally she called him Master when she was a slave / released, then I changed it to Dear Husband when they got married, but they all came from Danna-sama. Chapter 426: Construction of the Employee Dormitory Chapter 426: Construction of the Employee Dormitory While Kaede was supplying the threads and Akane consulted with Maria as they were discussing the design of the uniforms that the maids would wear, Laeva and I made all sorts of necessary things because the number of people increased. I didnt think that we would be employing over 30 people, so we quickly had to make bunk beds, and for the time being, its cramped, but theyre currently staying in rooms with 8 people each. Sebastian, and Maribelle were, of course, allocated with private rooms. In the meantime, we would construct a building exclusively for the employees lodging. According to Sebastian and Maribelle, the servants would feel more at ease with that than living under the same roof. Were they saying that private time is important? Taking in that advice, we decided to construct a building that would become the employee dormitory. Once the foundation was leveled using Earth Magic, I took out wood, stone, ingredients for glass such as silica sand, soda ash, lime, as well as chromium and nickel to strengthen the iron ingots to be used for the reinforcement of the structure as well as for window sashes. After that, I made sure to have a proper image in mind and transmuted it in one go. Transmute! A large magic circle formed on the ground, all the ingredients were engulfed in light, then, the next moment, the light took the form of a building. The light burst open and in its place, a two story stone building appeared. Fuu, something like this I guess. ............ Sebastian and Maribelle who came to my side before I knew it were frozen with their eyes and mouth wide open. I had completely forgotten about the fact that this was a special place known as the Sanctuary. Because of the difficulty with screening the people who could set foot into the Sanctuary, she could only bring the minimal number of maids and guards to rely on into the Sanctuary. Naturally, that made it difficult to take along carpenters from the outside so freely, so even the mansion she lives in was a building I arranged. She could have requested the Dwarves and Elves living in the Sanctuary to do her interior design, furniture, and the like, but she couldnt ask for an entire house because they each had their own jobs to do. Oh yes. I should have prepared a building for the maids and guards much earlier. When I asked about it, she apparently had 4 knight escorts, but they were using the residential district, The Sanctuary is safe so there was no problem, but it would definitely be better to build one near the mansion. Her attendants were living under the same roof as Princess Mimir, but if they had a place for employees use, they could increase the number of attendants and they could bring in an exclusive chef too. Gardening and chores were apparently a way for children to earn some pocket money. I understand. If you are fine with the same building, I can build it immediately. Thank you. I can request the interior and furniture to the residents of the Sanctuary, so even the building would be more than enough. The pay I ask for was only to replace the building materials, so I quickly used Transmute. This was already my third time making the same building, so it really didnt take that much time to complete. ......as per usual, what outrageous power. Well then, Iruma-sama. I must return to my country for the time being to select some personnel, so please excuse me. Princess Mimir thanked me courteously and cheerfully returned to make preparations. I should have noticed sooner. The number of guards and maids serving the princess not even reaching 10 was not great. *** Chapter 427: Base Tour 1 Chapter 427: Base Tour 1 When I returned to the Volton mansion after I finished constructing the employee dorms in Volton and the Sanctuary, I happened to meet Maribelle, Mabel and the experienced maids, and the maid-in-training girls from the orphanages. I was admiring how hard they were working as I headed to the living room where Sophia and the rest were. Welcome home. Im back. I sat down on the sofa and and Mabel brought me some tea. The training of the girls from the orphanages gravitated mostly around Maribelle, with Mabel and the rest of the veterans helping out, but during that time, they took turns doing the maidwork. Freed from the work that they used to do until just recently, Maria and Marnie seemed bored with their idle hands, but they also have to get used to this.Fiind updated novels on Sipping on the tea, I talked about how I was building the employee dormitory behind the Sanctuary mansion when I was asked by Princess Mimir to make something similar for her and so I made one for her quickly as well. Hearing this, Sophia was also ashamed that she didnt realize this much sooner. Though she had left it ages ago, Princess Mimir was the princess of her motherland, so she should still have been more mindful. My apologies for this. For the princess of a country, while it isnt a requirement to have ladies in waiting and servants, escorts must have been necessary to keep up with the formalities. Yeah, I thought so too. No matter how safe the Sanctuary is, I feel bad that she had only the bare minimum ladies in waiting tending to her needs. In the Sanctuary, because of the Great Spirits inclinations, theres a tendency to be unconcerned with social statuses, but it must have been a burden for Princess Mimir now that I think back on it. Well, in actuality, Princess Mimir enjoys life in the Sanctuary and would make frequent visits to her mansion there, but she apparently wanted a personal chef there. Princess Mimirs attendants must have had a hard time cooking meals on top of taking care of their liege. ......Master, this Demon Continent, is it perhaps the Demon Continent to the south of Samandour Kingdom separated by an ocean? I dont know any other Demon Continent besides that, so I think it might definitely be the same one youre thinking about, Maribelle. .................. I thought it would be bad to introduce them to the bases as is, so I explained the details of how I managed to procure each of those bases to Sebastian and Maribelle. Then I asked them to clean up each of the bases from time to time, communicate with the Aligerous people stationed at the base, and to tell me if theres anything needed. ......this is beyond my imaginations, in more ways than one. ......Master, I will endeavor to meet your expectations. Sebastian was unable to hold onto reality, while Maribelle had given up on thinking. Could it be that women are really mentally tough? After that, once Sebastian and Maribelle had calmed down, we discussed what date I could show them around the bases. After further discussions with Maribelle, Mabel and the veteran maids would split up and train the girls as they learning the job. We will regularly take turns being in charge of the Volton Mansion and the Sanctuary Mansion. Yup, thanks. The Base Tour will happen three days from now. By that time, I believe they should already be somewhat used to this environment. *** Footnotes: Chapter 428: Base Tour 2 Chapter 428: Base Tour 2 In the basement of the Volton Mansion, Sebastian, Jeeves, Maribelle, Mabel and the other veteran maids, as well as the children who came from the orphanages gathered. Dont be afraid. I will show how to do it, so please follow along. Maria said that as she operated the Teleport Gate to connect to the Demon Continent base. Afterwards, when she walked over the carved Teleportation magic circle, the magic circle emitted light and Maria disappeared. Now, please take turns and head towards the magic circle. You Its okay if you dont do it one by one either. When Sophia told the girls who stiffened at the sight of Maria disappearing, Head Maid Maribelle stepped onto the magic circle with a resolved look about her. Then Sebastian and the other veterans followed. The maid apprentices grouped up and nervously entered the magic circle. After we went through the Teleport Gate last, Sebastian and the rest were guided from the basement to the first floor by Maria.Geett the latest novels on aria had initially intended to tell them how what kind of this world this is like, so she opened the door on the first floor leading to the outside and led everyone there. Then she climbed the ramparts and showed everyone the scenery from there. Ah! Iruma-sama! Youre here with everyone! Then a voice came from up above. The young Aligerous man entrusted with the base noticed us and jumped down from the bases rooftop. !? W-wing!? Is that a Birdkin? It was Sebastian and Maribelles first time seeing Aligerous Tribe, so I had to introduce them to everyone. From the ramparts of what could be called a fortress base, we showed them inside. Once inside, Sophia and Maria did the guiding, while Laeva and I exchanged greetings with Aligerous people who take turns being stationed in the Sky Islands Ruin city. I asked about the results of their monster subjugation training, had a discussion about their equipment maintenance, and gave advice on making potions. Its okay to have equipment one rank higher. Really!! Could you also make us a spear like Berkuts? The young men excitedly asked excitedly, but making a something similar to Berkuts Gunlance Rod (Magic Spearcane) was impossible. Theres the issue of materials, but it was also not a good idea to give them a weapon more powerful than they could handle when theyre still blind to their own shortcomings. I cant give you a weapon like Berkuts, but I could give you a magic alloy magic spear bestowed with an element at best. That is the case. We will take the cost of the materials. As soon as Laeva said that, the young men booed, but Laeva was unbothered. I reluctantly agreed when Laeva said that I was helping the Aligerous Tribe too much and that we should at least earn that much. Hunting the monsters around this base, their magic stones were reserved for the use of the Sky Island and the meat and materials were sold to Accuros for money, and a portion of that money was used to buy grain and daily necessities. There was also a reward distributed among the individuals, so it was not difficult to earn money from monster parts. Im telling you now, but the price of a mithril alloy magic spear is a lot more expensive than you think in a store. Indeed. Are you okay with Laeva and Takumi-samas pay then? YEEEEES! Sophia and Maria came back at the perfect time, so we decided to move on to the next place, the Sky Island. Seen off by the young Aligerous men, we went back down to the room with the Teleport Gate in the basement. *** Chapter 429: Base Tour 3 Chapter 429: Base Tour 3 We changed the teleport point to the Gate in the Ruin City at the Sky Island, and had them teleport just like like a while ago. In the Ruin City of the Sky Island, there are many relatively large houses, and among them, I use a house that is even larger. Majority of the other houses had been restored to their former states, but our mansion was had been reconstructed in various ways. We installed a Teleport Gate in the basement, tightened the security in that room, and while we dont really visit this mansion that often, we made all sorts of changes to make it easier to live in. Just to be safe, I deployed two Gatekeeper Golems, but theres basically only us and the Aligerous Tribe in the Sky Island, so I dont really have to be that cautious Everyone teleported safely and we showed them outside. ......T-this is ......Master, which city is this place in? For a city like this to exist...... Uwaaa! So cooool! Sebastian was at a loss for words at the cityscape of the restored ancient ruins, while Maribelle couldnt believe it even when told that this was the Sky Isand. The apprentice maids were so deeply and genuinely impressed at the sight of the city the likes they have never seen before. The number of people from the Aligerous tribe who live in the Ruin City were few relative to the size of the city, so it was a desolate city, but added to the atmosphere of the restored ancient ruins. It was then that Aligerous people came flying at us at high speeds.. Takumi-samaaaaaa!! Anikiiiiiii!! Berkut yelled my name as she flew towards me. Lagging slightly behind Berkut was Valkan-sans son Vart-kun. Ah, its Berkut and Bagworm, Master!Fiind updated novels on I also explained to Valkan-san that we were showing around the newly hired maids and butlers around the bases today. Is that so. If they will be in the base of the Sky Island or in the Demon Continent, we of the Aligerous Tribe would be happy to help. I appreciate that, but theyll mainly be in Volton and the Sanctuary, so theyll only come by once in a while to clean up. It cant be helped if that is the case. It would be dangerous if we of the Aligerous Tribe suddenly work in the city where Humans live. Incidentally, has my son been inconveniencing you again? Wha!? What do you mean an inconvenience!? Valkan-san coldly glared at Vart-kun who was kicking up a fuss all by himself as he asked. Valkan-ojisan, Vart demanded Takumi-sama for a spear like mine. A-, wa-, stupid, dont tell him! Berkut exposed the fact that Vart-kun demanded me for a weapon just a while ago. ......Iruma-dono, I would like to pay you a visit at another time. This is it for me today. A, aaa it huuuuuuuurts! M-my ears gonna teaaar! Let go old maaan! Valkan-san grabbed Vart-kun by the ear and dragged him away. ......he never changes. As dumb as ever, you mean. Berkut said Ill be your guide! so enthusiastically, and so I entrusted the tour of the Sky Islands Ruin City to her. That said, there werent that many people compared to the size of the city, and with majority of the buildings being unused, it didnt take very long for the tour to finish. And finally, we returned to the basement where the Teleport Gate was installed so we could show them around the final place, the Sanctuary. *** Chapter 430: Base Tour 4 Chapter 430: Base Tour 4 Sebastian, Maribelle, and the other employees had grown accustomed to the Teleport Gates, so the transfer to the Sanctuary went smoothly. Isnt this bigger than the mansion in Volton......? ............ Coming up the first floor from the basement where the Teleport Gates are installed, Maribelle could not finish giving out her impression of the mansion. Everyone else was dumbfounded. ......this is magnificent. Sebastian spoke. Now up on the first floor, they were at a loss for words at the sight they could see from the living room. The clean, sparkling water of the Spirit Spring, and behind it towered the Spirit Tree, jutting high into the heavens. Even further back spread the plentiful northern forest. Given how my mansion is in a prime location, the view from the living room is something I can be proud of. However, our new servants were not only stunned and speechless from the amazing view of the Sanctuary, there was also the view of the Great Spirits Undine, Sylph, and Dryas who were relaxing as though they were meant to be in the living room. Oh my, Takumi, welcome back. Right on time. Maria, tea please. Yes, yes. Undine asked Maria for tea as though she was the mistress of the mansion. This was the usual for Maria, so without a word of complaint, she headed to the kitchen to prepare the tea, and Marnie went with her to help. .........ha, I-I will help. M-me too. Hey, why can I see a pool from the living room? It wasnt here last time. My mansion was built on the location that has the best view of the Spirit Tree and Spirit Spring, but the garden was just supposed to have been planted with a lawn, flowers and trees. But a pool appeared before I knew it. It doesnt spoil the gardenscape, but I definitely couldnt overlook it. Ahh, that pool. Us Oneechans made it thinking we could play with the Sanctuary kids once summer comes around. I prepared the water, so it would always be clean, you know. If Gnome is asked, it gets done in an instant. Haa, I wont agree to it next time. It seemed to have been Dryas idea, but once she mentioned the kids, I couldnt say no. Hey, the Great Spirits just do as they like, so you dont need to be too attentive. ............ I looked back at Sebastian and Maribelle as I said so, but as expected, I didnt get a Yes, I understand response. Since we were doing introductions anyway, Ill take them to the brewery where Gnome and Salamander are at. The Dwarves Golan-san and Doganbo-san were there as well so its perfect. It felt like a very sloppy way to end the base tour, but I guess this is also very like us. *** Chapter 431: The assembly Chapter 431: The assembly The boss of the Dark Guild Moonlight Owl Forbach was surprised upon seeing the fortress city. Forbach who made his base in Triaria Kingdom did not receive detailed information about this fortress city. His hideouts in Valkyra Kingdom may have been destroyed and all that, but considering how this is a world where there are no TVs, radios, much less internet, that speed of information relay was very likely inevitable. Boss, this city is amazing. Yeah, to think a fortress city like this was built so far in the Savage Lands...... and for it to be thriving this much. Now I know the reason why Triaria Kingdom is declining. Forbach, came to Wedgefort with his trusted retainer, and escorting guild members. Id love to make a hideout here if possible, but...... This is the city of that detestable Valkyra Kingdom. If a city has this many people from all sorts of countries come and go, where people, items, and money flows, any Dark Guild would want to set up a hideout there. Do a bit more research into the town. This is at the center of the Trination and the Sanctuary. I want a base here no matter what. Yeah. Please give me 10 days, including the time to expand with the other Dark Guilds. Master, Ive heard that a Purification magic device circulating in Valkyra Kingdom in recent years, so every town was clean. Earl Sechnal turned sour upon hearing this. That Purifier MD is being monopolized by Valkyran company. Moreover, its exported to Lomaria Kingdom and Yggurle Kingdom at a reasonable price, but even if its obvious that they wouldnt export it to Triaria Kingdom, they are selling it to Samandour Kingdom for large sums, so our companys profits are slim. Well, Lomaria Kingdom and Yggurle Kingdom have an alliance with Valkyra Kingdom, so its inevitable. The Purifier MD, as well as the Toilet Purifier which comes with the same functions, were expensive in the Samandour Kingdom, and it had only spread to the affluent members of society were able to afford it. Despite its status as a free trading nation, Valkyra Kingdom wouldnt treat them like an ally for being a country to sell munitions to their enemies. Moreover, during the war with the Trination, a large mass of munitions flowed from Samandour Kingdom to Triaria Kingdom. They should have been grateful to have sold it for a large profit. The imitations made by those Dwarves were expensive for their functions too. Those damn greedy Dwarves. The imitation magic devices sold by Gnomstoll Kingdom were by no means cheap either, as a result, the Purifier MD hadnt spread throughout Samandour Kingdom.. Its all because of that little commoner boy. Ill make him pay for angering me. The subsequent investigation revealed that Takumi was the developer of the Purifier MD, which fueled his hate even more. Once Earl Sechnal entered the hotel, he ordered his subordinates to conduct a market research. He also instructed them to make an appointment to meet with the governor of Wedgefort as a facade. Additionally, the members of the dark guild accompanying them had begun making contact with the Dark Guilds which had a turf around Wedgefort. *** Chapter 432: The Assembly 2 Chapter 432: The Assembly 2The boss of the Dark Guild Moonlight, Forbach. Following Earl Sechnal of Samandour Kingdom, Earl Vautarc who arranged to meet with Earl Sechnal had also arrived at Wedgefort. Earl Vautarcs objective, much like Earl Sechnals, was to exact revenge on Takumi, and to create even the slightest of connections with the Governor of Wedgefort. Then, an unelf-like, distasteful carriage from Yggurle Kingdom arrived in the city of Wedgefort as well. There was only one person in Yggurle Kingdoms nobility who could ever own such a carriage. Earl Hordia, who had become exasperated with the lack of results of his private army and internal organizations. Staying in a high class hotel intended for wealthy merchants and nobles in Wedgefort, Earl Hordia instructed his troops and hired dark guild members to make contact with the organizations that claimed territories around this city, and make an appointment so Earl Hordia himself can meet with the governor of this city as an official courtesy call as a pretense for his visit. Information relating to the dark guilds and criminal organizations in the city were relatively easy to obtain. Fuu, what an impertinent human city. Sitting on the plush couch, Earl Hordia spoke bitterly as he recalled the sturdily built, hygienic town where many people come and go. Wedgefort which was built in the Savage Lands by Valkyra Kingdom, and the fort that Lomaria Kingdom built to its east. And to the west of Wedgefort lies Valor, the city that Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom built together as the Trination, and the six forts built to defend against the invasion of the armies of Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire of Sydnia. Thanks to this, Yggurle Kingdom is experiencing an economic boom rarely seen in recent years. Yggurle Kingdom, which does not share borders with any country, needed to cross the Savage Lands to be able to trade with other countries, as such, until now, it had only ever traded in small sums with other friendly countries. That suddenly changed these recent years. Of course, Earl Hordia also capitalized on this, but even so, he couldnt help but feel vexed at the sight of the thriving Wedgefort. Simply because this is a city of a human country. It would seem both families had meddled with our target and suffered terribly. They seem to be in the city to look for organizations to hire around this city for their revenge. Ku, ha ha ha, he is gathering more resentment from all around than I imagined, that boy. I dont know if hes the keeper of the Sanctuary or the protector of the Spirit Tree, but isnt this a great opportunity!? Earl Hordia fell back deeper into the sofa, patting his huge, unelf-like belly. Obviously, contact the Moonlight Owl, and do so with the organizations hired by Earl Vautarc and Earl Sechnal. That boy must hand over Sophia, after all. ......by your will. Watching as his subordinate bow and leave, Earl Hordia was in a good mood for the first time in years. Earl Hordias subordinates and the members of the organizations he employed have yet to have direct contact with Takumi. That was because they were unable to pass through, nor break, the barrier of the Sanctuary. On the other hand, it was difficult to aim for him in his Volton mansion. No matter how varied the races were in Valkyra Kingdom, their elven members were too conspicuous. Finally...... finally Sophia will be mine! Four dark guilds, and if they included their private armies, a human commoner wouldnt stand a chance. He didnt think their odds were even slightly disadvantageous. The man abandoned by the Spirits did not realize that he was tumbling downhill. ***Geett the latest novels on Chapter 433: Cooperative Interests Chapter 433: Cooperative Interests 5 days after Forbach arrived in Wedgefort, he was able to gather a variety of small and large information. First, Valor, the city closest to the Sanctuary that was established by the Trination, conducts a strict check on everything that enters and exits the city, and guards are always patrolling the city. Valor would be impossible to infiltrate, huh......Fiind updated novels on It wasnt just the knights of the Trination, even the mage division of Yggurle Kingdom borrow the strength of the Spirits to block the entry of suspicious individuals. Tch, those meddling Elves...... He lamented over the fact that his link with the spirits as an elf had been cut off. If Forbach could hear the voice of the Spirits, he would have been able to gather more accurate information in a much speedier manner. Can we infiltrate Valor by pretending to be adventurers? Theres a limit to the adventurers coming and going, and fake cards are impossible, I think. As Valor is close to the Sanctuary, the merchants and adventurers arriving and departing the town were checked rigorously. So setting up a hideout in Valor is a no go...... We might be able to watch him enter and leave the Sanctuary from there. Forbach was able to grasp that Takumi was traveling back and forth between the Sanctuary, Wedgefort and Volton. However, he doesnt seem to have realized that it was by way of the Teleport Gate. Also, as expected, the Elves made contact. Fuuuh, Earl Hordia[1] ? Yes, it would seem he came himself. His subordinate said that the members of the Dark Guild, which was turfed in Yggurle Kingdom that Earl Hordia had employed, had made contact. Hou, two Earls from Samandour Kingdom? Yes, they had brought not only their troops, but also members of dark guilds. Those dark guild members assembled in the city, gathering information on the dark guilds who have made this city their territory, as well as information about that man. According to his subordinate, two Earls from Samandour Kingdom were gathering information regarding Takumi. They were also looking to hire three strength of dark guilds. It would seem they have already made contact with the Moonlight Owl. Earl Hordia laughed so much his shoulders were bouncing with joy. That youngster seems to have gathered much resentment from all around. Samandour Kingdom was barred from trading with Wedgefort City, Valor City, and particularly the Sanctuary. It was inevitable that they would find that man to be involved with everything. Ku ku ku, this is the end for that boy who committed such an outrageous act as to marry Sophia despite being a commoner. Should we also make use of the nobles of Samandour Kingdom. It would be better for our forces to be stronger. Our subordinates would suffice, but we must be prudent. Certainly. The subordinate bowed, leaving to issue instructions to make contact with Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc. Earl Hordia was in a good mood as things were progressing well, but, much like the Moonlight Owl and the Samandourian Earls, he did not realize that he had misjudged Takumis strength because he had not come into contact with Takumi directly. Though, by the time he would realize it, it would be too late...... *** Footnotes: 1. Typo: it said Earl Forbach Chapter 435: Strategy Meeting Chapter 435: Strategy Meeting Akane had woken up, so we had breakfast first. Maria and I made breakfast, and assisting us were Mabel and Tifa. Mabel and Tifa were opposed to Maria and I standing in the kitchen, but I told them not to worry about it. We havent been able to hire a chef yet, so there was no choice. Before we knew it, even Undine and Dryas were sitting on the large dinner table. Welp, just like always. More problems are popping up, huh. Akane-sama, its not Takumi-samas fault nya. I know. But Takumi and Sophia are always roped in with troublesome people. Normally they should give up though. Akane shook her head and shrugged. It was definitely a hassle. I wonder if they would attack all together. It would be more annoying if they did so separately. According to Sylph, Selene, and Nyx, Earl Hordia and the Moonlight Owl guild were definitely working together, but Earl Hordia and the boss of the dark guild would not be making a direct appearance. Its so annoying how even if we kill or capture the assassins or soldiers, the head still remains. Its not certain if the heads themselves would come out, but they will attack together. Was it a coincidence that all these bad guys are working together? I know. We decided to guide their attack to be somewhere between Wedgefort and Valor. The areas between Wedgefort to Volton or Lomaria Kingdom had plenty of traffic from merchant companies, patrolling knights, and adventurers. On the other hand, the area between Wedgefort and Valor cant be passed unless one has a permit, so there was little traffic in between the cities. If Tsubaki runs there slowly, it would be easy to attack. Had Earl Hordia and the boss of the Moonlight Owl not lost their ability to hear the voice of the Spirits, this strategy wouldnt be possible. Before that, even though they were elves, did they forget that a surprise attack wouldnt work with Sophia around? Or was it because they lost the blessing of the Spirits that they forgot? After that, I went back and forth between Wedgefort and Valor, walking the streets of Wedgefort with Sophia as we listened to the continuous stream of information from the Spirits. All of this while waiting for them to take my bait. During that time, Earl Hordia contacted the Dark Guild Moonlight Owl as it seemed like their interests align, and so they decided to work together. Moreover, coming all the way from Samandour Kingdom outwardly for trade, Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc had negotiations with the Governor of Wedgefort so they could establish a branch there, but behind the scenes, they were making connections with the Moonlight Owl to increase their strength in order to take revenge on us. Then, Sylph reported that those fools with the same goal had begun to make their move. Takumi, at last, Earl Hordia, the Boss of the Moonlight Guild whose name is Forbach by the way, and the two nobles from Samandour seem like theyll hold direct meetings. I wonder if theyve decided on a day. And how would they divide the profits after the attack, I wonder. They seem to be mobilizing a lot of personnel, so they dont think they could fail. Earl Hordia would obviously claim Sophia. The Moonlight Owl will regain their honor plus more reward money. The two from Samandour might claim Tsubakis carriage, Maria and the girls, and my possessions. I sure hope we can catch all of them in one go. *** Chapter 434: Being Overheard Chapter 434: Being Overheard Waking up early in the morning in the Sanctuary Mansion, I headed to the first floor. As ever, Sylph and the Great Spirits were there. Oh Takumi, good morning. Yeah, mornin, Sylph. You too Selene, Nyx, mornin. Good morning Takumi. Were visiting. ......morning. I was puzzled at the unusual combination of Sylph, Selene, and Nyx. Selene and Nyx have come together, but I dont think Ive seen the just the three of them come. This is a rare combo. I sat on the sofa and Mabel brewed coffee and served it to me. The girls we hired en masse are being trained by Maribelle in the Volton Mansion right now. Thats why, right now, the four experienced maids Mabel, Sala, Anna, Tifa paired up and work in shifts in the Sanctuary Mansion and come and go between the Sanctuary and Volton. Right now, Mabel and Tifa were on duty in the Sanctuary. ......theres a lot of bad guys. Eh? Nyx muttered like she usually does, but I couldnt make sense of what she was saying. He wont understand with just that. Oh perfect, Sophia has come. I will explain. Confirming that Sophia had entered the living room, Sylph began spoke in more detail. That orc-like old elf that had lost the blessing of the Spirits as well as the boss of a dark guild who also lost the blessing are targeting Takumi. Eh!? Ah, Sophia. Sylphs words caused Sophia to twitch and freeze, showing a look of surprise and of disgust. Are you alright? Wha!? They hadnt learned their lesson!? Instead of Earl Hordia, Sophia was saying that she was far more concerned about the boss of the organization that attacked and injured me before, who made his way to Wedgefort without any regard for the risks. Maria looked up, perhaps remembering what had happened back then, and Laeva spoke hatefully. Yeah, Im not really sure why, but it could be that the dark guild values their honor. They must want compensation for their hideouts in Valkyra Kingdom which were destroyed, and many of their subordinates who were either arrested or killed. It was then that the Great Spirits let us know there was even more information. Takumi, thats not all. The two foolish nobles you had a dispute with in Samandour went to Wedgefort as well. ......they brought Samandours dark guilds and their private armies. Uwaa, they just dont learn... Should I admire their unwavering spirit despite getting in that much trouble? Still, how did you guys uncovered this? Wind is freedom, you know. Light and dark exists everywhere. ......yes. When I asked Sylph, Selene, and Nyx how they caught on to the Dark Guild and Earl Hordias schemes against us, they boasted that there was no place where the Wind, Light, and Dark Spirits couldnt reach. Spirits gather particularly in Wedgefort and Valor which are near the Sanctuary. Fua~ whats up? Everyones gathering so early in the morning? ............ It was then that a yawning Akane walked into the living room. It was inevitable that the carefree Akane was pierced by the cold stares from everyone. *** Footnotes: 1.Marnie was not mentioned at all despite the author saying that everyone but Akane was here. Chapter 436: Don’t count racoon dogs skins before they’ve been caught[1] Chapter 436: Dont count racoon dogs skins before theyve been caught[1] Inside a room in a luxurious hotel in Wedgefort City, men who had the same objective gathered. Obviously, I want Sophia. I have no other interest aside from that. Do as you please. The first voice to speak was the gaudily dressed Earl Hordia, whose unelflike plump physique sank deep into the sofa. This man would not waver at anything when it comes to women. Not that he was respectable in the slightest. Ku ku ku ku. The three of you can pay me a reward, and as long as that little boy is killed. Seeing the lustful old man that he couldnt imagine to be of the same race, Forbach stifled his laughter. Now, the Dark Guild Moonlight Owl will be the main force, he will take charge of the dark guild Earl Hordia brought in from Yggurle Kingdom, and the dark guilds from Samandour Kingdom that Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc had hired. What Forbach wanted was revenge for putting his dark guild. which was at the top in the continent, to shame. Now he could take revenge for his remaining members, and it comes with a reward and strength. That was his perception. To Forbach, the members of the dark guilds from Yggurle Kingdom and Samandour Kingdom, as well as his combatants in the Moonlight Owl, were all nothing more than disposable pieces to him. Having drunk muddy water as he climbed to the top, Forbacks pride wouldnt allow him to let Takumi be as is. I at least want to get the carriage and that dragon horse. Yeah, I want to investigate that carriage and get the secret behind the magic devices they make. What Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc were after money to the very end. Last time, they used dark guilds and mercenaries in order to attack Takumi and his party, they received a harsh retaliation which caused them to lose a vast amount of money. Ku ku, well, lets go and enjoy that, shall we? (Who would have thought that Sydnias corrupt priests would be useful for something. Who knows whats out there in the world.) Forbach obtained something by chance. It was something that the underlings of the Light God Faith who escaped to Samandour Kingdom from the Demon Continent after the annihilation of the Evil Spirit. Takumi and his party defeated the Evil Spirit who fell to darkness and the heretic dungeon collapsed, but that didnt mean that everyone died. In particular, there were many weak underlings who crossed over to the Demon Continent but did not turn into monsters. Most of them who had been affected by miasma were swallowed up along with the dungeon collapsing, but fortunately or unfortunately, there were some strong enough who survived. In their hand was a smashed up fragment. That was the fragment of an evil crystal...... the fragment that formed into the core of a human when the Evil Spirit turned them into monsters. Forbach who obtained this was so happy he was jumping for joy. That crystal, which released an ominous magic power that made it difficult to even touch directly, gave far more strength than the drug that the Moonlight Owl uses. (Well, its not without problems, either.) Forbach snickered in his mind. In Forbachs mind, he envisioned himself obtaining everything. *** Footnotes: 1. Dont count your chickens before theyre hatched Chapter 437: The beginning of the foolish attack Chapter 437: The beginning of the foolish attackOn a well maintained road stretching from Wedgefort to Valor ran a carriage drawn by a Dragon Horse clad in adamantite armor. Inside it, we were fully equipped and on standby. Yes, we know because we have grasp on the assailants movements in advance because of the Spirits. On Tsubakis back, Kaede who should have been there, wasnt. In the carriage that moved at a speed unlikely of Tsubaki, Akane talked to me.. Being guided even to the point of knowing when and where the attack would be, not bad Takumi. We know it, but its a relief that their side cant hear the voice of the Spirits. Our carriage was heading towards the halfway point between Wedgefort and Valor. At that halfway point, there was a place where many huge boulders on either side which was a prime location for an ambush. Actually, those boulders were purposely placed there. At the Wedgefort C Valor road, there were many trading caravans that carried loads of products from the Sanctuary. And as typical of this world, it was only a matter of time before the likes of thieves start to appear. That being the case, I had a discussion with Margrave Volton, King Valkyra, King Lomaria, and King Yggurle about purposefully making a location that would make it easy to do ambushes, so they wouldnt have to monitor the Wedgefort-Valor road and instead, focus on that one area.Fiind updated novels on oreover, I had asked Dryas to prepare a grove for an ambush to cut off the retreat of carriages loaded with products. A short distance from the boulders along the road, there was a base where patrolling soldiers were stationed. Naturally, a Concealment Barrier magic device was installed there, and only those equipped with a provided magic item would be able to perceive it. In todays operation as well, they are on standby to block the any escapees so that we dont miss any of the foolish attackers. All in all, it was a relief that while the attackers included many Elves, because they were unable to hear the voice of the Spirits, our plan didnt leak. I was attacked in Volton. It was still fresh in my mind how our girl group were enraged and destroyed all of the bases of the Moonlight Owl within Valkyra Kingdom. At that time, they used the dangerous drug to drastically improve the assailants physical abilities and remove their fear and pain. Its okay, Sophia. Sure, it is amazing of an attack that ignores physical abilities and damage, but they werent very skiled in martial arts. Rather, its a minus that they lost reasoning. ......indeed. It would be better to consider them as monsters rather than humans. Yes, if we think of them as monsters, we have fought a lot of dragons and higher species of ogres, I dont think we need to be that cautious. Guys, watch out for poison. Yes! Theyll probably use paralysis poison, but its almost certain that they would use poison. Before long, my Enemy Search skill, which was the next widest scope after Kaede, caught a great number of people lying in ambush. I nodded to Sophia and the rest, getting ready to jump out of the carriage at any moment. Finally, the moment we approached the rocky area, the sound of explosive magic came from the front and arrows rained down incessantly. *** Footnotes: 1. Author seems to have completely forgotten that Marnie exists... Chapter 438: Black Ogre Chapter 438: Black OgreThe spy returned, informing them that their targets carriage will soon be caught in their web. Earl Hordia, Earl Sechnal, and Earl Vautarc were in a Wedgefort Hotel, eagerly awaiting good news to arrive. Kuh, what do you plan on doing to me!? Among the criminal slaves forced to drink the drug, one man wearing a slavery collar of a different material whose hands and legs were bound shouted at Forbach. Strangely, none of the people who were made to drink the drug resisted, no, there was no ego that could be perceived from their expressions. This had caused the bound man to be extremely uneasy. What, Im just giving you power. Moreover, that power is different from everyone elses. Dont worry, the experiment was a success. An experiment, what the hell! Tell me what you did to me! Far from relief, Forbachs words only increased his anxiety and fear. So, in other words, oi, you bunch, do it. When Forbach said that, the bound criminal slave man was held down b the members of the Moonlight Owl. His hands and feet already tied, but now with these men pinning him down with the weight of their bodies, the man could only barely let out groans. As Forbach had said, the experiment was a success, he was able to make the criminal slave man drink something successfully. If you could call it that. What Forbach made that man drink was the thing that the Light God Faith obtained when they returned from the Demon Continent, a crystal fragment that exuded some sort of a sinister magic power. He only had a measly amount, but Forbach experimented with the crystal fragment on a rat. What was it? What effect does it have? In a time where he knew nothing about it, he didnt hesitate to make the rat eat it, as it may be used to create a dangerous drug to produce immortal soldiers. ...... a black ogre. As his subordinates were dumbfounded and muttering, Forbach gave instructions to the man who changed into an ogre. Stay there obediently! Gurururu...... The ogre obediently followed the order. Forbach checked around the ogre in satisfaction. Its over 3 meters tall, huh? Two horns...... its slightly different from monster ogres. Oi! Bring it some food! At Forbachs instructions, the subordinates brought in monsters hunted around the surroundings to it one after the other. Its your food. Eat as much as you want. The black ogre ate one monster after the other at Forbachs instructions. It didnt eat just the meat, it crunched on bone and even magic stones...... Oi, bring me the weapon you prepared for this guy. Yes! As he looked at what was clearly not an ordinary ogre, but a turned Black Ogre` an uncommon monster`, he could envision the scene of it killing the human youngster who made them feel bitter and was approaching very soon. *** Chapter 439: The Attackers of Malice and Lust Chapter 439: The Attackers of Malice and Lust Of the members hiding behind the rocks, the mages started chanting so they could launch a preemptive attack. Similarly, the archers took poisoned arrows out of their quivers, nocked it and raised the bow, aiming at the incoming carriage. When the targets carriage approached the line of rocks, Forbach gave the signal, the mages fired their spells, and the archers let loose their arrows. If the Dragon Horse is killed, Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc would kick up a fuss about a breach of contract, so the spells were focus fired on the front of the carriage. A magic explosion blasted the front of the carriage. A rain of arrows laced with paralysis poison poured down. They chose this as a measure to prevent Tsubaki and the girls from dying. Forbach thought that even if Sophia and the girls die from being hit in a bad spot, that was just an inevitability. Forbachs objective was to settle a personal revenge, rather than for the guild. The road in front of the carriage was destroyed by the magic attacks, and we jumped out from the carriage as Tsubaki stopped abruptly. The downpour of arrows and magic was repelled by our barrier. I detached the carriage from Tsubaki and stored it in the Item Box. From the shadows of rocks on either side of the road, men holding weapons of all sorts shuffled to surround the front. Takumi-sama, the guys at the front are Yeah, its so familiar I hate it. From the men that surrounded us, Sophia spoke of the bizarre presence we felt in the people in front which we recognize so well it was despicable. I was in the middle with my ice spear, Ice Bringer. To my left holding the wind spear Tempest was Sophia who was protecting my blind spot. And to my right carrying the flame spear Explode was the red headed Maria. The three magic spears tore through the enemies guts. Akane and Laeva fired spells at our enemies to back us up. Marnie and Lulu-chan were a fixed pair guarding Akane and Laeva. Tsubaki made a wide right turn to avoid the rain of arrows and magic, and she user her horn like a lance charge. I checked the left side and saw a gigantic adamantite alloy body jumped out from the subspace and used its Magic Jet Propeller to accelerate explosively. The attackers were bewildered. If it had gone to plan, the next step of their strategy was to attack from the back. If that happened, Akane and Laeva who were at the back would have been in danger, but we have a very reliable little sister. Just as we had started our counterattack, the men hiding in the trees who were supposed to attack us from the back had a different fight, ......well, more like got a beat down. Forbach didnt know. That ever since I was attacked in Volton, I have been in countless fights. Earl Hordia, Earl Sechnal, and Earl Vautarc didnt know. That we have experience in fighting in the Demon Continent and in the Forest of Death. Theyll realize it soon. To deal with us now, dark guilds and mercenaries werent enough. *** Footnotes: 1. Finally the author remembered Marnie. Chapter 440: Beyond Expectations Chapter 440: Beyond ExpectationsAs soon as the battle started, it was different from what was planned, the people who were supposed to attack Takumi and his party from behind did not show up. Forbach was irritated. And, despite the sheer number of people that he gathered, the members of the dark guilds and the mercenaries were dispersed. ......what the hell is that! A metal horse armored Tsubaki and a 3 meter tall Metal Golem were beating up his subordinates left and right in front of Forbach. It was as though he was watching a parody of a scene. ......just what the hell is that!?! The ten immortal soldiers he prepared out of complacency were all killed by the magic spear-wielding Sophia, Maria, and Takumi. What the actual fuck!! The mages and archers were being overpowered by two girls firing magic at them. The mages of the dark guilds and mercenaries were frantic just trying to keep up a magic barrier. Even so Forbach intended on letting the immortal soldiers loose on Takumis party, then using his trump card, the Black Ogre, to attack them. At this rate, they would tear through the center and the front will collapse. However, Forbach concluded this too late. Shit! What the fuck are those guys at the rear doing!? It irritated Forbach that he did not see the troops who were supposed to ambush from the back, but not even in his wildest dreams could he have thought that something worse was happening in the woods back there. How......... did it come to this...... A hoarse voice escaped from Forbachs lips. Lets return to the start of the battle. Zashu! Eh!? He heard a piercing sound then he realized that there were claws jutting out from his own chest as he vomited blood. It was then that the mans consciousness ceased. For all eternity. Its an attack! Watch out for friendly fire! The instant after a man regained his senses and shouted, hopelessness manifested right in front of him. Its the same even if you notice, you knoooow! Her upper half was that of a girl, and her bottom half was a gigantic spider. It was a monster you didnt even need to be an adventurer to know. A single one is said to be able to ruin a small country, a disaster level S rank monster, an Arachne. As it was a monster capable of speaking human tongue, it might be even higher. The mans thoughts ended there. The inside of that grove was the most ideal place for the Arachne, Kaede. Erasing her presence with a high level Stealth Skill, Kaedes stealth was further strengthened by her presence concealing robe. An assassin who can do soundless three dimensional maneuvers from tree to tree and attack. When it comes to silent killing, there was no one better among her comrades than Kaede, and there was no one inside that grove that could escape her aim. It only took a few moments for the grove, where many lied hidden for an ambush, to flood with the thick stench of blood. In that spot remained only headless corpses and bodies whose heads and chests were pierced by claws. Kaede sought new prey and headed back to Takumis side. *** Footnotes: Chapter 441: Are they making light of us? Chapter 441: Are they making light of us?I could tell that it was an immortal soldier in front of me by looking at its empty eyes. Sophia! Maria! They wont stop till their heads drop to the ground! Yes! I called out to Sophia and Maria, then I swung Ice Bringer, slicing the Immortal Soldiers neck. As I dodged the incoming sword, I cut its right arm. The superficial attack was ineffective towards the Immortal Soldier. The man whose arm fell off, without showing any signs of feeling any pain or dread, attacked with his spare knife. I stabbed the knife-wielding hand of the now one armed immortal soldier. His left arm froze, inhibiting his movements despite his intent. This is the end. I stabbed his throat with Ice Bringer and his neck froze. When I knocked him over with my spear, he fell and stopped moving completely. Id like to clean up the immortal soldier before the Black Ogre comes. I glanced left and right to see how things were going, Tsubaki and Titan were wreaking havoc. It seems like the resistance of the organization was diminishing. It was then. The Black Ogre roared and came running into my field of view at a speed that was unthinkable for a normal ogre. Sophia, Maria! Ill leave this to you! Yes! Luck be with you! Please leave it to me! I left the enemies in the front, which included the immortal soldiers, to Sophia and Maria while I confronted the Black Ogre. It will be okay because Akane and Laeva were observing the entire battlefield supporting everyone appropriately. The few enemies that slip through from the front that were aiming for Akane and Laeva were defeated by Marnie and Lulu-chan. Looking around, the few enemies left started running away, but most of them were defeated by Titan and Tsubaki. In the middle, Sophia and Maria were safely annihilating the enemies up with Akane and Laevas[1] support. It was impossible for them to because the girls couldnt go easy on the immortal soldiers or do things half-done. They would have continued to attack until they died. When I looked behind Akane, there were a few enemies advancing, but Marnie and Lulu-chan seem to be finishing them off. Perform minimal healing on the survivors and restrain them! Yes! Its annoying, but it cant be helped. Those bunch of knights should hurry on over, seriously! Confirming that the battle has ended, I instructed everyone. Although Akane was grumbling, she began checking if the survivors were there or not with Lulu-chan and Marnie as escorts. I asked that she use minimal recovery magic on the people who werent dead and then bind their hands and feet. Master! I brought him~! Good work. The man that Kaede had dragged in bound with her threads was glaring at me, seemingly wanting to say something, but Kaede seemed to have used her paralytic poison, so he couldnt move, much less speak. Are you the leader of todays attack? Well, you probably cant talk right now, but I think you underestimated us too much. .................. He couldnt speak, but I could tell from his eyes that he wants to kill me. I wonder what I did to make him resent me this much? As I was thinking about the reason, I saw that the knight orders horses and carriages approaching. Now then, I have one more job to do. *** Footnotes: 1. Raw says Lulu-chan instead of Laeva Chapter 442: Halfway To The Finish Chapter 442: Halfway To The Finish The orderly file of knights approaching were the knights of Valkyra Kingdom whom we had deep connections to. I am glad you are safe. Iruma-dono. Long time no see. Sorry you had to come all this way. They were my acquaintances, the knights of the Volton Margravery. When I was being trained by Barack-san of the Adventurers Guild, I was also training under the knight orders tutelage. Thats why I could somewhat remember the faces of the knights of the Volton Margravery. That was quite a show. Umm, the sight inside the grove might be even worse...... Kaede was responsible for that area. ......i-it cant be helped. It is Kaede-dono. Moreover, holding back on them is unnecessary. There were still some survivors among the strewn corpses at the flank which were crushed by Titan, and the corpses trampled and gaping with holes because of Tsubaki. However, in the center we were in charge of, our enemies had immortal soldiers so it was a disastrous scene with zero survivors. I had to ask the knights who were astounded by the sight to handle the grove which was an even more remorseless annihilation. Thats how they were dealt with. Leave the disposal of the corpses and the transport of survivors to us. We will interrogate the man who is their leader in Valor. If it possible, we would appreciate it if we could go back together. The leader in charge of the attack, who was caught nearly unharmed, would be interrogated in Valor. I think it would be more correct than Wedgefort, where anyone can come and go. What about this guys background, or his clients? It would depend on how much evidence we collect, but I think it would be particularly difficult to arrest them. Thought so...... Saying that makes me cool. Oh, is it this it? I removed the necklace hanging from his neck. It was undoubtedly a magic device, seeing as it is imbedded with a small magic crystal. Wha!? You, youre an elf!? Kuh! The change was drastic. When the necklace was removed, his ears lengthened, his grey hair turned blonde, and above all, his aged appearance turned more youthful, which made his age less determinable. Even so, according to Sylph and the Great Spirits, he was less than 300 years old. Now then, I suppose introductions are in order? I am Takumi Iruma, an Alchemist / Adventurer. Mister Moonlight Owl Boss man. Ha, I dont know what youre talking about. For a second, he looked surprised when I cut straight in, but as expected from the man who was the boss of an underground organization for long time, he immediately feigned ignorance with a poker face. Well, you can only say that now. Captain, I dont have time, so shall we quickly do the interrogation? Then I will prepare it right away. When the boss of the dark guild Moonlight Owl saw what the Captain brought back, his face was dyed with despair. What the Knight Captain brought back was a slavery collar. Yes, by binding him to a slavery contact, the interrogation would progress much more quickly. I dont know if we can get this man to say that his clinet was Earl Hordia, but it was only a matter of time before it circulates that the attack on us circulates in Wedgefort. This is a race against time. *** Chapter 443: The class system is difficult Chapter 443: The class system is difficultThe the name of the boss of the dark guild Moonlight Owl was apparently Forbach. Originally an Elf from Yggurle Kingdom, he wandered from place to place around the continent as he built up the dark guild Moonlight Owl. Basing his headquarters at a border region of Triaria Kingdom, his organization grew to be capable of conducting legitimate businesses like supplying weapons and military goods, to all sorts of criminal activities such as acting as an intermediary for arms dealers, stealing, killing, and drugs. Forbach was a cautious man, so naturally, not even the executives of his organization knew that he was an elf. He constantly moved from one base to another so his trail could not be kept track of.Re?a?d new chapters on As for why such a cautious man came all the way out to Wedgefort in person, the client for the job today was a noble of Yggurle Kingdom, but the main reason was simply because there were not enough people, the hideouts of the Moonlight Owl in Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom were exposed and many of his underlings were arrested. Moreover, the person who requested the attack on us was just as we had imagined, a noble of Yggurle Kingdom, Earl Hordia. However, it seemed like Earl Vautarc and Earl Sechnal of Samandour Kingdom also happened to have the same plan and were on board, and as a result, this was the attack of multiple people. Back in the Sanctuary mansion, I informed everyone of the results of the interrogation conducted in Valor. Their objectives were all different, but they all had an interest in killing me. That Earl Hordia guy is an orc in elfs clothing, isnt he? You said that he was always pining for Sophia. A stalker for several decades. Perhaps because Akane imagined what Earl Hordia was like, she shivered and held herself. ......Earl Hordia is one thing, but those two Samandourian nobles didnt learn their lesson either. They looked really greedy. Earl Hordia may have had feelings for Sophia, so much so that Sophia ended up in the Moulin Slavery Company for many years, but now that shes been released from slavery, was now married to me, Id really rather he stop getting involved with us. As Maria said, the problem were the two from Samandour. According to the information that Sylph and the others gathered, Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc wanted my magic devices. They had an agreement that in exchange for giving Sophia to Earl Hordia, they would take Maria, Marnie, Laeva, and Akane as slaves. Those guys are bullshitting. They also want Tsubaki and the carriage, dont they? Tsubaki can only be Takumis familiar. Right? Its hard for us commoners to come out strong against foreign nobles. They know this very well, so the two from Samandour know this so they havent learned their lesson. I wonder if we could harass them without being found out. Yeah. Lets think of what kind of revenge we could do. Indeed. We might be able to consult with Princess Mimir regarding Earl Hordia. Sophia said that Princess Mimir might be able to lend a hand regarding Earl Hordias case. Hmmm, maybe she can do something more than us commoners of a foreign countries? Then, I will book an appointment with Princess Mimir. Maria immediately went next door to Princess Mimirs mansion. Princess Mimirs mansion was built right next to our mansion, but when she saw that I was building an employee dormitory for our mansion, she asked me to build one for her as well, so I built an employee dormitory for her attendants and servants. There were already people who manage the mansion and garden, chefs, and maids residing there, so were able to send word on important matters even if Princess Mimir returns to her country. Now then, what should we do? We will do it, absolutely. *** Chapter 444: Harassment to the best of our capabilities Chapter 444: Harassment to the best of our capabilities Samandourian nobles were staying in Wedgefort. Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc paid a visit to the Governor of Wedgefort everyday and arrogantly made one-sided demands, and would then return to their hotel in a rage when the Governor rejected them. I want to open up my heart for a moment to see how they have the guts to demand involvement in the trade with Sanctuary with such composed faces. The Governor of Wedgefort was Margrave Voltons prote?ge?, a viscount. A viscount was one rank lower than an Earl, but this was not a good attitude to have with a noble from another country. It would seem the Viscount was a man of substance, and he was dealing with it appropriately. Hearing about that from Sylph, I thought my open mouth wouldnt shut up about it. Did they forget that they sold large quantities of munitions to Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire of Sydnia in the war? Even a chicken can three steps. Moreover, those companies, those companies were theirs. Shamelessness has its limits too. Akane and Maria Its not like I dont understand how they feel. When we left Samandour Kingdom, the fighters of dark guilds and mercenaries attacked us, but we repelled them and should have caused huge losses for those nobles. Despite this, I couldnt say that the fact that they wanted to have a trade that was Sanctuary-related was surprising at all. On top of that, the assassins from the dark guild that they brought had participated in the most recent attack...... So, its about time for Earl Hordia, Earl Sechnal, and Earl Vautarc to learn about the failed attack, but as a result of Forbach not leaving a single bit of evidence behind, these three high ranking nobles from different countries cant be judged openly even as a joke. But were not gonna just leave it at this though, right? The captain of the knight order of the Volton Margravery who interrogated Forbach with me also said that without any evidence, they cant charge anyone. Akane asked if I plan on taking some sort of revenge...... I do. (Okay, so the axle breaks at the perfect time, Transmute!) I transmuted the carbon on the iron axle using alchemy so it would break when it travels. (It would be a huge success if it breaks at the halfway point between Wedgefort and the border of Yggurle Kingdom.) When I let everyone know that this was how I was gonna harass them, Sophia, Lulu-chan, and everyone else smiled wryly. It couldnt be helped. Even I thought it was the level of a childrens prank. After that, I went to a separate carriage storehouse at the hotel that Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc of Samandour Kingdom were staying at and did the same thing. Although the area between Wedgefort and Yggurle Kingdom is undeveloped, it wasnt particularly dangerous because the monster subjugation in the vicinity of the highways were under way, but because the highway in the Savage Lands between Wedgefort and Samandour Kingdom couldnt be maintained normally, it was dangerous. Thats why Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc chose the route from Lomaria Kingdom to Triaria Kingdom to go back. If the carriage breaks between Lomaria Kingdom and Triaria Kingdom, it wouldnt be much of a harassment, so I adjusted the use of Transmute so that it would break at the halfway point from Wedgefort to Lomaria Kingdom. (Alrighty, Kaede, were retreating.) (Roger, Master.) Imagining them troubled and stranded in the middle of the Savage Lands made me feel refreshed as Kaede and I withdrew. *** Chapter 445: Facts Chapter 445: Facts The intel that Forbach, boss of the dark guild Moonlight Owl who commanded the attack against Takumi, failed had reached the ears of Earl Hordia, Earl Sechnal, and Earl Vautarc in Wedgefort after two days. Garagaragara............ A tastelessly extravagant carriage departed from Wedgefort in a hurry, as if being shooed away by something. And inside that carriage, an elderly elf continuing to spew expletives...... Earl Hordia grumpily found fault in his butler and maids. Shit! The continents number one dark guild organization is sloppy. Cant they even kill a single boy!? And that boy! An incorrigible commoner human dared to marry MY Sophia! Earl Hordia did not doubt that the attack on Takumi would succeed. He had been unable to step foot into the Sanctuary until now, and because it was difficult to target the elusive Takumi, this was the first time that Earl Hordia was involved in an attack. Even so, if the worst of the attack was a failure and the attackers were annihilated, there would be no problem. Unfortunately, when Earl Hordia heard that there were several people from the organization that he brought from his country, he screamed loudly in his room in the luxury hotel. Seriously, there were elves among the attackers, they may as well have killed everyo`Gatan! WHA!? They ran through the highway from Wedgefort to Yggurle Kingdom, and when it would take another 3 days to get to the border of Yggurle Kingdom, and just when they thought there were strange sounds coming from the axle, something snapped and then the carriage overturned. .........guh, ugh, w-what happened!? Inside the carriage, Earl Sechnal was voicing his discontent so much he was hurling spit. In a carriage that ran several tens of meters behind, Earl Vautarc was hurling similar remarks. Who does that governor think he is!? I am an Earl of Samandour Kingdom! Master, the governor of Wedgefort is Margrave Voltons prote?ge? who holds the title of a viscount. Though our country and Valkyra Kingdom have diplomatic relations, I have heard that ventures relating to the Sanctuary are a joint undertaking by the Trination. I believe we should first have our king send a letter to King Valkyra, and negotiations after that would come easier. I know that! If Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarcs companies participate in the trade of Sanctuary-related items, the heads of the countries would originally have discussions before actual trade can happen. Marching directly into Wedgefort and make oppressive demands towards its Governor, who, despite being of a lower rank, was still a noble of a foreign country, was going over the limit. Just as he was about to object the admonishing of his advisor, a cracking sound was heard from the bottom of the carriage that Earl Sechnal was riding, and immediately after, the carriage shook violently and toppled over. In order to repair the carriages that broke at practically the same time, Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc were forced to stay put. They had the option of continuing in carriages that werent broken, but riding carriages that were meant for carrying luggage was not an option in the heads of Earl Sechnal, Earl Vautarc, and Earl Hordia who was in an identical situation in a different location. Eventually, much like Earl Hordia, Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc were forced to make camp in the Savage Lands for several days. The situations they found themselves in made them feel even more resentful towards Takumi, but they had no way of knowing that the person who broke their carriage was indeed Takumi. *** Chapter 446: Fragments Chapter 446: Fragments My harassment towards the three nobles went better than I expected, and Sylph told me about it as she held her sides with laughter. Fufufu, I wanted to show you. That old elf who lost the Spirits blessings. He was trembling while they camped out for several days. Well, it wasnt even a retaliation for the attack, but I think Im feeling slightly better. The little bit of information about Earl Hordia as told by the Spirit...... just that really small bit was refreshing. At any rate, there was no direct damage from Earl Hordia, but because the attacks on the barrier to invade the Sanctuary were mainly done by Earl Hordias subordinates, it felt juuuust a little bit refreshing. So, what happened to the two from Samandour? I heard that the Governor of Wedgefort was troubled considerably by those two.Re?a?d new chapters on If Im not mistaken, they were Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc. During their stay in Wedgefort, they seem to have done whatever they pleased, and the Governor was greatly burdened by entertaining them. Fufu, those two were also considerably panicked. Well, the carriages they were forced to buy for lots of money in Wedgefort were safe, so they were still in a better position compared to that elf. The Lomarian fort wasnt that far, after all. Theyre doing better than Earl Hordia whose carriage broke down for some reason> at the halfway point to Yggurle Kingdom. Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc planned on using the route from Lomaria Kingdom to Triaria Kingdom for their return trip to Samandour Kingdom. I didnt think it would take morethan five days even with a normal horse-drawn carriage to get from Wedgefort to the fort at Lomaria Kingdoms border. Actually, I havent been on a normal carriage in a very long time, so I dont really know off the bat. After the collapse of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, it was a series of hardships for the believers of the Light God Faith. When the support ran out from the head church in the imperial capital, the churches built in cities and villages lost offerings too. Until now, the priests who exploited the people grew resentful. It was such a time. The priests who gathered to flee to the borders were carrying what they consider a holy relic from the Demon Continent with them. It was a fragment containing sinister magic power. The boss of the dark guild Moonlight Owl, Forbach, got one of them, the fragment which was the wicked reason for the creation of the Black Ogre. If they were normal people, they would not be able to maintain their sanity from the miasma and that sinister magic power. However, the people encroached by miasma feel something sacred from those fragments. Was it just a coincidence or an inevitability that those fragments reached their hands? Before Takumi and his companions knew it, the seeds of calamity were beginning to sprout. Silently, slowly, and with certainty...... *** Chapter 447: A Summons to the Royal Capital Chapter 447: A Summons to the Royal Capital Master, a letter from Lord Portfort arrived. From Lord Portfort? Sebastian in the Volton Mansion handed me a letter from Valkyra Kingdoms Prime Minister, Lord Simon Portfort, stating that he wanted to have a conference with me. I was a commoner so I couldnt reject this without a reason, and this was in reality a summons. Well, Lord Simon and I were close enough to go beyond our statuses of noble and commoner, so the meeting itself wasnt an issue. However, did the fact that he had gone through the formal process implied that this was a request relating to Valkyra Kingdom? Yes. They would like to see you at the royal capital, if possible. ......youre right. Thats what it says. When I read the letter Sebastian gave me, after a polite seasonal greeting, he skillfully wrote about wanting to meet at the royal capital. Takumi-sama what will you do? Hmm, lets teleport there. What Sophia was asking about was if we were going to go by using Tsubakis carriage or if we were teleporting there. And I chose to teleport. Because we were teleporting, the people coming with me were my three wives, Sophia, Maria, and Marnie, and then some. I can take everyone with my magic power, but Akane and Laeva refrained from joining so I wouldnt have to expend such large amounts magic power just for everyone to go. I teleported to a spot close to the royal capital in a spot that was difficult for people to see, and from there, headed to the royal capital on foot. T-this, it is still surprising despite knowing. As expected, Prime Minister Simon didnt know when we could go to the royal capital, so he couldnt arrange a carriage for us. If I showed them the letter from Lord Simon, we wouldnt need to line up on this very long line, but we werent in a hurry so were leisurely standing in line. When was the last time I lined up and walked through those gates? This reminds me of my younger days. Could you pass through even just by yourself, Sebastian? It was merely a jest, Master. I would not feel at ease leaving Master and the Madams by yourselves. Please do not worry. I am still young. Thats fine then. Maybe I should prepare a base at the capital soon. Sebastian had worked as a butler ever since he was young, so he must have travelled to and fro the royal capital and the city in a carriage with his master. Moreover, it was a high ranking noble house, so I doubt they would have had to wait in a long line. It seems it was before he worked as a butler. I do not think we could manage that many bases. Shes right. Right now we have Volton, the Sanctuary, the Sky Island, the Demon Continent, Wedgefort, and if we increase it more, Mabel-san would scold us. Urk. I thought it would be convenient to have a base at the Royal Capital, so I said what I thought and failed. Sophia gently rejected it, and Maria said I would be scolded if we increased our bases more than we already have. That is the case. Master, would it not be better to increase the your bases after the number of your trustworthy servants increased? Y-youre right. Yeah, lets do that. I dont wanna be scolded by Mabel, after all. We were chatting to kill time while waiting in the long line, but why do I feel like Im being scolded for some reason? *** Chapter 448: Savage Land Development Project 1 Chapter 448: Savage Land Development Project 1 Perhaps because the gate keepers of the royal capital were excellent, the long line was moving along much faster than I expected, and we were able to go into the capital within two hours. After we checked into a hotel, I had Sebastian make an appointment with Simon. Surely they wouldnt make us wait several days, right? Even if they did make us wait, since we already secured a hotel room, we could teleport to the Sanctuary or the Volton mansion and back, so its no problem. Master, Lord Portfort had asked you to come to the royal palace in the afternoon on the day after tomorrow. The day after tomorrow huh...... what should we do? Would you like to relax in the Capital? Now that I at least have one free day, I wondered if I should go back to the Sanctuary for the time being. Master, I would like to gather information in the Royal Capital, would that be alright with you? Id appreciate that, but please dont overdo it. Certainly, Master. Sebastian said he wanted to use his old connections to gather all sorts of information. I am grateful for that, so I did ask him to. Then, Takumi-sama, well go shopping, right? Eh!? Indeed. I want to see all sorts of new dresses. W-wait, arent our clothes being made by Kaede and Maria? Takumi-sama, we have to check the latest design trends, you know? Right. Its important to take in ideas for designs! ............okay, gotcha. What absurdities are you talking about this late? Iruma-dono, have you not established that you are no ordinary person when you built not only Wedgefort but also the forts during the war with Triaria Kingdom and Sydnia? Haa. I had a bad feeling about this, so when I tried saying that national projects were too much to talk about with a commoner, but I had enough self awareness that Ive already done a lot, which meant that when its pointed out, I cant say anything back. Now then, King Yggurle had requested for us to help expand the highway and build a fort at a relay point, and even if it wasnt to the extent of Wedgefort, a fortress city that could defend itself from monster threats. Cooperation means that the main constituent of the project is Yggurle Kingdom, right? Certainly, Yggurle Kingdom would want a stopover at Wedgefort. That alone would make it much easier to go to Wedgefort and Valor. On the other hand, it would probably make it easier to attract merchants to Yggurle Kingdom. However, if that was the case, I thought it was strange that there were no officials from Yggurle Kingdom here, so I asked who would be the main constituent, and Lord Simon had a complex look on his face. Legally speaking, our nation and Lomaria Kingdom were responsible for the expansion of the highway until the stopover. So, that isnt the case? Umu, King Yggurle said that the Elven Earth Mages had never thought of using magic for agricultural purposes like Takumi-dono did and they should have realized its usefulness when the forts were built during the war, but they did not know anything other than attack and defense for battles, and they did not want to do something as perverse as imitating carpenters. King Yggurle was also greatly perplexed. Haa, I somewhat understand, but please dont argue between countries about how much I will help. Umu, from here on we will discuss with Yggurle Kingdom about the location of the relay point where the city would be established and demarcated, each countrys share of providing materials, how much your remuneration would be, and the like. So, Iruma-dono, may we assume that you will be able to help? Yes, if I can. Sorry, Iruma-dono. Ill tell King Yggurle to splurge on your remuneration. The development of the northern Savage Lands was coming alive. I was told that the Trination still had plenty of matters to decide on, and it would take a bit longer to plan out and select a location. I was asked to secure stone ahead of schedule, and I left the castle. *** Chapter 449: Savage Land Development Project 2 Chapter 449: Savage Land Development Project 2 Upon my return to Volton from the Royal Capital, I began to list out the materials that would be needed. First, I will get materials from a quarry in the Savage Lands. As to why the Savage Lands, its because its free if its taken from the Savage Lands. Still, I think the only one who would go out and dig up stones in the Savage Lands where monsters run rampant just because its free, is me. I also have to ask the Papeck Company for all sorts of things too. No, do I have to use the trading companies of Yggurle Kingdom? I will have to verify this with Lord Simon. Sebastian, I will go out and get the stones first. While Im away, if Lord Simon sends a correspondence, please deal with it. Certainly. Takumi-sama, is it alright if Maria and I are your escorts? Sophia, knowing that I was about to go to a quarry in the Savage Lands, asked about how many guards to have while were out collecting stones. Ah, Sophia-san. Kaede-chan and I want to make new clothes based on the fashion we saw in the Royal Capital, though. Then I will accompany you. Maria seems to have been inspired by the clothes she saw in at the Royal Capital, and she wanted to concentrated on making clothes with Kaede for now. Instead, Marnie said she would come.ViiSiit for latest novels Then Sophia and Marnie, could you please? There wont be that many dangerous monsters, but if push comes to shove, we also have Titan and Tsubaki. I can have Gloam be on a lookout over a wide area, so please be at ease as you mine. If its Sophias familiar, the Thunder Eagle Gloam, it wouldnt fall behind to the monsters in that area, and with it watching from the sky, I can dig the materials out in peace. As I was immersing myself in my work, Sophia called out to take a break. Sophia and Marnie laid out a carpet, and arranged lunch. Here you go, Takumi-sama. Thank you, Marnie. I received tea and a lunch box from Marnie, and the three of us had our meals. I feel sorry for Titan, but I had to ask him to keep watch while we eat. Well, Gloam is also there so itll probably be alright. As we drank our after-meal tea, Sophia asked how long the stone collection would take. Will it be done in a day? Its impossible to do all the buildings in the city, but I dont think I will need to build all of them. Indeed. The main constituent of this venture needs to be Yggurle Kingdom. The fortress city that would be constructed in the recent northern area of the Savage Lands will be built at the request of Yggurle Kingdom by way of Valkyra Kingdom. The wall surrounding the city would not need materials because it would be made with the soil dug up from the moat, similar to Wedgefort. If the buildings in the city are not built mainly by Yggurle Kingdom, it would be called a city made by Valkyra Kingdom. Thats why the plan is that we will only build the bare minimum, a lodging house for the construction workers and barracks for the stationing soldiers. Then I suppose you would finish before sundown. Looks like it. I think well be able to return home by night. In all honesty, if I wanted to build a structure using Alchemy, I wouldnt even need to secure stone. I could just transmute soil and sand into stones. So, if I had to put down a reason for why I was going out of my way to procure stones instead of using soil and sand to transmute the buildings, it was because transmutation using stones definitely uses less magic power. So, because of that, I guess Ill try a tiny bit harder. Chapter 450: Savage Land Development Project 3 Chapter 450: Savage Land Development Project 3 After we finished gathering the rocks, we spent our days between the Volton and Sacntuary mansions, sometimes we go to our base in the Demon Continent and in the Sky Island, and we mingle with Berkut and the Aligerous Tribe. While we were living such a life, Sebastian said that a correspondence that came to Wedgefort from Prime Minister Simon. Lord Portfort will arrive at Wedgefort in 3 days. Thank you. So, I have to meet him at Wedgefort too, right? Yes. They stated that they would like to hold the meeting with your presence included. Which means the representative of Yggurle Kingdom will be coming to Wedgefort too? Yes, the manager for the development project as well as Princess Mimir would be participating for Yggurle Kingdom. I heard Sebastian mentioned the name of an unexpected person. Rather than unexpected, it was my neighbor in the Sanctuary, so it was a face I see quite frequently. Meeting my neighbor Princess Mimir in a formal setting was a strange feeling. As if reading my current train of thought, Sebastian explained the reason for Princess Mimirs participation in the meeting. Yggurle Kingdom is an Elven nation. For more than a thousand years, there have been many proud individuals who regarded themselves as the most valuable race. Among them, Their Majesties the current King and Queen, and Princess Mimir were rare individuals who did not have the same ideals. Even if the discussion veers to me taking no part in the buildings of the city, the stones could be used for other things, so theres no problem. The day of the meeting in Wedgefort was relayed to us, and just in case, we will ride to Wedgefort the day before it and gather information in the city. We received information that Valkyra Kingdoms Prime Minister Simon had already arrived in Wedgefort. Meanwhile on Yggurle Kingdoms side, Princess Mimir had arrived yesterday. It was not known if the other civil officials had arrived yet. The day of the appointment, a carriage sent by Lord Simon came to pick us up and we headed to the castle built on the small hill in Wedgefort. Its been a while since Ive been in this castle. Now, the Viscount, Margrave Voltons prote?ge?, was managing it as its governor. As we were waiting in a room in the castle, I sensed someone approaching. Apologies for making you come all this way. Please sit down. The person who came in was from Valkyra Kingdoms side, Lord Simon and two assisting civil officials. Behind them, the people from Yggurle Kingdoms side, Princess Mimir and Prime Minister Balza also appeared. This was a bit surprising, but thinking about it, Prime Minister Simon was present for Valkyra Kingdoms side, so having Prime Minister Balza come balances it out. The discussion opened with unrolling a rough map that we created of the Savage Lands. *** Chapter 451: Savage Land Development Project 4 Chapter 451: Savage Land Development Project 4Once everyone had finished exchanging greetings, the discussions began immediately. We discussed the location of the city-to-be in the Northern Savage Lands between Wedgefort and Yggurle Kingdom. First, Yggurle Kingdoms Prime Minister Balza talked about how much they were requesting that I make. We would like to avoid increasing Iruma-donos workload too much. It is embarrassing to say, there are still many Elves who envy and begrudge Takumi-sama. If Takumi-sama builds majority of the new city...... The rebels would emerge. According to Lord Balza and Princess Mimir, there was a certain amount of people who did not find it amusing that I was a human yet I was the Keeper of the Sanctuary and the Protector of the Spirit Tree. Princess Mimir said a certain number, but by some chance, the number of displeased people might have been a lot. As such, what we would like to request of Valkyra Kingdom and Iruma-dono are the city walls and road maintenance until the city. If possible, may me request the soil be prepared inside the walls? Umu, that much is adequate. What do you think, Iruma-dono? Having heard of the request from Lord Balza and Princess Mimir, Lord Simon asked me if I thought there was any issue with it. That is fine on my side. Now, about the location youre selecting...... About that location, ideally speaking, we would like it to be at the halfway point between our country and Wedgefort, but because of an issue with the water supply, it is far closer to our country. It looks like we will not need that many stones. Youre right. Instead, should we sell it to Yggurle Kingdom? Well, it could be used for something. On our way back from the Wedgefort Castle, Sophia said that we didnt need the stones we got, but the stocks could be used for something, so theres no problem. Why not use cobblestone on the road? I wonder if well have enough cobblestone for the entire distance of the road that I am assigned. It will eat up some magic power, but thatd mean I wouldnt have to go through the trouble of paving the entire road surface into stone. Maria asked if wed make use of the stones for the cobblestone road, but it would take more time to secure enough stones for the quota. How about we go back to the Sanctuary for now, then well decide which members would go? Indeed. Lets ask Akane and Laeva what they they want to do. Myself and Sophia escorting me are confirmed, and Maria would join when she has time. She was apparently busy making clothes with Kaede. Marnie would participate for the entire time to take care of my needs. Obviously, we couldnt bring maids into the Savage Lands. I think Laevas response would depend on how much work she has. It would be half the size of our fort, so even if the road placement was included, it wouldnt take that long. *** Chapter 452: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 452 Northern Development 1 Chapter 452: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 452 Northern Development 1 Gogogogoooo!! Once I thought that enough ground was flattened to some extent, I changed surface into stone. Additionally, I thought it was necessary to add some small anti-skid measures onto it. The road continues from the north gate of Wedgefort all the way to Yggurle Kingdom. For the time being, Yggurle Kingdom made a road so carriages wouldnt be inconvenienced, but it was a fact that it was inferior compared to the roads going from Wedgefort to the northeast of Volton and to the east of Lomarias fort. The proud, or perhaps, the pretentious could not tolerate that fact. Simon also said that the reason why we were commissioned for the road development project starting from Wedgefort was because of that. At a slightly faster pace than a walk, I continued to use magic on the road when a knight approached. Iruma-dono, perhaps we should make camp around this area. Roger. Then Ill make a simple campsite. Im ashamed to ask you to do more work than what is necessary of you, but if you please could. Please dont worry about it. This much is nothing.Fiind updated novels on I used Earth Magic to prepare the ground on the side of the highway, and there, I made a wall and a moat. Since its as simple as it gets, the height and width of those walls were average. Just in case, I did harden the walls using alchemy. Then I made a building for the knights. If I used just the soil from this place, I would have ended up making a basement even if it wasnt necessary, so I used the stones prepared in advance to make it in one go using Alchemy. The stones were immediately useful. It would be a shame to just demolish this tomorrow morning. That cant be helped, Maria. It would be worrying if this turns into a stronghold for thieves if we left it as is, equally troubling if goblins or orcs settled here. Marnie apologies that it was only a simple stew because we were outside, but the soup base was stock from the Item Box, so it wasnt a huge fail. It was a huge upgrade if you think about camping food. Maria placed a basket at the center of the table and asked me for some of the bread stocked in the Item Box. The bread was baked using the wheat grown in the Sanctuary, and we have a huge stock of it in my Item Box. I placed them in the basket Maria placed down. Itadakimasu! Our household are completely taken by Japanese style of food. This wasnt just because of me, Akane was also at fault. Takumi-sama, I will go to the Sanctuary tomorrow to make clothes with Kaede-chan. Gotcha. Ill teleport you there secretly tomorrow morning. Wouldnt Marias absence here be noticed by the knights? Itll be fine, Sophia-san. Ive been moving stealthily this entire day. I dont think theres anyone on the Knight Order who would recognize us. Maria had on her perception inhibiting overcoat, and she used her stealth skill the entire day, not to train, but to be able to leave in the middle of it. Thats fine then. Ill be sending you off early tomorrow morning, shall we head to bed earlier? Yes. And so, we finished the first day of the road development. *** Footnotes: 1. [1] Chapter 453: Northern Development 2 Chapter 453: Northern Development 2 First thing in the morning, I teleported Maria to the Sanctuary, and once I made the round trip back, I quickly tidied up the campsite and resumed the road construction.nE?w stories at As I was working silently, Sophia and Marnie were directly beside me, guarding me. The knights dispatched from Valkyra Kingdom guarded me and subjugated the monsters in the vicinity of the road. The knights from Yggurle Kingdom were apparently subjugating monsters on their side too. They said that after the city is complete, the safety of the roads, with its increased traffic, is ensured. With so many watchful eyes, also known as the escorting knights, it was impossible to play hooky, so I had build the road in earnest. Takumi-sama, it might be over there. Were finally there? One more burst. After a few days of constructing the road, the workers from Yggurle Kingdom who were working on the waterways of the planned construction site of the city came into view. Are they making those into water moats? I wonder. I think an empty moat would be enough though. It looks like they are using criminal slaves. Marnie noticed that the workers werent only Elves. The ones constructing the buildings were obviously the Elves, but criminal slaves are often used for hard labor like that. Do they not want to use Earth magic and Alchemy that much? The craftsmen are commoner elves, so I dont believe theyre too fixated about it, but the elf supervising them doesnt look too pleased. As always, the noble elves do not approve of the use of Earth Magic for public works. The craftsmen such as carpenters were obviously commoners, so they arent as negative as the nobles about the usage of magic outside of battles, but...... If it were a blacksmith, there would have been no problem if they worked in the confines of a workshop, but a carpenter would be visible no matter what. Well, it will be a difference between doing it before or doing it after, so, if you say so. Oh! You have my gratitude, Iruma-dono. Now we can start building the city. According to Holt, Yggurle Kingdom were transporting stone, lumber, and other building materials, so they would like to bring it in after the soil is prepared. Now that the construction of the city would progress even further, he shook my hand in gratitude. The demarcation has markings on the ground. Please prepare the soil inside it. Understood. For a noble of Yggurle Kingdom, he acted courteously even to me, a commoner. I went to the designated area, refined a large amount of magic power, imagined solid ground, and invoked Earth magic. Gogogogo``!! Just when I thought that I heard the earth rumble, the ground swelled, and before long, flat land without any unevenness stretched as far as the eye could see. Takumi-sama, a mana potion. Thanks. As expected, it was reckless to do it in one go. I drank the mana potion that Sophia handed to me as we moved to the remaining land that needed to be prepared. W-wh, what!? Did you finish more than half of it in one attempt!? Shouldnt we Elves being using Earth magic more effectively!? No, impossible. My superior would judge me if I said such things. Holt-san was mumbling stuff in surprise, but I continued to do my job. After I took a break and swiftly completed the soil preparation, Holt-san had revived and began giving instructions to carry the materials in or dividing the city districts. Now then, should I make todays campgrounds? That would be good. The sun will set soon. I made the campgrounds for Valkyra Kingdoms knights, then I quickly build the one for our use. And so, todays work was done. Chapter 454: Northern Development 3 Chapter 454: Northern Development 3 On the second day at the construction site of the planned city, we were walking towards the area marked on the blueprint where the walls would be erected when I felt like there were some presences who seemed to be approaching because they saw Sophia and Marnie. And as I had suspected, they came to bother Sophia and Maria. Hey there, Elf-oneechan, Rabbit-oneechan. Youre so hella sexy. Hihihi, they totally help release our motivation, dont they? Yeah, women also need someone to embrace them, yanno? When Sophia and Marnie ignored them completely, the men escalated more and more. These guys are criminal slaves, arent they? What are the elves managing them doing? Are they trying to pick a fight with me? Hey you! Dont ignore me! Ora! Rabbit! Youre just a trophy slave, arent cha!? I think I heard something snap inside me.Aall newest chapters on Hiik!? When my anger leaked out and was directed at the men, the criminal slaves who were cursing us out just a second ago were now shaking uncontrollably. Oi! You! What are you doing away from your station!? An Elven knight sensed something abnormal and jumped in. Sophia dealt with the knight, explaining what we were here to do today, to which the knights face paled. It will stand at 10 meters, it was a bit lower than Wedgeforts 15 meter walls, with a thickness of 3 meters compared to Wedgeforts 3.5 meters. Outside of it, there will be a moat with a depth of 4 meters and a width of 8 meters. The earth would be turned into solid stone, and supplement this by applying it with Harden to complete the sturdy fortress walls. It will take me 5 days to surround the city with the walls. The fact that it would take half the days I took in Wedgefort was because the city was smaller in size, but it might have also been influenced by my personal growth. It would take another two days to build two side towers and a gate. Gogogogooooo!! W- what in the world is that...... Seeing that the earth rise completing the moat, and an imposing wall built in the blink of an eye right in front of him, the civil official Holt who was dispatched to this site was stock-still from shock. He had heard that Earth Magic was being used for construction, but in truth, Holt was one of the people who ridiculed that. So much so that there was a fixed notion within them that magic was meant to be used for combat. He had been surprised that Takumi finished preparing the soil in the city in no time at all, but when he saw the fortress walls and side towers in a flash, he wondered what the Elves had been doing up until now. However, Elves lived very long lives so they felt no need to rush in construction. Would this not be a immensely effective for constructing field encampments? The astounding spectacle before Holt made his senses change. There were probably very few Elves who would be able to use Takumis method of combining alchemy and skillful use of Earth Magic. No, perhaps none. Furthermore, it was certain that this Human surprisingly possessed even more magic power than Elves. Takumi was someone that even the Miss Sophia of the Sylphide family, a war hero, followed constantly. Sophias appearance in such a way was nothing short of a surprise to the knights of Yggurle Kingdom. Holt thought that upon his return to the Royal Capital, he should research the uses of Earth Magic in construction and architecture. Though it should be considered that there were few Elves who had the aptitude for the Earth attribute. *** Chapter 455: A spot of bother Chapter 455: A spot of bother Ive completed the moat and ramparts surrounding the city, so I was going to meet with the person in charge for Yggurle Kingdom when that happened. Among the knights that Yggurle Kingdom had dispatched, there were some who had served during the war with Triaria Kingdom more than 50 years ago. The knightss who learned about Sophia suddenly snapped at Sopha and I. Oi, Sylphide. You, youre a knight of Yggurle Kingdom and yet you married a human? Youre a disgrace to the Elves! How dare you show face to us!? Wha!? Stop! Someone take him! One of the Elven Knights cursed Sophia, and the other knights around him hurriedly stopped him. Let me go! Dont you guys think so too!? That woman became Triarias prisoner! Shut up! Sophia-san was captured because she protected many of our comrades! She was betrayed by our kind and even lost her ability to use magic! Perhaps because there was a knew about the situation in those days, someone instructed those surrounding the man who disparaged Sophia to take him away. I think after the incident with those criminal slaves, my boiling point had gotten lower. I couldnt stand it anymore and tried to take a step forward, but I felt a soft touch wrap around both of my arms. !? You cant, Takumi-sama. Sophia-san is holding it in. Takumi-sama, it is fine by me. Besides, even that fool is a noble who holds peerage. Please be patient here. Kuh, okay Sophia. And thank you, Marnie. Not all of the knights taht belong to the Chivalric Order of Yggurle Kingdom were knights, but their percentage was quite high. According to Sophia, the man who made reckless remarks was a member of a group in the knightage that did not get along with her, and would, in one way or another, compete with her. Ahh, I see. The Great Spirits would have overheard that, huh. They didnt have to notify Princess Mimir though. Just in case, I had come to an agreement with that commanding officer, so theres no need to bring up whats been swept under the rug. The Spirits were definitely angry. Especially the Wind Spirits who have a strong connection with Sylphide family. Ill have to tell Sylph to not act rashly, huh. Yes. Spirits are fundamentally free. That was no different for the Great Spirits. Those women were beings that did as they like. However, there was one thing they had in common. It was that the Spirits and the Great Spirits were good beings sent into this world by Goddess Norn. As such, the Wind Spirits could not stay silent when Sophia, who is deeply connected to them, was slighted. Even so, currently in Yggurle Kingdom, the number of people who lost the blessing of the Spirits which makes them unable to use Spirit Magic or hear the voice of the Spirits was increasing, which is becoming a problem in the country. If they make Sylph any angrier, it would be bad. Yes, Yggurle Kingdom might lose its Divine Wind Protection. Hm, lets go to the Sanctuary mansion then. Have a good day. Finding the situation to be urgent, Sebastian and Maribelle saw us off as we teleported to the Sanctuary mansion. *** TLN: Take care of yourselves. Ill be back by the 18th. For now, I hope you enjoy the double chapters. Chapter 456: A day in the Sanctuary Chapter 456: A day in the Sanctuary I teleported to the Sanctuary with Sophia and Marnie. Coming up from the room in the basement where Teleportation Gate is installed, we were greeted by the butler Jeeves, Mabel, and the other maids.Aall newest chapters on e back, Master. Yeah, thanks as always. Where is Princess Mimir? I believe she is waiting for you, Master. Gotcha. Ill try visiting. Princess Mimir is probably worried, so I headed next door immediately. Then I was let inside at once. Ah, hes here, hes here. Yahoo! Good work. My apologies for calling you here. When theyre bored out of their minds, Sylph and Undine enter Princess Mimirs mansion, eating snacks and drinking tea there. And Princess Mimir was there, seemingly apologetic to me. Princess Mimir, you dont have to be concerned about the matter with the knights of Yggurle Kingdom, Sophia also didnt mind. If that wasnt said properly, Sylph seemed like she would hand down severe punishment, so I took the initiative before Princess Mimir could apologize. I am unable to do as you have stated. The knights had witnessed it, and more than anything, the Wind Spirits even came to tell me. The fact that Spirits bear animosity towards that person means that this is a very serious matter to Yggurle Kingdom. Yeah~ That child is no longer able to use Spirit Magic. I wonder if he would notice that he can no longer hear the voice of the Spirits. Ahh, that did happen. About that, have they still not given up? Takumi, you might not know it since you arent always in the Sanctuary, but they come periodically without giving up. Haa~ they have so much free time. Most of them were pawns of Earl Hordia. Some among them were members of dark guilds that accepted requests from nobles of other companies and the special forces of Triaria Kingdom, but majority of them were hooligans from Yggurle Kingdom who took on dirty jobs requested by Earl Hordia, or his private army. Well, this time well forgive you for that much. It was Sophias request. Thank you, Sylph-sama. On our side, I will make sure to advise father to be more cautious. Is that okay? Sylph was persuaded into stopping at that for the judgment of the knight who disrespected Sophia. However, I think it would be important for Princess Mimir to give heed to the King. It will be alright. With this incident, we must change the perception towards Sophia-san. At this rate, the number of Elves who lose the divine protection of the Spirits would increase. Apparently, Princess Mimir was just as angry at the knight who said scornful words towards Sophia whom she gets along with. In a huff, Princess Mimir said that she could not allow someone to insult a hero who saved many of her comrades just because Sophia fell into a cowardly trap during war then caught and turned into a war slave. Princess Mimir...... Sophia, who was always dignified, was moved to tears. Well, for the time being, this marks the end of todays trouble...... or so I hope. *** Chapter 457: Pulsating fragments Chapter 457: Pulsating fragments There was a small town in the border regions of a nation known as the Divine Empire of Sydnia. With the collapse of the country, its population flowed out to other places, and it turned into a ghost town. Inside the rundown church there, it was slow, and it happened little by little, but it was growing steadily. Several priests of the former Light God Faith wearing hooded cloaks concealing their faces were smiling eerily amongst themselves as they watched what theyre trying to accomplish make favorable progress. Hiyaaaaaa!! Zabe meeee!! Gyaaaaaa!! On the outskirts of a ghost town, in the church no longer visited by people, agonizing death cries resounded. It would be easy if they are criminal slaves. Yeah, it would be easier than bringing those people dying by the roadside in the slums. For those of us biding our time and avoiding suspicion to the best of our abilities until the revival of our Goddess, criminal slaves are the best thing we could hope to have. Yes, there is no need to rush. We have plenty of time. The vacant eyes of the former priests did not perceive the abnormality of the transforming fragment. They were no longer able to make normal judgements. Beyond their gazes, the fragment placed onto an alter which absorbed the provided offerings had greatly changed from the appearance of a chipped purplish black fragment that it initially had. There, the fragment covered in human flesh like a meaty baseball was enshrined. This lump of flesh with no muscle or veins, and naturally no internal organs, was amassing miasma as it pulsated like a heart. The former priests wished for their goddess...... wished for the revival of the Evil Spirit. However, a more evil monster was being brought upon this world. The world was not yet aware of that danger. The grudge of the sacrifices and the miasma were mixing together, creating a monster egg. *** Chapter 458: The Flower of My Birthplace Chapter 458: The Flower of My Birthplace My mansion in the Sanctuary was built on the spot with the best view of the Spirit Tree and Spirit Spring, the plot had a spacious yard where the lawn was green with flowers of all sorts of colors bloomed without withering. In one part of the vast garden of the mansion, a huge tree was visible. The tree was not very tall, but its branches extended vastly sideways. The thick sideways stretching branches did not have a single single. In its place...... The flower buds are getting bigger, arent they? Oneechan, you really did your best~ Thank you, Dryas. I asked you for a difficult request. Its fine. I enjoyed it too. In front of the majestic looking tree in one section of the garden, Sophia and I looked at the Great Plant Spirit Dryas with deep emotion. It was a huge tree that looked to be over a hundred years old, but in actuality, it was no more than 5 years old. This is indeed fantasy, as the Spirits, with Dryas at its core, did their best. Yes, this tree with pink buds all over its branches was a Sakura Tree. Apparently, cherry blossom trees also existed in this world, but instead of having Japanese Somei-Yoshino(ᥤ襷), the kind Im used to seeing, they have varieties similar to the Yaezakura (ؗ@) and the Yamazakura (ɽ@). It was then that I tried asking Dryas to make a variety similar to Japans Somei-Yoshino. As to why I wanted a similar breed to that, the Somei-Yoshino has a short lifespan for a tree and it is vulnerable to pests. Thanks to the Spirits, I dont have to worry about pests inside the Sanctuary, but I wanted to solve the problem of the trees lifespan. I want it to continue to bloom even long after Im gone. This cherry tree was made from the various requests I had. Hee~ that sounds fun. Why dont I make it bloom and we watch the flowers? No, the buds are this swollen already, so we probably wont need to force them to bloom. Ehh~ That would mean that we cant do the viewing right away~ Sure enough, if its Dryas and the Spirits, they would be able to make the cherry blossom flowers bloom immediately. However, I think of it a bit differently. I thought it was better for the cherry blossom tree to grow big in several years. If we do a flower viewing so soon, we wont be able to prepare food, and youll want all sorts of suitable food and alcohol, dont you? T-that would be a problem. Oneechan will ask Gnome to reserve us some drinks. Ah, Dryas y.... aaand shes gone. Fufu, then lets all prepare for the flower viewing then? Youre right. Sophia and I will get various drinks. We have to ask Maria and Marnie for the food. Youre dumping that on them? Takumi, do you want to eat Sophia and my cooking? ......sorry. Glad you understand. Sophia, lets go. Lets inform Sebastian and Maribelle at the Volton Mansion too. When Akane said that, she took Sophia with her. Left alone in the garden, I was stunned, wondering just how big of an event this is gonna turn out to be. The people working in our Volton and Sanctuary mansions are all participating, and well also invite Princess Mimir if she is in the Sanctuary at that time. Maybe well also invite some of the most senior residents of the Sanctuary, as well as Vanga-san and Martha-san who immigrated from Bohd Village. If theres alcohol, Doganbo-san and Golan-san would probably join in before we even know it. *** Chapter 459 [ Flower viewing? Yeah, I thought it would be nice to have fun with everyone once in a while. A day away from the Volton Mansion would be fine. Fumu, well, it would be fine if its only a day. Back then, it was only the golems that protected the mansion while were away. Having decided to do a flower viewing, I teleported to the Volton Mansion and talked to Maribelle and Sebastian. Akane who was supposed to inform Sebastian and the others just said Were doing a flower viewing! and left to go to town. Why did she even come? A flower viewing? Maribelle, do you know what that is? No, I buy flowers from a florist, but I am not familiar with that. Apparently, this world doesnt seem to make sense of what a flower viewing is even if its said. I suppose its like that. In the mansions of nobles and wealthy merchants, there were few that had a pretty garden. Gardens decorated with flowers of various colors were probably a delight to the eyes of the residents and guests beholding it. However, a flower viewing was slightly different. Its dangerous outside of the city. I forgot that, while they are pretty, this is a world where its impossible to go outside of the city to look at flowers. So I lied saying that it was a custom of my hometown, and explaining that it was an event to enjoy the flowers of the season. Enjoying a meal and alcohol while watching the view of flowers? Masters hometown must be a very peaceful self. Well, setting the cherry tree aside, the alcohol needed for the viewing will be provided by the Sanctuary, so Id like to ask everyone to help with cooking. What do we do about the tables and chairs? Oh yeah. It would be better if everyone sat on tables and chairs. Okay, Ill provide them. Maribelle asked if tables were needed. In Japan, we just lay down blue tarps or picnic sheets, but it might be better for the people of this world to have tables and chairs. So Master, when will the flower viewing be? Ah! I didnt say when that will be. Dryas said that the flower buds seem like theyre already starting to bloom, so it will probably be in full bloom in 3 days. So please adjust your schedules to keep that day open for these plans. Very well. I told Sebastian when the flower viewing would be. The cherry tree that Dryas created were blooming at a fast rate, but they can be enjoyed for a long time after they are in full bloom. When I first asked Dryas for the cherry tree, she asked me if I wanted the full bloom to last, but I refused. Cherry blossoms are also nice when they fall. I asked Sebastian and Maribelle to buy the ingredients needed and have them come to the Sanctuary mansion the day before the flower viewing. It takes time to prepare food, after all. After I informed the employees of the cherry blossom viewing, I returned to the Sanctuary mansion to make some more preparations. Chapter 460: Everyone cooks together Chapter 460: Everyone cooks together A day before the flower viewing, Sebastian procured ingredients in Volton. Inside my Item Box, I had a lot of dragon meat in stock. We have more than enough of the other meats and have a lot stuff stored there, so I handed Maribelle an appropriate amount. Maria and Marnie were the head cooks, while Maribelle, Mabel, and the other maids helped them to prepare the time consuming dishes. Jeeves[1] accompanied Dryas to where Gnome was to acquire some alcohol. Now then, I suppose I should set up the tables and chairs.Geett the latest novels on Inside one of the breweries in the Sanctuary, a barter between fellow Great Spirits was happening. The alcohol breweries, which started relatively early since the creation of the Sanctuary, continues to expand even now. A number of large breweries had been built, producing not only wines like white wine, red wine, sparkling wine made from the Sanctuary-grown grapes, but increased the variety to also include whiskey and sake made from rice. Although the alcohol was being sold to Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom, it was being traded for extremely large sums because the absolute amount we could sell to the Trination was a tiny amount. In truth, we should have been able to sell a bit more, but the Sanctuary residents and, more than anyone else, the Great Spirits did not allow this. Hey, give me one more barrel of this sparkling wine. N-no, Dryas-sama, you are already taking three barrels of red wine, and another three barrels of white wine, so please be satisfied with one barrel of sparkling wine. Hes right, Dryas. Besides, youre even taking ale, whiskey, and sake. Restrain yourself to these. Even more so, the red wine youre trying to get is a first class barrel that Takumi fermented using magic. Inside the brewery were Dryas who was trying to take as many barrels of alcohol as she could, while Doganbo, who was involved in the brewing of alcohol in the Sanctuary, and the Great Earth Spirit Gnome were stopping her. Yes, then Gnome and Doganbo, you will not be participating in the flower viewing then? Wai-! Please wait a minute! Takumi-sama, the whitefish carpaccio starter is complete, so please store it. Roger. Maria asked me to age the meat, so I used alchemy to break down the protein into amino acids. Marnie requested that I store a completed dish. My Item Box maintains the current condition of what is stored inside it, so it will always stay fresh. Master, the sausage boil is done. Thank you. Ill store them after theyre grilled at the barbeque tomorrow. Master, what should I do about the salad dressing? Ill store it after its done. Inside the Item Box, the oil wont separate. While I gave instructions to the maids helping in the kitchen, I cut dragon meat into the bite-sized pieces and seasoned it. Im preparing everyones favorite, karaage. Frying it twice, first in low temperature then in high temperature to make the outside coating crispy and juicy on the inside, then I stored it into my Item Box so it can be eaten at any time. Takumi-sama, please make Kaede-chans favorite french fries. Yup, french fries are popular so Ill fry up a lot. Oil was expensive in this world, so fried food arent that common. But the Sanctuary has olive oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, as well as lard from pork-type monsters which the Sanctuary residents are able to acquire for a cheap price, so fried food was the craze for a time. It was especially popular with the Dwarves as it was a good pairing with alcoholic beverages. Once the first stage of food prep was done, I left the rest to Maria, Marnie, and the maids, and I headed into the workshop to make lighting magic tools to illuminate the venue. Im sure the flower viewing party will go late into the night. *** Footnotes: 1. Author used Jiiburu instead of Jiibusu (Jeeves) and continues to use it throughout the chapter Chapter 461: Flower Viewing in the Sanctuary Chapter 461: Flower Viewing in the Sanctuary The next morning was clear and sunny, the cherry blossoms had fully bloomed in the garden of the mansion.Aall newest chapters on Its not that I dont feel its too fast for them to bloom fully, but according to Dryas, the lifespan of the flowers is long, so she was proud that the cherry blossoms could be enjoyed for a long time. As to be expected, if the buds swell so much, it would bloom very fast. Moreover, according to Dryas, this huge cherry tree birthed Sakura Spirits. Even Dryas was surprised that a spirit was born from a tree which was essentially still only a few years old. Perhaps because of this, the flowers of the cherry blossom tree in the garden seemed more beautiful than the ones I saw in Japan. Howaaa~ Master~ Its soooo pretty~ Yup, its very pretty. The beauty of the cherry blossoms could be perceived even by Kaede[1], an Arachne. She was so fascinated by the fully bloomed cherry blossoms that her mouth was wide open. Meanwhile, Maribelle and the maids was lining the tables with food. I also took out more dishes stored in the item box and lined them up on the table. This time, its a buffet where you can eat your favorite foods. Just in case, tables and chairs were also set up so people can eat easily. Doganbo-san and Golan-san placed barrels of various kinds of alcohol at the area indicated by Jeeves. By that time, the first residents who came to the Sanctuary the Cat Sith Mappos family (Mappo, Poporo, Miri, Lala), the Catkin siblings (Wappa and Sara), the orphaned Human siblings (Colette and Shirona), the Elves managers of the orchard (Melty and her two daughters, Melanie and Malorie) had arrived and were bustling about. Oneechan, its super pretty nya. Yeah nya! Uwaa! Woaaaaaaah! Oniichan, stop it, youre embarrassing! The Cat Sith sisters and the Catkin siblings were excited to see the blooming cherry blossoms. pretty. Yeah, its beautiful The banquet exceeded my expectations. This worlds first Ohanami which started in the morning did not end when the sun went down and the cherry blossoms were lit up at night. Even the tired people, who rested in their rooms, and the children, who slept with their bellies full, came back revived and once again continued to enjoy the banquet. When will this end? Give up, Takumi. Gnome, who heard my involuntary muttering, placed his hand on my shoulder and shook his head. Look over there.. Eh!? The place Gnome pointed towards was a shocking sight. Outside of my mansion, the Sanctuary residents brought food and alcohol as they each enjoyed the Ohanami. S-since when The Sanctuary still has it better, but there are very few pleasures in this world. Its valuable having a time where the people can have a banquet aside from the harvest festival. Maybe we should plant a cherry tree in a park. Yeah. It looks like the custom of a banquet to enjoy the cherry blossoms could take root. The Sanctuary is wealthy, so there was no starvation. Thats why I think its important to have flexibility in their life and be able to enjoy their spare time. (Lets try thinking about all sorts of events we could have.) *** Footnotes: 1. Typo: Author said Akane instead of Kaede Chapter 462: Thinking about entertainment Chapter 462: Thinking about entertainment The flower viewing banquet, which started because of my desire to make a cherry blossom tree, lasted all throughout the night, and the next morning, there were people all over the place who were down with hangovers. this is a tragedy. Theres corpses everywhere. Yes, in a place with little daily entertainment, this was a magnificent cherry blossom viewing. It couldnt be helped that they acted without restraint. Sophia and I observed the people inside the garden and the people who partied outside of outside the garden who were lying on the ground having drank themselves unconscious. The Sanctuary has all sorts of musical instruments, and it can be enjoyed in the concert hall. Thats why I think its better than the outside world, but even then, everyone was still excited about the new thing known as an Ohanami. Still, it was definitely fun. Right. But gazing at the cherry blossoms like this is also nice. Here, I brought us some tea~. I baked some cookies to go with the tea. Thank you Maria, Marnie. As I was sitting absentmindedly on a char by the table underneath the cherry blossom tree, Maria and Marnie came with tea and snacks. Fuu~ they really is so beautiful, these cherry blossoms. Yeah, though these are also nice when flowers start falling. I would love to see the falling petals dance with the wind. The growth of this cherry blossom tree can be controlled by the will of Dryas and the Sakura Spirits. Thats why it was possible for them to bloom multiple times in a year just like in the Sanctuarys orchard. However, as a result of our discussion, we decided it would only happen once a year. After all, the cherry blossoms can be appreciated more if its once a year. Should we have a bit more entertainment? hmmm, I wonder. I think that our sports should be to fight while following the rules and not killing each other. Sophia told me that fighting tournaments existed, but the fighting tournament conducted in Triaria Kingdom was using gladiator slaves to fight to the death. It wasnt just man versus man, bouts could also be set to be man versus monster, and the country profits from it by being the bookmaker for the bets. It seems a portion of it goes towards the expenditures towards their wars with other countries. As expected of Triaria Kingdom. Its more barbaric of a country than I imagined. But martial arts wasnt suitable for the Sanctuary. I think it would be interesting to have everyone in the Sanctuary participate in a sports day. A sports day? Marnie was once again puzzled by the unfamiliar words, tilting her head. Yup, dont you think it would be interesting to have games for the fleet-footed people, make a rope for tug of war, hang a basket high up and compete how many balls they could shoot into it, and games that anyone could participate in? That sounds nice. I think the children would also enjoy that. In any case, should we hold sports day in the fall? The harvest festival is in fall too. Would summer not work? Hmm~ It might be troublesome to move around so much in the heat if its summer. Autumn might be best. The climate in the Sanctuary isnt too cold in the winter, and summers arent as humid as in Japan so its more bearable. But the temperature is too high to have the Sports Day. So, so, wouldnt it be better if we have new events for summer and winter too then?! Youre right. If its limited to the Sanctuary, and since people arent struggling to survive here, it might be nice to have those kinds of events to have some competition in their lives. As I watched the wasted adults sleeping on the ground and I thought this would be a nice thin to have once in a while, I enjoyed drinking tea while talking to my dear wives about new events. *** Chapter 463: Request Chapter 463: RequestAfter the Ohanami, I was enjoying the view of the falling cherry blossoms when a letter came from Margrave Volton. I had a bad feeling as soon as Jeeves handed the letter over. Uhh, who is it from? It is from Margrave Volton. At that moment, Sebastian came up from the room in the basement where the gate is installed. A new letter arrived at the Volton mansion. It may have been urgent, so I came to deliver it. from where? from Yggurle Kingdom, Master. If its Yggurle Kingdom, Princess Mimir is just next door, and yet they specifically went through Volton which is in a different country For starters, Ill open the letter from Margrave Volton. Uhh, lets see, lets see he wants a cherry blossom tree in his Volton Castle? Why is he talking to me about cherry blossoms trees? I dont think theres any other cherry blossom like that, but there are other cherry trees, right? Certainly, they could be viewed if you climbed a mountain. However, it would be difficult to bring back. They dont exist outside the mountain? Yes. I knew it would be difficult to bring back a yamazakura (mountain cherry). But I have another question. Also, how did Margrave Volton know that I have a cherry blossom tree? It would seem the residents of the Sanctuary were boasting to the people from the Papeck Company who came here to sell wine Uwaa~ so that was inevitable, huh. Wait, in that case the letter from Yggurle Kingdom There were many extremely proud Elves living in the royal capital. It is likely that the people there would not only look at Takumi-sama with rude stares, but even with offensive remarks. Shes right. Going to the capital of Valkyra Kingdom would be nerve-wracking, but not necessarily in the castle. Ive met King Yggurle, the Queen, and Prime Minister Balza several times, and I knew they were not people with condescending values. On the other hand, even if I exclude extreme cases like Earl Hordia, I knew there were a certain number of people who look down on other races. And that tendency gets stronger the closer they are to the capital. As I worried over this, a voice called out to me from behind. Takumi-chan, you dont have to be worried. Ah, Dryas. For Yggurle Kingdom, you can jut give Mimir-chan a cherry blossom sprig~. Its fine to leave the rest to the Spirits. Umm, is it okay to ask Princess Mimir for that? Its fine~. Thats why you handle the one in Volton, Takumi-chan. According to Dryas, the World Tree is at the capital of Yggurle Kingdom, so all they have to do is to take a cherry blossom sprig that wont wither and plant it wherever they like. And just like that, it would grow into a big cherry blossom tree in no time. Gotcha. Then Dryas, can you give Princess Mimir the cherry blossom sprig? Ill be in charge of Margrave Voltons castle. Leave it to Oneechan~. Dryas will take over the request on Yggurle Kingdoms side, so Im honestly relieved. After that, I asked the Sakura Spirits to give me a sprig. It would be nice if its only Margrave Volton though *** Chapter 464: Tree Planting Chapter 464: Tree Planting Sebastian arranged the date for my visit to Margrave Voltons castle, and I teleported to Volton with Sophia as my guard as always. When we rode the carriage to the Margraves castle, we were met by Xervus-san and Knight Leader Dorn-san. Its been a while, Iruma-dono. Are you keeping up with your training? Long time no see, Dorn-san. I havent had much time for it lately. Back when I was still a newbie adventurer, we got along well with Adventurers Guild Volton Branch Guild Master Barack-san as well as Volton Margravery Knight Order Leader Dorn-san who trained us. Nowadays, I dont go to the Margraves castle to train, but I used to see him on an almost daily basis. Iruma-dono, Master is at the royal capital today, so I will be your guide. Its been a while Xervus-san. Please show me the plot. I had communicated with the chamberlain of the Volton Margravery Xervus-san through Sebastian, but its been a while since weve met in person. Xervus-san lead us through the western-style garden in the castle courtyard into an open space planted with grass.Aall newest chapters on It is here, Iruma-dono. This place was where experimentations on the cultivation of medicinal herbs were conducted under Masters directive. However, the cultivation of medicinal herbs had failed. The plot was then planted with turf grass and left as is. Ahh, herb cultivation is normally difficult, after all. The heal potions and mana potions used in this world were completely different from the medicine I knew from my previous life. They have a wide range of uses, such as injuries recovering in an a blink of an eye, and replenishing magic power which didnt exist in my old world, so for the longest time in the past, people attempted to cultivate medicinal herbs in order to have a stable supply of potions, but there have been no successful attempts. Well, in the Sanctuary, there were various fields cultivating various herbs thanks to Dryas though. As this would largely influence the other countries, this matter was obviously top secret. Mm, gotcha. Following Sophias instructions, I discharged large amounts of magic power with the image of giving it to the Spirits gathering around. And then, the cherry blossom sprig protruding from the ground was enveloped in light, its roots spread, its trunk extending higher and higher, then branches started sprouting from the trunk once it reached a 20cm thickness, and tightly packed flower buds began to swell. Fuu, I guess this will do. Indeed. This should be the limit without Dryas-sama. Seeing the young cherry blossom tree grow more splendidly than I expected. Xervus-san, its done. Oohhh! How superb! To witness a miracle before my very eyes at this age! You exaggerate. Ah, and do you understand how to maintain it afterwards? Please leave it to me. I will hire a specialist gardener. I-is that so? Ha- haha, what a relief then. Xervus-san, who witnessed the tree grow radically before his very eyes, was more deeply moved than I could have imagined, and he shook my hand. I wonder if this cherry blossom tree would become popular in Valkyra Kingdom? *** Chapter 465: I Knew It Chapter 465: I Knew It A few days after planting the cherry blossom tree at Margrave Voltons castle, I was having tea with everyone in the Sanctuary mansion like always when Sebastian came up from the basement. This always happened, but for some reason, I had a bad feeling about it today. Master, a letter came from Earl Rockford. I knew it. The young cherry blossom tree I planted in Margrave Voltons castle had a lot flower buds. And those were likely to bloom in one or two days. Naturally, Margrave Volton would have seen it when he returned from his trip to the capital. The cherry blossoms in full bloom. Yep, he must have seen them. And then he must have bragged about it. Yep, definitely to his friend in the nearby territory. I believe its contents are similar to that of Lord Voltons. I bet it is. As Sebastian had prompted, I opened the letter to check. Yep, no doubt about it. Margrave Volton boasted to Earl Rockford. He said he would like to see me again very soon. Normally, wouldnt there be an exchange of letters beforehand? He must have been vexed by Margrave Voltons boasting. You could say its very noble-like to jump at new things. Both Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford are very much nobles. I see~ Sure, I guess the people who are attracted to rare things that they dont possess is very noble-like. Thats how I imagine nobles to be. Please do. Sophia stood up to look at Dryas. Well, the location of the Great Spirits was pretty much set already. It was either my mansion, next door over at Princess Mimirs mansion, or the brewery. Then Ill go bake some cookies for Emilia-chan. Since Maria was coming with us to the Rockford Earldom, she got up from the sofa and headed to the kitchen to make some homemade cookies to give to Emilia-chan. Then I shall help out. Marnie also left for the kitchen to help Maria. Akane, are you coming with us to the Rockford Earldom? In the living room that Sophia, Maria, and Marnie left, I asked Akane who was drinking tea in a slovenly posture, and her answer was no. He~llo. No matter how easy going Earl Rockford is, I still wouldnt voluntarily associate with nobles. I will stay here and watch the house with the Lulu. Isnt that right, Lulu? Yes nya. It feels like Akane has been more of a slob. But, well, its not like theres anything wrong with that. Bored alone, I couldnt help it so I headed to the Spirit Spring to get some water there. ***Aall newest chapters on Chapter 466: Rockford Chapter 466: Rockford Since Im headed for the Rockford Earldom, Maria and Kaede seemed to be preparing some sort of presents secretly. I noticed they were sneaking around doing something, but they wouldnt tell me what. Maria and Marnie baked a lot of cookies, evidently from the smell wafting from the kitchen. Aside from that, I havent got a clue. We prepared various things in a hurry, and after we teleported to our Volton mansion, we rode Tsubakis carriage to go to the Rockford Earldom. Hey Maria, what were you doing in secret with Kaede? Fufu, its a secret. Its fine even if you dont know about it, Takumi-sama. I-is that so? I was a bit curious so I asked, but it doesnt seem like shed tell me. But it wasnt anything bad so I guess its alright. Tsubakis rhythmical running felt good, but I noticed the faces on the travelers and carriages crossing our paths cramped up at the ferocity of Tsubakis giant body. The highway from Volton to Rockford, perhaps because of the influence of Wedgefort and the Sanctuary, is being developed and widened, so theres construction work being done here and there. The road has become nice and spacious. This is also your influence, Takumi-sama, right? No, its not just because of me, Sophia. Its because of the Papeck Company and everyone involved in the road development. Takumi-sama, too much humility sounds like sarcasm, you know? Indeed. Weve become amazing wives, dont you think?Aall newest chapters on happy that Sophia, Maria, and Marnie hold me in such high regard, but in reality, I think its wrong to say it was all just because of me. I talked about such things with everyone inside the carriage, when I heard Kaede, who was on her reserved seat on Tsubakis back. speak. Master! I can see Rockford~! Thank you. Line up at the back! Roger! As if to show Valkyra Kingdoms prosperity, there was a long line to get through the gates of Rockford City. Just when I thought this would take a long time and that this could get boring, Kaede notified me that someone riding on a horse was approaching the carriage. Master! Someones coming! Could it be someone sent to meet us by Earl Rockford? When I opened my window, a knight on horseback from the Rockford Earldom was coming towards our carriage. I had caught sight of Iruma-donos carriage. Please allow me to show you the way. Apologies for bother. Please guide us. Thanks to Earl Rockford, Im so glad I dont need to wait in the long line. Our carriage followed the knight through the gates of Rockford City and we headed directly towards the Earl Rockfords mansion. *** Chapter 467: Warm Welcome Chapter 467: Warm Welcome Led by a knight, we finally arrived at the Rockford mansion which weve already visited a couple of times. Completely different from Margrave Voltons castle, we passed through the gates of a Versailles palace-like mansion, and the carriage ran across the vast grounds until we reached the mansion. Rockford City has gotten a lot cleaner. The Purifier MDs have really spread, and this is a stopover between Volton and the Royal Capital, so it seems theyve made an effort on the maintenance of the city.Geett the latest novels on The Rockford Earldom is located right next to the Volton Margravery, so of course, there were no foreign troops or monsters drifting in from the Savage Lands. Its not adjacent to the largest monster nest Forest of Death unlike the Volton Margravery, so it was one of the safer territories even within Valkyra Kingdom. They also work hard to suppress thieves, so could be said to have the best public order in the grain-producing regions in Valkyra Kingdom. The capital of the Rockford territory capitalizes on its location as a halfway point between the Royal Capital and the Volton Margravery, and was experiencing prosperity that it hasnt seen in recent years. When we arrived in front of Earl Rockfords mansion, I was so surprised panicked. As for why E-earl Rockford! What!? With a face full of smiles, Earl Rockford himself came out to meet us. Moreover, it was not just Earl Rockford, Madam Rose and their eldest son Rod-kun, and a completely healthy Emilia-chan were also smiling and waving their hands excitedly. The carriage stopped and I immediately got out to greet them. Long time no see. E-earl Rockford, you coming to meet me yourself is Now, now, Iruma-dono, lets make our greetings inside the mansion.an honor Yes. Welcome, Iruma-san, Sophia-san, Maria-san, and you must be Marnie-san. Ahh, Kaede-chan! I wanted to see you! Mother! Fufu, you got it, Takumi-sama. Everyone is eagerly awaiting the new line. Haa~ so it really was that, after all. Marnie looked like she was still clueless about what we were talking about, so I explained. Madam Rose and the maids of the Rockford Earldom are excited about the new line of underwear that Maria and Kaede had made. Underwear? Then we talked about how, during our first visit, the underwear that Sophia and Maria were wearing had caused a culture shock to Madam Rose. Nowadays, high class womens clothing stores in Volton and even in the Royal Capital sell them, but lets just say that womens clothing were boring before then. So thats what it was. Marnie was convinced, so we rested up and settled in a bit. Then, we heard a knock on the door. Yes? I have come to guide you. Understood. Led by the maid, we headed to the room where Earl Rockford was waiting. *** Chapter 468: More Trouble Than Expected Chapter 468: More Trouble Than Expected Led by the maid, we arrived at the room that Earl Rockford was waiting at. Knock, knock. Master, I have accompanied Iruma-sama. Come in. The maid knocked on the door to receive consent to enter the room, I heard Earl Rockfords voice from inside. Everyone, please come in. The maid urged us to enter the room. Hey hey, sorry about rushing you. I hope you understand. Earl Rockford rose from the sofa, then pointed towards the sofa in front of him. Excuse me. Sophia, Maria, Marnie, and I are sat down, and Kaede clung to me. During this trip to Rockford, Akane, Lulu-chan, and Laeva did not come along. Akane refused to socialize with nobles, and Laeva volunteered to house-sit because she was busy with her work. I tried to convince her that it was easy to get along with Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford even though they were nobles, but Akanes butt seemed rooted on its spot on the couch. As soon as we sat down, Earl Rockford got right down to business. I wondered if Earl Rockford was impatient, but when I heard him talk about cherry blossom tree, I heard something more troublesome. Iruma-dono, this isnt just between you and me. Dont you think its cruel that only Godwin has it? Haa, where did you hear about this, Earl Rockford? Oi! Emilia! There was no way I would invite complete strangers to my wedding in the Sanctuary. When I said that, Madam Rose and Emilia-chan mentioned that the food served there was the talk of the town among the noblewomen in the Royal Capital. His Majesty and Her Majesty, Prime Minister Simon and his wife were all astounded by the food during the reception. Well, lets leave the talk of nobles envy and jealousy to Takumi-san and my husband Maria-san. Fufu, I brought several new products, Madam Rockford. Oh my! As expected of you, Maria-san. Please, call me Rose. Then Rose-sama, shall we switch venues? Indeed, Emilia, you will also need these soon, so come with us. Yes Mother. Well then, please excuse us. Saying so, Madam Rose stood up, and Emilia-chan, Maria-chan, and Kaede also rose from their seats and left the room with her. And then the maids of the Rockford household followed, leaving only Sophia, Marnie, Earl Rockford, his butler, two knight escorts, and myself in the room. umm. sorry, Iruma-dono. Its likely that again. yeah. All the women below the head maid are gone. When I mentioned wed be going to the Rockford Earldom, I knew Maria and Kaede were up to something. I didnt expect it to be for the same reason as when we first came here, womens underwear. But, I guess we should just leave the women to it. Afterwards, we had a discussion about where and how many cherry blossoms will be planted. *** Chapter 469: Planting Chapter 469: PlantingAt Earl Rockfords request, I had to plant 10 cherry blossom trees. At any rate, because he disliked the idea of being similar to Margrave Volton, he increased the number of trees. Plating 10 trees is fine, but please dont boast about it to the other nobles and merchants. Ha, ha ha ha ha ha! Dont worry about it. Ill only gloat about it to Godwin. No, please stop it! I refuse! Haa~ Since I brought more cherry blossom sprigs for planting, even ten trees was no problem. Though I dread Margrave Voltons reaction once he finds out about this. (No, it fine. More isnt always better when it comes to cherry blossoms. Our place only has one, but that was already more than enough.) I felt nothing but anxiety as Earl Rockford laughed loudly, but it wont end if I dont do what I have to do, so I planted the cherry blossom sprigs in the places Earl Rockford indicated. Lets just not think about it too much anymore. Surely Earl Rockford doesnt have another person he competes with aside from Margrave Volton, right? Yeah, lets think about it like that. While Takumi was planting the cherry blossom trees, inside the mansion, Madam Rose and the maids were gathering around Maria and Kaede. Emilia was perplexed, but perhaps because Madam Rose and the maids were excited, she could tell that tensions were strangely high. On the table surrounded by those women, flowery underwear of various colors unlike the cherry blossoms were blooming. M-mother, t-these are underwear? Fufu, I think its almost time for you to be wearing these sorts of underwear. Urk Emilia-chan was dyed red in the face from embarrassment at the sight of all the colorful underwear on the table. Leaving Emilia out of the conversation, Madam Rose and the maids picked up the garments on the table and stated their opinions. This half-cup bra is sexy, isnt it? Its nice. But for everyday use, this full cup bra would be better. Black doesnt suit me. You are still young. Wont white and light colors be better? Madam rose and the maids clamored and gave their comments on the underwear. Once theyve assessed each one, Madam Rose ordered the underwear designs she likes from Maria. All of the garments displayed here were design and color samples, so the women each have to make a order form so the actual product fits their size. Ah, oh right. Kaede-chan, do you have some stockings? I do~~! Perfect. Then Id like 10 white and black stockings please. Ah, Id also like two please! Me too! Kaedes special translucent elastic threads weaved into stockings was very popular. Recently, it had become possible to get a similar elastic string from caterpillar-type monsters, and that was being sold in high class lingerie stores, but compared to Kaedes special threads, the feel of the material and its durability was vastly inferior. Only during these times were the women of the Rockford Earldom able to buy in bulk. Fufu, I wonder if this would hustle up my husband. At that time, Earl Rockford, who was in the garden, felt a chill run down his spine for some reason. *** Chapter 470: Look, see? Troublesome. Chapter 470: Look, see? Troublesome. After planting the cherry blossom trees in Earl Rockfords house, we quickly made our way back to the Sanctuary to avoid too much contact from nobles and merchants. If we teleport, it would an instant, but it wouldnt take too long even if Tsubaki ran until Volton, so we returned by carriage this time. At our Volton mansion, we were greeted by the maids led by Maribelle, and by Sebastian who had a large number of letters in hand. Welcome home, Master, Madams. Welcome home. A cold sweat ran down my back. Sebastian, is that Yes. Letters from within and outside of the country have been arriving. I had just come back from Earl Rockfords mansion so how? Isnt this too quick? Sophia and Maria held my hands as I escaped from reality and led me inside the mansion. umm, I may as well ask, but what is it about? Yes. I believe it is as you had imagined, Master. Sitting on the couch in the living room, I looked at the stack of accumulated letters, and I had asked Sebastian about their contents, but the were indeed about the cherry blossom trees. What should I do? I wonder if I can just refuse the nobles Ive never met. Same for the companies. Are there any that I really need to look at? Please wait a moment.Fiind updated novels on Sebastian sorted out the pile of letters and eventually, only two letters remained. Uwaa~ And the most troubling ones are these. Saying so, Sebastian sifted through the portraits. Its different from the others? Yes. These were sent by knights of the kingdom and quasi-barons. T-those people would be hard to ignore, huh. Yes. I recommend consulting with Margrave Volton. I guess so. Sebastian said that because he was a low ranking nobleman, he could ignore statuses even if they were commoners, and he wanted to push his daughter to me, one of the richest people in Valkyra Kingdom. And that if they were a knight or a quasi-baron, it was also acceptable. As to be expected, nobles who have higher ranks than a baron would find offense in marrying their daughters to a commoner, but knights are like half-commoners. I seeeee, well for starters, lets set aside those marriage proposals, and the two remaining letters yep, theyre from His Majesty and Margrave Volton. Yes. Margrave Volton likely does not want to be beaten by Earl Rockford. I recommend planting the same amount of trees. And I believe there is a request of a similar nature from His Majesty as well. Haa~ Im going to the Sanctuary. I have to go ask Dryas and the Sakura Spirits to add more. As the opportunity had arisen, how about consulting Margrave Volton and His Majesty regarding the marriage proposals while you are there to plant the cherry blossoms? Youve got a point. Well then, lets stop here for today and go back. Please take care. With Sebastian, Maribelle, and the maids seeing us off, we headed to the Teleport Gate in the basement and teleported into the Sanctuary. *** Chapter 471: Popularity? No, that’s just your imagination Chapter 471: Popularity? No, thats just your imagination Unable to control himself, a stifled laugh from a man could be heard. Please dont laugh. Kukuku, no- Iruma-sama, youre quite popular, arent you? Popular dont say that now. The person teasing me right now was the master of this castle, Margrave Volton himself. Margrave Volton quickly learned that I had planted 10 cherry blossom trees in Earl Rockfords estate. Of the letters left with Sebastian about the requests for cherry blossom trees, there was a request for me to go to the royal capital from His Majesty, so I thought it must have come Margrave Voltons castle nearby, but Margrave Volton seems to be aware of the marriage proposal requests. As I was planting the cherry blossom sprigs at the places indicated by Margrave Voltons gardener, it came with Margrave Voltons teasing. Doesnt he mind Sophias intense stare from the side? Surprisingly, the one who was most upset by the copious amounts of letters attached with portraits of daughters for marriage mixed in with the requests for cherry blossom trees was Sophia. From Maria and Marnies point of view, I am a young man with outstanding personal forces and with even more outstanding assets, so if they dont take their positions into consideration, I am a fine article that people would love to marry. In terms of race, female Beastkin who are attracted to strong males were a given, but there were even plenty of Elves who look down on others aside from themselves were interested since I am the Guardian of the Spirit Tree and the Keeper of the Sanctuary. Sorry, sorry, its really quite amusing that you are being troubled, Iruma-dono. Woops, any more than this and Sophia-dono will scold me. I could imagine that. Even Margrave Volton looked fed up. In any case, Iruma-dono, ever since you had become the Keeper of the Sanctuary, it had become impossible for our country to corral you. Yggurle Kingdom would not stay silent. If I talked to Undine and the Great Spirits, they could have probably persuaded Yggurle Kingdom. Even so, there would be great opposition. I think you could have founded a nation with the Sanctuary. In that case, I could even introduce brides from our countries noble families to you. please spare me. Yes, its done. After I finished planting the additional cherry blossom trees, Margrave Volton invited me for tea. Now then, lets set aside whether you should found a country or not, the problem is that portraits for marriage proposals are coming from the knights and quasi-barons rather than merchants. Yes. The proposals coming from merchants are sent polite rejection letters by Sebastian, so thats fine, but we dont know what we should do when it comes to the nobles, even if they are of a lower rank. Anyway, theyre people who want to get involved in trades relating to the Sanctuary. I will consult with His Majesty and Lord Portfort so we may arrange for all matters relating to marriage between you, Iruma-dono, and nobles to require permission from the state. May I take that as an undeniable confirmation that the that the country will refuse them in my stead? Yeah, if you refuse, then we will stand in as your gate, even from the Royal Family. Margrave Volton promised to make arrangements with Lord Simon so they could notify the country. And so, it was worth coming here today. *** Chapter 472: Battle of Attraction Chapter 472: Battle of AttractionThe day after Takumi went to Margrave Voltons house to plant the cherry blossom trees, Margrave Volton sent an express letter to the Royal Capital. Because of this, King Valkyra found out how Takumi was doing right now. Simon, foolish lower rank nobles are causing a fuss. Haa~ My head hurts, Your Majesty. Your Excellency Lord Prime Minister, we had witnessed Goddess Norns blessing when we went to the Sanctuary during Iruma-donos wedding ceremony. Therefore, I believed that even highborn nobles would not intervene with Iruma-dono in that manner.nE?w stories at In the Royal Castle of Valkyra Kingdom, King Valkyra, Prime Minister Simon, and Knight Commander Galahad who always accompanies the king as his guard were talking about the letter that arrived from Margrave Volton. Even so, what a poor move that their aim is read. There are a limited number of nobles that are close to Iruma-dono, so there are many who would even like to partake in our leftovers somehow. Sophia-donos family is a Chevalier, but Maria-dono and Marnie-dono are commoners. They are all fools to think they could suddenly wedge themselves in. Marriage offers from merchants were swarming purely for the profit. However, this was different when it comes to knights and baronets[1]. Its similar in the sense that they would like to make a profit from it, but those fools also believe that their daughters would rise in rank as a wife, that hey would have access to the Sanctuary and the magic devices that Takumi creates, and that by gaining the initiative, their rank would rise and that they would gain even more social status. Truly the epitome of foolishness. King Valkyra agreed with Simons harsh remark. Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford are on good terms with Takumi because they and their families do not make a display of their status and associate with others as normal people. Regarding the cherry blossom trees, theres no issue with Margrave Voltons plan, right? Three families the Royal Family, Margrave Volton, and Earl Rockford no, theres King Yggurle too. The dukes might cause a ruckus. Wha!? No wonder the two yelled in surprise. It was unthinkable for a commoner to marry a princess from the direct lineage of the royal family. Normally speaking, there is a custom for the nobles in this world. A princess from the royal family would marry into an Earls family. There have been no precedents of them marrying any lower than that. More so if their partner-to-be was a commoner, it was beyond understanding. Simon, Galahad. You cant think of Iruma-dono as just a commoner from Valkyra Kingdom. If you consider him to be the King of the Sanctuary, it wouldnt be that strange, no? O-oh, so we can look at it that way! Fumu, I cant say for certain that he isnt the king of a small country. But we need to be careful. Talking about this is forbidden. For the time being, Simon, keep the nobles of our nation in check. The part regarding the merchants should be fine. Then, I shall warn the lower ranking nobles who proposed marriages to Iruma-dono. Unbeknownst to Takumi, an outrageous conversation was taking place. The person in question was preparing to travel to the Royal Capital with cherry blossom seedlings without knowing about this. *** Footnotes: 1. Changing quasi-baron to baronets Chapter 473: Work at the Royal Palace Chapter 473: Work at the Royal Palace While King Valkyra and Prime Minister Simon were wracking their brains regarding Takumi, the king of the country on the northwest part of the continent was also thinking about Takumi. One of Takumis wives was the daughter of a Chevalier of Yggurle Kingdom, and she herself was once an honored knight. However, nowadays she had very weak connection to Yggurle Kingdom. Many of the domestic nobles believe that Yggurle Kingdom, the nation of Elves that are supposedly close with the Spirits, should build a close relationship with the Sanctuary. The reason they could not loudly voice this out to Valkyra Kingdom and Takumi was because not all of the nobles were rational, and if they were to displease the Great Spirits who were backing Takumi, not only would they lose the blessing of the Spirits and be unable to hear the voice of the Spirits, they would also lose their Spirit Magic. Looking up at the World Tree and sighing was the King of Yggurle, Forselty. Your Majesty, is something bothering you? mm, ah, Balza, is that you?Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m The old Elven Prime Minister Balza greeted King Yggurle, but reply he got back was weak. Your Majesty, is what is causing you worry the low ranking nobles of other countries clamoring for the Sanctuary to be their own? Can you read my mind, Balza? The source of my information was Princess Mimir. Your Majesty, there is no need for concern. It would be impossible for such riffraff to be approved by the Great Spirits. Our problem is that we have fools causing a ruckus for a different reason in our country. As Balza had said, Yggurle Kingdom as of now have no intention of making a connection to Takumi like the lower nobles of other countries. The reason being, the only person to be granted a mansion in the Sanctuary was Mimir, the princess of Yggurle Kingdom. It was a big deal that Princess Mimir was allowed to stay in a mansion in the Sanctuary. After all, Princess Mimir spends an overwhelming amount of her time in her Sanctuary mansion. They heard that she was building up a very good relationship with the Great Spirits. There was no need for Yggurle Kingdom to push further than necessary. For some reason, I could feel the stare from Prime Minister Simon who was here to observe digging a hole on my back. (Awkwarrrrd~. I thought he didnt have free time to spare though.) As though he heard my internal monologue, Lord Simon began talking. Apologies for having summoned you all the way to the capital, Iruma-dono. N-no, Im fine with this! Startled that my inner grumblings were found out, I stuttered involuntarily. Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford boasted of its beauty. I wanted His Majesty and Her Majesty to see it. Forgive me, Iruma-dono. In exchange, the Royal Family will block the requests from other noble families. I see, that helps. Furthermore, you may leave the marriage offers from the pesky noble houses to us as well. After all, marriage offers dripping of ulterior motives would only annoy you. That would be really help. Umu, we will shoulder the responsibility. Rest assured. It was honestly such a relief to hear from Lord Simon that the Royal Family would deal with the marriage offers and portrait matters. I thought I could seclude myself in the Sanctuary in the worst case scenario since I dont know how to deal with it. Planting the cherry blossom trees were was troublesome, but Im glad I came to the Royal Capital. *** Chapter 474: Transfiguration Chapter 474: TransfigurationIn the outskirts of a city at the border of the former Divine Empire of Sydnia, there lied the ruins of a decaying church. On the place where the altar should have been in this decayed church, a clump of meat enveloped by black miasma was enshrined. If you look at that clump of meat closely, you can see faces, arms, legs, and other parts of people push to the surface and disappear, crying our their resentment. The fragment sourced from the Evil Spirit that the ex-priests of the Light God Faith had brought back was growing well by feeding on so many lives. What happens when this fragment matures is unknown even to the ex-priests that are giving it souls and meat. These ex-priests were no longer of sound mind. They dont know what the consequences of their actions would be, but they werent even in the state of mind to question the oddity of this. The clump of meat continued its screams of resentment, gathering miasma, absorbing all sorts of dense negative energies like malice, grudges, envy, jealousy. Former priests gazed at it from a distance. Soon we will run out of money to buy criminal slaves. What should we do? what, thats simple. Lets circulate rumors that theres treasures hidden in this church. We wouldnt have a problem with food for a while. Kukuku, I see. Those greedy bastards would be good food. That would suffice for the time being. Lets secure some money. Right. Our Goddess is a great eater, after all. No doubt. Even after the ex-priests who could no longer make sound judgments left, the clump of meat continued to pulsate ominously. The ex-priests didnt notice.nE?w stories at Gadget thought, if he could utilize this commoner, wouldnt it be possible for this nation to unify the entire continent? Yet Lobos was being more considerate than necessary towards this commoner. Why not exploit him? Why doesnt he seize the Sanctuary? And that Lobos is happy about cherry trees? It is a new species of cherry that cant be found without going to the mountain, so Her Majesty the Queen and the workers of the Castle also seemed pleased. Hmph, how trivial. He used the nations coffers for such trifle things. King Lobos seemed to have paid out of his own pockets. Tch Gadget clicked his tongue. If Lobos had used the national treasury for it, Gadget could have pursued him. look for someone who has a beautiful daughter from distant relatives. a knight or baronet, yes? Fuh, so you know. Send in someone who can take his breath away. That commoners money, knowledge, and the Sanctuary will be mine. Gadget seriously thought he could do it. And those around him dared not deny him. Then Gadget grew more and more foolish. *** TLN: Hello! This is the end of Volume 9. As always, Ill take a 2 update break. Ill try to keep it only to 1 update, but my IRL situation has been very hectic especially with the health issues of myself and those around me. So, I hope you all understand and I always appreciate you all. Chapter 475: Helping out with the Farmwork (Volume 10 START) Chapter 475: Helping out with the Farmwork (Volume 10 START) After planting the cherry blossom trees in the Royal Palace and leaving the matter of marriage proposals from the nobles of Valkyra Kingdom to Lord Simon, I decided to help out in the fields in the Sanctuary so I can empty my head a bit from the world. The Sanctuary grows all sorts of crops. Grains like wheat and rice which would be staple foods, vegetables, and fruits. Additionally, there were also nuts, berries, and mushrooms which were blessings of the forest and copses, and even bamboo shoots from a bamboo forest. Thankfully, there were no issues with crop cycling because of Dryas and Gnome. We dont even need to pay too much attention to the fertilizer. That doesnt mean it doesnt need any fertilizer, but it doesnt take much time for Gnome and Dryas to condition the soil. The Great Spirits and their familial spirits helped to make it possible for the few residents of the Sanctuary to work the fields without being overwhelmed. I stepped into the somewhat tepid water covering the rice fields, and the feeling of the soft ground was strange. Kyahahaha! This is so fun! Thats amazing, Kaede. Kaede yelled at the texture of the rice fields. The eight spiders of the Arachne were the strongest on the rice fields. Few of us have any experience with working the land. Only Marnie and Laeva had experience doing farmwork in their hometown. Theyve grown potatoes and wheat too, but this will be their first time with rice because it came from my place. Its everyones first time, so were having fun planting the seedlings. When you level up and stats rise, farmwork like this is easy peasy. I used purification on everyone who had become covered in mud once they gathered near me. Light engulfed us, we became clean, as if being covered in mud was all a lie. Oniichan, thank you! Thank you! The Cait Sith sisters Miri and Lala clung to my waist and said thanks. Unlike the Catkin whose parts were mostly still human, cleaning off the mud was normally difficult for the Cat Siths Miri and Lala. But with purification magic, even the dirt that penetrated into their fur was cleaned. The maids began laying out carpets and arranging the food, and the residents helped out. If this was when the maids first came, they would have said that this was their job. They would have refused our help, but now we have a relaxed relationship as a default in our house, so theyre now just having fun arranging things together with the residents today. Everyone, theres a lot thats been prepared so please eat as much as you like! Maria presented containers filled with food, and the children cheered and scrambled for the food. They prepared a variety of foods that were deep fried, boiled, some side dishes, rice balls, and sandwiches for people who like bread. The residents of the Sanctuary also brought their own food and we all enjoyed lunch together.. Under clear skies, things like this are nice once in a while. ***nE?w stories at Chapter 476: Entertainment Chapter 476: Entertainment Its been a while since Ive been able to truly just enjoy being out planting in the rice fields with the residents of the Sanctuary and eating food with everyone under clear blue skies. I am once again reminded that the Sanctuary definitely doesnt have much when it comes to entertainment. Theres music for those who could play musical instruments. And there were likely many who enjoy listening to it too. But there were also people who couldnt play the instruments, and its quite sad that if music is the only thing to amuse them. Thats why, gogogogogogoooo!! Slightly away from the residential block of the Sanctuary, a large building was built. The building itself is a simple box shape, but it is quite spacious inside. When I entered the building, I piled up more and more wood in that spot. Now then, time to adjust the slope and stick with it. First is the lane. I circulated magic power on the pile of wood and casted magic while holding a strong image of the finished product. Transmute! I made a lane approximately 1 meter wide and 20 meters long, specifically a bowling lane. I think its something like this, but if its wrong then Ill fix it.Geett the latest novels on Yes, Im building a bowling alley in the Sanctuary. This was a conversation that happened two days after planting in the rice fields with everyone. As we were sitting on the sofa and drinking the tea that a maid brewed, Akane suddenly spoke up. Ahhh! I want to go bowling! Whats this all of a sudden? I asked Akane why shed say that out of the blue, but I thought she must have just said what came to mind. Ive heard that bowling balls are made with a trick that shifts its balance. I have faint memories of being able to hook the ball. As for the material, its made of wood but it feels somewhat different. Obviously, to use petroleum-based materials are troublesome because they would require us to start looking for petroleum. Thats why I consulted with Dryas to know if there was a tree that we could collect plastic-like resin from. Leave it to Oneechan~ Y-yeah, thanks Dryas. Does that mean we are bowling too? Because that sounds like fun~ So, with the material for the balls decided, I asked Laeva to make several with varying weights. I made 10 lanes inside the building, then moved on to developping the device that would align the pins automatically and the device that would return the thrown balls. Both the pin aligner and the ball return device was nothing in comparison to the nobles. We have plenty of magic stone from small monsters for power. Just in case trouble comes up, I should build a humanoid maintenance golem on the backside of the lane. As to be expected, a monitor that automatically tallies the score thats impossible, so theyll have to write their scores on paper themselves, but well just have to bear with it. Even as unskillful as I am, I threw a lot of balls as a test, but once again, I realized just how excellent this body is. Yup, bowling is definitely more fun when you can throw well. We had Akane, Sophia, and everyone to test out the lane inclines and the finished balls, check if the pin aligner device and ball returner device are working properly. When the bowling alley was finished, it had become the talk of the town in the Sanctuary, so on opening day, many of the residents gathered and formed a line. Could you please do us a favor, Takumi, add an extension to the building and add more lanes, and Laeva could you add balls and pins? Sure (Yes.) Akane instructed us to expand the bowling alley because we couldnt just keep a lane to ourselves. A bowling boom had come to the Sanctuary. Moreover, Akane even made demands to even have her own ball. In that case, it is human nature to want more. Needless to say, Laeva and I got busy. *** Chapter 477 Chapter 477 Majority of the people living in the Sanctuary were gathered inside the building, all excited. The First Sanctuary Bowling Tournament The completed bowling alley was accepted by the residents, and the first ever bowling boom made its way into the Sanctuary. The bowling alley was crowded with Sanctuary residents every single day, and some people said they want to open concession stands to sell light meals and drinks, so now the bowling alley was expanded to have a resting corner. Gogogoooo! Bakkyaaaaaan! Kuh, a split Fufufu, Gnome, its not just about throwing it with all of your might, you know? Yes, control is important. Gogogoooo! Bakyaaaaan!! Kyaaaa! Strike! Kuh, am I losing to the lass?! Gnome was vexed that he was being given advice by Undine and Sylph. In my field of view, the Great Spirits were enjoying bowling. They might be a little too passionate about it though, they should receive a reward for a perfect attendance since the bowling alleys opening. The residents had jobs, but the Great Spirits basically live doing whatever they like. They sure have a lot of time. And, of course, Akane frequented it with Lulu-chan, and I made the potions Laeva was supposed to deliver to the Papeck Company. Well, this was originally my job though. Laeva also looked like shes having fun.. To my surprise, even Sophia and Marnie were practicing diligently too. When I tried asking them about it, they replied with something unexpected. Thats right. Dont you think its even better to have more than just prize money and a trophy? So if you were to grant any one wish, everyones level of excitement would be much different, right? Haa~ I would have liked a heads up. It couldnt be helped since it looks like the Sanctuary residents already knew about it, but I would like to not be made to give out extra prizes without being notified beforehand. Takumi, youd be happier if everyone was happy, right? Fine. Its not like anyone would make an excessive request, and it makes the bowling tournament more exciting. Heck yeah, Takumi. You know what Im talking about. Then I tried asking about I just thought of. Not feeling well? As she was talking to me, Akane was sprawled on the sofa, all exhausted. Fufufu, its not that. Im also aiming to be the champion. Fufu, what should I get you to do, I wonder Ill also go practice. For some reason, Akanes chuckle sent a chill down my back. I dont know why, but I have a feeling Akane shouldnt become the champion. With that hunch that I could most certainly believe in, I ran to the bowling alley. I dont know why, but I had a feeling that I had to prevent only Akane from becoming the champion. And rushing to the bowling alley, I practiced immediately not. Yep, I had to wait for two hours. Chapter 478: First Sanctuary Bowling Tournament Chapter 478: First Sanctuary Bowling Tournament The day of the First Sanctuary Bowling Tournament has finally arrived. There were plenty of participants so preliminaries were being held, until the participants can be filtered down to a specific number of people. Even so, there were many participants, so I ended up needing to expand the bowling alley and add more lanes because Akane and, for some reason, Gnome said so. The lanes already doubled to 20, but Gnome still complained that those werent enough. Just how addicted is he? In the preliminary rounds which started early in the morning, the participating Sanctuary residents were throwing balls towards the pins using perfect form right in front of me. Hey, Sophia. Everyone seems way too good somehow? Everyone comes to the bowling alley when they have time, after all. S-so it was like that Right before me, Doganbo-san was throwing the ball with a beautiful form. He was a short-limbed beer barrel-bodied dwarf, yet it was amazing how he could achieve a very beautiful form without discomfort. Moreover, he had power so the momentum of the pins falling was impressive. That didnt mean it was all brute force, I could tell that he emphasized on control with a hook ball. Hey, could it be that Doganbo-sans ball is his own ball? The Dwarves have all made their own bowling balls. They demanded the materials from Laeva. It would seem the Dwarves bowling balls were their own works. Laeva was being coerced by several other people, and it was apparently difficult to make a large quantity of balls. It was difficult because of how detailed the requests were for their balance and weight. T-that sounds like a lot of work. It might be better to have various selections. I dont mind everyone going nuts over bowling, but it would also be ideal to have some diversity, not just in sports. The people of this world dont have the time or luxury to spare on basic pleasures. Inevitable because they were desperate just to stay alive everyday. However, this Sanctuary slightly different. First of all, there is no concern over daily necessities. They could choose their job, and theres no threat from monsters, so they can afford to live better. The lives of the citizens of Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and even Yggurle Kingdom were starting to improve, so beginning with bowling, but maybe I can take all sorts of suggestions, starting with bowling. Twenty people, one for each lane, were selected in the preliminaries. Among them, I could see Akane and Lulu-chan who were practicing whenever they have free time were a given, Sophia, Marnie, and Kaede. Perhaps because they didnt have much time to practice, Maria and Laeva fell through during the qualifiers. Me? Of course I didnt qualify either. The others were the Great Spirit who got into bowling, Gnome and Undine. From the Dwarves, Doganbo-san and Golan-san passed. And surprisingly, the Cat Sith sisters Miri and Lala also got through. Unlike other people, theyre small so they cant throw normal balls. It takes them all their might to hold the ball with both hands and make it roll around Yes! Thank you very much! Sophia always accompanied me as my guard, so I thought its kind of like were always dating, but I probably shouldnt say that. Then Miri, is there anything you want? U-um, Miri and the others want clothes nya. Clothes, huh right, youre a girl, so you would like to be fashionable. Okay, how about we go buy clothes at the royal capital? Our clothes were made from Kaedes threads, and the designs were left to Kaede and Maria, but the Sanctuary residents make their own clothes using the cloths procured by the Papeck Company. The children wore the clothes made by adults, but they were basically built for function, not form. Takumi, leave it to Maria and I. Well shop with all our might in the Royal Capital. Yes! Its not just Miri and Lala, lets take this opportunity to also buy some for Sara, Colette, Shirona, Melanie, and Malorie. Akane and Maria said to leave it to them, so I, unfamiliar with fashion, decided to leave it all to them. Akane and Maria will take the children to the Royal Capital. Well, Ill be dropping them off and picking them back up though. The members were Akane, Maria, Marnie, Lulu-chan, Miri and Lalas mother Poporo-san, the Elves Melanie and Malories mother Melty-san, as well as the children. Theres a lot of you so you guys need an escort. Takumi, Golan-aniki and I will be their escorts. Thats why you should invest some of the harvested rice for alcohol. Just when I thought they needed an escort because of the large number of people, Doganbo-san raised his hand up, and in return he wanted me to be a bit more lax on rice. At present, were the ones who want to eat rice the most, so it should be fine as long as its just a bit. Understood. Then well send some your way this autumn harvest. Ohh! thats a big help. Master, Kaede is also coming so itll be fine Kaede, make sure you arent seen.. Kaaaaay! If Kaedes coming too, then danger was very unlikely. And so, the first ever Sanctuary Bowling Tournament quietly came to a close. That had become a very exciting event. Still, I didnt think I would be tormented in various ways because of how exciting this bowling tournament. *** Chapter 479: It seems I have no time to rest Chapter 479: It seems I have no time to rest I teleported Maria, Akane, Poporo-san and Melty-san to a place close to the Royal Capital to lead the children, and returned to the Sanctuary after deciding the date for pick up. I sat on the sofa to catch my breath, thinking I should take it easy today, but I wasnt given time to rest. Batan! The door to the living room burst open, literally flying in was the Aligerous Tribes Berkut. Takumi-sama! Unfair! Unfair! Its unfair! W-wait , calm down, Berkut. I will not calm down! I heard! I heard there was a pawling tournament! The reason why Berkut looked extremely menacing as she talked was because of the recent Bowling Tournament. I am not saying that everyone in the Aligerous Tribe should have been invited, but its not an exaggeration to say that I am your pupil, now is it!? You guys had fun and forgot about me! Wait, hold on, calm down Berkut. Its true we had a bowling tournament, but do you know anything about bowling? Theres no way I would know! No, its not something that grand. Takumi-sama, why dont you take Berkut to the bowling alley? Sophia came to my rescue, so for the time being, Ill take Berkut to the bowling alley and let her know what bowling is really like. O- ohh! So this is what pawling is! Its bowling. Do you want to try playing it? When I took Berkut to the bowling alley, Berkut was excited at the sight of the residents throwing balls down rows of lanes. When I asked her if she wanted to try it, she shook her head up and down so excitedly. So its really like that. Shall we select a spot then? Yes. There are few of us, so if we tear down one of the existing buildings, we can secure the space you need. that would be a very nice way to save on construction materials. Ha, haha When Valkan-san agreed to it more readily than I thought and decided on the construction site, I constructed the building of the bowling alley. I used the wood that Valkan-san provided to make the lanes. It would be fine having ten lanes, right? There are few of us so I believe that would suffice. If this is not enough then we could pester you for more, Takumi-sama. please spare me? I made many bowling balls of varying weights, and installed Pin Aligner magic devices, Ball Returner magic devices to each lane. I left the tables and chairs to the Aligerous Tribe. After installing light fixtures and teaching them how to mark scores, I let Valkran-san and Berkut play. The one teaching them was Sophia. Iruma-dono, thank you very much! Our lives will be enriched because of bowling! Takumi-sama! Thank you! Im glad youre enjoying it. Please tell me if theres any malfunctions. I was naive enough to think that I could relax and idle around while Maria and the others were out shopping. Somehow, this took just a day. Maria and the others planned to stay in the Royal Capital for two days, so maybe I can relax at the Sanctuary mansion for a while. *** Chapter [NaN] Chapter [NaN] The chapter you just tried to visit is currently under works at the moment! Sphyrism is still slaving away to get you the content you want. Please wait patiently for the next update or visit the other works. Someday Will I Be The Greatest Alchemist? Iruma Takumi, a 40-year old salary man, was dragged into a hero summoning just like in a template. What was his fate? The Goddess sent him and the heroes to the other world separately. With the Goddess excessive support, he landed in a different world looking handsome, rejuvenated, and quite different from a Japanese. However, he wanted a slow life while working in the manufacturing trade. That was not permitted by the Goddess special body and abilities. That is what I obtained a stepmother. is ( _`) -HikariAoi The Elf is a Freeloader A girl suddenly appeared in the living room of a young boys house. The girl was an elven girl that came from another world. That elven girl naturally had no place to go, so she ended freeloading at the boys house An elven girl that became a freeloader, a very ordinary high school boy, and the boys childhood friends come together as the elven girl gradually gets used to another world. Centered around an elven girl that came from another world in an accident, a heart-warming everyday life story with an elf began. Chapter 481: Maria and the Girls on a Shopping Spree Chapter 481: Maria and the Girls on a Shopping Spree Maria and the others were having going around the Royal Capital to shop, but that didnt mean that they were not being on guard. Although she wasnt visible, Kaede, whose humming seemed like it break out into singing soon, erased her presence and, because of her high level Stealth Skill and presence concealing coat, she could monitor the people who gazed evilly at her companions without being noticed by anyone. In terms of monster ranking, Kaede was a unique type of Arachne, which was was already a disaster class monster that could annihilate one or two cities. That was why Kaede would be in stealth whenever were not at Volton or the Sanctuary. Even in the Adventurers Guild in the Royal Capital, there was no one who could compete directly with Kaede. Naturally, the same goes for the members of the small and medium sized dark guilds. Even now, a fool unaffiliated with dark guilds was being rolled up in threads without anyone around him noticing. Furthermore, the Dwarves Doganbo and Golan would not lose in power to the goons of those dark guilds. Before they lived in the Sanctuary, they would go to dangerous places to mine and hunt monster materials, after all. Maria and the others were choosing clothes at a clothing store for the common folk in the Royal Capital. The Sanctuary has an abundance of cloth purchase by Takumi through the Papeck Company which the residents are free to use, so theres no worry over clothes, but of course, there is a clear difference between homemade clothes and those made by pros. Thats why the Cat Sith mother Poporo and the Elf mother Melty did not miss the chance to scrounge up some clothing. However, Maria, Marnie, and Akane were a little bit different. That was because the clothes they wore were made using Kaedes special threads, and it goes without saying that Maria and Kaedes skills were higher than pros, so there was no need to buy from the clothing stores in the city. Then, why was Maria looking intently at the clothes? She wanted to reference the Royal Capitals fashion designs. Waa, Oneechan,, these clothes are pretty nya!Aall newest chapters on Youre right, these are also pretty, you knyow! This time, Takumi gave a lot of shopping money so they could buy clothes in the Royal Capital. Even in a world where buying cloth and sewing it yourself is the norm and clothes were expensive, the amount he gave made it questionable if he wanted to buy the entire store. This was also because the clothes Takumi wears were made by Maria and Kaede, so Takumi, who has only ever been to thrift stores in the city, was under the impression that clothes were expensive in this world. Everyone but Takumi knew that that much money wasnt needed, but no one pointed it because a bigger budget was more than welcome. Maria and Akane bought a ton of clothes together with Poporo and the others. After their purchase concluded in one store, they stuffed all of it in the Magic Bag that Takumi made. Then, everyone clamored over onto the next shop. Those who got fed up of it were the Dwarves Doganbo and Golan. Doganbo regretted it. He endured it for the alcohol, but even so, he didnt know it would be this troublesome to come along in the girls shopping spree. I should have guessed it from Takumis reaction. Stop complaining Doganbo, just give up and think of it as training. Doganbo finally understood why Takumi didnt come along. Doganbo and Golans tribulations have only just begun. After all, Maria and the girls shopping spree would continue for the entire day. *** Chapter 482: The pheasant would not be shot but for its cries Chapter 482: The pheasant would not be shot but for its cries Without any regard for Doganbo and Golan being bored guarding Maria and the others, the shopping tour was on its second day. During this time, several dark guilds were arrested or suppressed by the Knight Order and the intelligence units. First thing this morning, the knights guided by the intelligence units raided the dark guild hideouts to go on a manhunt. Surrender obediently! Those who defy us will be pardoned. Guwah! Whats this!? You bastards! Gah! R-run! The garrison soldiers of the Royal Capital surrounded the area to prevent anyone escaping the raiding knights. The small and medium-sized dark guilds did not have the strength to break through. A similar scene was occurring here and there in the Royal Capital. King Valkyra and Simon had intended on doing a major clean up.Geett the latest novels on They had also noticed the men who were bound up in string in the maze of alleys in the Royal Capital being the work of Takumis familiar, the Arachne Kaede. Those men were dragged away by the soldiers, and after intense interrogations, were treated as criminal slaves because of the severity of their crimes. If they had minor offenses, they were detained in jail for a few days and released afterwards, but the members of the dark guilds were people who didnt just commit misdemeanors, they were all sentenced to forced labor at the mines and highway development as criminal slaves. Plenty of knights and soldiers were running around the Royal Capital since morning. Maria and the everyone else, who looked at those passing knights and soldiers with sidelong glances, were on the second day of their shopping spree. How about we go around the shops to the north of the capital? Its near the noble district. Why not? Akane-sama, are those shops that sell expensive clothes nya? Yeah. We bought clothes for the children yesterday, so today were going to get clothes for Poporo-san, Melty-san, and ourselves. As expected of the Rabbitkins senses. Marnie-san please keep the childrens safety. Understood. Whats up, more bad guys? *sniff sniff*, they smell bad nya. It seemed Akane had also become aware of the enemy presences tailing them, and Lulu-chan noticed their scent. Golan-aniki. Yeah, its finally our turn. Lets vent our anger out on them. Golan and Doganbo grabbed the hammers on their hips delightedly. They must have accumulated a lot of stress. So the members of dark guilds being used as a way to vent was a good problem. Poporo-san, please hold onto Miri and Lalas hands. Wappa, hold hands with Sara. Colette, make sure you dont let go of Shirona. You too Melty-san, take care of Melanie and Malorie. Yes. Yup. Marnie called out to Poporo and Melty to caution them, while Akane and Lulu-chan stood up to protect the children together. We could leave it to Kaede-chan, but Golan-san, Doganbo-san, and I are also here so theres no need to worry. Maria spoke out to alleviate Poporo and Meltys worries. Poporo and Melty looked visibly nervous, but their tension was relieved at the sight of the two Dwarves raring to go, and Maria looking as she always does. The group which had been walking altogether had quickly changed to a cautious formation, with Maria at the vanguard, then the children, Poporo, and Meltys family in the middle, Marnie and Akane protecting them from either side, Lulu behind them. And in the next moment, the dark guild members rushed in from the front and the rear to pincer them, attacking them in an alley. *** Chapter 483: Instakill Chapter 483: Instakill The members of the dark guild had only perceived that it was just women and children. The location was near the high class stores in the noble district. They decided to attack then in this place where people did not often pass by and worked with organizations they were on friendly terms with. To the small and medium sized organizations, one organization earning huge gains directly incurs the enmity of other organizations. That and one more thing, the current Valkyra Kingdom doesnt have any large dark guilds. That was because the Moonlight Owl, which boasted about being the continents strongest dark guild, was completely annihilated. After the first time Takumi was attacked, Moonlight Owl which provoked the wrath of Sophia and the others was utterly had had all of their bases in Valkyra Kingdom utterly destroyed. The boss gambled everything and came out himself and was captured as a result, so the what remained of the organization was unable to function properly. In this world where TVs and videos, much less the internet, do not exist, the small to medium sized organizations dont have decent information gathering abilities, so their assumption about Maria and the others being sitting ducks was a fatal mistake. Perhaps thats why even though the Catkin Girl who stood at the back of the line stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder, the men who started attacking from behind did not have any sense of danger. As such, they didnt realize that the corners of the Catkin girls Lulus mouth turned up.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m As a result, the moment Lulu disappeared, the man heard a male grumble, and his consciousness went away before realizing that that voice was his own. Nya! Guuuho! One of the attackers collapsed, then the guy next to him was blown away by Lulus roundhouse kick. This isnt even a workout nya. Try resisting a bit more nya! As Lulu moved around at high speeds and beating up the attackers, there was a guy who happily swung his fists to relieve his pent up stress. . Fhu!! Gyaaaaa! Even here, no one was able to see Kaede. With her perfect stealth in combat, she hunted the enemies without being seen. To Kaede, this wasnt that difficult. This is boring. With this many people, and with the abilities of those trash, I suppose this much is normal. Akane and Marnie who were protecting the children from the left and right were talking, looking bored. They did not look like they were being attacked in the slightest, Thanks to that, the children were calm and not afraid, and they just watched Maria and Lulu do their thing. The children knew. Maria, Akane, Marnie, and Lulu were exceedingly strong. That was when the knights and soldiers rushed in, the attackers of the dark guilds were swiftly restrained. Now then, shall we continue shopping? Oh yeah. It should be fine as long as we leave their capture to the knights and soldiers. Maria and Akane discussed todays plans while the men were bound and escorted. A goon who unluckily gained consciousness despite his bindings just now understood what they had been up against. This too became a festival though And so, Maria and her companions shopping tour became the chance to do a major clean up in the Royal Capital, and King Valkyra and Simon were grateful. *** Chapter 484: Setting trends Chapter 484: Setting trendsI teleported to meet Maria and the others and brought them back to the Sanctuary, then we talked about what happened at the Royal Capital. In any case, they bought a huge amount of clothes. From simple clothing distributed among the residents to clothing that would be used as design references, it was an impossible amount to bring home if they didnt have a Magic Bag. After they distributed the clothes, Maria and the others began designing clothes. Hey, Sophia. Is that my portion? Yes. Ive been told that they will make all sorts of clothes for you, Takumi-sama. As I thought. Maria and Akane took the lead, and Maribelle and the maids seemed to be having fun cooperating. Are Maribelle and the others making some too? Yes. They will make their own clothes, but apparently, the fabrics they will use was weaved with Kaedes special threads, so theyre putting their all into the designs. Just as I thought that there were more maids than usual, they were apparently their clothes and underwear. The maid outfits worn by the maids, which looked like classic maid clothing, were uniforms given to them, but their normal clothes and underwear were either bought from shops in Volton, or something they made with some purchased fabrics. It was a safe design that could be worn regardless of fashion. Then Maria and Akane suggested that they enjoy dressing up because it would be a waste being a girl otherwise. In this world, normally only the women of the upper echelons of society were able to enjoy fashion, but fortunately, the Sanctuary is prosperous and not lacking. Akane and Maria insisted that women need to dress up once in a while when they have the means to in their life. I couldnt say anything about it because I dont even understand the letter F in fashion. Maria and Akane, who had been running all over the place, returned to the living room. Well, I mean, yeah but If its expensive because its handsewn, then mechanizing might be the only way to lower the cost. That said, I dont think we really need it though. Make a sewing machine. If its a magic device then you can do it, cant you? Its not that simple, but if I develop a sewing machine magic device, isnt it fine to leave the rest with Papeck-san? You cant. These arent dresses worn by nobles. Theres no way we can leave fashionable clothing worn by commoners with Papeck-san. But, in any case, Akane, you dont even know how to sew, do you? How about just getting involved with the design? I dont know about building a sewing factory in the Sanctuary. Youre right! Then Im a designer! That sounds great. Takumi, please make the sewing machine immediately! I have to think about its mechanisms, so its impossible to do it immediately. I will assist! I had no choice but to get up from the couch, and Laeva said shed help. I should try to think of two versions, a sewing machine-type magic device thats powered by magic stones, and a manual sewing machine with a foot pedal. After all, if we had a sewing machine, it would be easier for Maria to sew our clothes too. *** TLN- Sorry Ive been very busy with the entire holiday season, so updates have been a bit on the slower side. But I hope you all have a great rest of the year! I always appreciate you! Chapter 485: Treadle Sewing Machine Chapter 485: Treadle Sewing Machine Laeva and I moved from the living room to the workshop, immediately taking on the designing the sewing machine. The structure of the sewing machine is simple enough. Though I dont really know how to make it very well. Takumi-sama, you know about the sewing machine? Well, I know the general design of it. Heh~ a sewing magic device, huh. So that would make it possible to create clothes faster, I see. Its still necessary to have the skills to use the sewing machine though. I dont think that just because someone has a sewing machine means that theyd be easily be able to stitch up clothing. If I remember correctly, sewing machines were hard to use.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Even so, you can still do it faster than sewing it by hand, right? If its someone like Maria and Kaede who have high level Sewing Skill, it might not make much of a difference though. you can say that again. Laevas Sewing Skill was also on the high side, but Maria and Kaedes were even higher than hers. The Skill System in this world is quite mysterious. To start with, how about we try drawing up a blueprint, then think of other stuff after that? Lets see. It might be faster to try making one first. Right. In any case, we can also try distributing it to the Sanctuary residents when its complete. Unlike the outside world, the Sanctuary is a place where various races live, so the clothing needed by each race might be different. The Mermaids switch between having a human lower half to a fish lower half, so they had plenty of one piece-like clothing. Beastkin need tail holes depending on their races characteristics. Dwarves need clothing that match their barrel-shaped bodies, as well as be sturdy and fire resistant. There are few differences between human and elven physiques. Moreover, while there are plenty of races living in this continent, the majority are of the Human race, so the ready-made clothing sold in stores were meant for the Human race. Then Ill explain it in the workshop. Upon bringing Maria back to the workshop with me, Maribelle and Mabel had also come, for some reason. It would be more handy if we were able to use it as well. Yep, youre right about that. I set up the two kinds of sewing machines in the workshop, then let them try it out to check if it had any malfunctions. Hmmm~ this needs practice. But I think I would use this a lot once Im used to it. Im next, yes? this is difficult.. But I believe this would be very handy with stitching simple items. Then I will try it next. this is nice. Its useful. Maria had the highest Sewing Skill, so while she had some trouble getting used to it, Maribelle and Mabel also assessed that it would be very useful for sewing simple things. Then after we returned to the living room once again, Sebastian came to meet us. Master, Papeck-sama had come by the Volton mansion for a greeting, wondering if there was any business. Eh! Papeck-san himself? That man, he truly has a keen sense of smell. He said that he would be in his company in Volton tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Is that so? We intended on talking to him, but Takumi, Ill go tomorrow too. I suppose Akane would promote her designs. She said she would accompany me in talking to Papeck-san. Papeck-san, your timing is way too good. *** TLN Thank you very much for all reading this year! I wish you all a happy new year! Prosperity and health in the coming year~ Chapter 486: A Pleased Looking Papeck-san Chapter 486: A Pleased Looking Papeck-sanWhen I contacted the Papeck Company in Volton, Papeck-san said he would come to my house. I was surprised by the merchants sense of smell, but I admire Papeck-sans light footwork. Well, thanks to Takumi, theyre now the largest trading company in the continent. Hes still coming by personally. I received notice that Papeck-dono will come first thing in the afternoon. Today, Sophia, Maria, and, as rare as it was, Akane came with me to Volton. Sebastian informed us of todays plans after that conversation with Akane. A bit after we ate lunch, Sebastian let us know that Papeck-san had arrived. Papeck-dono has arrived. Okay, please let him in. Then the head clerk of the Papeck Company, Thomas-san, and Papeck-san were led into the room by Sebastian. It has been a long time, Iruma-dono. Long time no see, Papeck-san, Thomas-san. Sorry to make you come all this way. No no, we had made the request because we wished to meet with you. It is only natural that we come to you. After a bit of small talk, Papeck-san started sounding me out. It might be because Akane was seated here when she normally wouldnt be, so he asked if there was something up. Iruma-dono, how are you these days? Have you invented anything new recently? Perhaps, if there is something, by all means the Papeck Company appreciate a deal with you. Youre really buying quite a lot from me. I smiled bitterly at Papeck-sans straightforwardness, but this is probably because I dont want all the flattery. Naturally. Thanks to Iruma-dono, the Papeck Company had grown to be the leading company in the continent. Papeck-san! Nice timing! Then Akane butted in with a strange excitement. Practice will be needed, but once youre used to it, its much faster than making clothes by hand. I took out two kinds of sewing machines from my Item Box, and showed Papeck-san how to use it. Ohh! We can make plenty of clothing with this! Well introduce it in the underwear workshop! Master, the capital stores will not be in the red with this! And so, my proposal is that I want to you to make my clothing designs. The clothes we normally wear are made by Maria and Kaede, so theres no problem, but I want the children in the Sanctuary to also wear stylish clothes. Certainly, please lend us your capabilities, Misato-sama! Leave it to me! And somehow, Papeck-san and Akane were now linking hands. In the end, I talked about clothing designs in another place, and included Maria when we began showing actual designs. This, what do you think about it? Well, both Akane and Maria seem to be having fun, so isnt that okay? Thats true. When I handed five of both types of sewing machines to Thomas-san, and he stored them in the companys magic bag and wrote a receipt. We will test the sewing machines, but it is likely that we would place an order for additional sewing machines. Understood. Ill prepare a larger quantity. Leaving the excited Akane, Maria, and Papeck-san, Thomas and I signed patents and of course a provisional contract. Then we joined Sophia for tea. Its great that Akane and Maria were having fun. *** Chapter 487: Work is coming together Chapter 487: Work is coming together Leaving Akane and Maria in Volton, Sophia and I returned to the Sanctuary mansion. Thats because, Im clueless about clothing designs. As I sat on the living room sofa, I drank the tea brewed by the maids, and Sebastian came with a huge bundle of papers. umm, is this everything? No, a portion of it. Thought so Sebastian, who came from Volton, brought with him a whole bundle of papers. Theres no way I wouldnt have known what those meant. Of course, I was just escaping reality. Master, Ill take it to your study. After Sebastian, Mabel came to the living room with what seemed to be a heavy stack of papers, and with a single statement said that she would bring it to my study. Then, please attend to these as soon as possible. Urk Sebastian also said as such and promptly left, carrying the bunch of papers. Not to boast or anything, but ever since I came to this world, I had developed several tools and magic devices, starting with the water pump. Aside from those, I am aware that I honestly may have dabbled in too many things, like I had diversified womens underwear in this world, constructed a city and established roads, traded with the nations in the Demon Continent, and had developed the Savage Lands. Thanks to these, I have way too much money flowing in. But vast amounts of money come hand in hand with a lot of documents. Initially, there were a lot but few in variety, and Papeck-san took care of tax calculations and drawing up contracts for me. But adding in an increase of sellable items and a lot more official documents concerning the autonomous Sanctuary which was unrelated to Papeck-san, so Im at a complete loss. In a sense, managing the territory of the Sanctuary, which was comparable to a small country, was more trouble than I ever imagined. Haa, it wont end if I dont go, huh. Sebastian couldnt bear to keep watching me be buried in a mountain of papers and made a suggestion. Someone specialized in business work, huh I most definitely want a capable person, but its difficult because our case is peculiar. I do think it would be more difficult than hiring maids and butlers. However, I believe the paperwork would increase even more from here on, and we would be over capacity. Even now, its already disastrous without Maria who had always helped around, so I decided it would be better to have more people. However, someone who handles documents of great importance and flow of money needs to have more than just the skills. They must be honest and someone we can trust. I dont have the eyes to see through this at the first meeting. Ill have to ask Undine and the others again, wont I? If you want a highly skilled person, you wouldnt need to worry about betrayals with slaves, but There are no slaves in the Sanctuary now. I dont want to be the only one who has a slave. I have bought slaves, but Sophia, Maria, and Marnie[1] who became my wives, as well as Laeva who I purchased to help me with my work were all already released, so there were no slavs in the Sanctuary. Among the people who were accepted by the Great Spirits, there will never be anyone who will fall into debt. Excellent civil officials are scarce even in countries, it would be difficult to find one. Even so, it would still be great if we had at least one person specialized in business. In this world where dangers to ones life like monsters and thieves are so close, there are many outstanding military people, but very few civil officials. King Valkyra would not have been called the Wise King without Lord Portfort. No, we cant give up. There must be a good, skilled person lying dormant out there. Without stopping my pen, I continued to discuss with Sebastian about hiring someone to do business work. *** Footnotes: 1. Marnie wasnt mentioned but I thought she should be here Chapter 488: Let’s do a widespread search Chapter 488: Lets do a widespread search At Sebastians advice, I told Sophia that I decided to hire clerical workers, and she supported the idea. Maybe because she wasnt good with paperwork, Sophia was always with me as my guard and doesnt leave my side even in the Sanctuary mansion where its safe, but somehow when Im working on the documents, she doesnt come into the room. I once tried asking her about it, she said that just looking at the mountain of documents was already giving her a headache. Maria and Akane were eagerly discussing the proposed designs and sales of clothing with Papeck-san, so they declared that they will hands off with the hiring process for clerical work. I believe we should talk to the Great Spirits once weve decided to some extent.nE?w stories at Indeed. Its probably better to not burden the Great Spirits too much. To hire new personnel, Maribelle and Sebastian who oversee the maids and butlers must agree. Right. Then how about we decide on the general things? Lets do just that. Shall we start by setting the prerequisites? I am not concerned whether they are male or female, though I wouldnt want them to be too old. You have a point. It would be nice if they could work for a very long time. Maribelle first brought up the age criteria. I think this an obvious choice because its hard to change in a short period of time. Its obvious that they must be able to do their job, but hiring young, capable people would be more difficult than I thought. Such people would be working important jobs for the nobles and the country. If they are only capable of doing the job but have a problem with their character, they arent a fit for our family. They could work in Volton instead of the Sanctuary, but I wouldnt want someone untrustworthy even in the Volton mansion. The Demon Continent? But many of the Mazoku are muscle brains. I only know one single civil official in the Oni Tribe. Of course, Im talking about the aide of Queen Fraal of Accuros. Is that so? Ah of course you wouldnt know, Maribelle, but the even the Beastkin living in the Demon Continent are complete muscle-brains. The only exception being the Succubus Clan. It might turn into a problem. Ah, I see Many of the Succubi would be suitable as civil officials, but I dont think theyre a great fit for the Sanctuary where the population ratio of men were small. It could lead to all sorts of trouble. The consensus here was that the Demon Continent would be excluded. Then are we also excluding the Aligerous Tribe? Lets see. Since they lived too isolated from a monetary economy for the longest time, training them would also be difficult. Many of the Aligerous Tribe were honest people, but because they lived self sufficiently for a very long time that they were people who had never seen money. Naturally, they didnt require any math, so teaching them from the very beginning would be a huge endeavor. If we want to avoid those with connections to nobles and companies, perhaps it would be a good idea to consult with the Madam Moulin for the time being. Right. If its Moulin-sans place where Maria was educated, it might work. As a result of our discussion, we decided we would first check with the Moulin Slavery Company. So, Master, please settle the remaining documents. I tried to not think about it, but the papers wont go away by themselves. I couldnt get away from the paperwork, it seems. *** Chapter 489: It’s been a while, Moulin-san Chapter 489: Its been a while, Moulin-san Today, I came to Volton. Sophia, as always, Maribelle, and Sebastian were accompanying me. Recently, Maria and Akane seemed to be busy with prototype designs of clothes in the Sanctuary. We had come to the Moulin Slavery Company using an ordinary carriage. As for why were using an ordinary carriage, its because the carriage Tsubaki pulls was too conspicuous. Obviously, Tsubakis build and presence after having gone through multiple evolutions also stood out too much. And anyone would know immediately who was inside. And so, we prepared the ordinary carriage that Sebastian and the maids use in the Volton Mansion. We have arrived. Thanks, Sebastian. Sebastian who served as the driver called out to us that we have arrived at the Moulin Slavery Company. When we parked the carriage into the carriage storehouse, the horse keeper of the Moulin Slavery company took care of the horse. When I alighted the carriage, I was greeted by Moulin-san. It has been a long time, Iruma-sama. It makes me happy every time I hear rumors about your activities. Long time no see, Moulin-san. I came to talk to you today. Sophia then got down and next came Maribelle, and Sebastian left the carriage seat. I looked at the file with Maribelle and Sebastian. Inside the file, the slaves name, gender, age, and the reason they turned into debt slaves, and other information were written down. Additionally, there were other slaves who had been sheltered and trained by the Moulin Slavery Company ever since they were children, just like Maria had, were also included. What were looking for are sons and daughters of merchant families, who were not responsible for their own fall into slavery, and have no troubling behaviors, I guess? Also, how about the people who received training from Moulin-dono ever since they were children? Youre right. The final personality judgement could only be left to the Great Spirits, so how about we make a long list and interview them? D-did you say G-great Spirits? When the words Great Spirits came from Maribelles mouth, Moulin-san was unusually surprised. Yeah, the truth is that the people employed at our mansion had all been accepted after an interview with the Great Spirits. I explained that the Sanctuary was a peculiar region, and the only people who could enter it were those deemed acceptable by the Great Spirits. U-umm, the Great Spirits can see through a person? Well, enough to tell if the person is relatively good or not. T-thats amazing. Despite Moulin-san seeming a bit withdrawn for some reason, Sophia, Sebastian, Maribelle, and I made a list of the people here. For the time being, we decided not to take the slaves in their store at the capital into consideration, to only choose from the slaves present here at this moment, and if there arent enough after interviews, then we decided we would take interviews even from the capital store. *** Chapter 490 Chapter 490 As we listened to Moulin-san promote them, we were able to narrow down the interviewees with Sophias insight, and Maribelle and Sebastians experience. It was then that Moulin-san asked a fundamental question. Now that I think about it, we hadnt told her. By the by, how many people were you thinking of? For the time being, I believe we would like at least two people. I want at least one person to assist Sebastian in the Volton mansion. And the rest, Id like at least one person who specializes in paperwork at the Sanctuary mansion. As to why, its because well have projects that were very likely to increase our paperwork. Akane and Maria were probably going to expand their fashion-related business, and bowling somehow reached Papeck-sans ears. It may have been Akane or Maria, or maybe it was Sebastian. Because of this, Volton and Wedgefort were now searching for a place to build a bowling alley. Laeva ended up needing to make a large number of pins and balls. There hasnt been a word of complaint, but actually among my employees, some of those who were normally in the Volton mansion werent simply couldnt access the bowling alley. Im an employer who can read the situation. I couldnt just give in to everyones silent pressure, after all. And so, profits relating to bowling would also increase from here on. Jeez, I have a feeling this is gonna turn into a vicious cycle of doing something and the mountain of documents increasing. Its quite profitable, so I probably shouldnt call it a vicious cycle though. If anything, I should be glad I was fortunate enough to meet the people. I met Sophia and Maria, and then Laeva, and even Marnie[1 I feel really bad that Marnie is never mentioned in the story], and everyone who helped me, Im so lucky to have met everyone. Thats why I dont have any confidence in my ability to judge people. And thats why I just tried asking Moulin-san if she had anyone to recommend. Moulin-san, do you have anyone you recommend? A recommendation? Lets see how about her? She has received rigorous training since childhood, and she is also good with etiquette. T-this is We were surprised by the piece of paper that Moulin-san pulled from the file. Even Sebastian and Maribelle were speechless. Written down on the singular piece of paper that Moulin-san picked was the detailed information of a former noble lady from a certain country. Moulin-san, this is A pitiful child who was a victim of family who lost a power struggle. so shes being treated as a criminal slave? Just as Sebastian said, that child was a criminal slave. Normally, we would never associate with a criminal slave.Aall newest chapters on Yes. It was purely a coincidence that our store found her, though had been any other slave store, she would have had a miserable end. It feels like they were expecting me from the beginning, Im wrong, arent I? According to Moulin-san, the trapped and crushed Baron was on the Royal Faction, and the Noble Faction, who were opposed to the countrys prosperity these recent years, were getting impatient. As the balance of power among the factions was tilting in favor of the Royal Faction, they connived to falsely accuse a noble from that faction. The location of the Barons fief wasnt great. They must have abhorred the fact that it was booming because it a good transit point. The nobles in the Noble Faction seem to have planned to split it equally amongst themselves. Which means, it didnt happen. Yes. When Lord Portfort questioned the revocation of peerage, and when the intelligence unit investigated it and found out that it was a false charge, it was already too late, everything was over. The person who connived against the baron was an Earl of the noble faction, and the troublesome part was that it was he was a relative to the Duke, His Majestys uncle. The Baron himself had died from the despair, and the Baroness returned home. By that point, the daughter had already been purchased by Moulin-san as a criminal slave. Lord Simon seemed to want the revival of the house from its direct lineage, with the barony under the direct control of the Royal Family. At present, it was difficult to do since the barons only daughter had already fallen as a criminal slave. But how could they not realize this before they rescinded the title? I cant say for sure, but I believe it was difficult for the prime minister of the entire country to check the reason for a lowly baronys demise. The noble faction has plenty of civil servants. The fact that Lord Portfort even realized it after everything was over makes him an excellent prime minister. According to Sebastian, Lord Simon realized because it was him. They know about the false accusation, right? Then cant the girl be released? You cant destroy something and then say it was all a mistake. That would be foolish. Moreover, Iruma-sama, unlike debt slaves, criminal slaves basically cant be released. The only way would be to be pardoned by His Majesty as a special case. For them to not be able to simply say they were wrong once a person becomes a criminal slave is Thats why, Iruma-dono. I see, it wouldnt be impossible for Master to ask His Majesty for pardon. I-is that so? Moulin-san, Sebastian, and Maribelle nodded silently. Hold up, wasnt buying the girl still up for decision? Then lets decide on the second person? Indeed. There will be plenty of paperwork from here on, so we wanted two. How about this child? Leaving me confuse, Sebastian and Maribelle began looking for other interviewees. TLN Thank you very much for all your support this year! I wish you all a happy new year! Prosperity and health in the coming year~ *** Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Excluding the one that Moulin-san recommended from the file, we decided to at least get 4-5 people at most. Originally, the file already excluded the people who turned into slaves because of gambling or business failure, so I entrusted the decision to Sebastian and Maribelles ability to see through peoples character from their life experiences. It should be fine if I just make the final decision.. As a result, the people that Sebastian and Maribelle eventually chose from Moulin-sans recommendations totaled to three people including the former noble young lady. Without delay, I asked the Great Spirits about the lineup. Mm, theres no issues. Well then, were in the middle of bowling so well be going now. See ya~Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Jeez, dont call us out of the blue. bye. Are they that addicted to bowling? Selene got mad. Lets just forget about the Great Spirits who left just like that and start over. Now then, time to pull myself together and go back to the interview. I looked at the three people lined up in front of me again. Charlotte von Vold (18 years old ) Daughter of a former baron, a beautiful girl with blue hair and blue eyes. She was a victim of a political strife, but in order to prevent the revival of the House Vold, she was sold as a criminal slave under false charges. She would have been sold to a different country, but the Moulin Slavery Company obtained her from behind the scenes. In actuality, it could be said that Moulin-san was sheltering her. Shes definitely a beautiful girl, and Moulin-san had given her guarantee on the girls skills, so there was no question about it. However, her father had died unexpectedly, and her mother who had returned to her parents home, so her worries must have been endless. If you work hard for several years, I plan on paying you enough salary for your release, but if possible, I would like you to continue working for us, but what do you think? By all means, please buy me! The first one to speak up was Gina-san. I used to do everything, from accounting to product management, for my familys business. I believe I can be useful. You should know that I am not unrelated to the decline of your familys business. Even then, are you okay with that? Yes. Our decline was because father made a reckless gamble. We should have steadily done business instead of trying to compete with the Papeck Company. Understood. Then, what about you, Anna-san? Next, I asked Anna-san who looked like she had given up on everything, wondering if she could still even be called a slave. I have no home to return to even after my release, so if you buy me, I will only do the job given to me. W-well, thats fine for now. Shes a girl who is probably aware that shes very capable, but she was sold to pay for her parents gambling debts, so it must be hard for her to have a better outlook right away.. I hope she gets better bit by bit. And lastly, Charlotte-san, Ive already decided to buy you. No matter what your opinion is. Charlotte seemed to be the most heartbroken, having fallen from being a noble lady to a mere criminal slave. Now then, Ill have to negotiate with Lord Simon first. *** Footnotes: 1. There was already a maid named Anna, who was among the younger veteran maids. Chapter 492: The faster the better, no? Chapter 492: The faster the better, no? If you are ever in need of personnel again, please reach out to my company again. Thank you for today. . I paid for the three people, and were on our way back to the mansion with them using the carriage. Master, lets drop by the clothing stores. Ill leave it to you, Maribelle. The clothes provided by Moulin-san werent just simple tunics with holes, but as to be expected, those were the only one. Master, I believe they should work in the Sanctuary for the time being. Youre right. Charlotte would be better off without any eyes around. As I stayed in the carriage, Sebastian, who was in the driver seat, talked about where the three girls should work. I plan to eventually have them do negotiations with the Papeck Company in the Volton mansion, but I think that should be after theyve gotten accustomed to their environment. After bringing the girls to the Sanctuary, will you head to the Royal Capital, Master? Yeah, I dont know if Lord Simon can meet with me immediately, but the earlier the better. Certainly. Its important to be in a position where they can work for their freedom, after all.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Right? Ill get them to grant amnesty somehow. I believe it will be alright because of her circumstances, but please do your best for Charlotte. I talked to Sebastian about all sorts of things until Maribelle and the girls returned. Thank you for waiting. Then lets head back? Sebastian, if you could. t- this is What they saw past the large window in the living room were the Spirit Spring and the Spirit Tree beyond it. The three girls were at a loss for words at that beautiful sight. Mabel, show them their rooms. Once theyve dropped off their luggage, could you show them around the mansion? I have some business in the Capital. Understood. Leaving the three stunned girls to Mabel, I teleported to the Royal Capital with Sophia. Charlottes matter should be dealt with as soon as possible. I also need to reassure her mother who had to return to her parents home. When we teleported close to the Royal Capital, we walked from there to the gates of the Royal Capital and lined up. At times like this, Im jealous of nobles. Because theyre prospering, the lines at the gate had gotten much longer. Carriages of nobles passed by the line we stood in and went through an exclusive gate for them. The line of people coming in and out of the Royal Capital in these good times were truly long. As such, it took us two hours of waiting to enter the Royal Capital. Once we entered the Royal Capital, we made an appointment with Lord Simon. We soon received a reply stating that he had time around noon tomorrow, so we booked a room at a high class inn to prepare for tomorrow. That said, we were actually teleporting back to the Sanctuary to sleep there. The room in the high class inn was only for teleporting. Its still a while before dinner, so Sophia and I had a date in the Royal Capital for the first time in a while. Sophia was also happy to have a date with just the two of us. Afterwards, we enjoyed our date until dinnertime, then we enjoyed our meal at the inn and teleported back to the Sanctuary mansion. Early morning the next day, we returned to the inn after having breakfast, and rested until our appointment time with Lord Simon. *** Footnotes: 1. Ill change this to Ana for the clerk, and keep Anna for the maid. Chapter 493: Getting Amnesty Chapter 493: Getting AmnestyWe requested the inn to prepare a carriage and Sophia and I headed to the Royal Castle. We were accompanied by a knight to a smallish conference-like room which was different from usual where we waited for a while. After a while of waiting, I felt the presence of Lord Simon approaching the room.Geett the latest novels on ? Thats rare. Lord Simon is alone. Takumi-sama, it is likely that His Majesty does not want to hear about what we want to talk about as much as he could, wouldnt he? I see, his reputation is at an all time low, huh Yes. As we were speaking, the door opened and Lord Simon came in. Lord Simon flopped into the seat in front of us and sighed heavily. He looked terribly exhausted. Haa~ Long time no see, Iruma-dono. Sorry for not keeping in touch, Lord Simon. Haa~ Who would have thought that it would be you, Iruma-dono, who would make the purchase Lord Simon sighed multiple times as he spoke. It seems he already knows everything about the reason why were visiting today. In that case, I can skip the explanations. This must be about Baron Volds daughter. Haa, even we could not have predicted that the Barons daughter would be sold as a criminal slave. According to Lord Simon, several nobles from the Noble faction had set this plan because they were targeting the clever and beautiful Lady Charlotte. I see, well, thats enough about nobles. For the time being, should I release Charlotte and bring her to the Capital? No, it would be too early to bring Lady Charlotte to the Capital. Noblists would hijack the house by sending grooms. For the time being, could she be under your guardianship? There is no safer place than by you, Iruma-dono. Well, it is the Sanctuary, after all. Then I remembered Charlottes mother whose health was ruined and returned to her parents house in despair, so I tried asking about her. Oh yeah, how would we explain it to Charlotte-sans mother? regarding the forfeiture she blamed herself failing to notice the crimes being committed in their company and she was forced against her will. About Lady Charlotte, I will inform the Madam that she is being taken care of by a reliable person. A trustworthy person you say, wouldnt she know immediately that its at my place? Iruma-dono, there are many of my men stationed by your mansion in Volton and the area around it to guard it. Sure enough, I knew that there were a large number of secret agents of varying factions stationed in Volton. Theyll probably know immediately what kind of people Im looking for at the slave shop. I will bring the cost of purchasing Lady Charlotte at once. With this, the sale of Lady Charlotte did not happen. Understood. I had originally come here to ask for her amnesty, so its wrapped in a different package, but this is the best outcome, isnt it? Umu, thank you. After that, we exchanged information, then I was reimbursed of the cost of Charlotte-san and we left the Royal Castle. I need to go back and release Charlotte-san. *** Chapter 494: A Girl’s Thoughts Chapter 494: A Girls ThoughtsI wonder why I am here. My name is Charlotte von Vold. I am the first born daughter to the Vold Barony. On a day that I thought everyday life would continue normally, the Vold Barony disappeared. Father collapsed from the shock, eventually passing away at that very spot. Mother had also collapsed. Then I was restrained by a soldier, and by the time I had realized it, I was already in a small room in a slavery company. There were two other girls of similar age to me in the room. Gina-san, one of the two girls, was trying to console myself, who had been dazed over the sudden change in my circumstances, and the other girl, Ana-san. Gina-san was the daughter of a merchant family, and she was sold as repayment for the debt her father had incurred from her fathers failed venture and to keep the shop afloat. Even though she had a horrible experience of being sold by her parents, Gina-san always faced forward, and soon told herself that she would buy her freedom back. The other girl, Ana-san, had an even more horrible reason. Her parents also owned a small store, but because of her fathers addiction to gambling, she was sold to fund her fathers gambling addiction rather than because a business failure. She was a truly bright girl, and she had been working very hard for her familys business, but she had closed her heart after having gone through such an experience. It was the same for myself. I, who was raised as the precious daughter of the Baron Vold and graduated as the top student in the academy at the Royal Capital, was involved with the management of our fief and I was proud of my own excellence. Then I fell into slavery without so much as a rebuttal. Moreover, as I am a criminal slave, I essentially will never be freed. My life was over. Had the three of us not been purchased by Iruma-sama A day not long after coming to this place, the proprietress of this slavery company Moulin-san brought us to a special room. Lastly, Iruma-sama looked me in the eye and said, And lastly, Charlotte-san, Ive already decided to buy you. No matter what your opinion is. Indeed, I am a criminal slave. Even if I am sent to the mines, or made into a sex slave, I have no right to refuse. The three of us were then purchased by Iruma-sam, and we headed to his Volton mansion in a carriage. Iruma-samas residence was a series of surprises. The gates were guarded by golems. Then in the basement, there was a Teleport Gate, which was said to be something that could only be found nonfunctionally in ancient ruins. Iruma-sama registered our magic power into the Gate and made us pass through without any sort of explanations. We ascended the stairs from the Gate room after being teleported, and a large window opposite of us showed a magical scenery. A place where many nobles and merchants are unable to enter, only select individuals are allowed in. This was the Sanctuary, isnt it? Upon our arrival at the Sanctuary, we were left in the care of Maribelle-san, then Iruma-sama went some place with Sophia-san. The next day, I was called into Iruma-samas study. When I returned to the Sanctuary, I immediately called Charlotte to my study. Now then, just how much do I talk about? *** Chapter 495: Following up on various things Chapter 495: Following up on various things I called Charlotte to my study. How much of my exchange with Lord Simon should I talk about? After all, theres also happiness in not knowing. Well then, first of all, you are released from your slavery contract, Charlotte-san. u-um, I am a criminal slave, as such, release is impossible. Perhaps I jumped the gun. That would be the normal response, I suppose. Yes. Actually, I went to the Royal Capital to the Prime Minister, Lord Simon.. There, it was decided that the the revocation of Baron Volds title would be rescinded, the documents of your criminal slavery would be erased, and that fact that you had fallen into slavery will no longer exist. However, Im sorry, but the territory of the Vold Barony cant be returned because there is currently no heir to it. On the other hand, the Baron will receive a new mansion in the Royal Capital. For the meantime, I think your mother, who is recovering in her parents house, should be the acting head as an honorary baroness. Eh, nE?w stories at As I thought, I did it too fast. Maybe because it was too fast, she wasnt able to understand it all. Charlotte-san was stunned, and her mouth hung open. Ahh, until the heat dies down, Charlotte-san, you cant go to the mansion prepared for you in the Royal Capital. Thats why, youll have to stay in this mansion for a while. I, I seeee Charlotte, who couldnt keep up with the surge of information, seemed like she could only manage a half hearted reply. I heard from Lord Simon that there many of those nobles who were aiming to buy Charlotte-san had she been sold to a slavery company abroad, Obviously, I cant imagine they would force another false charge on Charlotte-san after she had been reinstated as the Barons daughter, but I cant trust that the heads of the families of the Noblists faction wouldnt hatch another plan. Lord Simon said that he will tighter hold on the Noblists and improve the air a bit more so you will be able to live in your mansion in the Royal Capital, but he also thought it would be a good idea for you to rest your mind and body here. U, um, c-can I really be freed even though I am really a criminal slave? The document proving that you had become a slave, as well as the receipt for when I bought in the Moulin Slavery Company are all gone now. Oh whoops, I should probably release you first. Hol-! Please hold on! When I said that thinking that she would trust me more if I release her, Charlotte stopped me in a panic. Thank you. Of course youll be properly compensated. We ended our conversation and were about to split up, Charlotte seemed like she had another thing to say. Huh, is there something else? U-um, if it was possible, I was hoping to give Mother peace of mind Oh, ohh! I forgot. Youre right, your mother would also be worried, wouldnt she? If I remember correctly, she went back home to recuperate at her parents home. Lord Simon did say that he would withdraw the downfall of the House Vold, and would reinstate Charlottes mother as an honorary baroness until the next head could be decided, didnt he? Takumi-sama, in that case, why dont you invite her into the Sanctuary? If theyre here together with us, we can have them stay in a room in the lodging facilities. Right. Lets do that. Is that alright with you too, Charlotte-san? Thank you very much. Charlotte bowed deeply. You cant do that, Charlotte-san. You are the Barons daughter, after all. I am a commoner. That is irrelevant. I want to show my gratitude. In any case, raise your head. Lets go meet your mother immediately. I dont know if she would come with us to the Sanctuary immediately, but she would be relieved to see your face, Charlotte-san. Yes! Alrighty, thats one issue settled. *** Footnotes: Chapter 496: Reuniting Mother and Daughter Chapter 496: Reuniting Mother and Daughter Baroness Vold, Charlotte-sans mother who was now the honorary Baroness, was the third daughter of Viscount Packards house. The name of Charlottes mother was Elizabeth von Vold. She was apparently only slightly over 30 years old.Visitt for the latest updates Its apparently a normal age to marry for a noble daughter, but my personal feelings about it is that she was a bit young to have a big daughter like Charlotte. Actually, Id be surprised by her youth even if we meet. The commoners of this world do not marry young. I suppose it was distinctive of nobles. The sons and daughters of nobles often get engaged in early in their life, and Charlotte-sans mother Elizabeth-san was also betrothed before she had turned ten. Her husband, a baron, seemed like a nice and gentle person, timid, not physically built, and he was a natural-borne civil servant. Her father, who was innately good, had probably never even suspected that there was someone among his subordinates was committing a crime. He wasnt mentally strong, so when he was accused of a crime and was deprived of his rank and lost his territory, he collapsed from the shock and died then and there. Elizabeth-san, who lost her home, lost her husband, and had her daughter taken away from her as a criminal, had also collapsed from the shock, but perhaps because women were mentally and physically stronger, Elizabeth-san returned to her parents home and slowly regained her physical strength, thinking of ways of how to prove her husband and daughters innocence. Charlotte! Viscount Packard spoke in a hushed voiced, wanting me to protect Elizabeth under absolute secrecy for a while. As an Honorary Baroness, it is not necessary for Elizabeth to stay in her mansion in the Capital because she has no official posting. if I am not mistaken, the culprit behind the dilution of wine in the Vold Barony has yet to be caught. His Majesty and Lord Simon had decided that nothing happened on paper, but for cautions sake, it would be better to be mindful of Madam Elizabeths safety. It was announced that Baron Vold had died from an illness, and because Baron Vold has no heir, Madam Elizabeth was made to be the successor. That way, the number of Royalist nobles would not decrease, and as for the people who schemed behind the scenes, Lord Simon made the Shadows investigate them, so the Noblists would decrease by one or two. I dont think it would happen, but Madam Elizabeth might be resented in return. Very well, Viscount Packard. I will take custody of Lady Charlotte and Madam Elizabeth in the Sanctuary for the time being. Ohh! I appreciate that, Iruma-dono! Viscount Packard shook my hand with both of his in delight. He must not be able to help it, since his daughter and granddaughter were cute. I may as well invite Viscount Packard to the Sanctuary lodging. There, he could relax with Madam Elizabeth and Lady Charlotte. *** Chapter 497: Mother and Daughter go to the Sanctuary Chapter 497: Mother and Daughter go to the Sanctuary Right now, an elegant woman, who didnt look like someone in their thirties in my eyes, was hyped up. Charlotte, this is amazing! So this is where you work, right!? Im jealous! Mom wants to live here too! Mother, please calm down! Everyone is watching. Its embarrassing so please stop! And Lady Charlotte was beet red from embarrassment as she asked her mother to stop. After reuniting Madam Charlotte and Lady Charlotte in the territory of Viscount Packard, I couldnt bring myself to separate them again just yet, so I invited them to stay in the Sanctuary lodge. I also invited Viscount Packard, and in the lobby of the first floor where they check in, Madam Elizabeths excitement was through the roof. The array of ornaments and sculptures made by dwarven craftsmen, as well as furniture furniture created by Elven craftsmen in the building was all too appealing to Madam Elizabeth. Now now, Elizabeth[1], calm yourself. You are an honorary baroness. You must conduct yourself in a manner befitting your station. Jeez! Father, youre so uptight. Your heartbroken daughter is happy, so you should watch with warm eyes. Haa~ is this because Baron Vold spoiled you? I thought I had a more graceful daughter Theyll keep clamoring in the lobby so lets try to usher them to the their room. Okay, okay, Ill show you to your room. Pardon for the inconvenience, Iruma-dono. Iruma-sama, please do. Lady Charlotte, you dont need to add sama to my name. No, I want to be of help to your work for a while, Iruma-sama. As such, we have an employer-employee relationship, so it is absolutely necessary to keep this distinction. Well said! Charlotte, we must reciprocate the debt of gratitude we have received from Iruma-dono.all new stories at Yes, Grandfather! Lady Charlotte and Viscount Packard seemed to have decided on something, regardless of my intentions. Well, I did choose three people because I wanted people to help me with clerical work, so Im glad shes going to help, but is that okay? Shes the barons daughter. Just as you call Gina-san and Ana-san, please stop using Lady for me. No, Lady Charlotte, you have returned to being the Barons daughter, so I cant address you without it. I may be the Barons daughter, but that was in thanks to your efforts, Iruma-sama. As such, it is no issue for you to speak to a lower class nobles daughter without any honorifics. No no no, that wont happen. When I looked to Sophia for help, Sophia was also of the same opinion, for some reason. Takumi-sama, you are the keeper of the Sanctuary. You are different from commoners. You are the King of a small nation, so to speak. seriously? Seriously. As such, for the duration that I work here, please speak casually to me. If Lady Charlotte returns to her life as the Barons daughter, she doesnt mind adding san or sama to her name, but she wouldnt like it if she were to be treated differently from Gina and Ana. Okay, Charlotte. This is fine, right? Yes, Iruma-sama. Why do I still have to have sama? You are my employer, so it is only natural. Haa, I give up. Ill explain how documents need to be filed in the study, so lets go? Yes. Certainly. Its very difficult to do so I definitely have to get used to it, huh. Its a tall order for my lower middle class self to speak without honorifics towards a noble daughter though. *** Footnotes: 1. Typo, it said Charlotte instead of Elizabeth. Chapter 498: The Mountain of Documents Chapter 498: The Mountain of Documents Sophia and I brought Charlotte with us and moved to the study. Ugeh! My voice leaked out reflexively. Before me, the mountain of paperwork increased by 50% compared to before I left. Master, please have these documents completed by the end of this day. Placing the documents he had in hand down, Jeeves spoke and tried to leave the room. W-wait! Jeeves, are you not going to help!? Yes. I have tasks that I must do. My apologies. Jeeves bowed with graceful conduct and walked out of the study. Ah- w- wait, is he really not going to help? Please give up. Jeeves also has a job to do. Fine. Then Charlotte, please sort out the documents. very well. Though she was surprised that the amount of documents was more than she had expected, Charlotte picked up a document near her. A while after Charlotte started sorting through the documents, there was a knock on the door, then Marnie came back with Gina and Ana. We have returned. Oh, how was the Sanctuary? It was an immensely beautiful scenery, and the people living here are all full of smiles! it was amazing. Gina was so excited, and despite her quiet statement, I could tell that even Ana was moved. Ah, Charlotte-san, youve come back. When Sophia and I gave a light explanation, even Ana and Charlotte were dumbfounded. Ah, its because the sale of Soma is not subject to tax. Eh, is that so? Yup, its the same for the Sanctuary wine, but that doesnt apply to items produced and sold in the Sanctuary. Theres no such thing as tariffs. I see. I dont use the Volton workshop much these days, so I make things in the Sanctuary, though there many of them that were subject to taxation based on sales to be paid to Valkyra Kingdom . However, the revenue relating to patents are subject to tax that I pay to Valkyra Kingdom. It was troublesome because it changes based on the item. It seems my new assistants finally grasped why I hired them. Still, calculating this would be plenty of work. Im glad we have an abundance of paper, but this amount and the money the amount of money is far too different in magnitude from my parents business. Gina and Charlottes expressions stiffened. Anas cool countenance also crumbled. Calculate oh yeah. Its hard to calculate, huh. Is something the matter? Seeing me brood, Sophia asked out of concern. Youre right. Calculations are hard, so we should make it faster. Knowing that I went into creator mode, Sophia understood and went back into escort mode. If math is hard, then I just have to make a device that would make it easier. I immediately called out to everyone and went to the workshop. Lets make something to relieve the stress of paperwork, shall we? *** Chapter 499: About Calculations Chapter 499: About Calculations I abandoned the mountain of documents and headed to the workshop, and there Laeva was making bowling-related items. Eh? Is something the matter? Yup, I was thinking of making something that would make it more convenient to make calculations. Calculations? Laevas hands stopped as she asked in curiosity. Yup, we have a lot of money coming in and out, and those amounts are huge. Moreover, calculations are troublesome because taxes complicate it. Certainly, such calculations would be an enormous undertaking. Until now, I had been doing mental math when I did the calculations, but the people of this world were bad at mental math. Well, I suppose thatd be normal. I had been learning it since I was a child in my previous life thanks to the soroban[1]. Even when I calculate these days, I still imagine flicking the beads on the soroban(Japanese abacus) in my head. As could probably already tell, what I wanted to make was an soroban. I had thought about making a calculator-type magic device, but an soroban was more than enough. If they get used to the soroban, it might be possible for everyone to learn mental math. As I processing the wood to be used as the material, Laeva began observing with great curiosity. Is that a tool for calculations? Thats right. Its called a soroban. A soroban? Why is it a soroban? now that you mention it, I didnt think that much about it. Sorry Laeva, I dont know the origin of its name. I chose a hardwood to be manufactured into the beads, but making them all into the same size was a difficult process when done manually, so I will just transmute it all in one go using alchemy. Transmute! ?? They have holes. Come on, just watch. I transmuted poles that would go through the wooden frame and beads. Thats is satisfactory. Laeva nodded in satisfaction and returned to working on the bowling pins. When I returned to the study carrying the sorobans, Gina and Charlotte looked a bit reproachful. No, I wasnt just skipping out on work. Try using these. ? What is this? Its a device you use when youre calculating. Its called a soroban. A soroban? how is it used? Well, watch. Explaining it just as I had with Laeva, I taught them how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, and I could tell from their wide-eyed expressions that they were surprised. What a useful device! This is magnificent. This is a first seeing such a device, even for me. this is convenient. Though we will need to practice a bit. Takumi-sama, may I please borrow one? Yeah, of course. Gina was excited, while Charlotte was surprised in a modest manner befitting of a Nobles daughter, and Ana mentioned practicing on the soroban immediately, so I handed one to each. It was when everyone began practicing that I realized. Huh, this doesnt this mean that I have to settle all the documents by myself? Crap. Ill have to deal with so many documents, so Im glad I made the soroban. *** Footnotes: 1. The soroban is the Japanese version of an abacus. As there are several types of abacus, Ill stick with the Japanese name. Chapter 500: As Expected, A Great Demand Chapter 500: As Expected, A Great Demand Perhaps because Charlotte and the other two were excellent, they quickly mastered the soroban. The study was filled with the clacking of beads. The girls desks were placed either side of my desk, so the documents to be processed were divided into sales that need calculations, and documents that need to be sorted. During this, Sophia sat on the sofa in the center of the room, drinking tea. As to be expected, it wasnt necessary for her to stand guard behind me while Im working, after all. Actually, there was no need for a guard inside the Sanctuary, but Sophia doesnt want to do anything but guard me. Im glad that calculations are much easier now, but this amount of money makes me withdraw. You are right. I was in charge of the management of the Vold Barony, as such, I constantly see the taxation earnings in the fief, as well as the profits from the company our house, though it is literally several magnitudes higher. Gina and Charlotte were astonished by the sheer enormity of the cash flow. Ana was cool and quiet though. There were several unexpected occasions where Sebastian came from the Volton mansion to top up the documents, but by the time we had managed to finish sorting and processing the documents, Akane and Maria casually walked into the study. Youre working hard. You girls are great too. Thank you for your hard work, Takumi-sama. Ahh, its you, Maria, Akane. Are you done talking to Papeck-san? No, were not done yet. Akane handed me a bundle of papers. That, is our contract relating to design fee from the sale of clothes with our design. Review it for us. If there are no problems, well sign the contract. Ah, I see I skimmed through the pages and returned it to Akane. I think theres no issues. Is that so? Then well sign it. Ahh, oh yeah. Takumi, Papeck-san said he wanted to meet you regarding bowling. .merchants would pounce on it, would they not? yes. You can tell how handy it is at a glance, after all. thats just great, Takumi-sama. Now it seems we have even more work. As I stood there, dumbfounded and with my arms outstretched, Charlotte and Gina spoke about what would happen, and I slumped down in defeat with Anas extra shot in. Sophia spoke gently to me in such a state. Now, now, Takumi-sama, how about you drink some tea and calm down? Sophia Its the same as usual. It is vital that you get over it. Sophia It was different from kind words. Afterwards, Akane and Maria, who came back upon finishing their discussion about clothing designs, asked for the delivery of several sorobans and talked about patents. About bowling, they want to sell the magic devices for the time being. Laeva is already doing her best at that. As for the soroban, constructing it is simple enough so even the Papeck Company can produce it, but they want a certain amount prepared right away. so wheres my soroban? I gave it to them as a sample. It seems we will have to add on various things to the patent fee. Ha, haha, is that so Was it inevitable for something made for office work would increase office work? *** TLN: Thank you for reading 500 chapters with me! I appreciate you all. Chapter 501: Stress Relief With Sports Chapter 501: Stress Relief With Sports My, as expected, Takumi-sama. Its not a magic device, and yet to have invented such a magnificent tool like this makes you wonder just how no one had ever thought of such a simple tool like this. Ha- haha, who knowsnE?w stories at just reproducing an ordinary soroban, so Papeck-sans excessively high evaluation hurt my chest. I didnt think much on this when I made the water pump for the wells, but that might have been because I was desperate to survive in this world at the time. I apologize for having to ask this, but until we are able to start up a workshop, Iruma-dono, I would like to to order a lump sum, even five hundred no, one thousand pieces. haa. Papeck-san visited the Sanctuary so he could talk to Maria and Akane about their progress with their clothing designs, as well as regarding the bowling-related contracts. Though he was staying in an accommodation directly outside of the Sanctuary gates, we were talking about work in the mansion. And my bad feeling was correct. the soroban quickly spread to the not only Valkyra Kingdom, but also Lomaria Kingdom and Yggurle Kingdom, so until the Papeck Company launches their specialized workshop, I got stuck with making a large number of it. Its just transmuting all the gathered materials, so making it all at once was my only saving grace. However, it wasnt just the merchants who want the soroban, and there were apparently large orders from countries too. Well, that was only natural. Officials who are in financial affairs would also want them. I made it for that very reason, after all. Thank you very much, Iruma-sama. Ha, haha, I understand I sighed as I saw off Papeck-san who was heading to his accommodation in high spirits. Haa, just when I thought this months paperwork was done and dusted It cant be helped. We are indebted to Papeck-san. Ah, Sophia, youre here. Please have some tea. Thank you. Having reached the quota that Papeck-san had requested, I stretched my arms up and loosened my body. Just then, Sophia had come bringing tea with her. Hmm, being all cooped up in here in the workshop makes me want to do some sports. But I dont feel like going bowling. Takumi-sama, what is sports? Hmmm~ how should I explain this. I think bowling is also a sport, but I guess its a game where you use your body? When she asked me again what sports was, I couldnt find the right words to explain it. I see, the world you and Akane come from is plentiful. The people of this world are barely living by, and as such, do not have the means to enjoy such sports. There arent many places where people can live without fearing the menace of monsters and thieves. So sports didnt have a chance to be born. Okay! Lets make a sportsground! A sportsground? Yup, its a place where you can do all sorts of sports. After all, we have more than enough space in the Sanctuary. Now then, a soccer field might be nice. Or maybe baseball? How about a place for track and field? I was having fun thinking about what type of sports we could have. *** Chapter 502: A soccer field? Chapter 502: A soccer field? Having decided to build a sports field, I walked around the Sanctuary to both take a walk as well as to find a potential site. I dont remember how big a soccer field is. I can get a sense of how big a baseball field should be though. Yes, Im Japanese so I had been playing baseball since I was a kid, but Ive only had soccer in class. And I also used to watch the J League on tv. I dont know the exact size of a soccer field. After much thought, I realized there wasnt a point in doing that. Even in bowling, the length of the lane, the size of the pin and balls were all vague. Is this place okay? Indeed. Its a distance not too far from the residential district, its perfect. Okay, Ill imagine the scale as much as possible then. I casted Earth Attribute Magic to flatten the ground to the size of a soccer field. Around this size? Its alright if I grow the turf here, right?~ Ill leave it to you, Dryas. Leave it to Onee-chan~ A soccer field needs a turf, doesnt it? So, I asked Dryas for a favor. The soccer field was immediately covered with turf grass before I could even say ah. Its a bit long so it has to be mowed. Well, thats fine as long as we use a lawnmower. I gave my thanks to Dryas, then took out a cask of wine from the Item Box and gave it to her. Well then, if you need anything else, you can tell Onee-chan.~ Yup, thanks Dryas. Dryas flicked her hand, and the barrel of wine floated with her as she left. Ohh! This looks cool. You wanna go for a test run right now? Laeva wants to watch. Ill stow it away then. I placed the lawnmower into the Item Box, and together with Sophia and Laeva, we went to the soccer field. I brought out the lawnmower once we had arrived at the soccer field, then I filled it up with magic power using a magic stone and sat on the drivers seat. Lowering the rotor blades, Im starting it up. I moved the spinning blades down to grass level, grasped the steering wheel and placed it into forward gear, stepped on the accelerator, and the lawnmower started to move slowly. Ohh! The turf has been sheared cleanly! How fascinating! Laeva wants to have a ride as well! Okay, okay. Hold up. Rushed by an excited Laeva, she took over driving the lawnmower. Yahoooooo! Shes way too excited. Laeva drove it until she was satisfied, Sophia sheepishly asked if she could have a turn, so I let her operate it, then I used Wind Magic to control the wind and gather the cut grass. Now that the grass around the field was tidied up, I drew up the lines using a dye. Once I place the goal here, its done. So then, what do we do with this? Ah, I havent made the ball yet. Lets return to the workshop. Weve completed the soccer field, but not the ball. I suppose it would be best to make a lot of them. *** Chapter 503: Superhuman Soccer Chapter 503: Superhuman Soccer After making around 10 balls made out of monster leather, I gathered the kids living in the Sanctuary the Cat Sith sisters Miri and Lala, Catkin siblings Wappa and Sara included, and explained the rules of Soccer, then I tried to teach them the basics of the game, from a simple trap to an inside kick. I watched the heartwarming scene of the children then a thought popped in my head. They were skilled. Just very skilled. The children of the Sanctuary were, trained slightly, just ever so slightly. There was practically no danger in the Sanctuary, but there was a chance that the children might leave the Sanctuary in the future, so they had to go through some power leveling. It was a safe and easy job to do, they were given ranged weapons and there was no danger because the monsters had been bound by Kaede, but Sara! Pass! Im doing it, Oniichan! Lala! Over here nya! Okay! Leave it to me nya! Although their technique was crude, but was it because they were Beastkins and Cat Siths? No, the Human sisters Colette and Shirona, and the Elven sisters Melanie and Malorie were also amazing. everyones so amazing. Arent they all just insanely fast? The overprotective Maria and Kaede did their best to level them, after all. This even adults are raring to have a go at this huh. Amazing. Im surprised by the benefit of my own strength! I didnt get an answer, but her traps and ball touches clearly set her apart from everyone else. However, the adults rapid absorption rate of Akanes skills was just as terrifying. After the childrens game was over, and while they were taking a break and drinking water, the adults game began. Huh? Even Sophia? Sophia, who was always standing just behind me and guarding me, was also on the field. Well, theres no need for an escort in the Sanctuary. Daddy! Do your best nya! Mommy! Shoooot it in nya! Mom, go for it! Miri and Lala were loudly cheering Mappo-san and Poporo-san. As if responding to Melanie and Malories cheering, Melty-san moved with panther-like agility at the pitch with her stylish Elven figure. Among them, Akane stood out in techniques, while Sophia and Maria shined in terms of physical abilities. Of course, Laeva and Lulu-chans movements were also ridiculous. In conclusion, the people of this world who have high physical capabilities playing in a sport like this is like watching a special effects movie. After thinking about it a little bit more, Im glad I made the sports oval. This should have been my stress relief though. *** Chapter 504: Games Room Chapter 504: Games Room Joining in on the games, I also had more fun than I had imagined. Its fun because the Body Control and Insight that were for fighting was helpful in a nice way. A soccer boom had arrived in the Sanctuary, where a bowling boom was already happening. Although the bowling alley added more lanes, considering the number of residents in the Sanctuary, of course it was too few, so there was always a one to two hour wait at any given time. Then with the completion of the soccer field, the residents who watched the childrens match and the matches afterwards with Akane and Maria must have formed soccer teams. And so, several soccer teams were formed in the Sanctuary. A team mainly composed of the Mermaids. A team consisting of Beastkin and Cat Siths. A team founded around the Elves. A team of humans. These four teams were formed. Then Akane and Maria were treated as helpers for each team. Apparently, if they were on the same team, that team was guaranteed victory. You wouldnt immediately be skilled at soccer with just physical capabilties, but it was, inevitably, an overwhelming advantage.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m In the end, soccer did not become my stress reliever. As the one with the highest status among our people, I was excluded. Moreover, I got a request from the residents to improve the soccer fields. They wanted stands to be able to watch the matches. From a grass soccer field, an impressive grandstand worthy of hosting the J League was created. Original goal ahh, yeah. In a world where there was very few forms of entertainment, I made a bowling alley to be enjoyed by the residents of the Sanctuary. However, it was so popular that the waiting time was too long, which was why I thought of playing soccer. Then we have to think of something that we would enjoy after that. well, thats fine, but you actually just like to think and make things, dont you? Obviously. You might have forgotten, but Im an artisan. Ahh, yup, I lose the definition of what an artisan is when I look at you. I thought what Akane was saying seemed reasonable, but I just glossed over it and thought about what we could enjoy. What about table tennis? If we played without teammates, it doesnt seem like it would be an issue. In Darts, people who have high throwing skills would have a huge advantage, and its useless because everyone of us, aside from the servants, have it. How about we just extend the mansion to have a spacious games room for the time being? well, thats fine, I guess. We have a lot of space. Indeed. I believe that is a great idea, the maids would also be able to use it as a break from work on their day off. Youre right. Ill start on it soon. Our maids and butlers have scheduled days off. Here, if it wasnt set beforehand then no one would take the day off, after all. I transmuted a games room in between my mansion and the maids. At that time, the ground had been flattened carefully using Earth Magic. One of the games I was thinking of needed a level room, after all. *** Chapter 505: Various Games Chapter 505: Various Games The transmutation of the Games Room finished in an instant. Flattening the ground was actually more time consuming. With the games room completed, I made the things I had in mind at the workshop. It was a billiards table. I was a middle-aged man in my old life, so while it was a popular game played by the generation older than me, I still played it a few times. I had also seen the movie Hustler. That said, all I know is nine ball, eight ball, and rotation. But those should be enough to play during my free time. After taking out wood and cloth from my Item Box, I imagined a table with six pockets lined with green felt, and the billiards table was completed. I transmuted materials into the balls and the cue stick, and painted the numbers onto the balls. Ah, riiight riiiight, we also need the frame to line up the balls. I nearly forgot about the frame to line up the balls neatly. Oh yeah, I remember the pointed end of the cue stick was leather. I think they rubbed some kind of chalk on it too. I created several cue sticks by changing its materials. There were ridiculously expensive cue stick brands like the Balabushka, and while this doesnt come close to that, Its still pretty good to play with. Now that Im done with billiards, lets move on to the next game. I didnt really feel like building a lot more billiards tables, so I thought I should make a few types of games instead. Theres still a lot of free space in the games room, so I decided to make a table tennis table. A table tennis table is simple so transmuting it only took an instant, but Im then confronted by the issue of creating the ping pong balls for it. Ohh! What are you making this time? Hm? Ahh, its you, Laeva. As I was deep in thought with my arms folded, Laeva came into the workshop.. I didnt make these one by one either, but all at once. Okay, lets add them to the games room? Understood! Once I had stored everything into my Item Box, I headed to the newly constructed games room with Laeva. Takumi-sama, may I use this wall? Okay. Then Ill put the billiards table over here. Maybe Ill line up the cue sticks on this wall. As Laeva and I talked about it, we decided on where to place each sport so they wouldnt interfere with the other games. Ah, isnt that table tennis!? Ive only ever played it at the hot springs! Is this for a throwing practice? Is this a rally of balls? As if waiting for Laeva and I to finish setting the games up, Akane, Sophia, and Lulu-chan entered the games room. Ill explain how to play each game for now. Could you call Mabel and the others? Id like for the maids to use them too. After that, Maria, Mabel, and the others had also gathered in the games room, so I started explaining how to play billiards first, then table tennis, darts, and finally, mahjong. As to be expected, I couldnt teach mahjong clearly, so I made a rule book. The scoring system was also complicated. From that day on, the games room of our mansion always had someone playing it late into the night, even dragging Princess Mimir and her attendants into it. Of course, even the three also have fun in their time outside of work. *** Chapter 506: Provide games and work increases Chapter 506: Provide games and work increases The sound of the cue stick hitting the targeted ball resounded in the spacious games room. In a different spot, you could hear a ping pong ball being rallied at a high tempo. Focusing elsewhere, there were quiet sounds of darts whizzing by. Ron! Ah, I also a hit. Guhaa! Strange. They should have been beginners, but Sophia and Marnie competing to be the top. And for some reason, I was competing with Jeeves for what is probably last place. After I had explained how to play billiards, table tennis, and darts, as well as demonstrate it, Sophia, Marnie, and Jeeves played mahjong. In the first half, I somehow managed to come out on top, but after that, Sophia and Marnie were terrifying. Was their insight that amazing? It didnt seem like they would pass at anything I throw, but to think a double By the way, Jeeves was a complete newbie. He should probably learn to make a poker face more. Our maids, the butlers, and my new clerks Charlotte Gina and Ana go to the games rom to relieve their stress from work. Even my neighbor, Princess Mimir, her attendants often used it. And there were people who enjoyed it more than us. Thomas! Master! Leave it to me! The person holding a table tennis paddle and firing orders was my acquaintance, the president of the Papeck Company, Papeck-san. The person paired with Papeck-san was the head clerk of the Papeck Company, Thomas-san.Aall newest chapters on Charlotte proposed hiring more people who can do clerical work. I hurriedly asked Sebastian to find someone trustworthy. I asked for capable personnel through Moulin-san like I had with Charlotte and the others, but that couldnt be resolved immediately, so the three of them had to work hard for the time being. And Papeck-san wasnt someone who would turn a blind eye to the seeds of profit upon seeing it without reason, so he cued the billiard balls and table. We received multiple orders for table tennis paddles, ping pong balls, the darts and its target the dart board, as well as the mahjong tiles and its dedicated table. None of these have magic devices, so the entire manufacturing process would be handled by the workshop that the Papeck Company will establish, and I will receive royalties, just like with the soroban. By the way, he obviously discovered the soccer stadium, but he had absolutely no interest in it. After thinking about it, that was a given, there wasnt enough inside the city to build a soccer field, and even if there was, it wouldnt be used for that. That said, in a world where the threat of monsters lie outside the cities, it would be difficult to popularize sports like baseball or soccer. Ah, Takumi-sama, thats a hit! No way! Umm, thats a mangan, isnt it? Ha, haha, thats also a bust for me (hakoten). This hanchan (half round) is my loss, it seems. How strange. I remember being pretty strong back in my school days, but was that all a dream? *** TLN The mahjong terms could be wrong, I am not really sure about it. Chapter 507: Emilia-chan’s birthday Chapter 507: Emilia-chans birthday I was busy with various games, but today, I came to Rockford Earldom today. When Papeck-san visited the Sanctuary, I received a letter that he was holding onto. The sender was Emilia-chan. Weve met with Earl Rockfords daughter several times, weve also cured Emilia-chan of her sickness, so among the nobles of Valkyra Kingdom, she and Margrave Volton were the closest acquaintances we had. I received a letter from Emilia-chan inviting me to her birthday party. It said that they were holding a party for the nobles, but in consideration of us, they were also holding a more private birthday party in consideration of us. If they say theyre going that far then I suppose we must go. I havent met Emilia-chan since she was completely cured, and it could be a good way to relax. We teleported to the Rockford territory. We could have taken Tsubakis carriage from Volton, but we couldnt be away from the Sanctuary for a few days. Charlotte and the others would flip out. Iruma-dono, youve come. Long time no see Earl Rockford. Thank you for inviting us today. No need to be so formal. Now then, have a seat.Visitt for the latest updates Shown into the mansion, Earl Rockford greeted us. Madam Rose, glad to see you too. Rob-sama, its been a while. Emilia-sama, you seem to be doing well. And happy birthday. Thank you for when Emilia was sick. Please enjoy yourself today. Iruma-san, please call me Rod. You dont need to add sama. Iruma-sama, thank you for coming here for my sake. Please also just call me Emilia. Then Ill call you Rod-kun, and Emilia-san. Please use chan. Umm, are you okay with Emilia-chan then? Although they said it was a party only for relatives, Earl Rockford was a high ranking noble. A few nobles he was close to, such as Margrave Volton, were also invited. The grand party that was held a few days prior, and the royalists and neutral faction as well as wealthy merchants were invited to it. Put bluntly, the party held today was so we could be invited. The party started calmly, Emilia informed us on the recent situation. Hee, so youll be in the magic academy starting in the spring of next year huh? Yes! Iruma-san, may I ask for some magic coaching? Lets see. We have Sophia and Akane, so with a bit of time, we can give you advice. Really!? Thank you very much! Thats great, Emilia. Iruma-dono and Sophia-dono are a given, but even Akane-dono, Maria-dono, and Laeva-dono are also very proficient with magic. With this, you can have peace of mind with the magic academys entrance exams. The rehabilitation of Emilias body is pretty much over, and she has pretty much recovered to the point that her daily life isnt impeded. Now, in order to utilize the increase in her magic power due to her complete recovery, she was studying magic very hard to enter the Royal Capitals Magic Academy. When we talked about Emilia-chans magic coaching, Rod-kun made a request himself. Then may I ask for coaching as well? Rod-kun youre a knight with Swordplay and Shield Technique, arent you? Then you should probably ask Sophia. There are differences between between Valkyra Kingdom and Yggurle Kingdom, but I believe the basics would be alright. By all means, please do! At Earl Rockfords suggestion, we decided to stay the night and coach Emilia-chan and Rod-kun tomorrow. Today, Im going to enjoy traditional dishes from Valkyra Kingdom. Kaede and Lulu-chan were also jumping between tables lined with food. *** Chapter 508: Presents and Coaching Chapter 508: Presents and CoachingBasically, in the large buffet style room, the clamoring and merrymaking could be heard. On a table, I laid out Emilia-chans present, and she, Rod-kun, Kaede, and Lulu-chan played happily. Ah! I encountered a poison slime, Ive been poisoned so I must rest for one turn. Lulu encountered a horned rabbit, I will beat it and received 50 silver nya! Ah! You set off a trap, return two spaces. Yay! I discovered a treasure chest in the dungeon, I got 100 gold! They enjoyed playing as they experienced a roller coaster of joy and sorrow was because of the Sugoroku, a dice board game. Among those, I tried to make a game similar to The Game of Life, which I had played a lot as a kid. I was worried that it might have been a bit of a childish game to give to Emilia-chan, but Im relieved to see that she was happy about it. As I watched Emilia-chan and the others play the dice board game, Earl Rockford talked to me.. Iruma-dono, what an interesting play equipment. Will you also be selling this to the Papeck Company? No, I dont have any plans to do so yet. Ohh, is that so!? Then would you mind selling it to my company? Eh, your company, Earl Rockford? Yes, our house operates a humble company, though it does not offer anything special. Was this called a Sugoroku? With this, I have no doubt that this would be well received by the children. Huh, is that so? I will set up a workshop to replicate the one Emilia had received. You shall not be inconvenienced at all, Iruma-dono. I would like to us to sign a patent monopoly contract. Before, there had been a tendency of praising offensive magic, but that changed recently. In the past, Earth mages were rounded up to build the outer walls of cities and forts, but ever since a mage established roads, built fort walls, and even built a fortress city entirely with Earth magic, mages of the Earth attribute started becoming popular. As for Earl Rockford, he must have wanted Emilia-chan to assist with the development of the territory. Even Wind magic can be used to cut stone. But Emilia-chan seems to want to use for attack magic. Thats right. That child has long admired Iruma-san, Sophia-san and the others, so she had said that she wanted to subjugate monsters Ha, haha, well escort her at that time then. Emilia-chan was apparently the aggressive type, despite appearances. Listen well, whats important when using magic is sensing magic power and manipulate that magic power at will. Chants are not necessary when you have a proper image in mind. Eh, is that so? The mages of House Rockford thought me that it was necessary to have the exact chant though Its impossible to do long chants in actual battle unless you have plenty of time to spare. And not a single person in our party chants. Thats right. Knowledge on various natural phenomenon is tied to the optimization of magic power, and so you must study it, but spell incantations are inhibit the growth of the Magic Perception and Magic Power Manipulation skills. S-so thats how it is. Ill do my best. Akane and Laeva were telling her the truth, but it was different from the common practices of this world. I wonder if thats alright? Well, Emilia-chan was more of an attacker, so its better to not chant her spells. If theres a problem, Maria would say something. *** Chapter 509: Knight Training is strict Chapter 509: Knight Training is strictWhen I moved my gaze from the area where Emilia-chan was having magic practice over to where Rod-kun was, he was blown away. Once I saw Sophia hold the sword in an imposition stance, I figured that one swing from her sword must have sent her flying. It might seem like she was going too far, but the truth is that has to master swordsmanship and taijutsu through experience. I also had to practice the sword with Margrave Voltons knights and taijutsu with Barack-san of the the adventurers guild so I could improve. Rod-kun, Earl Rockfords eldest son was on the defensive battle against Sophia. She must want to teach him how to fight so he wouldnt lose. Rod-kuns equipment was the standard knight-style long sword and the large kite shield. On the other hand, Sophia was using a long sword of a similar grade with a matching round shield that was smaller in comparison to Rod-kuns kite shield. Rod-kun, dont take it on with your shield! Deflect it! Y-yes! Rod-kun stood back up and propped his shield in front of him and swung his long sword at Sophia. Sophia did not avoid the swinging sword and instead, parried it with her shield. His form crumbled as his sword was deflected. Sophia attacked with a roundhouse kick and Rod-kun was blown away once again. I waited to see how Earl Rockford and Madam Rose would react as their eldest son was being trained intensely, but the pair just watched over him with smiles on their faces. It seems I was the only one who thought that it was training that was too severe for the son of a noble, even the knights and maids of House Rockford were neither surprised nor taken aback. Rod attends the Knight Academy in the Royal Capital. In the future, he will come back to govern the fief as its lord, but he will simultaneously be the one in charge of our house knight order. He might not come out to the front lines personally, but he cant become a lord who is only capable of desk work. Rather, training of this intensity is ideal. I see, even if he does command from the rear, it is better for a commander to be be able to defend themselves. Rod-kun was being thrown down relentlessly, but Sophia couldnt go any easier on him than this. There was too much of a difference between them in every aspect, she seemed to be having difficulty adjusting her strength. If its just the Swordplay skill, then I was also high leveled, but my fighting style was too far off from a knights, so I wasnt a good exaple for Rod-kun. Sophia-dono, how was Rod? lets see. If I may be so frank, it may be difficult for him to become a top-class knight, however, he could become a full fledged knight. Fumu, Im relieved to hear that. Rod is the next head of the Rockford Earldom, he does not need to be at the 1% of elite knights. It would be much better to be in a position that commands such knights, after all. Yes, what Rod-sama needs to do is not perish. Yes, as the heir to a noble house, Rod-kun was not permitted to die. Even if the escorting knights died, he had to survive at any cost. Thats why Sophia had focused on shield techniques. By the time Rod-kun had recovered, Emilia-chans side seemed to have finished as well. Afterwards, in a discussion with Earl Rockford, it was decided that until Emilia-chan needs to enroll into the Magic Academy in the Royal Capital, she will do magic training in the Sanctuary. Rod-kuns vacation was almost over so he soon had to return to the Knight Academy. And Madam Rose seemed very pleased. Madam Rose planned to accompany Emilia-chan. Earl Rockford was obviously very busy with his lordly duties so he couldnt leave the territory. Iruma-dono, please look after the two of them. Yes, leave it to me. Smiling wryly, Earl Rockford asked me to take care of them. Princess Mimirs mother, the Queen, was also staying next door. And Charlottes mother, Madam Elizabeth, was also staying in the Sanctuary Why are the number of noblewomen increasing in the Sanctuary? *** Chapter 510: Fluffing Miri and Lala Chapter 510: Fluffing Miri and Lala Emilia-chan and Madam Rose had some preparations to make, so theyll come to the Sanctuary after us. What I saw upon returning ahead of them was Madam Elizabeth making herself at home in the mansion living room. Charlottes mother, Madam Elizabeth, is an honorary baroness acting as the head of their noble house. But having lost their territory, they became landless nobles. Having lost all her managerial duties, I knew she had a lot of free time, but why was she smiling while holding the Cat Siths Miri and Lala?Aall newest chapters on Looking carefully, I saw my dice board game prototype laid out on the living room table. Were they playing with a game? Fufufu, this fluff is so irresistable. T-this is ticklish nyaa. Oneechan, too tiiight nyaaa. Thats not it, Madam Elizabeth was holding Miri and Lala captive. I apologize for mother, Takumi-sama. O-ohh, its you, Charlotte. Im home. Coming up from behind and apologizing from behind was Madam Elizabeths own daughter, the head of our three civil officials, Charlotte. Ah1 Takumi-oniichan! Help me nya! Takumi-oniichaaaan! Madam Elizabeth, Miri and Lala seem to be suffering, Id like you to be more act with moderation. Oh my, Iruma-san, welcome home. Ive come to visit. Were home is not it, why are you embracing Miri and Lala!? Yes. Charlotte and I pulled Lala and Miri out from Madam Elizabeths grasp, and she exclaimed in disappointment Ahhh~! My kitty cats! Its alright if you play the board game and have tea with them, but you arent allowed to embrace them too intensely. Ahhhhhhh, Iruma-san, so mean~ oh right. Kitty cats, would you like to come home with me? Mother! What absurdities are are you saying!? You cant. Miri and Lala have a mom and a dad. That would be kidnapping. It is true that a Cat Sith looks small in comparison to Humans and other races even as adults, and children like Miri and Lala were even smaller and cuter. In fact, Miri and Lala were popular with the Sanctuary citizens and very much loved. Very well then. If I live here, that would solve the problem, no? Oh my, what a bright idea. I can meet Charlotte all the time, and I can also meet these cute kitty cats as well. If this is settled, I must request that Father prepare my luggage. Since she couldnt bring Miri and Lala with her, Madam Elizabeth suddenly said that she would migrate to the Sanctuary. Moreover, seeing how shes entrusting her luggage to Viscount Package, she really intends to settle down in the Sanctuary as she is. Madam Elizabeth, was she always like this? this is the first time I am learning of this as well. But, honorary title or not, is it alright for a noble of Valkyra Kingdom to immigrate? who knows? Haa, this became a hassle. Ill need to confirm this with Lord Simon. *** Chapter 511: Making indoor toys for children Chapter 511: Making indoor toys for children Madam Elizabeth apologized to Miri and Lala after that, and then they played the board game. Promising that they wouldnt run, Wappa and Sara were called to the living room and they seemed happy to play. The Human sisters Colette and Shirona, and the Elven sisters Melanie and Malorie were also called, then the coffee table was moved away and everyone sat down on the large rug and played the board game. Lets just turn a blind eye to the noble lady in a crawling stance playing and having fun with them. Moreover, I believe it would also be better for my mental health if I dont think about Princess Mimir also mixed in with them. Afterwards, I was dragged into the study by Charlotte, and after having gone through the mountain of papers, it was just in time for dinner. It seems the kids were also eating with us in the large dining room today.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Wappa and Sara were waiting eagerly for the food to come to the table, asking if it was coming yet? At times like these, you can really tell the difference in the kids personalities. Compared to Wappa and Sara who were holding knives and forks, Colette and Shirona looked happy but were waiting patiently. Melanie and Malorie looked a little nervous, perhaps because Princess Mimir was also here. Even if that wasnt the case, Melanie and Malorie were quiet kids. When the maids brought the food in on a cart, Wappa, Sara, Miri, and Lala cheered in delight. After they started living in the Sanctuary, Wappa and the other kids no longer starved, were provided a house where cold wind doesnt blow in, warm beds, clean clothing, and they didnt have to worry about their next meal. Nonetheless, the food served in my mansion was exquisite, and the children couldnt help but be excited for it. Well then, lets eat. Itadakimaaasu!! Takumi-oniisan, if theres something kids can play in the house when we cant go outside on rainy days or windy day, we wouldnt be bored. Ahhh, days when you cant play outside are boring, arent they? The kids in the Sanctuary each had work to do everyday, though only a little bit. But it was important to me that the children play and study, so their work was kept to a minimum. Thats why you could hear children playing everyday in the Sanctuary. With the construction of the bowling alley, and soccer stadium, they had more options to play with, but bowling and soccer were more suited to be played by adults, so it wasnt just for children. The kids play tag and hide-and-seek, but they brought up wanting games that could be played inside. It seems they had a lot of fun with the board game. Hey, its fine isnt it? We cant always come play at your house, now can we, Oniichan? Youve got a point. Ill make the board game and other stuff then send it over. For real!? Yaaay! Thanks oniichan! Thinking about it, I remember I had just as much toys and games that I could play inside as outside when I was a kid. I didnt notice that while I was talking to the kids about making indoor games, Madam Elizabeth had a sparkle in her eyes as she watched us. *** Chapter 512: Immersing myself in work Chapter 512: Immersing myself in work The day after inviting the kids over for dinner, I left Elizabeth to Charlotte, who was staying at my home instead of in the lodging, and I came to the workshop to make the indoor toys the kids asked me to. We decided that Earl Rockfords company would sell the dice board game, so I chose not to think too much about the rights to it. Moreover, I dont necessarily have to hold myself back with making all sorts of toys and games for the Sanctuary children. Thats what Charlotte and the others are here for. First, lets make the template Jenga and Reversi in isekai light novels. The rules are simple, and its easy to make. Next, we should consider chess and shogi a bit more carefully. Wars in this world dont seem to use strategies and tactics as done prior to ancient China. When Triaria Kingdom tried invading the Sanctuary with the Divine Empire of Sydnia, their armies and the Trinations combined army only fought in direct combat formations.Visitt for the latest updates Still, I did all sorts of thing, like providing support by making golems, making forts and the barrier, but aside from siege weapons, everything else is the same for these countries. There were several reasons to this. Due to the concept of levels, there was no uniformity in the soldiers abilities. It was jumble of knights, soldiers, adventurers, mercenaries, and other people that cant take command. Whether or not its a good idea to introduce a game that trains strategic thinking in this world needs much consideration. But chess and shogi would be the perfect game to train the kids critical thinking. Would it be okay if it can only be played in the Sanctuary, I wonder. I was more of a go player than a shogi one. When I was a kid, I played with my grandfather on the porch a lot. Good times. Alright, lets get to making things already. The rest can be whatever I want. I took out dark colored wood from my Item Box, kept a very strong image in mind and activated my spell. Fifty four blocks appeared on the workshop table. I brought out a black dye to color half of the pieces using transmutation. 500 common sets made of monster bone, and 100 high class sets made of dragon bone were completed. I prepared paper boxes with the common sets and wooden boxes for the high class sets. I should make a chess set too while Im at it. I didnt intend to make more than a few of them, so I transmuted it using dragon fangs. I conjured image of the King, Queen, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, Pawn. The chess pieces were cool because of their elaborate shapes. Making sure to have a strong mental picture, I casted Transmute. Ohh! This is nice! I cant help but toot my own horn with how well the craftsmanship turned out. The chessboard storage box was transmuted from wood. I had a heap of dragon fangs, but Ill start out with just 5 sets. This is getting kinda fun. Oh, right. I should make that. Wappa and the others would definitely be happy about that. *** Footnotes: 1. I dont know the difference between othello and reversi, never played either game. Chapter 513: Did I make too much? Chapter 513: Did I make too much? I temporarily stored the large piles of Jenga and Reversi. Next, I thought about making playing cards. The materials I will use are Treant wood scraps and several kinds of dyes. Its hard keeping a precise mental image of their faces, but I got through it by simplifying it as much as I could. Transmute! The materials broke down and reassembled, materializing into 54 cards which includes two jokers.all new stories at Okay, no problem with designs. Kings and Queens are accepted even in this world, so theres no issue with the design. But only the joker didnt exist in this world, so I tried using a dragon instead. It might have a different connotation, but that shouldnt be a problem. Since there were no defects on the finished product, I transmuted 50 identical sets. I placed each set into individual boxes and stored them into my Item Box. Just like Mahjong, the playing cards require a booklet for how to play. It was then that I ended up wondering if just indoor games were enough. I started making things that would make it possible to play inside when the weather was bad though Well, whatever. The road connecting to every residential block and facility of the Sanctuary was paved, and even the unpaved roads were even and maintained. Moreover, the unpaved roads were strengthened so carriage tracks wouldnt make indents to it. What I am trying to say is, wouldnt it be useful if I made a bike? The Sanctuary has gotten far more vast than when it first started. First up is the material for the all important frame. In my old world, it was made from chromium molybdenum steel, the so called 41xx steel frame that Ive come to know very well, but by the time I transmigrated, I think they were already using carbon fiber frames for some bike competitions. The other choices were titanium and aluminum alloy, but magic metals exist in this world. With that being the case, there was no reason not to use them. Yeah, that part is called a saddle, and you use these paddles to move forward. Its fine that there are only two tires. Ohh! So its a human powered vehicle. But is it safe for there to only be two wheels? Do you want to try riding it? Yes, please! I would like to ride it! I wanted to confirm if there were any defects as well, so I offered to let Laeva go on a test drive on the bike. I carried the bike out of the workshop and tried it out on the path outside the mansion. Ill show you how to ride it. Thank you. I straddled the bike, put a foot on the pedal, placed my hands on the handle, and finally stepped on the pedal. Ohh! Thats amazing! O-oh my, thats relatively fast! I checked the functionality of the gear, effectiveness of the breaks, and the weight of the pedals as I rode around. Then I made my back to Laeva and pressed on the brakes to stop. Yup, everything looks to be in order. Laeva, you try it out. Roger! Should I hold onto the bike from behind like when kids first learn how to ride one? As I was thinking that, though, Laeva managed to ride it like normal. It seems Ive underestimated just how high spec the people in this world are. *** Chapter 514: Increase production ASAP Chapter 514: Increase production ASAP Laeva seemed to like the bike so she had gone around the sanctuary. As I waited for Laeva to come back in front of the mansion, I ended up rubbing my eyes and doing a doubletake. Laeva dashing back on the bike was fine. The problem was that Wappa and the other Sanctuary children were screaming and running after her. Uwaa, I have a really bad feeling about this. The children ran with huge smiles on their faces as they chased after Laeva who seemed to enjoy pedaling on the bike. I could tell their goal without even needing to think about it. Kiki Laeva pulled on the brakes and began praising the bike so highly. Takumi-sama, this is amazing! Its much faster than walking, and its much more pleasant than running! This isnt even a magic device, Im so surprised! Y-yeah, settle down a bit, Laeva. I wanted to return to the workshop first before asking Laeva for a detailed evaluation, but that didnt come to pass. Takumi-oniichan! Let me ride that too! Takumi-oniichan! Sara wants to ride too! Takumi-oniichan, Miri always wants to try! Lala too! Lala too! The Catkin siblings Wappa and Sara, and the Cat Sith sisters Miri and Lala tugged on my pants and were jumping around. They were quite excited. I dont think Ill be able to fool them. After that, Colette, Shirona, Melanie, and Malorie also caught up, and I was being pulled on all sides by kids. W-wait a minute! This bike is for adults, so you guys wait until I make a bike in your size! I-I get it. Then two for Volton and two for this mansion please. Eh? As soon as Maribelle said that, she bowed politely like always and returned to the mansion. Two for Volton- theyll use it in Volton?? That means Please just give up. Laeva will also help. we cant get out of this, huh. Papeck-dono will soon come flying in the speed of light. Yeah I had just been scolded by Charlotte, and I ended up adding more load to us. But its not my fault. I just made what I wanted to make. Please get it together. It will be okay. Takumi-sama, it is your job to create things. I believe you should hold your head up high because youre busy. Y-youre right. Yup, I should just be proud. Okay, I feel a bit better. Shall we make those extra bikes? Roger, lets do our best, Laeva. When we came back into the mansion, the maids encouraged us while Charlotte, Gina, and Ana looked incredulous. Yup, Ill make sure to apologize properly. *** Chapter 480: The garrison of the Royal Capital are troublesome Chapter 480: The garrison of the Royal Capital are troublesome As Takumi was building the bowling alley in the Sky Island that Berkut demanded, Maria and those guiding the children with her were having fun shopping in the Royal Capital. The adults Maria, Marnie, Akane, the Catsith Poporo, the Elf Melty were leading the kids who were seemed to be having fun walking around the main streets of the Royal Capital. In particular, the Cat Sith sisters who lived in hiding looked at everything curiously, and they would have already gotten lost if their hands werent being held. The group led by pretty girls Maria and Akane, and beautiful Rabbitkin Marnie and Elf Melty stood out even in the Royal Capital of Valkyra Kingdom where people of various races lived. The Elven sisters, Catkin siblings, and Human sisters were also eye-catchingly cute, but what was more astonishing to the people in the Royal Capital was the sight of the Cat Sith family, a near legendarily rare species. There were people that looked at them pleasantly, and people that looked at them curiously, but, as a matter of course, there were some among them thinking bad things, illegal organizations acting in the capital...... in short, the members of dark guilds ran off to get in contact with the bosses of their respective organizations. Oi, those are some nice women. Hoh, redheads are nice, but that bunny is sexy. That black haired girl is also fine, and theres even an Elf too? You idiots! Thats exactly why you will always be underlings. Look closer, those are Cat Siths! If you sell those to the rich bunch, who knows just much money theyll shell out! So thats a Cat Sith? Its my first time seeing one. Ill let the boss know. The rest of you watch them. Ou! Good grief, I would have liked a word in advance from Iruma-dono. Well, that cant be helped, Lord Simon. To Iruma-dono, this is simply just about shopping. Umu, its just as Galahad says. Good citizens are merely shopping in the Royal Capital. Taking a break after issuing orders, Simon grumbled about Takumi, but Galahad and King Valkyra covered up for him. I have a report. The prey had taken a bite. At present, the point of contact of the prey is running towards their hideouts. The hideouts are being identified, we will deploy knights and soldiers. At that time, the intelligence units who were guarding Maria and the group from the shadows had contacted the higher ups that their prey have bitten the bait. Fumu, that was fast. The first time even weve seen Cat Siths are at the Sanctuary. Its impossible for those greedy bunch to not sink their teeth into that. Then I shall head to the scene myself. I leave the rest to you. Ha! In order for Galahad, who rarely ever leaves King Valkyras side, to go directly to the scene, he had to hand the duty of guarding the King to two of his subordinate in the Royal Guard. Originally, Galahad would not have been needed for things like the extermination of dark guilds, but this was serious enough if something were to happen to Takumis people, and this was a chance to appeal to Takumi that they are this attentive to him. And so, an overpowered fox hunt was about to commence on small to medium-sized dark guilds. Chapter 515: No training wheels necessary Chapter 515: No training wheels necessary Laeva and I returned to the workshop and we talked about making bikes for the children, and bikes that are possible to ride while wearing long skirts that Maribelle had requested, the so-called mamachari. A bike that you could use as is with a long skirt? Yeah, I already know the shape of the frame for it so that should be fine. Ive been riding a mamachari since I was in middle school, so Im well acquainted with its frame. Maybe I should change the size of the tires. Will the frame be made of mithril alloy? As to be expected, mithril alloy might be a problem. Yes, that seems possible. Theres no problem if its used in the Sanctuary, but it would be dangerous if in Volton. Laeva and I used mithril alloy without reserve, but its metal that was originally used in super high quality equipment. Theres always the worry that it would be stolen in Volton. But I dont wanna purposely increase the grade. Then, how about coating it with paint so no one can tell it is mithril alloy? Lets do that. Mithril alloy has a nice tinge, but should we choose different colors? Just as Laeva had said, lets conceal it using paint. I dont feel the need to downgrade what we use. Mithril can be mined in large quantities at the mining district of the Sanctuary thanks to Gnome. Will we keep the same shape as the prototype? Lets try making different types. I figured wed try creating a few different sizes of mountain bikes instead of cross bikes. Additionally, for the kids who like to wear skirts on a regular basis, we should make a mini mamachari. The problem are the Cat Sith sisters. Hmmm, just in case, Ill make bikes that suit Miri and Lalas physiques, but if they cant ride it, Ill think of something else. I was worried about Miri and Lala riding the bikes because they were comparably smaller than the children of other races, but lets just try making some training wheels that could be included. Itd be so sad if they were left out, after all. Without delay, I transmuted one example to show Laeva how the mamachari frame looks like. Thanks. I entrusted the remaining mamacharis to Laeva, and I switched to working on the kids bikes. As I thought about Wappa and the kids heights, I transmuted the frame of the mountain bike. Naturally, I was using mithril alloy. I carefully adjusted the size of everything, including the thicker tires, handle, and breaks as I crafted and assembled it. Since there didnt seem to be any defects, so I transmuted an identical mountain bike in one go. Once I complete something, it wasnt that difficult to transmute it again and skip steps. Since Melanie and Malorie were Elves, they had longer limbs than Wappa and the others, so I transmuted two bikes of a bigger size. The problem was the Cat Sith sisters bikes. I first tried making the Wappas mountain bikes smaller, but its balance wasnt all that great, so I tried adjusting everything until it was perfect. Okay, this should be good enough. I should get Miri and Lala to try it out. With that in mind, I called out to Laeva and then headed to Miri and Lalas house. I hope theyll be happy about it. Miri, Lala, could you try the bikes out for me? Really nya!? Yaaaay! I made some training wheels in case they needed it, but They rode it so smoothly right away. Haha, the children of this world have amazing motor skills. *** Chapter 516: Dedicated Bike Lane Chapter 516: Dedicated Bike Lane I had made the bikes at Wappa and the kids insistence, but there was a problem. Seeing the bikes that Wappa and the kids were riding, the Sanctuary residents also wanted them. As to be expected, I cant distribute mithril alloy bikes to the entire Sanctuary, so I immediately ran to Doganbo-san, Golan-san, and the other Dwarves to make the chromoly frames of the bikes. Depending on the part, only Laeva or I could produce it through alchemy, so in the end, we became extremely busy. Takumi-sama, a request for a cycling road came from the residents. Wait, Sophia, you guys also want to go cycling, right? I know. No, Im not saying I dont want to. Yup, okay I get it. Riding a bike through the Sanctuary felt better than I thought. Naturally, the number of people who liked biking increased. The Sanctuary has well maintained roads, but these are the road that connects every residential district. These roads are a bit unstable for bikes to run through I see. Ill think about it. I couldnt refuse a request from Sophia, who rarely ever acts spoiled with me. Sure enough, cobblestone paths are bit rocky for bikes to run through, making it hard. Ideally, it should be smooth like asphalt and has some flexibility. How about we conduct all sorts of experiments? Roger. After that, I spent my time between grappling with the mountain of paperwork as well as demolishing, switching out the material, and recreating the paved roads. Ohh! This is an excellent feeling. Stepping on the pedal here is so smooth and light. Welcome home, Master. Im home, Maribelle. So, have they decided on an outline of the course yet? I believe it would take a tad longer. Saying so, Maribelle pointed towards the map that Undine, Sylph, and Dryas had laid out on the table and were discussing over. Here, do not leave out this view of the Spirit Spring from the course. The view of the Spirit Tree from across the Spirit Spring is perfect for running the course. In that case, its better to pass through the meadows nearby. The wind would feel so refreshing. Oh my~ Running through the woods here would feel so nice~ It could be forest therapy. The smell of the forest is the best~ Undine, Sylph, and Dryas were quarreling over whose course was best. But for some reason I was gradually getting a really bad feeling. Hmmm, then wouldnt it be fine if we made all of them? Youre right. The Sanctuary residents would be more delighted over that. Lets fill out the map quickly then~ See? My bad feeling was right on the mark. Maribelle, Im heading out. Please take care. Maribelle saw me off, and I left to get more of the materials that I dont have enough of. *** Chapter 517: Busy Days and Disturbing Rumors Chapter 517: Busy Days and Disturbing Rumors My exhausted body sank into the couch, I sighed heavily. Haa~ Im finally done. Thank you for your hard work. Master, Ive brought you some tea. Sophia, Maria, And Marnie spoke appreciative words, and Mabel, the one responsible for the Sanctuary, made some tea. I completed building a bike lane for the roads already established and a cycling road that melds with the nature around it, but this was more difficult than I had expected. Especially the cycling road, because of Undine and the Great Spirits detailed instructions, I had to be extra careful so as to not destroy the scenery around the Sanctuary. Even with the residents who play soccer, the bikes are an easy and popular way for them to get to the sports grounds. It was wise of you to make a place for storing bikes in the bowling alley. There are always plenty of bikes parked there. Sophia and Marias appreciative voices were healing. I just made the dedicated bike lane in my spare time, so I installed bike racks at the soccer field, the bowling alley, the lodge, the church, the concert hall, and the park. In short, bikes have gotten so popular that there is at least one bike per household in the Sanctuary. Thats why bike parking was necessary. It was really hard...... All the residents want the bikes, after all. Yup, they keep coming with lots of money on hand. We cant refuse then. While we were doing those engravings, I was caught by Charlotte and was confined to study and surrounded by mountains of paperwork. Apparently, Papeck-san immediately took an interest in the bikes ridden by the maids in Volton, locked in a patent contract, and even got a sales contract for the parts that they themselves cant make before I knew it. As to be expected, the ball bearings were difficult for even the Dwarves of this world. A skilled alchemist might be able to make identical sized metal balls through transmutation, but Papeck-san lamented that the number of alchemists were so few. It seems many of the mages in this world have the mindset that was that magic is only magic if its a showy attack magic. I heard that Papeck-san also started training alchemists, but it seems it would take a long time before theyre ready. As if she had just remembered it, Maria talked about a rumor she heard in Volton. By the way, I heard a rumor thats slightly worrying. Lately, refugees from the former Divine empire of Sydnia have been increasing recently. About time. If I remember correctly, after the Divine Empire of Sydnia collapsed, Valkyra Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom took the lead in supporting its reconstruction. Yes. It costs a lot of money to maintain public order, supporting with food rations, restoring livelihoods. I suppose it takes less money than war. If former Sydnia doesnt settle down, its surrounding countries would be in trouble. But, how strange, I heard that the former Sydnia has since somehow managed to settle down as an autonomous cities. The former Empire of Sydnia, which wasnt originally a monarchy, should have started forming autonomous cities in a parliamentary system. I would have understood it if it happened right after the war, but for the refugees to increase after this much time has passed, it leaves me with a bad feeling. I cant get rid of this horrible looming feeling. *** Chapter 518: Going fishing Chapter 518: Going fishing O, sa, ka, nya, osakanya! Tails were swaying in delight in front of me. Miri and Lala were holding hands and skipping in front of me. Listen, listen, Takumi-oniichan. Do we also have a rod? Yeah, I prepared rods for you guys. Woohoo! Im gonna fish a lot today! Sara will catch way more fish! Today, I was going to the sea and bringing the kids with me. Everyone rode their bikes up to this place, parked our bikes close to the sandy beach, and were on our way to the fishing spots. If we just wanted to eat fish, we could have just bought from the Mermaids fish market, but fishing was yet another pleasure, after all. Even if you cant catch anything, its still fun. Wappa and the other kids were raring to go fishing though. I made the fishing rods, reels, and hooks, and Kaede offered to supply the line. The members today were the children, myself who was leading them, Sophia who is always with me, and Marnie who was here to take care of me. Maria and Kaede seem to be having a meeting with Akane regarding clothes. Instead, for some reason, Madam Elizabeth was coming with us. Eve though she was the head of a noble family, her attire was very casual, and she was just as eager. Its great that she seems to be having fun, but its probably because Miri and Lala were here. Laeva has been having it hard recently too, so she declared that she was going to spend all day today resting in bed.nE?w stories at Okay, were here. Its dangerous, so dont run. The older ones should watch over the little ones, okay? Yeeees! We arrived at a pier extending from the sandy beach that wasnt used by small fishing boats. Takumi-oniichan, I want to use bait nya. Okay, okay, gimme a second. Miri and Lala asked me to put bait on their hooks. Iruma-san, myself as well please. ......okay. Not wanting to be far from Miri and Lala, Madam Elizabeth seemed to have come along. I did too! Oh, I got another one! Miri also got another one! Lala too! Lala too! Kya! I caught yet another one! Fishing is fun! Guh, no, not yet. I still have a chance. Takumi-sama, its almost time to go home. ......yeah, did everyone have fun? Yes, they had a lot of fun. Ha, haha, thats a relief...... We all ate lunch together and took a short break before going back to fishing, and it seems a lot of fish was caught in the afternoon. My pants were tugged on. When I looked down, Lala was holding one fish in her hands. Here. Ill give it to Takumi-oniichan nya. T-thanks. Lala. Kufufu, Lala caught a lot so you can have this. Lalas consideration hurts. Yup, only I caught nothing for some reason. Well, the act of fishing itself is fun, so I suppose I should be glad I came. The large amount of fish everyone caught was stored in my Item Box, and I placed them in the refrigerators in each of the childrens homes. Since Wappa, Sara, Colette, and Shirona were orphans, they each had private rooms in an orphanage-like community home, so I placed a large portion into the refrigerator there. After I finished going around the childrens homes, I went back home and sank into the living room sofa. As I drank the tea that a maid prepared, I could hear Madam Elizabeth talk excitedly to Charlotte about the kids catching a lot of fish. Next time, Ill catch a huge one too. *** Chapter 519: Seafood Feast Chapter 519: Seafood FeastThe day after everyone went out fishing, Sophia and Marnie actually caught quite a number of fish. And adding on the ones that Madam Elizabeth caught, it was decided we would be making all sorts of fish dishes today. Maria, Maribelle, and Mabel headed to the kitchen. What should we make? I was thinking we could make some simple salt grilled fish, carpaccio, and acqua pazza. Acqua pazza? Yup, well, I think it could be done. How about we try making it? In addition to the grilled fish and carpaccio, I suggested we try making acqua pazza. Actually, I felt like making sashimi because I have soy sauce, but it doesnt fit will with carpaccio and acqua pazza, so I tearfully gave up. Maria, Maribelle, and Mabel were in charge of the salt grilled fish and carpaccio. I started on the acqua pazza. I seasoned the fish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. I poured some olive oil in a frying pan and waited for it to heat up. I saute?ed garlic and anchovies with some capers, olives, and dried tomatoes. I added manila clams and mussels, then deglazed it with white wine. I waited until the alcohol evaporated and the shells opened, then I added the herbs and water. After that, I poached the fish for 15 minutes low and slow so it wouldnt scorch, and it was pretty much done. I think it looks somewhat authentic.. ......mm, what a nice flavor. The water and wine make this taste better. Fish and shellfish make a very pleasant broth. Furthermore, it felt like something that was done on tv, it became delicious because of how well the inosinic acid in the dried tomatoes and the glutamic acid in the fish mix together to enhance the umami. Oh yeah. Should we deep fried fish too? Deep fried food, I see. The method of frying food by using plenty of oil was something I never would have never thought of until today. Nudged in the back by Maria and Marnie, I teleported to the Mermaids fish market. Ah, Takumi-san, welcome. Takumi-san, its been a while since youve visited. Lately its only been the maids who come by. Hello there. Im in a bit of a hurry today. These shrimp...... could I have about 50 of them? Please. Please wait a moment. Ill pack it up immediately. I bought the shrimp from the Mermaid oneechan, and I hurriedly teleported back to the kitchen. Im back. Welcome back. Without delay, everyone helped out to shell and devein the shrimp, then we cut the tips of the tail diagonally and scrape the tail so it doesnt splatter in the oil. After that, I massaged in the salt, then coated it in some potato starch and massaged it in some more. I rinsed it off with water, drained the water, then made several cuts on its belly side. I then pressed down on the muscles till it snaps to extend it. Now the shrimp would stay straight while frying. From there, I battered and fried it the same way I did with the white fish. Okay! Its done! Then Master, Madams, please wait in the dining room. We leave the rest to you. We entrusted the table setting to the maids and headed to the dining room, and everyone was already waiting in their seats. The seafood dishes served were well liked by everyone. The one who ate the most was Kaede who caught none. Master, Kaede wants to fish too! Mhmm, you should come with us next time. Id be in trouble if they said the wanted to go tomorrow, after all. *** Chapter 520: Takumi is scolded yet again Chapter 520: Takumi is scolded yet again The day after the very satisfying fish dinner, I was spending some time in the living room after having lunch when Sebastian, who should have been in the Volton mansion, came up from the basement where the Teleport Gate room was. At that moment, I got a very very bad feeling about it, but Sebastian walked straight to me without any hesitation. Master, you have a summons from Margrave Volton. Urk! I didnt want to accept the summons. I can pretty much imagine whats written in it. Bowling, reversi, mahjong, playing cards, jenga, sugoroku, table tennis, billiards...... the various games that Papeck-san had discovered. Papeck-san said he would stagger the release times, but some of their respective workshops have already begun operations. Oh yeah, sugoroku was under Earl Rockfords company. And they arent games, but there was also the Soroban and the sewing machines. These werent leaked to Papeck-san. Akane and Maria apparently met Papeck-san at the games room when he visited while I wasnt there. I would have loved it if they stopped playing to meet him in the living room. She said she was in the middle of a mahjong session with some off-duty maids. It was such a good match that I didnt want to cut it short said Akane. Papeck-san who came for bowling related matters was dreadfully excited. That said, even Papeck-san knew that releasing all of the games at the same time would be a bad move, so he was using his discretion to carefully time their releases. That must be what Margrave Volton was pertaining to. He must have wanted me to take other companies into consideration. But until recently, the countries that have been approaching me were good for nothing folk. Some of those folk were fools who just demand that I give them lucrative money-making ideas, and even more foolish ones that threaten me if I refused. Well, I do feel like Ive overdone it without any restraint. But was it so much to be summoned? Was Margrave Volton getting scorn from nobles of other territories? These last several days, there had been several people who have tried to steal or rob it. The maids employed by your mansion and the bikes they ride are unharmed because of the Barrier MD, but I would have liked to have been informed when such an item is being put out into the world. M-my apologies. I didnt hear about it from the maids, but they seem to have experienced attempted robberies and stealing. The maids had been given accessory-type magic devices for their own protection, so it was alright, but...... As of recent, there has been an influx of people into Volton as it experiences its boom, and this has caused the deterioration of public order. Until now, Volton, a city of rowdy adventurers, had managed to maintain security thanks to the combined efforts of the knights and soldiers of the Margravery and the Adventurers Guild, but theyve asked that we do not hasten the increase of new crimes. Sell it as fast as possible. Do something about the current situation, where only your servants have something. Ha, haha, I will tell Papeck-san to hurry. Umu, is there anything that you would like to advise for the city? Lets see. I would be grateful if you could build bike storage areas around the markets. Ah, and, I believe it would be better to have another bike storage as well along the carriage storehouse of the nearly complete bowling alley. If I didnt put down the rule that bikes must into the bike parks from the beginning, the social problem that it would have become my responsibility in the distant future. Fumu, I see, so it could be seen as a personal horseless carriage? Very well, we shall make steps in that direction immediately. It is thanks to you that the citys budget is plentiful, after all. Please do. He would probably be angry if he found out that the frame of the bikes that the maids ride was made of mithril alloy. I need to discuss bike theft measures with Papeck-san. If I give extra work to the city guards, Id be scolded yet again. *** Chapter 521: Giving help Chapter 521: Giving helpAfter finishing my discussion with Margrave Volton, his chamberlain, Xervus-san, asked for help. Regarding the bowling alley that the Papeck Company is constructing, a flood of inquiries have been coming from all sides...... But its only been made possible by the expansion of Volton City in the direction of the Savage Lands. Ive explained this to them, but not many were convinced. Im sorry. Ill help in any way I can. Ohh! That would be appreciated!Visitt for the latest updates It seems that bowling itself was attracting attention even without knowing what it is. As to be expected, the bowling alley is relatively large building. If the booming Volton City did not expand, it would have been difficult to secure enough space to build in. If a building of that scale is constructed, it was impossible for the neighboring nobles and companies that consider the Papeck Company as rivals to not pay attention to it, and it had caused Xervus-san to be a nervous wreck. However, my cooperation might have been too hasty. Xervus-san suddenly grew lively. Youve saved me. We need infrastructures in place preceding the popularization of the bicycles. Ahh, of course you will be rewarded for your help. It would be insignificant in comparison to the time that would be saved. Haa...... Im a human heavy machinery. Does Volton have a craftsman shortage with the expansion of the city into the Savage Lands? So, as the cause, i should help. Its good that Im getting paid. And thats that. Aside from that, the bike storage areas had to be locked. It wasnt necessary if its in the Sanctuary, but here, theyre just asking to be stolen. Please have a look at this map. May we ask you to handle this open lot in this market, dismantle that empty store in that commerce district, and lastly, a large area next to the carriage parking at the bowling alley? ......I understand. Sebastian returned to the mansion, so Sophia and I were being given the rundown of what were going to be doing by Xervus-san in the carriage. If its only three areas, I should be able to finish it fast. Here please. ......the grass is endless. Yes. I needed start with a demolition of a store that was vacated because bankruptcy. Sophia and I wouldnt even need a minute to physically demolish it, but it would be bad if we damaged the surrounding shops, so I was disassembling it using alchemy. After I had used Decomposition on it, I collected the wood and stone and used on the building and stowed them away, I prepared the soil and hardened it, then transmuted bike parking racks just like the ones in the vacant lot in the market. Thank you for your hard work, Iruma-sama. The last location is a large establishment, as such, please make it slightly larger. ......okay. And finally, the carriage arrived at the nearly complete building in the newly expanded land in the direction of the Savage Lands, the bowling alley. This will be the carriage parking. Therefore, please do it in the space over on that side. ......I understand. The carriage parking had been neatly levelled, but the area that Xervus-san had pointed towards was wilderness. Please do your best,. Yup, Im okay, Sophia. Encouraged by Sophia, I flattened the ground and hardened it in one go. I continued by transmuted the bike parking racks, and Xervus-san approached me, smiling and clapping. As expected, Iruma-dono. I will take you back to your estate, please board the carriage. Your reward will be sent to you at a later time. ......yes, I understand. Was this something that only I could do? Well, its too late to think about it now. *** Footnotes: Chapter 522: Takumi, Laeva, and the Struggle Chapter 522: Takumi, Laeva, and the Struggle What awaited me when I returned to the Sanctuary from Volton was a large order of bike parts. The number of alchemists that Papeck Company had secured were few, so they have requested that we sell them the parts for the time being. ......I suppose so. The papers that Jeeves handed had been written with the types and number of each bike part. If theyre an alchemist, they only need to transmute it once. Takumi-sama, no ordinary alchemist can do such a thing. Yeah, probably not. Even though its just about understanding and visualizes its structure. These so called Alchemists only synthesize materials, dont they? Laeva doesnt know any ordinary alchemists which is why I cant say anything about it, but I cant help but think that they are just as you say. The alchemists hired by the Papeck Company apparently couldnt reproduce the ball bearings among the bike parts. The bearings would, of course, fail at the slightest imperfection. But it must have been difficult for the alchemists of this world who dont have its image. Looking at this order form, it seems they can somehow manage the handle, frame, saddle, pedal, and breaks. It seems so. We can make all sorts of tires, as well as the gears and hub bearings. And the chains too. I would like to say that they should prepare the materials for each bike and transmute one at a time. In Laeva and my case, we have to transmute each part individually to be able to solidify the image at first, and then we were able to transmute multiple at a time. Okay, Ill transmute the front and back wheels, Laeva, you do the chain please.all new stories at Of course, we had also received an order for parts for childrens bikes. We also a orders for a small number of parts for cross bikes and mountain bikes. I heard these few would be built-to-order. Uhyaaa...... t-this is a huge undertaking. Right? I was also shocked. It feels like Papeck-san was too invested into this. Papeck-san said that he would sell it as much of an economic prices as he could, but they were still undoubtedly an expensive product. Moreover, I heard that they were going to sell frames of a different material intended for the nobles and wealthy merchants as luxury items. He already had a terrifying smile as he talked. When it comes to Papeck-san, that meant that he was going to make a huge profit. Bowling alleys could only be built in cities which can afford to use huge plots of land. Thats why its profits directly correlating to its size was a bottleneck. Especially in fortress cities, it was normal for buildings to be so tightly packed that there werent many gaps. Naturally, there wouldnt be space in the bowling alley. The same holds true for the Royal Capital, the slums exist right outside its outer walls. Well, even if it was outside of walls, monsters hardly appear near the Royal Capital, but even so, there wasnt that much land left in it, and even if a new noble wants to build a mansion in the city, they have no choice but to search for a used property. Actually, there was a place where the bowling alley could be built in the Royal Capital. It was in the estate of a high ranking noble. The estates inhabited by nobles of Earl or higher ranking occupied enormous plots of lands. If its in one of those noble estates, they could build several bowling alleys and tennis courts. This world didnt have tennis though. Then, Laeva and I had auditory hallucinations of Papeck-sans loud laughter as we transmuted bike part after bike part. Whether or not we respond to additional productions is something we would think about at that time. *** Chapter 523: The visitor is a high ranking noble Chapter 523: The visitor is a high ranking nobleLaeva and I delivered the bike parts as we had become absolutely haggard. Just when I thought we could finally relax, Sebastian came up to the first floor from the teleport room in the basement. Is it wrong that I got a bad feeling just from that? Master, a letter arrived from Lord Portfort. Uhh, from Lord Simon? I nervously opened the letter he handed over. ......an inspection? On the Sanctuary? Hes been to the Sanctuary before, right? It would seem that when Lord Packard had returned to the Royal Capital, he had boasted about his stay at the Sanctuary in parties......... Viscount Packard was Charlottes grandfather and Madam Elizabeths father. I had once invited Father and daughter to the Sanctuary. Madam Elizabeth has yet to return though. What? Did he hear complaints from noblemen? No, Lord Portfort and His Majesty are suppressing those. I thought the letter was about complaints from nobles regarding the nobles that werent invited into the Sanctuary, but it seems I was wrong. Umm, lets see, lets see...... wait, does this mean hes coming by for a visit? ......it seems so. In the letter from Lord Simon, he wrote about the game room of the mansion and the bowling alley. The boasting that Lord Packard had done in parties must have reached Lord Simons ears. An observation? Why an observation? For the time being, I think its undoubtedly an observation. Lemme see, lemme see. Ah, Akane! Ill leave it to you. Laeva, lets install a games room in the Lodge. We should construct a separate building for the bowling alley. Understood. Even if it was Lord Simon or Margrave Volton, I would prefer to not have to bring them into my mansion. Its the place where I should be able to relax, but when important people come by, its stressful. Madam Elizabeth, who had a place to stay in the Lodge but was practically in the mansion everyday, and Princess Mimir, who lived next door whom I have many chances of meeting, dont cause me the usual stress when I meet them, perhaps because they had such friendly personalities. The Lodge was built for outsiders to stay in at a location near the gates to the Sanctuary. It was built because we invited people to our wedding, but now it was being used as lodging by those companies associated with the Papeck Company, as well as the officials of Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, and those of Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom. Laeva and I worked together to transmute the bowling alley. I piled up a huge amount of rocks, wood, and metals, and glass materials in a spot that had been leveled using Earth Magic. Okay, Ill be in charge of building it. Transmute! My magic power gradually left me, then it enveloped the stacked materials in light, and in the next moment, a large building appeared. Takumi-sama, please have a mana potion. Fuu, thanks, Sophia. I drank the mana potion that Sophia held out, then proceeded with making the building interior. I took from my stock of bowling balls and pins, and related magic devices from my Item Box and set them up. While Laeva was transmuting the lanes, I installed the tables, chairs, lighting fixtures, and others. By the time we were done with installing the toilets, rest areas and other amenities, the sun had already set. *** Footnotes: Chapter 524: Nobles starved for entertainment Chapter 524: Nobles starved for entertainmentThe day after building the bowling alley, I remodeled the interior of the Lodge and built the games room. I added a billiards table, dart board, table tennis table, mahjong table, a table for playing cards, and a bar counter to the games room. I dont know where they heard it from, but when I installed the bar counter, Doganbo-san and Golan-san popped up. Takumi, is this a place where you serve alcohol? Yup, I thought they could enjoy it while playing or while taking a break. Takumi, is this a metal canteen? Its got a different form though. Thats a shaker. Golan-san was interested in the shaker, so I explained how to make cocktails, and he got into it. I see, so youre going to blend the fruit juice and alcohol!? What an oversight! Isnt that right, Doganbo!? Ou, Golan-aniki! So there were other methods of enjoying alcohol that we Dwarves were unaware of!? Takumi! Teach us how to make those cocktail things! O-okay. C-close, youre too close Golan-san. Spare me from being sandwiched between two sweaty, bearded, beer barreled men. It couldnt be helped, so Ill teach them the several types of cocktail that I know how to make in my limited knowledge in alcohol. Because of the varieties of alcohol made in the Sanctuary, it wasnt just wine and whiskey, but we can also make vodka, gin, and beer, so we could try out all sorts of cocktails. Screwdriver (Vodka + Orange Juice) Gin Buck (Dry Gin + Ginger Ale + Lemon Juice) Salty dog (Vodka + Grapefruit Juice + Table Salt) Mimosa (Champagne + Orange Juice) Mojito (Rum + Lime + Soda + Sugar + Mint Leaves) Spritzer (White Wine + Soda) No, to observe. The next to arrive on on the same day Margrave Volton had, contrary to my expectations, was Viscount Packard. I thought that Earl Rockford would arrive much faster than Viscount Packard who lives in the Royal Capital, but perhaps because he wanted to see his daughter and granddaughter, he said that he would be in my care again even though he had already stayed here for several days just recently. Is his job okay? And the next day, Earl Rockford arrived. Hahaha, Iruma-dono, please take care of us for the time being! Welcome, Earl Rockford. Iruma-san, please invite us to your mansion too. Y-yes, please. I want to go to Takumi-sans mansion too! Ha- haha, Emilia-chan and Rod-kun, please come if you have time. I apologize for Mother and Sister. The powerful Madam Rose and the lively Emilia-chan, and the worldly-wise Rod-kun. Good luck, Rod-kun. And lastly, the day after Earl Rockfords party arrived, Lord Simon arrived from the Royal Capital. Iruma-dono, thank you for coming to meet me. I shall be in your favor. I would like you to enjoy your time, but will your work be alright? Ha ha ha, it is not a problem. In order to take a long holiday, I had been working without any sleep these past few days. Ha, haha, then thats fine. This is an observation, right? Lord Simon had said vacation, and he seemed to have brought his family with him. According to what I have heard, Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, and Lord Simons purpose was to observe the bowling alley. I had to emphasize that vacation wasnt the main reason. *** Chapter 525: Observation? Chapter 525: Observation? The day after Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, Lord Simon, and Viscount Packard were all present in the Sanctuary, Madam Rose and Emilia-chan were happily drinking tea with Madam Elizabeth in my mansion. Ahh, this tea is awfully delectable. Indeed, as to be expected of tea leaves from the Sanctuary. This cookie is delicious too~ In particular, Madam Rose and Madam Elizabeth were acquaintances in parties at the Royal Capital, and they were reminiscing. Emilia-chan was happily eating cookies. Perhaps wanting to avoid being the only man in the group, Rod-kun joined Earl Rockford and Margrave Volton in the games room of the Lodge. Mabel, could you accompany Madam Elizabeth and Madam Rose? Ill go take a look at the Lodge. Even though they said they need no guidance or reception, we cant just leave Margrave Volton, Lord Simon, and the others to themselves.Reaad the latest stories on Understood. Shall I accompany you? No, Sophia you take it easy. Were just going to the Lodge so Ill be fine by myself. This is the Sanctuary so an escort isnt necessary, and yet Sophia still wanted to accompany me like always, so I asked her to take it easy and I went out to see how they were doing at the Lodge. I could go there in an instant if I teleported, but I wasnt in a hurry so I will go there using my bike. Riding my bike, the breeze in the Sanctuary felt amazing. The Sanctuary residents used bikes as the practical mode of transportation, but recently, theres been an increase in cycling enthusiasts. I think using a bike to enjoy the breeze and scenery was also acceptable too. Perhaps because its early summer, the Sanctuarys climate was hot but not humid, so it was passing easily. Under such warm sunlight, I enjoyed the pleasant breeze as I rode my bike and arrived at the Lodges bike parking. I got off my bike and locked it, then I went into Lodge and tried asking where Lord Simon and the others are. Sorry, a minute please? Takumi-san, Lord Portfort, Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, and Viscount Packard are all enjoying themselves in the games room. Ohh, in that case, I want my own set too. Iruma-dono, may I also have one set? Of course, myself as well! Well be able to give it to the front desk by the time you return. Omitting greetings, Lord Simon stated that he wanted a mahjong set. Without a moments delay, Viscount Packard, Earl Rockford, and Margrave Volton piped up about wanting one too, so they can pick it up at the front desk on their way back. Well then, Iruma-dono, I apologize but we are in the middle of a game. We must rely on you for the observation tomorrow. I have no plans to do an observation, but please tell Elizabeth and Charlotte to make an appearance tomorrow. I will also request a tour tomorrow. I will ask Rose and Emilia. Umm, how about Rod-kun? Ahh, isnt Rod bowling with the knights? Lord Simon and Earl Rockford postponed their observation for tomorrow. For the time being, they still have some intent to do so. And Margrave Volton spoke. This cant end with my loss. Y-yes. He shuffled the tiles and spoke without even turning around. Did he bet on something? *** Footnotes: Chapter 526: The people who don’t want to return Chapter 526: The people who dont want to returnStarting with Lord Simon, Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, and Viscount Packard had become engrossed with mahjong, so viewing the new facilities was postponed till tomorrow. When I peeked inside the bowling alley, I saw Rod-kun and the knights were having fun. Additionally, I also caught sight of merchants who came to the Sanctuary. As to be expected, it wasnt only the Papeck Company that traded with the Sanctuary. Of course, the Papeck Company had majority of those shares, but other companies of Valkyra Kingdom, Lomaria Kingdom, and Yggurle Kingdom also come. Naturally, those who pass through the gates of the Sanctuary were permitted to by the Great Spirits. The bowling alley built close to the Lodge was 20 lanes huge, but there werent that many guests in the Lodge, so I thought that scale would be enough, and yet...... Its a full house. Moreover, there are people still waiting. When I tried asking the people working in the bowling alley about it, they said that the Sanctuary residents use it too. Apparently, because the bowling alley in the Sanctuary was always full, the wait was always long, so people wandered over to this bowling alley. Bikes were popularized among the residents, so coming here was easy.Aall newest chapters on Now that I think about it, there was quite a few bikes parked at the bowling alleys bike park. Anyway, today, Lord Simon, Margrave Volton and the others probably wouldnt be leaving the games room, so Ill visit them again tomorrow. When I returned to the mansion, Madam Elizabeth and Madam Rose were still enjoying their tea and chatting. Did Emilia-chan get bored? She was playing jenga with Kaede and Lulu-chan. Welcome back. How were Lord Simon and the others? Im home, Sophia. Lord Simon and the others were engrossed with mahjong at the games room. Ahh...... they will be there all night, wouldnt they? Guh. Lord Simon returned the greeting a bit sleepily. Margrave Volton began talking about mahjong early in the morning, and Earl Rockford mentioned that he should improve upon his insight. It was then that Viscount Packard remonstrated the pair, but judging from his relaxed attitude, I guess he must have come out on top yesterday. So, where should I guide you today? When I asked about their plans for today, it was not only Lord Simon but every single one them fell silent. Eh? ......apologies, Iruma-dono. We have a fight that we must face. Iruma-dono, as men, there are times we must fight, even in the face of defeat. Iruma-dono, my apologies. Eh? That means...... Lord Simon and Margrave Volton said some strange things. Earl Rockford spoke apologetically, but his expression was no different from Lord Simon and Margrave Volton. Iruma-dono, we must settle things today, so could you come again tomorrow? Haa, so thats how it will be. Very well. I will see you tomorrow. Who would have thought, it looks like theres going to be more mahjong starting today. These people... Im afraid they will never go back. *** Chapter 527: Work for the time being? Chapter 527: Work for the time being? The day after rescheduling, I came back to the Lodge. I guided Lord Simon and the others to the bowling alley and explained how the game works. After that, I explained the other games in the game room aside from mahjong. It looks like these men had only played mahjong from the moment they got here until now. Then in the conference room of the Lodge, I had a business meeting with Lord Simon, Margrave Volton, and Earl Rockford.nE?w stories at Incidentally, Earl Packard went to my mansion to meet with Elizabeth and Charlotte. Regarding the bowling alley, I have nothing to say as it is nearing completion in Volton. Would a bowling alley be impossible for the Rockford Earldom? We do not have much land left. Well, it could be made in the castle, but only we would be able to play. The Royal Capital most certainly has no space to build a bowling alley. However, it might be possible to build it at a private estate in the nobles district. I shall confer with His Majesty at the Royal Castle. The bowling alley in Volton was almost complete, so there was no remarks from Margrave Volton. Earl Rockford spoke about how it really must have been impossible with their space issue, and Lord Simon might possibly make a request of certain nobles, but he must first consult with His Majesty. I must also make a lot of bowling balls and pins for the bowling alleys, so I was so glad that I didnt have to make it here and there. Next up is table tennis. It would be perfect for commoners amusement as its instruments were simple. It would be interesting to construct a building exclusively for it in the recently enlarge land. If its table tennis then it might be viable as it could be played in a room that isnt too spacious. Id like you to sell me a few for a trial run. Fumu, it may spread among the commoners even in the Royal Capital if its table tennis. Table tennis had earned favorable impressions from Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, and Lord Simon respectively. Billiards and darts, was it? Those are great to play while drinking. Yeah, youre right. Those are adult games. It would be fun to bring those out at a store that sells liquor, wouldnt it? Well, how to say this. In a situation where the Papeck Company takes all, to put it concisely, the other companies affiliated with nobles have been interfering with them. Now, if the inventor Iruma-dono were to establish his own company, no one would complain. Umm, rather, wouldnt it be better if I just stopped selling? Dont be absurd! Hih! It was already troublesome, so I thought it would be better if I just stop selling, but that earned me some really terrifying looks. Lets open up a shop at the capital, and you can place samples of billiards, darts, and table tennis there. Playing cards and mahjong will positively sell, as such, you must arrange large quantities beforehand. Thats right. My territory will also want a decent amount of playing card decks and mahjong sets. Indeed. You may leave the selection of the stores location to me. U-um, has it been decided that I would establish a company? Of course. .................. Im supposed to be an artisan though...... You need not fret. Iruma-dono, as long as you are able to deliver the product, the management of the shop could be left to someone else. ......that would increase my workload even more though. It looks like I have to change jobs to a merchant. *** Chapter 528: Preparations for the Establishment of a Trading Company. Chapter 528: Preparations for the Establishment of a Trading Company.Lord Simon requested that I open a store in the Royal Capital, and I said I would look at it positively but put a pin in it for the time being. A shop huh...... isnt that good? Youre going to leave it to someone anyway, no? I also see no problem with it. Certainly, if the Papeck Company were to incur the jealousy and envy of being the only one to profit, then Papeck-san may be targeted. Youre right. Its unhealthy for a market to be monopolized by a single company, after all. Akane didnt seem all that interested but had agreed, while Sophia and Marnie had always thought that it was far too dangerous for only the Papeck Company to profit. After Lord Simon suggested it, I talked about it with my entire family. Takumi-sama, you dont sell alcohol wholesale to the Papeck Company either, do you? Ill have to make some considerations about alcohol. The Royal Capital might panic over it. Maria said that I should consider selling alcohol in a shop at the Royal Capital, but all things considered, I think alcohol would be risky. The alcohol produced in the Sanctuary was managed by the Dwarves, Elves, and also the Great Spirits Gnome and Salamander. Its quality and taste were significantly different from other alcohol circulating the continent. So much so that once you have taste of the Sanctuary produced wine, all the other wines you had before that felt like muddy water. Until now, a small amount had been circulating from the Papeck Company , but if it appears in a shop at the Royal Capital, it will cause panic when people try to buy it. Wouldnt the store at the capital focus on games? The bikes have already making their rounds in the Papeck Company, and sugoroku is already being produced by Earl Rockfords company. Billiards tables have to be made to order, but other things will be available in the store. Akanes points are acceptable. We wont be stationed at the store in the capital, so itll be fine even if we only have a few items. Then, next up are the employees and manager of the store. Thats the biggest problem though. It wasnt easy to hire my three assistants, Charlotte, Gina, and Ana. We were able to hire our very capable butlers Sebastian and Jeeves, Maribelle, and the other maids with the help of Undine and the Great Spirits, but I think it would be hard to find one single person to entrust a store to. Just in case, we should consult with Papeck-san. Since it was Lord Simon who brought it up first, you should have Lord Simon introduce someone to you. Indeed. Why not try talking to Margrave Volton and Earl Rockford as well? As Akane and I were talking in front of the building, Papeck-san himself came out of the building to meet us. Takumi-sama, thank you for coming all this way. Thank you for coming out to meet us yourself, Papeck-san. Now now, Sophia-sama and Akane-sama as well, please come inside. Papeck-san led us to a room with luxurious couches. After we were served and had a bit of rest, Papeck-san bowed to me in apology. Takumi-sama, I must apologize for this occasion. Umm, w-why are you apologizing, Papeck-san? Well, in order to prevent the building envy from other companies and nobles, your hand was forced into establishing a trading company and opening a store. It was due to my inadequacies. No, you dont need to apologize for that, Papeck-san. I am of the same fault since I entrusted everything solely to you. Now, cant we leave it at that? Papeck-san, could you show us the planned shop location? Yes of course, that would be no problem, Akane-sama. Since Akane had urged him to show the planned shopping locations quickly, Papeck-san started guiding us to the site. The site was in the same commerce district, so apparently, it was fine to walk. Well then, this way please. Thank you. Under Papeck-sans guidance, we walked to the shop. What kind of property was it? I got more and more excited. Looking at real estate is fun, isnt it? *** Chapter 529: This is all too sudden Chapter 529: This is all too sudden In the place we were showed by Papeck-san, there was a three-story building that was not too big and not too small. My apologies. Takumi-sama, as this is for the establishment of your own trading company, I wanted to prepare an even more magnificent building for you, but there would be some particular folk that would yap about a new company suddenly having a large shop at the Capital...... No, its no problem at all. I was never really planning on having a varied selection, and it would be too difficult to employ people if the shop is too big. This was really what I thought. It might be a small building to Papeck-san, but it was impressive enough for me, and Akane and Sophia thought the same thing. It gives me peace of mind if you say that. I will show you inside right away. Thank you. We went inside at Papeck-sans lead, and while the exterior was also beautiful, the interior was quaint without looking outdated. Its spacious enough. Actually, the back door connects to the warehouse, so it would be convenient for keeping stock. The second floor can be used as the offices, and the 3rd floor can be used as the housing for the employees. It leaves nothing to be desired. Apparently, there was a warehouse in the back, and the property seems to include it, so it was larger than we had first expected. By the way, does it have a basement? My apologies. There is no basement, but Takumi-sama, there would be no problem if you yourself make one. I was planning on placing a Teleport Gate in the basement, so Im glad I got approval to make one. The shop obviously had the storefront, the second floor had office space, and the third floor could be redecorated into the employees living space. It had a very neat interior. The toilets and bathrooms were fitted with the latest magic devices, and while there was a water well, the water was supplied by magic devices. The warehouse was also scrubbed clean, and there were no problems with its space. Whats wrong Sophia!? Sophia covered her mouth with her hand and rushed to the toilet. Ohh! W-whats going on, Papeck-san!? Papeck-san clapped his hands and had a knowing smile. I was bewildered, worrying over Sophia, and when I looked towards Papeck-san for help, his face was saying You still dont get it?. I believe it is a matter of congratulations. ......eh, congratulations? Pan! Shes got a baby! Get yourself together! Youre about to be a father! Eh?! A father! UoooOOO!! When Akane slapped by back, I came back to my senses. I guess it wasnt that strange. Were a married couple after all. This is a natural course of events. It will take some time for Papeck-san to find capable people to entrust the shop to, so we parted ways for today. I teleported back to the Sanctuary with Sophia and Akane. She definitely needed to rest. But I was even more surprised in the Sanctuary. *** Chapter 530: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 530 Auspicious Day Chapter 530: Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 530 Auspicious DayWhen I returned to the Sanctuary mansion with Sophia and Akane, there, Maria, Marnie, Laeva, Lulu-chan, and Kaede told me something even more surprising. Big news! Big news! What is happening, Takumi-sama? Sophia is pregnant! Eh, me too. Eh!? And Marnie is too, by the way. Yes. The Great Spirits had confirmed it so there is no doubt about it. ............ Three people at the same time......... Uwaa! Sophia-san, congratulations to you too! Earth to Takumi! Bam! Lulu-chan was jumping for joy. Akane hit me and brought my spirit back into my body. You got married to three people at one time, so it shouldnt be strange if they conceive at the same time! Y-you have a point. And theres other things you should be saying, right? O-oh, yeah. Sophia, Maria, Marnie, thank you. Youve made me a happy man. Yes. But with how things are turning out, theres a lot of things that I need to think about. First off, Sophia was always by my side guarding me, but now she needs to rest. Inevitably, Maria and Marnie also had to stay in the Sanctuary until they give birth to the babies. When I looked at Maria and Marnie closely, they were crocheting something. Was it socks for the baby? If Akane and I have to discuss company things, are there any problems that could come up? What will we do about Takumi-samas escort? Its fine. Im just as excited as the babies as everyone is. Theyll be like younger brothers and sisters. Lulu will be a big sister nya. Akane began talking about what kind of names will be used. Wait wait, WE will decide the names. ......we will, right? Then Laeva will make a large amount of merchandise to fill the shops warehouse. Lave can only help out with this, after all. Thank you as always, Laeva. I really appreciate your help. Laeva promptly headed to the workshop. She said she would do her best to provide a large amount merchandise, including the portion for the Papeck Company. I have to establish a trading company and open a shop in the Royal Capital, but I dont feel like I can do that anymore. It felt like only one person was in a dither. Sebastian and Maribelle seem to have finished their discussion regarding the wet nurses. Now then, Master, please entrust the selection of the wet nurses to us. If necessary, Master and the Great Spirits may have to conduct interviews. The moment Maribelle said that, Sylph, Undine, and the others appeared. Leave that to us. Since a child with the blood of the House Sylphide will be born, it is time for me, the Great Wind Spirit, to take my turn. Yes, it will be the child of the Keeper of the Sanctuary, who is the protector of the Spirit Tree. We will be the judge of the wet nurse disposition. Right~ This gets me going~ If you entrust it to Nyx and I, it would be simple for us to discern the good or evil in a person. ......leave it to me. Aside from Gnome and Dryas, the five pillars of the Great Spirits Sylph, Undine, Dryas, Selene, and Nyx were all in high spirits. W-well, I do have a request. Their excessive enthusiasm is scary in itself, but Im glad that they could be of help. Immediately, Selene went to Sophia, Maria, and Marnie. Apparently, it was to check their due dates. So that was possible. *** Chapter 531: Inform Chapter 531: InformInform There has been a lot of kerfuffle in my mansion in the Sanctuary these past few days. Of course, that was not the case for everyone. Kaede was going about her day as per usual. However, since I wasnt in a state where I could work, I was inconveniencing everyone. Akane was in charge of the Capital store, and production related matters were being handled by Laeva. It was then that I remembered something important. Ah! I have to inform Sophias mother and father! Yes, we hadnt yet informed Dante-san and Freesia-san, who live in Yggurle Kingdom, of the news. You can leave that to me too! Uwaa! Oh, its you, dont scare me like that, Sylph! I was thinking of how to tell Dante-san and Freesia-san, when suddenly, Sylph appeared. It wasnt strange for her to pop up like that because shes a Great Spirit, but it was a problem how she couldnt be sensed by Presence Detection and Magic Power Detection. She has no bad intentions so its fine though. Im off then. Eh, youll go there personally, Sylph? Yeah, I could leave it to the Wind Spirits, but I dont know if they would be able to speak as well as I can. It would be much faster if I go there myself. Im off. Saying so, Sylph disappeared from my sight. The Great Spirits appearing unannounced was pretty normal, but out of all of them, Sylph was the most free-willed. Maybe it was because she was the wind? ```````` In a remote region at the south of Yggurle Kingdom, the Chevalier House Sylphide governs a rural village. Even in Yggurle Kingdom which is enclosed by the forests, this region brimming with greenery was, for some reason, Wind Spirits, Tree Spirits, Water Spirits, and Light spirits were dancing with joy today. That day, Dante noticed the strange phenomenon. It wasnt strange to see a lot of Spirits if it was in Yggurle Kingdom. This was the nation of the Elves who revere the Spirits, after all. However, Dante doesnt remember a situations where the Spirits were this boisterous. No, he remembered experiencing it once before. That was when his cute daughter Sophia and Takumi Iruma had their wedding ceremony. Fuu, you seem to be curious, so perhaps I should mention the reason for my visit quickly. Today, You must have noticed that an unimaginable number of Spirits, far more than normal, was gathering. ............ Dante and Freesia nodded silently. Grinning at their state, Sylph continued speaking. If you have seen how the Spirits are acting, you must know that it is nothing bad, yes? ...... The pair nodded once again. Congratulations. It is your first grandchild. Eh? ............ Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Well done, Sophia!! Freesia was dumbfounded, and, perhaps denying Sylphs words in his head, Dante froze like a statue. That said, the next second, Freesia yelled loud enough to echo throughout the mansion. I-is this true, Sylph-sama!? Yes, it is true. I wouldnt come here just to lie. Kuh...... Dante understood that his cute daughter was in the hands of a man now that she has been wed, but his indescribable desolation as a father far outweighed his happiness for his daughters pregnancy. In contrast to Dante, Freesia was absolutely giddy, jumping so happily from the sofa without a care that Sylph was in front of her. Im heading back to the Sanctuary then. See ya~ Sylph said so and disappeared from that spot. Inevitably, the Sylphide mansion was in an uproar after that. *** Chapter 532: Granny is going to the Sanctuary Chapter 532: Granny is going to the SanctuaryIn the Sylphid mansion, Freesia was unpacking her personal chest. Hm hm, la la la~ H-hey Freesia. Freesia! Can you hear me!? Dante looked bewildered as he spoke to Freesia who was hummed as she took her belongings out of her chest. Oi! Cut it out! Jeez! Dante! Quiet down, will you! W-wat, Freesia, I-I was just wondering why you were packing your clothes. The moment Freesia responded in displeasure to Dantes unintentional yelling, he seemed to have wilted, losing all energy. If I dont pack my things then I wouldnt be able to go to Sophia, now could I? Wait, Freesia, calm down. Sylph-sama said that Sophia is pregnant. Its still a long ways off before she gives birth. Im well aware of that. I am still a mother of two. I will go and take cake of Sophia from here on. No, wouldnt she be fine until she gives birth to the child. The moment Dante uttered those words, he saw the apparition of a demon behind Freesia. Hiik! ...... now that I think about it, when I had Sophia, and when I had Darphy, you were not by my side, were you? W-well, a-at that time I was busy with the Chivalric Order at the Capital...... It was a month for Sophia, and in Darphys case, it was half a year when he could hold his head up, wasnt it? Freesias icy gaze pierced into Dante. Even after many decades have passed, she still remembered it like it was yesterday. No, wait, Freesia. If you go to Sophia, what am I supposed to do? We cant leave the territory attended for a long period of time. Oh, naturally only I will go. You will be fine even without me. Wa-wait a minute, Freesia. Sophias due date is still more than half a year from now, isnt it?! Fufu, I wont come home immediately after she gives birth, either. After all, caring for a newborn baby is difficult. I imagine Sophia would be thankful if, I, her mother, help her out. No, cant you leave the care of the child to its mother, Sophia? Iruma-donos mansion has servants too, so you dont have to stay there, Freesia. Just as Dante finished his sentence, the smile on Freesias face as she packed her belongings cheerfully had disappeared. Oh yes. You were of absolutely no help when I was raising both Darphy and Sophia, werent you? N-no, that was the wet nurse and your job, no? It may be possible for high ranking nobles, but do you think a poor Chevalier House is able to hire a wet nurse and maids specialized in caring for children? E-eh, was that the case? Grasping that Freesia was truly angered, sweat ran down his forehead. As he was thinking of how to appease her, Freesia pointed towards the door. You are being a nuisance so could you leave the room? Wa-, F-Freesia...............yes.. Dante judged that it was impossible for him to get Freesia back into a good mood and obediently left the room. Watching him leave, Freesia sighed deeply, composing herself and resumed packing. A large number of suitcases were piled up, filled to the brim with clothes from spring to winter. It seemed like she had no intention of returning for a long time. If she sees her grandchilds face, would she really come back.........? *** Footnotes: Chapter 533: Handmade is a father’s love Chapter 533: Handmade is a fathers loveI dont know what happened after Sylph had informed Sophias parents of her pregnancy, but I had entrusted Akane with the Capital Shop and I secluded myself in the workshop. As for what Im doing...... Takumi-sama, why arent you making it using Alchemy? Its important for it to be handmade. Is that so? Though I dont quite get it. Laeva didnt really get it, but I paid it no mind, and just processed a plant similar to rattan that exists here, then braided it into a cradle by hand. I was meticulous over the varying thickness of the rattan as I carefully weaved it together. I had a complete picture of the final product in my head. What I am making right now was a rattan cradle. I might not have used it as a child, but I remember seeing it on TV, and the scene where the baby was being rocked in the cradle came to mind. Through trial and error, I weaved the rattan. Thats quite the complicated weave. Its a beautiful pattern. Thanks. And you will make three identical pieces? Of course, I will. I see, once you have the genuine article, you are sure to have a proper image when you transmute it. Eh, I will make them all by hand. Isnt it only natural? Theres a significance to making it by hand. ......is that so? Laeva doesnt seem to be convinced, but that doesnt matter. Its a tool that our children will use, so I want to make it from scratch. The day after that, I was once again in the workshop. What will you be making today? Fufufu, what do you think? For some reason, Laeva looked fed up, but...... it must be my imagination. Who knows, I have no idea. If the baby goes out, then a stroller is needed. A stroller? Laeva didnt seem to know what a stroller was. And so, I explained it by drawing an illustration. I see, that may come in handy. Right? But Im considering whether I should make three strollers, or a single stroller that can carry three. Wouldnt one that could carry three be too big? You have a point. I should make them individually. The strollers sold in Japan were the type used for babies, and the type that can be used once the babies grow a bit bigger. Perhaps this was because it was too dangerous if babies, who are unable to hold their neck up, are not laid flat on their back in the basket. What I was making was, of course, something that could be used by newborns, and could then be used for a long time after the children have grown to a certain extent by replacing the basket with a seat. Oyo? Will it not be handmade? Ha, haha, one must adapt as necessary, Laeva. Im sorry. I definitely have to rely on Alchemy for this one. It was impossible to make by hand. *** Chapter 534: Forgetting Something Important Chapter 534: Forgetting Something Important As I was making a cradle, bassinet, and stroller, I had forgotten something important. It was something the baby uses many of everyday. Lets make paper diapers. Yes, diapers. The diapers in this world were, of course, cloth diapers. This was also the case in ancient Japan, but washing cloth diapers to reuse it is a hassle. Naturally, this world has Purification Magic, so it wasnt much of a comparison, but there are not that many people were capable of using Purification Magic. Its exceptionally rare, but there were people around me who could use Light Magic, and those who could use Purifying Magic were Akane, Laeva, and myself. Thats why cloth diapers might have been fine, but whether or not a child would be comfortable with it is different matter. Paper diapers? Dont look at me like youre asking if Ive made another strange thing, Laeva. Yes, a diaper that is disposable would be easier on the mother. Certainly, washing a cloth diaper is a hassle, but will the paper be alright? That parts alright. Laeva, youre aware that paper can be surprisingly durable depending on how its made, right? That is indeed the case, but paper isnt very absorbent. Ive thought of that so its fine. I never got to experience marriage in my last life, but I have changed the diapers of my nephew and niece. At that time, I remember admiring the superiority of paper diapers.FiNd updates on Aside from that, I remember the technology of paper diapers being used for greening the desert. If I remember correctly, it used a water absorbent polymer. That said, I dont know the components of that water absorbent polymer. Was I giving up? Of course not. This is a world of swords and magic. There are alternatives if you look for it, and this is whats called the royal road of fantasy. Tadahhh, well use this. These translucent beads? It looks like that, but youre wrong. This is a slime. We made several prototypes especially for the slime distribution. Takumi-sama, wouldnt this be troublesome if not for alchemy? Of course. We will need a lot of paper diapers, so well have to make the final product using that. We will have to make it in several sizes too. Ohh! Babies grow older, after all! As expected of Takumi-sama! Nah, youre exaggerating. Anyone would have realized that. Anyway, I knew a lot about paper diapers. I often saw mothers carrying paper diapers with both hands in the drugstores, after all. And so, Laeva and I worked together to complete the paper diaper. Weve done it now, Takumi-sama! Thank you Laeva. Its thanks to you that we completed it. We should by all means sell these! It is for the good of all mothers in the world! T-to sell? If we were to sell these, I have a feeling this might be a huge undertaking because the market is enormous. No, it will definitely be trouble. W-well, Laeva, we still have to make a magic device to throw the used diapers into. Eh? A magic device? Yeah, we have to make an attachable purifying magic device for the trash can. Ohh! That is essential. Yep, yep. Was I able to trick her? It would be a difficult if we even enter the market for childrens articles. Papeck-san would be glad since it cant be handled by a company without its sales. Ah, I suppose I should make that too then...... *** Chapter 535: Freesia-san Visits Chapter 535: Freesia-san Visits With the paper diaper complete, I made a large quantity in various sizes, and then I started wondering if Id need baby wipes to clean their butts. I wonder what the people of this world do? Were they really just using wet cloths? However, its not good to have too much trash. Theres also the issue of resources. Hey, come to think of it, do we need tissues? When I was resting in the living room, I tried asking everyone. Ahh, tissues. What are tissues nya? Akane was Japanese, so she was living a life that required tissues, but ever since coming to this world, she had apparently gotten by using Purification Magic. That was the same for me. Lulu-chan seemed to not know the word tissues. Its really late saying this, but Id be really happy if it exists. I feel like its wasteful but I would be welcome it. I would also appreciate it. If its limited to within the Sanctuary, I think theres no problem. I also want to use it. Akane, Sophia, Maria, Marnie, and the rest reached an opinion. However, just as Marnie had said, it would be best if limit it to within the Sanctuary. Even the people of this world want to use things that are handy. Tissues linked to the depletion of the forest resources was a problem that is negated by Dryas being in the Sanctuary. Similarly, there was no concern with a forest monster nest depleting either. Influenced by the dense mana, the growth of the trees in monster nests was fast. It was at a level that wouldnt be strange to treat them like monsters too. Isnt this exactly how Treants were born from these trees? I would like to prepare a pleasant environment for the unborn children. Yes, I am of the same thought. In the lacking village of the Rabbitkin, it was a given that the children were born in a poor environment, but I would want children to have better circumstances. Sophia, Maria, and Marnie appear to be doing everything they could for their own child without any restraint. They had decided to not hold back when it comes to items that would benefit the children who will be born in the Sanctuary. As I was having such conversations while drinking tea with everyone, Sylph suddenly appeared. Uwaa, Sylph, if youre coming over then use the door. Im in a hurry. Sophia, your mother is coming. Sylph pointed towards a moving carriage she had found. That was definitely the carriage that Freesia-san was certainly aboard. As Tsubaki pulled up to the carriage, the opposite carriage slowed down to a stop. When I alighted the carriage, the elven adventurer guarding the other carriage, and was then followed by Freesia-san. Long time no see, Freesia-san. Takumi-chan! Well done! T-takumi-chan!? Freesia-san energetically hugged me as I was bewildered by being called Takumi-chan all of a sudden. Well done...... So, did you purposely came out to pick me up? Yes. I had heard from Sylph that you were coming, after all. Oh my! Sylph-sama, thank you very much! Thats fine, come bring your luggage. Well be moving using Takumis carriage from here. Yes. Well prepare it immediately. Come now! Dont stand there absentmindedly! Y-yes! The elven adventurer froze from their nerves after coming face to face with Sylph, but upon being hurried by Sylph to move Freesias luggage, they moved in a fluster. Sorry about that. Spirits were selfish beings who move freely, after all. I also helped to move her luggage, then we parted ways, the carriage from Yggurle Kingdom heading to Wedgefort, and ours headed to the Sanctuary. *** Footnotes: Chapter 536: Rooms needed Chapter 536: Rooms neededAt the speed Tsubaki was pulling the carriage, the Sanctuary was just ahead. As for me, I was wondering whether it was fine to place Freesia-san, who in the Lodge, but it wasnt good to set a precedent. The gate is defended by golems specialized in guarding, and the outer section was being patrolled by security golems, so I thought there was no problem, but my opinion doesnt exactly come across here. We passed through the gate between the outer section and the Sanctuary and headed straight for the center. Aside from my mansion, Princess Mimirs residence, and the mansion for the Great Spirits, this section also comprised of many community establishments such as the church and concert hall. Freesia-san had come here once during the wedding, but she didnt have the freedom to look around last time, so she was gazing intently at the scenery of the Sanctuary outside the carriage. I did not have the chance to view this last time during the wedding, but now that I am looking at it once more, the Sanctuary is impressive. I am a citizen of Yggurle Kingdom which is surrounded by nature, however, this seems pleasant to live in. Pleasant to live in? Freesia-san spoke excitedly, but it felt like there was a worrying word mixed in there. U-umm, what do you mean by pleasant to` Oh my, weve arrived! umm, Freesia-san. The carriage arrived at the mansion, and Sophia and the others came out to meet us. Sophia``! Slamming the door open, Freesia jumped out of the carriage and pulled Sophia into an embrace. M-mother, please calm down. Well done, Sophia! I am finally going to be a grandmother! Freesia-san was excited and in high sprits, and perhaps because it was her first time seeing her mother like this, Sophia was baffled. Isnt your lower half cold? Have you been taking good care of your nutrition? M-mother, its embarrassing, so please settle down! Takumi-sama and everyone else is watching! Oh my, oh no, I...... It was then that Freesia looked around. Then she saw Sylph looking unamused. S-Sylph-sama! I have shown you something so unsightly! Perhaps she thought she had exposed the Great Wind Spirit Sylph to disgraceful behavior, she fell to her knees and apologized profusely. N-no, its not that youre not allowed, but...... Then it is fine. I have my son-in-laws permission. Mother! Sophia, you cant get agitated. ......my apologies. For the time being, I had to calm Sophia down. Well, it cant be helped now that Ive arrived. When I return can be solved at a different time. Haa, what will we do about her room? Shes not content with staying in the Lodge, after all. Takumi-sama, how about we take this opportunity to add on to building? Haa, should we? Laeva youll help me right? I can assist with the interior and the magic devices. Thanks a bunch. ......Sophia, dont get to agitated, okay? Recently, Charlottes mother Madam Elizabeth had been staying in the mansion too frequently. Thats why theres no more vacant rooms. And so, Laeva took this opportunity to propose adding an annex. Incidentally, Madam Elizabeth alternates staying between the Lodge and this mansion. She shows no sign of returning to the Royal Capital. I took wood and stone from the Item Box, solidified an image in my mind and invoked transmutation in one go. The first and second floors added four rooms. I broke down the wall using Decomposition to remove that connecting point. After that, Laeva and I split the work to make beds, closets, and other various things. Was she really going to stay more than six months? I feel sorry for Dante-san. *** Chapter 537: Baby Supplies are in High Demand Chapter 537: Baby Supplies are in High DemandFreesia-san suddenly came to the Sanctuary. Moreover, knowing that she was staying until Sophia gives birth, I had no choice but to build more rooms in the annex. Regarding Freesia-san, she still had a lot of time before the delivery date. Perhaps because she has absolutely nothing to do till then, I often see her having tea with Madam Elizabeth who was visiting Charlotte. Does Dante-san really agree to this? Maybe it would be best to have Sophia write a letter to him to confirm. As for me, now that Ive reached a point where I can stop developing things for our unborn children, I should help out with the Capital Shop that Ive been turning a blind eye to. Merchandise lined the inside of a store in the Commerce District of the Royal Company. Large quantities of stock also filled the warehouse, and it was ready to open at any time. The merchandise was mainly the games as originally planned. It will sell readily available items such as playing cards, mahjong, reversi, table tennis, billiards, darts, to even some built-to-order items. Inside that building were four young men and women moving around busily. They were transfers seconded from the Papeck Company. As it would take too long to train employees from scratch, we solicited candidates from within Papeck-sans company, with a tight limit of 4 people. Surprisingly, Papeck-san grumbled that it was difficult choosing among the large number of candidates despite being a startup company. Inside the living room of the store, I was having tea with Akane and Papeck-san. In any case, you must be looking forward to having three at the same time, but it must be a huge undertaking too. Well~ I was also surprised, you know? I still dont know really know how I feel about it. Thats how it is to be a father. Takumi-sama, you will know it once you see the face of your child when it is born. Even so, isnt it horrible of you to leave everything to someone else? Paper diapers and baby wipes can be sold as a set. Strollers will be directed towards nobles. Paper diapers and baby wipes are impossible, but strollers can be done even by my companys workshop. We built our own company so you dont earn the ire of other companies...... This is this, that is that. I am overcome with grief over how much profit I have given up with the games...... No, you could buy it from us and sell it to other regions and countries, right? We dont sell the games in other cities and countries. Thats why Papeck-san was supposed to trade with our own company and be an outlet. Well, this is also going to be sold by Earl Rockfords company too though. What I was trying to say was that it was a huge lie that he was grief-stricken over the sales of the games. Just because you arent involved in manufacturing doesnt change the fact that earn a profit margin. In the end, paper diapers, baby wipes, and strollers would end up in the Papeck Company as an outlet store. Itll be easy since it wouldnt be handmade, but there is no doubt that my work had increased. On the other hand, it was decided that we would recruit a (temporary) store manager for our business from the Papeck Companys candidates. Akane would be the advisor and president above that store manager. She said that if she has many opportunities to come by the Royal Capital, she said that she might be able to come up with design ideas. Akane was undexterous so she could just design though. *** Chapter 538: Why not stay at home? Once I had transferred large amounts of various sizes of paper diapers, which I recreated for my children, into the warehouse of the Capital store, I returned to the Sanctuary. We had to make additional baby wipes and different sizes of paper diapers. I dont know how much it would sell, but it doesnt expire. Papeck-san asserted that it would sell to the nobles, and that we should stockpile large quantities of it. I dont have that that much slime in stock though. I should go hunting for slimes with the kids again. As long as it wasnt of a high rank, slimes themselves were monster that even children could beat, so they hunt slimes in monster nests in the Savage Lands with us escorting them. Should we go out like that again? The children also seem like they have fun during the outing. Moreover, Wappa and the other kids power-leveled against a Sea Serpent, so they wouldnt be in danger if theyre fighting weak monsters. While thinking so, I climbed the stairs from the teleport room and headed for the couch in the living room to take a break, but then I saw Madam Elizabeth, Freesia-san, and an Elven woman I dont recognize having tea here. I did a U-turn and ran away to my study. Ah-, Takumi-sama, youre back? Ah just in time. There are documents that I would like you to look over that are accumulating. ......please sign here. And of course, I got caught by Charlotte, Gina, and Anna who were in the room. Takumi-sama, additionally, my apologies. Umm, its about Madam Elizabeth, isnt it? Yes. She had said that she go back to the Royal Capital, but...... So shes settling here, isnt she? Yes...... Madam Elizabeth is going back to the Royal Capital? Shes going to continue staying in the Sanctuary, isnt she? Thats what Ive come to think upon spending time with her normally. Relying on the Papeck Company which is able to enter and exit the Sanctuary, it seems various packages were being transported from the Capital. Shes basically moving in, isnt she? Well, thats fine, but, no, its not that bad. That aside, theres an Elven woman I dont particularly recognize here, who is she? Ahh, then why are you here? Madam Elizabeth, the honorary head of a noble family, Freesia-san, the wife of the a Chevalier noble family, and the Queen of Yggurle Kingdom. What kind of punishment game is this? My apologies. Mother seemed to enjoy chatting and drinking tea with Madam Elizabeth and Madam Freesia...... In that case, it would be fine if they go to Princess Mimirs mansion instead. As I was thinking that, Maribelle added onto the story. Master, Madam Lumia seemed to be looking forward to the birth of Milady Sophias child. Umm, I dont think thats a reason why it has to be at my home though? Madam Freesia and Madam Elizabeth enjoyed chatting over topics such as what to name the child. Wait, thats fine and all, but they dont necessarily have to do it at MY home. The confections served alongside the tea in this household is different from others, after all. Ahh, I see...... My shoulders drooped in dejection. Huh? Wait a minute. The childrens names, were the ones who will come up with that, no? My apologies. I am sure you are aware that it is difficult for Elves to have children. I imagine Mother is jealous of Madam Freesia. Speaking of which, the Queen of Yggurle Kingdom had said that the Elven Milady Sophias child was like a grandchild to her. Wha!? Lumia van Yggurle was such a nonsensical person in contrast to the very grounded Princess Mimir, it was hard to see them as mother and daughter. Huh? Will she also stay here until the children are born? *** Footnotes: Chapter 539: Wet nurse (Volume 10 END) Chapter 539: Wet nurse (Volume 10 END) I found out from Mimir-sama that Queen Lumia...... no, she would scold me if I didnt call her Madam Lumia. I was informed that Madam Lumia would stay in the Sanctuary for at least half a year. At present, under the sharp gazes of Gina and Ana who warn not to interfere with work, an emergency meeting was held. The four participants were, Sophia, Charlotte, Mimir, and I. Now then, how about we raise the issues? Yes. hen I will start. Charlotte raised her hand and began to speak. As you may already know, I am no longer the daughter of a noble, but rather a civil servant of the Iruma family. Because of Takumi-sama, I am happy to have been reunited with Mother, however...... her desire to settle down was unexpected...... Right. Viscount Packard also often didnt want to return home, but Madam Elizabeth showed no intent of going home. Madam Elizabeth seems to be settling in fully. I heard she had been trying to talk to Dwarven and Elven craftsmen residing in the Sanctuary for some reason. The fact that she wasnt asking us shows her earnestness. Well, it looks like the place she will live in to be this house though...... Mother seems to have already checked out of the Lodge. Her room is steadily getting more furnished. My apologies. That is likely my mothers doing. As Sophia said, the reason why Madam Elizabeth was staying in this house was a result of adding additional rooms for Freesia-san. I didnt want to add just one room, so I added four rooms in total to the first and second floor, and she said she would stay by her daughters side if there was an empty room. Honorary titles dont have any work, huh. No, they usually have some kind of work, but Mother is a special case. Thats because of the situation being as it is. It seems she thought about the implications of the Queen being away from the the country for an extended period of time and seems to have told her to return many times. Mother is first and foremost the Queen, the mother to my brother and I, but my brother was born a hundred years before, and I suppose I can say I am a more recent as an elf, but...... Does that mean she wants to embrace my child? Yes. It would seem she is jealous of Madam Freesia...... Umm, why is that? The citizens of Yggurle Kingdom were like children to Mother. As such, Freesia-sans grandchild is like Mothers grandchild...... That is such an absurd reasoning. Yes. It is far fetched. Uwaa~ Living as a member of the Royal Family of Yggurle Kingdom, there arent many chances to come into contact with children. Even under normal circumstances, it was difficult for Elves to bear children, and since the youngest in the Royal Family was Mimir-sama, she wants to hold a baby even if it was another persons child. Fuu, so, in the end? You should let them take care of the babies., it seems. Freesia-san I can barely understand, but it looks like the head of a noble family, and a queen plan to take over the roles of wet nurses. ......I have to write to Dante-san and King Yggurle. *** Footnotes: 1. The way Takumi refers to Mimir will be changed to Mimir-sama when theyre in a private setting mostly to show more familiarity since the Queen will be called Madam Lumia. TLN C This is the end of Volume 10. Thank you very much for reading and supporting all the way to this point. I will see you all in the next update. Please take care and, once again, thank you. Chapter 540: Creating toys (Volume 11 START) Chapter 540: Creating toys (Volume 11 START) Recently, it feels like Sophia, Maria, and Marnies stomachs have been getting bigger, so its been hard for me to relax in the living room even though its my home, and so the workshop has become the place where I could feel at ease. The reason was, of course, because the living room was often the location of the tea party held by Madam Elizabeth, Freesia-san, and Madam Lumia. Theres a perfectly good place right next door, why did it have to be at my house? Especially Madam Lumia. Please just have your tea parties at Mimirs house. My stomach wont last. Takumi-sama, you also have it rough. I apologize for Mother. I received consolation from Laeva who was working in the workshop. Sophia apologized for Freesia-sans actions, but shes not to blame for that. Of course, I knew that Freesia-san had no ill will and was just excited about having a grandchild. However, her actions were just a bit extreme. The living room was occupied by the three mothers, so I was often in the workshop. As a result, Sophia, Maria, and Marnie spent a lot of their time in the workshop too. The dreary atmosphere of the workshop wasnt ideal for my pregnant wives, so we added tables and a sofa there. The workshop is spacious, so there was a lot of room. Do you know what Freesia-san and Madam Elizabeth are doing right now? Eh? Arent they having tea in the living room? I dont know why she was grinning as she asked that, but they should have been having a tea party in our living room. Fufu, a tea party is a tea party, but theyre also knitting. Ah, knitting...... wait, could it be? They are knitting socks for our babies. What!? I changed the color and types of hanging ornaments and made three similar crib mobiles. I could hear the voices of Maria and the others who were sitting on the sofa a short distance away. Takumi-sama is making something yet again. It is Takumi-samas job to create things, after all. But ever since he learned of our pregnancies, it feels like he had lost all self control. Fufu, isnt that good? Its all for our babies. Just as Maria had said, even I dont think I have any self control. But there are very few things that a father can do. Maybe thats why. Now then, should I make the building blocks too? The building blocks would be fine as long as I cut wood into squares, triangles, cylinders, and circles, so it was done in no time at all. Oh yeah. I should make something that babies can bite. Ive heard that when a baby starts teething, it would bite into all sorts of things. I made it by altering the shape and firmness, and making it using safe materials. Ah, maybe I should make a rattle. Would a roly-poly doll be too outdated? In the end, I made every last baby toy that I saw in my old world. After that, Sophia and the others asked me to restrain myself, but I dont regret it. We just have to make sure that Papeck-san doesnt find out about them. *** Chapter 541: A Quiet Day Chapter 541: A Quiet Day These days Ive come to think that Madam Elizabeth and Freesia-san being here was normal, and we were relaxing in the garden and having tea while enjoying nature. By the way, Madam Lumia was living on Mimir-samas mansion. Not that it changes how much the Madams were having tea parties at my house though...... Sophia, Maria, and Marnies stomachs were becoming fuller. I had thought that Sophia would be stressed about being restricted from intense movement, but she didnt looked stressed, perhaps because she was swayed by Freesia-san or had some stress relief. It was evident that Maria was genuinely happy about becoming a mother. In particular, she was diligently sewing and knitting baby items. Perhaps because Marnie had the lightest of morning sickness from the three, she was also enjoying this period until the baby is born. Apparently, having minor morning sickness is a species trait of a Beastkin. As I gazed at the scenery in the garden while drinking my tea, three ladies drinking tea at a table a slight distance away in the same garden came to view. For some reason, sitting on their knees were the Cat Sith Lala, Catkin Sara, and Human Colette. Look now, Lala-chan, you have some on your mouth. This cake is yummy nya! Sara-chan, this cake over here is delicious too. Nya! Lots of cake nya! Sirona-chan, we have juice too. Thank you, Lumia-sama. The sight of the adorable little girl squad took hold Madam Elizabeth, Freesia-san, and Madam Lumias hearts. Well, its not like were the first ones to have children be born in the Sanctuary, but to these children, we were special. As I thought that in a carefree manner, Vanga-san and Martha-san paid us a visit. Hey Takumi, we wanted to give some rabbit. We also brought some eggs, Takumi-chan. We have to give Sophia-chan and the others strength. Thank you very much.. Vanga-san, Martha-san, please have some tea as well. Vanga-san had four rabbits in both hands, and Martha-san was carrying a basket of eggs. Just as before he immigrated to the Sanctuary, Vanga-san was still a hunter. Martha-san bred chicken-like birds and produced eggs at my request. The maids took the gifts that Vanga-san and Martha-san had brought with them, and our new guests joined us. Still, Takumi-chan will be a father~. It feels almost like my own grandchildren will be born. What, theyre our grandchildren all the same. Were pretty much Takumis parents. Haha, you could say that. In fact, Vanga-san and Martha-san had warmly and unconditionally accepted me, who didnt know right or left, when I first came to this world. It scares me to think what would have happened had these two not been here. There were many who have ill will towards me, but Im really blessed to have met good people. *** Chapter 542: Fathers are useless Chapter 542: Fathers are useless As my wives pregnant bellies grew larger, Sylph, Undine, Dryas, and Selene visited my mansion more often. This showed that their due dates were approaching. In the end, Freesia-san did not return to Yggurle Kingdom even once, and no choice but to ask to write a letter to Dante-san. Of course, both Sophia and I wrote letters explaining the situation to Dante-san. Dante-san wrote back saying that that he was sorry for imposing but he would like us to let Freesia-san stay until she feels like it. Seeing Freesia-sans domineer, Dante-san must have been because of Dante-sans tolerance. ...... or so I would like to think. Madam Elizabeth also showed no signs of returning to the Royal Capital. From time to time, Viscount Packard would visit Madam Elizabeth and Charlotte, but Madam Elizabeth herself does not want to go back. She is a noble of Valkyra Kingdom, will she be alright? And Madam Lumia. As to be expected, she is the Queen of Yggurle Kingdom, so I thought it was impossible for her to live in the Sanctuary, but...... shes only gone back a couple of times, and after a few days in Yggurle Kingdom, she comes back with more personal belongings. Madam Lumias personal maids increased, and she said she would be retire and stay with Mimir-sama in the Sanctuary. That Madam Lumia seemed to like the Cat Sith sisters Miri and Lala, and I often see her cuddling them. And so, while passing the average day like any other, the time finally came. Sophia went into labor. Wait! Dont walk around the corridor like a restless bear! Thats right nya. Takumi-sama, calm down nya. Ah, yeah, sorry. Restless and unable to calm down In front of the door Sophia was in, I was scolded by Akane and Lulu-chan. Laeva came with drinks, the maids brought food, and Charlotte delivered documents. The last one displeased me though. Perhaps because it was a first for me in both lives Ive lived, or maybe because I was frustrated with how useless I was, but this went on for six hours. I dont know how long it would take, or what the average even was. Then, while I was talking to Freesia-san, Akane, Lulu-chan, and Laeva, it happened. Waaah! Waaah! Waaah! We all stood up immediately and watched the door. The door opened and Maribelle came out. Congratulations, Master. Its a healthy baby girl. Sophia-sama is also safe. Congratulations, Takumi. Congratulations nya. Congratulations! S-she did it!! I was so happy I jumped for joy. That got me scolded by Maribelle and Freesia-san, but I couldnt help it. *** Footnotes: 1. Chapter 543: First Child Chapter 543: First ChildFor assurance, please use purification. Gotcha. Instructed by Maribelle to use purification magic, I casted it on everyone. You may enter the room now, but I request that you keep quiet. I know. I entered the room quietly, and there Sophia was, lying on the bed, embracing our newborn child. I could tell that Sophia was, as to be expected, exhausted, but she was brimming with a tender love. Here, Takumi-kun, hold her. Takumi-sama, please carry her in your arms. O-okay. Urged by Freesia-san and Sophia, I nervously held the baby. So small. A being so utterly helpless, unable to sustain itself without its parents protection. The second the baby was in my arms, my first thought was that I had to protect it. Unlike a mother who it had spent a long time with, it was the instant that the baby was placed into my arms that I realize I am a father. Thank you, Sophia. Yes, I would also like to thank you as well, Takumi-sama. I looked at our newborn child again. Perhaps because she was a girl, her hair was already long even though she was just born. Her hair shined just like my silver hair. Still, did she look more like Sophia? She was just born so Im not sure. Mm, her ears are long too. Yes. Even I was dejected, the Great Spirits, Freesia-san, and Madam Lumia surrounded the baby. Clap, clap, clap! Ears please everyone, Sophia-sama and the little baby are tired. Please come again tomorrow to meet them. Unable to watch more, Maribelle took the baby from them and placed her on the bed, then made everyone leave the room. Indeed. We have been inconsiderate, shall we head to the living room? Very well. We have to come up with a list. Fufu, leave it to me. Okay, let us convene while having tea cakes in the living room. And so, Madam Lumia seemed to have decided on something and made a proposition. Then Sylph and Dryas agreed, and even Selene said they should talk while having snacks. Undine had already begun considering something. I escorted Madam Lumia and the Great Spirits out the room. It could be that they are considering names. ...... I think there was no doubt about that. Mother left alongside them. Wait, the name of our first child will be given by Sophia and I. W-well, would it not be a good idea to have a variety of names to consider? Hmm, you have a point. I dont know how naming works in this world, so it would help to use those as reference. Indeed. It would be an honor to receive names for consideration from the Great Spirits and Madam Lumia. I dont know if there were rules to giving names. There might be things to consider based on race or clan. I would love it if we could choose it ourselves, but Ill have to borrow everyones wisdom here. *** Chapter 544: Naming Dispute Chapter 544: Naming DisputeSophia slept because she was exhausted, so I left the room and went to the living room. There, I saw that they had disregarded Sophia and I, and were considering names for the baby. I still think that a name related to Wind Spirits would be good. Oh my, it would be even better if its a name connected to water. Fufu, I believe a plant or flower-based name would be nice~. Shes a girl, after all. Light, light would be good. She has dazzling silver hair. First on the list was Sylph, then Undine, Dryas, and Selene all went and insisted on names that were related to their respective attributes. ......what names are associated with the darkness or night? No, darkness wont do. This should be a manly fire. Is your head alright, Salamander? The child born is a girl. I believe a name associated with the land and earth would be most suitable. For some reason, without realizing it, even Nyx, Salamander, and Gnome were participating. Wait, Nyx. I also dont think too favorably towards names with darkness and night. My apologies to the Great Spirits, but I would like to choose the name of my grandchild. Oh my, it is the first child to be blessed by the Great Spirits, even including Yggurle Kingdom. Would that not mean that, I, the Queen, should be the godmother? Freesia-san and Madam Lumia overcame their social ranks and kept each other in check. A godmother~ How nice. Lulu will also think nya Hoho, godmother has such a nice ring to it. Akane, Lulu-chan, and even Laeva were excited. Ill say it as many times as I need to, but its Sophias and my child...... It was then that Jeeves informed me that there were guests. How about Flora~? I think she will grow up as beautiful as a flower~ What do you think about Tempesta? It sounds strong. No can do, Sylph. Shes a girl. Dryass naming sense was not bad at all. Flora...... that could be it.. Come on Sylph, Tempesta is a no go. Obviously I wouldnt name my daughter that. It didnt catch on as Undine had rejected it. What do you think about Ymir? Madam Lumia, there is an issue with that. Madam Lumia recommended a name that extends to her own and Mimir-samas name. And of course, Freesia-san said no to that. Lumielle is nice. Its suitable for a dazzling child. ......Etoile is pretty. Lumielle, huh. Selenes naming sense is pretty good. Surprisingly, Nyxs Etoile isnt bad either. How about Haruka? The kanji for it is nice, and its a very girly name, right? Haruka nya? Is it a name from your hometown, Akane-dono? Now that I think about it, Kaede and Tsubaki are also like that. Haruka? What a pretty name. Akane recommended a very Japanese name. Just as Laeva had said, Kaede and Tsubaki were also Japanese names, so it wasnt bad. In the end, the godparent competition being held in the living room had to be postponed. The reason for that being...... Maria complained about labor pains. *** Chapter 545: All three…… Chapter 545: All three...... Marias delivery must have been relatively easier. Freesia-san said that Sophia also had it on the easier side for her first delivery. And what was most surprising was my Rabbitkin wife, Marnie. A characteristic of Beastkin was an easy childbirth, and as a result, when she felt the contractions, she gave birth soon after. Yes, instead of deciding a name for the child Sophia gave birth to, we now have to come up with names for three. The baby Maria had given birth to is an adorable girl with cherry blossom pink hair, maybe because of Marias red hair and my silver hair. The baby Marnie gave birth to has nearly white silver hair and rabbit ears, and it was also a girl. Yes, all three babies were girls. I thought it was okay because I was just glad that all three were born safe and sound, but Sophia and the others thought that the next boy should inherit the Iruma name. But three girls, huh...... I dont want them to marry. Is it crazy of me to already be having these thoughts when theyve only just been born. No, I think this is normal. And the naming issue was reignited. The three are now born, so lets consider it once more. Indeed. Be it Human or Rabbitkin, they will be blessed equaly. It is no problem for us to name them either. Fufu, Takumi-chan, leave it to these Oneechans. Once again, Sylph, Undine, and Dryas were excited. I have a chance too. Madam Lumia, I believe I, the grandmother, take precedence though. Freesia-san chided Madam Lumia who has yet to give up on becoming a godmother. Now, now, the opinion of the mothers are important too, so how about we discuss this with everyone? Agreed. Between an adult like myself and a baby, theres a huge difference in sucking strength, so it would be hard to perfect it, but Id be able to get it to an acceptable level. I enchanted it to remove the rubbery smell, and its complete, so I transmuted both the baby bottle and the teat at the same time. Teats are consumable, so I made plenty of those. Once I had finished transmuting and enchanting them, Maribelle came to call me. So you were here, Master. The childrens names have been decided. Eh? As I said, the childrens names have been decided. Wh- h-how about me? I didnt understand the meaning of the words that Maribelle spoke to me, and so she put emphasis on the same words she spoke. Master was nowhere to be seen, so everyone thought you had gone to the workshop to make something. Then, you should have called me! No, Masters opinion does not carry much weight, and so it was agreed upon that it would be reported to you post-facto. ............ I collapsed, heartbroken. Who would have thought I would not be involved with the naming of my children...... actually no, its not surprising. If its my opinion vs Sophias, Marias, and Marnies, then I have no doubt their opinion would be taken anyway. Im not just making excuses because I lost or anything. *** Footnotes: 1. Chapter 546d: The names have been decided Chapter 546d: The names have been decidedWhen I left the workshop and headed to the room everyone was in, Akane was writing down the name of a child on paper. Sophias baby girl, whose silver hair was rare even for Elves, her name is Etoile. The pink haired baby girl that Maria had given birth to, Haruka. The silver-haired, rabbit-eared baby girl that Marnie had given birth to, it was decided her name would be Flora. I was dumbfounded when I saw the paper with the chosen names that were decided without any involvement from me. Well, I think these are good names. If I remember correctly, Etoile meant Star. It has a nice ring to it. I also have no issues with Haruka and Floras names either though, theyre also pretty names. If possible, I would have liked to at least been told before it was decided. Freesia-san was attached to the baby cot that Etoile was placed in. Im sure shes elated. She was smiling while poking Etoiles cheek. For some reason, Madam Elizabeth, who should have been unrelated to all this, was charmed by Haruka grabbing her finger. And perhaps because she recognized that they were both Beastkin, Lulu-chan looked so happy rocking Flora. It looks like Lulu-chan is her big sister. Takumi-sama, Im sorry. No, its fine. Theyre good names. Sophia apologized profusely, but this isnt my wives fault. Right, lets just assume that this world doesnt have the custom of the father naming the child. Yup, that would be better for my mental health. Dont scold Sophia. Etoile was a name granted by the Great Spirits. There is no greater honor than this for an Elf. No, Im not scolding her. But that is irrelevant here in this world where magic exists. After all, purifying magic exists. I easily transmuted a suitable metal box (I chose mithril alloy after considering the weight. It also doesnt rust.) and inserted a purifying magic device into it. I also prepared a container to store breastmilk and enchanted it with State Preservation so microorganisms wouldnt propagate in the milk. The baby bottles and its accessories were well received by the new mothers, Freesia-san, Maribelle, and the maids who were in charge of the babies. Additionally, the disposable diapers that they were once reluctant to use because it would be wasteful were now accepted for their convenience, and mostly how baby friendly it was. They were also delighted by the trash bin exclusively for the disposal of said diapers. Newborn babies have poor eyesight, so I thought it was still too early for a baby mobile, but Sophia and the others were thankful for the toys such as the baby rattle. Ah! I forgot about the carrier and sling for carrying babies! Takumi-sama, Laevas tribe uses a large piece of cloth. Ahh, right, there were those too. But I was thinking of something that was simpler and more secure. Well, I thought youd say that. Master, leave the fabric to Kaede! Laeva was appalled, and Kaede jumped out from the Subspace and volunteered to help. Now the highest quality cloth will be produced. Aside from Kaede and I who headed to the workshop, everyone came together to start preparations for the feast in the Sanctuary. Am I the only one who feels like this is definitely going to become something important? *** Chapter 547: Grand Unveiling Chapter 547: Grand Unveiling The babies debut was settled a week later. I was opposed to introducing the babies were who were not even one month old to a multitude of people, but Sylph and the others said that it wasnt reckless if done within the Sanctuary. Takumi, youre too fussy. We, the Great Spirits, have bestowed our blessings upon them. ......yes. We will protect them. Even Selene and Nyx had given their stamp of approval. Wouldnt it be better if it was at least two months after? was what I was thinking though. Then on the third day, four days before the feast, Sylph said that the Wind Spirits were so overjoyed that an offspring was born to Yggurle Kingdoms Sylphide family, and that Dante-san was coming all the way to the Sanctuary to meet Etoile. Jeez! That guy! Neglecting the territory to come! Wait, is it not about time you head home, Mother? What are you saying, Sophia? Do you want me to live a life where I cant see Etoiles adorable face? When Freesia-san heard that Dante-san was coming to the Sanctuary, she uttered words that made me doubt if she was a noble lady. Hearing this, Sophia suggested that it was nearly time for her to return, but she really doesnt want to go home at all. One shouldnt interfere with a parent-child conversations, right? I went around the Sanctuary to work on the banquet preparations. In the breweries, barrels of wine, ale, and whiskey were being selected. Gnome and Golan-san were in charge of this. And at the plaza in the central district where the Spirit Tree and my mansion were located, the Dwarves made tables and chairs. Thanks, Sylph. Ill meet him after speaking with Freesia-san. Using Tsubakis carriage, I headed to the the outer district where the Lodge is located near the entrance to the Sanctuary. Im sorry about this, Takumi-kun. Ive troubled you by making you come out to pick me up. Not at all, Dante-san, you are my Father-in-law, so please do not think that you are a bother. You really are kind, Takumi-kun. You should have just let that guy pass through the gate and walk. Ha, haha...... Freesia-san was displeased because she hated being away from Etoile for even a moment. At first, she even said that there was no need to pick him up. But it would take a long time to walk from the entrance all the way to the central district. Perhaps Freesia-san wasnt being serious...... she wasnt, right? After securing accommodations for Dante-san, his coachman, and his guard, we returned to the mansion with Dante-san. ............ .................. The atmosphere was heavy in the carriage. Freesia-san was displeased, and Dante-san was uncomfortable. What should I do? *** Chapter 548: Unveiling Banquet Chapter 548: Unveiling Banquet In the mansion, Dante-sans face crumbled at the sight of Etoile. The proper and graceful elf grinned sloppily as he gazed at his granddaughters face. Why does Freesia-san not want to hand over Etoile to Dante-san who just wants to hold their granddaughter. Their relationship should have been good though...... There was the issue of whether Dante-san was going to stay at the Lodge or in the same room as Freesia-san in my mansion. They were a normal couple, so I assumed it was alright if they stayed in the same room, but Freesia-san seemed to want to monopolize Etoile as much as she could, so she told Dante-san to stay in the lodge, and so they quarreled a lot. In the end, it was decided that they would stay in the same room together for a few days, but I looked away from their competition for Etoile. By the way, Haruka and Flora were also well loved by the maids and the women of the Sancutary. Also, Madam Elizabeth and Madam Lumia favored Etoile, Flora, and Haruka equally. On that day, there was an innumerable amount of Spirits in the Sanctuary, they were flying and dancing all around in joy. Flowers were in full bloom, and the gentle breeze wafted their scent throughout the sanctuary. Inside the Cathedral built at the central district of the Sanctuary, light passed through the stained glass and illuminating the interior with various colors. The symphony of violins, violas, and cellos played by the Sanctuarys own orchestral band resounded within the Cathedral. Those gathered in this venue were the Elves, Dwarves, Cat Siths, and children who first immigrated, the Mermaids with Fluna-san, and the Aligerous Tribe with Berkut. Naturally, Vanga-san and Martha-san, who were the first people I encountered in this world, were also present. Madam Lumia, Madam Elizabeth, Charlotte and my aids, as well as the maids and butlers in my employ joined us as well. Just for today, even the servants working in the Volton Mansion were in attendance, and the patrol was left to the Security Golems. My in-laws Dante-san and Freesia-san. When Sophia, Maria, and Marnie came out of the Cathedral with Etoile, Haruka, and Flora in their arms, the Sanctuary residents cheered and scattered flower petals on them. Under the watchful gaze of the residents, we walked around in order to introduce Etoile, Haruka, and Flora. We received the blessings of all the residents who were unable to fit in the Cathedral. Will this happen every time a child of mine is born? Was I the only one who thought that this was far too grandiose for commoner children? After that, the mothers and the babies returned to the mansion, and the banquet started. All sorts of food and alcohol was served, and the banquet continued throughout the night. Be it Human, Beastkin, Elf, Dwarf, Mermaid, Aligerous, Cat Sith, or Fairie, everyone celebrated the childrens births and enjoyed the banquet. In this occasion, there were no nobles, no commoners, and no racial disputes. Etoile, Haruka, and Floras unveiling banquet continued till dusk the next day. If theres a next time, Ill make it a little bit more compact. *** Footnotes: 1. Chapter 549: Respective Responses Chapter 549: Respective ResponsesAll around the Sanctuary, hungover people were passed out drunk here and there. As to be expected, the Dwarves were cleaning up after the feast as if nothing happened. Naturally, Undine and the rest of the Great Spirits wouldnt suffer from a hangover, and so were functioning like normal. What I do know is that Papeck-san found out that the children had been born. Of course he would. Baby products lined the Capital store, so he knew that Sophia and the other were pregnant. As such, with the passing days and months, it was only natural that they would give birth. The shop manager in charge of our Capital store had sent word to us that Papeck-san was coming to the Sanctuary to congratulate us. Even though there was no need to come all the way to the Sanctuary to congratulate us, but Papeck-san himself was coming. Because of that, I couldnt say much because the information leaked to the important people of the country. Royal Castle, Valkyra Kingdom Valkyra Kingdoms Prime Minister Simon obtained practically accurate information from the intelligence division regarding the Papeck Company Presidents movements. The Papeck Company President is transporting a large amount of packages to the Sanctuary? Yes. And the store that Iruma-dono operates in the Royal Capital is marketing several products for infants. ...... Iruma-dono is having a child? Highly likely...... Even Simon thought that any toy related goods would sell well. If toy-related goods were included in the product list, it would be natural to assume that they were developed out of necessity for Takumi. I must consult with His Majesty, but we must prepare a congratulatory item. Then I will tail the Papeck Company President. Papeck also knew that Takumi creates egg based desserts, so he was certain that Takumi would be happy with the chickens. And so, the Papeck Companys caravan travelled from the Royal Capital and arrived at Volton, then more carriages extended the line and they departed for Wedgefort. The people who witnessed this noticed that this was headed in the direction of the Sanctuary. They couldnt be sure if it was a normal trade or not, but Margrave Volton was aware that Takumis store had recently been selling baby products. With that in mind, it was easy to deduce what the actions of the Papeck Company signify. Inside the Volton castle, the lord presiding over this estate, Godwin, and his chamberlain, Xervus, were in the middle of a discussion, brainstorming ideas. It seems a child has been born to Iruma-dono. Yes. I believe that to be so. ......finding a congratulatory gift is challenging. Yes. Iruma-sama is capable of obtaining most things he desires by himself. Hmm, ah, right. How about some Treant Wood? That is a wonderful idea, milord. Iruma-sama is able to gather Treant himself, but he has become busy. Coming to the Forest of Death to hunt them himself would be too time consuming, surely he would be pleased with this. Ohh, excellent. Ive heard that the Sanctuary has become more populated and the number of buildings have increased. Hell be in want of any amount of durable Treant Wood. As a result, Margrave Volton gave Takumi a large number of Treant Wood, though it was questionable whether such a gift was appropriate for the celebration of a childs birth. Takumi, whose stock in the Item Box was diminishing, was overjoyed by this gift. *** Chapter 550: Fathers are weak to their daughters Chapter 550: Fathers are weak to their daughters You can tell the corners of my eyes naturally drop. When I hold Etoile, Haruka, and Flora, I could really feel the weight of a life. How slack and loose. Nyaa, it cant be helped nya. Even Lulu cant get over their cuteness nya. As I was carrying Etoile, Akane appeared. Lulu-chan adored Flora, who was a Beastkin just like her. If youre already like that now, youll be in trouble when the girls marry. They wont get married, hmph! Wait, hmph...... Akanes gaze felt a bit chilly, but that didnt matter to me. If these cutie patooties get married...... ah, I dont want to think about it. Master, fathers arent all too involved in raising children.. Eh! Is that so!? A-ah, Im sorry, Im sorry, Etoile. I spoke too loud all of a sudden. As I was holding onto Etoile, Maribelle informed me that fathers dont help much with the raising of children. It would seem that in this world, childcare is the duty of mothers, wet nurses, and maids. But I cant agree with this. Unlike mothers who brought to life a baby in their stomach for a long time, fathers feel a sense of fatherhood the first time they hold the baby. I appealed to Maribelle that it was important to be participate in raising the child so they will develop a strong, and loving bond. Wouldnt that be fine, Maribelle? Sebastian-san...... This is the Sanctuary, not a single resident would be critical of Master. Rather, the sight of Master taking care of the little ladies would be accepted by the residents. Its not that I want to stick with the kids all the time, but just overlook it a bit. Haa, it cant be helped then. But please do some work. Chharlotte-san is looking for you. Urk, o-okay. The moment I finished all the documents, Laeva spoke up. We received word from the Capital Store that the stock of diapers and bins were selling at an astronomical pace. As such, it is urgently needed. Umm, it cant wait till tomorrow? No, it can not. Now then, I will assist you, so lets be on our way. Uwaa! Etoileeee! Floraa! Harukaaaa! Laeva dragged me by the arm into the workshop...... I guess Ive got no choice. Lets do our best to finish fast. Thats the spirit. With Laevas help, we made a large number of diapers and bins. Okay! With this much, it should be enough for a while. Good job. I ran out of the workshop as soon as everything was done and went directly to my babies. But Maribelle stopped me at the door. My apologies. The children have just fallen asleep, so please refrain from waking them up. N-no way...... I fell to my knees right then and there. I cant do anything if they just started sleeping. Sleeping is part of a babys job. I will brew some tea for you, please come to the living room. ......okay. Its okay, they should wake up soon, right? *** Chapter 551: Another Birth At the time when Takumis children were born and the Sanctuary was in a festive mood, in the city at the border of the former Sydnia Empire, an evil child was given birthed. In that city at the border, it was dead silent. Not a light could be seen at night, only darkness spread. Yes, there was not even a single person in that city, a ghost town. The reason being............ Away from the city, the church...... in the location of what was once the church of the former Light God Faith was in decay and crumbling down. And in the spot where the altar should have been, a huge tree-like lump of meat stood. It was a sinister tree with countless faces and body parts on its surface. Indeed, the large tree, which originated from the fragment of the Evil Spirit that the priests of the now defunct Light God Faith had offered sacrifices to, had grown so much that it looked so ominous with miasma so dense its visible to the naked eye. There were no more people there. No, nothing existed. In this place devoid of people, a being that was hardly human-like was taking care of the solidified meat tree. That caretaker, which was something close to a human but was enveloped in dense miasma that people would have unable to endure, and had deviated in some way from humans, like having four arms, more than two legs, and even multiple heads, was loitering around the meat tree to take care of it. Crick! A small crack appeared on the surface of the cocoon, eventually extending the length of it. Boosh! With the sound of glass shattering, the cocoons shell burst open. The hands protruding from the meat tree reached in and held up a dark-skinned, red-haired baby. Without a cry or a sob, the infant slowly opened its eyes, revealing its shining red pupils. The beings that were once human in the meat tree rejoiced at the birth of the child. They could no longer speak human words. They only amounted to scream, yet there was no doubt that they were overjoyed. The people of the world did not notice. The vestige of the Evil Spirit that once caused the fall of a nation and plunged the continent into chaos was growing...... *** Chapter 552: Mass Celebration It shouldnt have been that long since Etoile, Haruka, and Flora were born, yet there was a massive amount of gifts that arrived from the Papeck Company. Moreover, Papeck-san himself came as a bonus. Sylph notified me of this. Takumi, the usual old merchant is coming closer with a line of carriages. The usual old merchant, do you mean Papeck-san? I wonder why hes coming by with a number of carriages at this time? We regularly sell products wholesale to the Papeck Company. But most of the time, those deliveries were sent to their Volton store or the Royal Capital store. Additionally, we sell small quantities of Sanctuary-made wine and whiskey to Papeck-san when he comes by, but I cant think of any reason why he would come with a line of carriages. The population in the Sanctuary had increased, but it was able to be self sufficient. It didnt need to import large amounts of produce from outside. Eggs and dairy products like cheese were the exception, but that was about it. Ive also been informed by Sylph that there were some old folk are escorting the caravan. They were with me when I came to Volton for the very first time, and I had been under their care multiple times. Heath-san, Lyle-san, and Bogah-san of the Lions Fang were coming. Takumi, without even thinking about it too much, arent those congratulatory gifts? You were the reason why their store became huge. If you have a child, then isnt it a given that he would send one or two gifts? Wait, but theres a line of carriages, you know? Theres no way those are all gifts...... right? Different from the usual, Heath-san and the high rank adventurer party Lions Fang were even hired as escorts, could it be because they were carrying a large amount of gifts? Haha, no way...... did someone already tell Papeck-san that my children were born? Shouldnt you go out and meet them? Right. There might be a problem if we let this parade of carriages in with Papeck-san. Bring Kaede and Titan with you. Ill do that then. The mountain of goods were, thankfully enough, clothing and underwear for the residents of the Sanctuary. And the chickens and cheese that I wanted. Ooh, chickens. These cant go into storage, please send these to the mansion instead. Master, pudding, I want pudding. Yeah, Kaede, I know you like pudding so Ill make a huge one just for you. Yaaaay! In the Sanctuary, eggs were precious, so I couldnt use them for desserts that much. The number of chickens increased, so from now on, I might be able to use eggs for more dishes and desserts. I ordered the golem to handle that specific crate separately. Papeck-san, these are all things I wanted. Thank you. Ha ha ha, weve been trading for many years. Takumi-sama, I know what would make you happy. Lyle-san seemed to be itching to talk to me, but Heath-san and Bogah-san were glaring at him, so he gave up and went back to helping unload the cargo. Well, I plan to invite them over to the mansion later, so we can leave it for then. I asked Titan to bring Heath-san and others to my home later, and Papeck-san and I headed there first. *** Chapter 553: Consecutive Congratulatory Gifts I returned to the mansion with Papeck-san. Papeck-san said he wanted to see my children, so I thought about showing him into the room where all the babies beds were, but Sophia and the others were at the living room at that exact time. Ohh, they are all daughters? You must be worried about the future, Takumi-sama. Please stop, Papeck-san. Theyve only just been born. Not at all. You see, children grow up so quickly. It seems Papeck-san has already married off a daughter. He said he happy with his daughters marriage, but he seemed even lonelier remembering that that time. My son, I raised him strictly so he could succeed the company, and so, at a certain age, our relationship was more of superior and subordinate than father and son. He said that in the Papeck Company Royal Capital Branch. Papeck-sans son was training. Papeck-san travels back and forth between Volton, Capital, and the Sanctuary, so he does not have much time with his family. In particular, his relationship with his heir was less familial and more business-like. Ha, haha, it must be hard being the president of a huge company. That was all I could say. Even so, the gifts you gave is really helpful, Papeck-san. It makes me happy you say that. The multitude of gifts that Papeck-san had given today were things that anyone would appreciate. Even with clothing, what we wear are made from Kaedes threads. They were high class clothing that I wouldnt know the cost of if put out into the outside world. Wappa and the kids were provided a set of clothes for all four seasons, and sometimes I buy clothes from the Papeck Company for the residents, but even so, the amount he gave us this time was a huge help. With those, maybe we can make a clothing store in the Sanctuary. For daily necessities like dinnerware, the residents basically make it themselves, but that wasnt possible for the children, and there were people who arent good with their hands either. And the dairy products, I would like some on a regular basis. I dont mind if theyre a little bit on the expensive side. If it is alright with you, how about transporting cows? Ohh! A Milqueen!? It seems even Papeck-san knew about it. You also know about it? Yes. It is known as the mythical milk. It is something not even royalty is able to consume! If its that delicious, then Im sure it will sell in at the Capital, but Ive never seen it. That is a given, Takumi-sama. According to Papeck-san, a Milqueen is three times the size of a normal cow. However, because of its gentle temperament, it was easily preyed upon by other monsters. Now that their numbers had fallen, they only inhabit remote areas with fewer powerful monsters. As to be expected, using long distance teleportation on a Milqueen would be challenging. Indeed... wait, isnt that also impossible for me? What are you saying? If its you, then it would be simple, no? Well, its pretty easy for me to teleport, I guess? Then Master, Ill leave it to you. I will arrange the construction of a ranch and proceed with selection of caretakers. Ah, Maribelle! ......aaaand shes gone. Give up. Its for babies. Ah, right, right. A line of carriages loaded with Margrave Voltons gifts are fast approaching. Say that first! I hurried to the gate to meet them. *** Chapter 554: Reunion with the Lion’s Fang The congratulatory gift that Margrave Volton sent was a large amount of Treant wood. The Dwarves and Elves were overjoyed by it. As to be expected, lugging a large amount of Treant wood to the warehouse was a huge ordeal, so I stored everything in my Item Box for the time being. Now, it cant be helped if the capacity of my Item Box was being exposed as unusual. At the Lodge, I was able to meet some old friends. They were the members of the Lions Fang who accepted the escort commission of Papeck-sans caravan, as well as escorting his partys safe return. Hey hey, Takumi, so youre already a father of three, huh? I havent even gotten married yet, man. Arent Heath-san and Bogah-san both married men too? Heath and Bogah are the same age so its fine. You are a hellava lot younger than me, arent ya? Its been a while since Ive met the three members of the Lions Fang, but Lyle-san was already picking a fight. Hes was much older than me, but his bad attitude was still the same as ever.. Lyle, stop trying to fight with Takumi. You keep chasing the tails of those women from brothels. ......its better if you actually make an effort in finding a wife. I love them jiggle jiggles! Jiggle jiggle...... I cant take you seriously if you say that stuff. Shut it! I will marry those sexy oneechans! Lyle-san yelled at the top of his lungs as he exited the room. He probably went out to drink. Heath-san and Bogah-san just shook their heads in disappointment. The fact that Lyle-san was still acting the same was nostalgic and that made me happy. Still, youre a dad now huh. Were getting old. Heath-san, you guys are still young. Especially Lyle-san. Haha, it would be nice if Lyle settled down some. ......he just chases tail. ......its rare to have a Dwarven blacksmith at the border. As we talked about our latest updates, Heath-san suddenly looked serious. Hey, when Bogah and I retire, can we move here? Umm, will you be immigrating? Yeah, we wont always be young. Its not just me who wants to raise my child in a safe environment, Bogah feels the same. ............ Bogah-san nodded along as Heath-san spoke. They had apparently saved up a lot of money from being high ranking adventurers. Since their children were still small, they considered changing from high risk jobs to normal ones. As a profession, being an adventurer comes with so many risks that it wouldnt be strange to lose your life at any given time. Thats why only the handful of people who have been adventurers for a long time are high level adventurers. Even if its said that you live longer the higher your level is, but were not at that level. No Heath-san, you guys are the top party in Volton, arent you? Even if were at the top, we cant compare to your group. Actually, I would love it if a high ranking party like Heath-san and Bogah-san immigrates to the Sanctuary. I may have made Wappa and the kids power level a bit, but I couldnt teach them fighting skills which include handling swords and spears. Im too busy to do so. If its the dependable Heath-san and Bogah-san, they were the most suitable for teaching in between jobs in the Sanctuary. If talks go well with your party, we will welcome you. I can contact you by way of Papeck-san. Thanks, Takumi. I will discuss it with my family too. ......thanks. I will also try talking to my family. Heath-san and Bogah-san seemed serious. I wonder if their wives would be able to adapt from their life in Volton City to the life in the Sanctuary. Papeck-san was busy with work, so they stayed overnight and the next day, he returned to Volton with the Lions Fang escorting him. *** Chapter 555: Pursuit for the Finest Milk After giving a return gift and letter to Papeck-san and Margrave Volton for their gifts, Maribelle instructed me to search for the Miqueen. I thought it would still be a long ways off before my babies drink anything other than breastmilk, but Maribelle said it would be nice if the residents were able to obtain dairy products easily in the Sanctuary, and I heard that the ranch and accompanying facilities were already under construction. So asked if the monster known as a Milqueen was really docile, and Selene and Undine said that they were really safe as long as they werent harmed. And there was a reasonable explanation as to why Miqueens arent extinct yet even though they were docile. Firstly, smaller animals would find it hard to attack if it resisted. It was similar to how elephants and rhinos were rarely attacked. And secondly, while it may be huge, the Milqueen is known to have the finest of milk but its meat did not taste good at all. Even carnivorous monsters wouldnt attack Miqueens because of the taste of its meat wasnt worth the effort of hunting it, unless they were desperately hungry. And surprisingly, Miqueens dont need reproductive behavior. I dont know if its hermaphroditism, they can produce children with just females. Its a monster, so it wasnt strange for it to have characteristics different from animals. Actually, it wasnt rare for this type to survive in the vicious struggle for existence. There is one other trait that the Miqueen has. They dont need to have children to produce milk. Normally, dairy cows produce milk when they give birth to a calf, but Miqueens produce milk without fail all year round. Then Maribelle strongly suggested catching a Milqueen. Master, how about leaving the ranch to Heath-sama and Bogah-sama? Umm, wouldnt that be after they retire as adventurers? Of course, it may be difficult to do so immediately, but I do believe they want to immigrate soon. Hee~~ Master, there are many unmarried women in the Sanctuary. Ah!? It was only after Maribelle said it that I realized. The Sanctuary has many young Mermaids and Elven women. Lyle-san...... should be fine, right? Maribelle rushed me into starting my search for the Milqueen. Please leave the Milqueens habitat to me. No, we can get that information from Sylphs familial spirits, cant we? Oh my, all the Wind Spirits in the world are my familials. It is a given that I am able to borrow their strengths. They will be pleased as well. Well, dont push your Wind Spirits too much, okay? Sylph told me to wait three days for the Wind Spirits to gather information and identify the the Milqueens habitat. I wasnt in a rush, so I told Sylph they can take their time. The ones actively pushing for the Milqueen ranch are the girls, after all. *** Chapter 556: The search for the dairy cow I received notice from Sylph that a herd of several Milqueens was discovered. We discovered the habitat of Milqueens. Hee, that was fast. I listened to Sylphs report while holding Flora, who was growing the fastest among my three babies. Because of the growth rate of Beastkin, Flora could already hold her head up. Its not that she was suddenly much taller, but the growth of her physical abilities was fast for their race. The location is at the meadows close to Yggurle Kingdom. There were four cows, one of which was a calf, so three could be milked immediately. Uhh, are we catching all four? Obviously. If we have the finest milk, the variety of desserts would also increase, no? So thats your goal...... If it wasnt just Maribelle, but even Sylph being cooperative, it just goes to show true she was to her desires. Well, Spirits are free-willed so I guess it was inevitable. I guess it cant be helped. If its from that place, then I think its okay to teleport. Teleporting four gigantic Milqueens at the same time would consume a lot of magic power, but that wasnt a problem for me now. ......besides, I can put them to sleep so it will be fine. Wah! Oh its you, Nyx. You surprised me. I let out a loud yelp when Nyx suddenly appeared, so Flora, who was in my arms, burst into tears. Oh, sorry, sorry. Did I scare you~~ ......Im sorry. The three of us somehow managed to comfort Flora and stop her from crying. So, putting them to sleep, werent Milqueens supposed to be docile monsters? How stupid, Takumi. No matter how docile it is, a Milqueen is still a gigantic monster. And Milqueens are cowards. If strong people like you close in on it, it could act violently out of fear. ......yes, thats why we will put it to sleep. A horse drawn carriage was travelling north through the Savage Lands at breakneck speeds. Of course, it was the custom made carriage pulled by Tsubaki. Even though it was a highway, the ride inside the carriage was surprisingly pleasant as it ran on a road that wasnt as smooth as an asphalt road. Naturally, there was no vibration that the suspension and damper couldnt absorb. This carriage had gone through multiple remodeling and restructuring, and now the part that people ride was completely separate from chassis parts like the wheels and suspension that it floats above them. To make it suspend, it needed several large magic crystals, but since it wasnt fully flying in the air, its large though only the size of a fist. At this pace, well arrive soon, right? Yeah, were close. Today, a small group consisting of myself and Kaede, as well as Sylph and Nyx came to the Milqueens habitat. We got off the highway and headed in the direction that Sylph pointed towards. As to be expected in a place with no roads, we slowed down, but even then, Tsubakis speed was still much faster than a Demon Horse. Tsubaki, slow down. At Sylphs instruction, Tsubaki lowered her speed. Takumi, over there. Ahh, there they are. Wait, theyre huge. In the direction Sylph pointed to, I spotted cow-like monsters eating tufts of grass. It looked like a short and wide zebra print cow...... except for its size. No matter how I look at it, it was over three meters tall. And its torso was stocky, and its feet were short and thick, making it look even bigger. ......Ill put them to sleep. Okay. Lets go. They might run away if Tsubaki comes close, so we alighted the carriage and I placed Tsubaki into the Subspace, while Sylph and Nyx disappeared. Kaede and I wore our perception inhibiting coats, erased our presence, and used our Stealth Skill as we approached them from downwind. With all our preparation, no matter how sensitive the Milqueens were, they wouldnt notice us. *** Chapter 557: Milk for Everyone As I got closer with my presence concealed, I could really see just how gigantic the Milqueen was. ......Ill make it sleep, so be careful not to hurt it. Roger. Nyx appeared and cast a spell to make the Milqueens sleep. Once we were sure they were asleep, Kaede and I, as well as Titan who came out of the Subspace, jumped in. Just as it swayed and was about to fall, I enveloped my entire body with magic power to increase my strength so I could catch it gently and slowly lay it down. Kaede and Titan caught the other swaying Milqueens and set them down gently. The Milqueen calf was blown a gentle wind by Sylph. Because of the Milqueens large bodies, I thought they might injure themselves when they suddenly lose consciousness, so I got help from Kaede and Titan to support the sleeping Milqueens. If it had been a powerful monster, it would have possessed a large amount of magic power within its body that it wouldnt even have a gash if it fell, but Milqueens were low rank monsters, so it would be risky if it gets hit in a bad spot. Fuh, thanks guys. We managed to catch them without any incident. Mastergood job to you too. Master, lets go home already. Tsubaki and Titan returned to the Subspace, I stored the carriage into the Item Box, and teleported to the ranch in the Sanctuary with the safely captured Milqueens. There, we were greeted with cheers. Ohhhh!! Theyre huge! Uwaaa! Thats a huge cow! Miss cow is huge nya! The fatigue from a huge chunk of magic power by teleporting the four gigantic Milqueens disappeared in an instant when I heard the delighted cheers from Laeva and the kids. Okay, okay. Well take turns then. After I cast Purification on Laeva and the children, they took turns experiencing milking the cow. Docile it may be, the Milqueen was still a monster, so Kaede, Tsubaki, Titan, and I were alert and on standby so we could respond to anything, but that worry was unnecessary. The gigantic cows seemed to enjoy the milking, as they made movements that seem like they felt good during the process. The milk squeezed out of the Milqueen soon filled 10 buckets. Master...... Umm, ...............okay. Then before I knew it, Maribelle was already looking at me with a gaze that wanted something. Understanding what Maribelle was trying to say, I casted purifying magic on all of the milk collected. Normally, the milk found in supermarkets and convenience stores were heat sterilized. There was milk that was sterilized by high temperatures for a few seconds, and there was also a slightly more expensive milk that was pasteurized for some time in lower temperatures. But magic exists in this world. With purifying magic, I am able to procure safe milk that doesnt compromise on taste. Maribelle ordered the maids she brought with her from the mansion, they left one bucket of milk and carried the rest back into the mansion. Then she pointed to the one remaining bucket and looked at me. ......I get it. I cooled the bucket of milk to a drinkable temperature. It was then that Maribelle distributed wooden cups to the children. Yup, everyone wants a taste. The taste of a Milqueens milk was of the finest quality that I have never tasted before. *** Chapter 559: Fresh Cream is the Best The after-bath coffee milk and fruit milk was popular among the women and children. Of course, the adults represented by the Dwarves prefer cold ale right out of the bath. I also liked beer right out of the bath, so I dont know how to feel about it. And of course, Maribelle and the other maids werent satisfied with just coffee milk and fruit milk, so I developed a centrifuge for the Milqueen milk so I could make fresh cream. Though it wasnt using the milk from a Milqueen, I have made pudding but Ive put off making the similar-tasting custard cream for cream puffs. Before cream puffs, I thought about eating pancakes with a lot of fresh cream. I had a feeling that the milky taste would be affected if I used fresh cream instead. As I thought, I better prepare a lot of fresh cream. With that in mind, I attempted to make cream puffs. Naturally, I also made butter from the Milqueen milk. As for the eggs, we received of chickens from Papeck-san, so egg production was doing better than ever. Soon, there would be enough eggs for everyone in the Sanctuary to eat everyday. For dessert making, sugar consumption had greatly increased, but strictly in the Sanctuary, we had no problems with sugar because of Dryas. Now, if I remember correctly, custard cream was made of eggs, milk, sugar, and a small amount of flour. There might be other recipes, but for now, I had to conduct trial and error on the right ratios with these ingredients. By the way, pancakes existed in this world. However, they were barely sweet pancakes eaten with expensive honey or Treant Syrup, which was extracted from Treants and tasted similar to maple syrup. Honey and Treant Syrup were extremely pricey, so only the wealthy could ever consume it. When I was a salaryman in my 40s in my previous life, I had very few chances to eat pancakes even though they were popular. As one would suspect, going to a place filled with women and eating pancakes was too high of a hurdle. Even so, I think it might be possible for me to recreate how it looks from what Ive seen from TV, magazines, and social media. Yep, it was silent pressure from those guys. As to be expected, I wouldnt make cream puffs a second time, so I made the pancakes. Making whipped cream is a lot of work, but custard cream was even worse. And it was a miscalculation on my part, but was it because of the sweet smell? Wappa and the kids arrived. I knew that the Cat Sith sister Miri and Lala, and Catkin siblings Wappa and Sara had sensitive smells. Even the Human sisters Colette and Shirona, the Elven sisters Melanie and Malorie were enticed by the smell...... Takumi! Some for us too, please! More fruits for this oneechan please~! More of everything for me please! I want milk too please! ......five layers please. Geh! As I frantically cooked the pancakes, what I was afraid of happening, happened. The requests from the Great Spirits Undine, Dryas, Sylph, Selene, and Nyx came in. Maria and the maids were happy to help me partway through, but in the end, it goes without saying that I was stuck cooking pancakes the entire day. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters available on Patreon! Chapter 560: Milk is Almighty Chapter 560: Milk is Almighty The day after the cream puff and pancake feast, I was dead tired in the living room. Perhaps feeling a bit remorseful, Maribelle promised that the maids would do it the next time. And, realizing how much sugar they were consuming, the girls understand that eating this too often would be bad. Or rather, it might have been me muttering you might gain weight if you eat too many sweets. After eating lunch, the maids, Maria, and I gathered in the kitchen to try out dishes made of the Milqueens milk while making sure not to wake up Etoile, Haruka, and Flora. The babies were still at that phase where they sleep for hours after being breastfed, so it couldnt be helped. Drinking milk and sleeping is the babies job right now. Ive used milk in cream stews in the past, but I have a feeling the taste would elevate remarkably by just replacing it with Milqueen milk. First, Ill make a lot of cream stew for dinner. I think the rest would be great in a gratin. I want to eat french toast! When I spoke, Akane interjected with a request of her own. No, french toast wont do for dinner. You can have it for breakfast if you really want it, but nothing sweet for dinner. Cant you just make it as dessert? No, its too heavy for dessert after dinner. Hrrrr, fine. Ill be patient as long as I can have it for my afternoon snack. So its already decided that french toast would be made. Haa, okay I get it. Just know that I wont make that many. Okay! Ill leave it to you then! Akane said that and exited the kitchen. Akane-sama, Akane-sama, is french toast tasty nya? Yeah, its sweet and tasty. Yay! Im excited for snack time! I mixed together milk, butter, eggs, and sugar, then I cut up and soaked the bread into the liquid mixture. Is it sweets made with bread? Nu uh, I wouldnt consider it sweets. Well, a dessert is a dessert, but thats not for me, so I guess its breakfast. I placed some butter into a frying pan, then fried the bread that has soaked enough of the liquid. A sweet aroma wafted through the kitchen. Ha! Isnt that another dessert in the end? Too late, Takumi-sama. Maribelle-san now also knows about it. Ah!? When I turned around, Maribelle was standing there, smiling. Im looking forward to it, Master. Ha, haha, itll be done soon...... I dished up the french toast on the many plates lined up. Takumi-sama, that is? Its vanilla ice cream. I placed vanilla ice cream over the french toast. The french toast that Akane requested was greatly received by the women in the Sanctuary. The ice cream was highly praised. We ate macaroni gratin and french toast topped with ice cream at 3pm, so naturally, dinner was late that day. Madam Elizabeth aside, why was Madam Lumia eating at our house as if it was the norm? Its not like we can say no, I guess. *** Chapter 561: Offspring of the Evil Spirit There was a city at the border of the former Divine Empire of Sydnia. Not a single soul to be around, in this place, there was only one... thing? that could be seen. Held by two human arms protruding from a tree formed from an amalgamation of body parts, the baby, despite being born only just recently, had now grown to be a dark grey-skinned, red-headed one year old child. The dark grey-skinned child suckled from a teat of this Flesh Tree[1]. The strange beings, Grotesquelings[2], that once took care of the huge Flesh Tree had undergone an extreme transformation with the birth of the grey-skinned child. Although they were still far from humanoid, they appeared more refined, and were now able to move smoothly and with more freedom in comparison to how they were in the past with their impaired movements. Their strength and intelligence were at the level of goblins back when they first turned grotesque, but now its at the level of orcs. If they had been adventurers, then this would be a different matter. However, they were once priests of the Light God Faith. They werent the devoted religionists that threw themselves into ascetic practices, but rather greedy individuals who borrowed the authority of their church and only had their vested interests in mind. And before Sydnias collapse, these beings were mainly the lower ranks among the church officials who had been encroached by miasma who werent allowed to escape to the Demon Continent and didnt participate in the final battle there. When they first turned into grotesque monsters, their ranks were higher than a slime but lower than a goblins. Beneath the grey child cradled by the Flesh Tree, the Grotesquelings slowly gathered strength. While cursing the world. To dye the world with miasma. Covertly, but steadily, to accumulate the power to destroy the world...... Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Footnotes: 1. Changing Meat Tree to Flesh Tree. 2. There was no monster name that I know of that would be fitting but there is a need to differentiate them from other monsters, so I will start calling them Grotesquelings or maybe Fleshlings because theyre from the Flesh Tree. ? Chapter 562: Father-in-Law goes home The racially characteristic well-put face warped pathetically. When Etoile was born, Dante-san had come to the Sanctuary and stayed in at the Lodge in order to see her. Freesia, lets go back home. I dont want to, I cant watch Etoile-chans growth, I want to watch the adorable Etoile-chan grow up every day! No, its about time you come back to our fief...... Thats your job, isnt it? Freesia~ Having stayed nearly two months, Dante-san knew that leaving his territory for too long was unwise, and so he was going back today. Dante-san thought it was only natural that Freesia-san would come home with him, and so he was shaken when she refused him outright. On the other hand, Freesia-san, who was holding Etoile, thought it was ridiculous that it was outrageous to go home. Freesia, I also want to watch Etoile grow up every day. But I have a responsibility to our territory. I want you, my wife, to support me by my side...... Dante-san tried persuading Freesia-san with heartfelt reasoning. Maybe it was unreasonable, but...... What are you saying? That small territory will be alright even without me, no? Dear, do your best. Okay Etoile-chan, lets say bye bye to the grandpa~ Wai- Freesia, dont take Etoiles hand and wave bye bye! Etoile, tell this gran to come home! No, Etoile cant speak. And Dante-san, you spoke the forbidden words to refer to Freesia-san. Guh, Etoile, grandpa will come back soon! Dante-san was dragged into a carriage by the coachman who enjoyed a nice vacation in the Lodge. Madam, please be well. You can leave Master to me. Please take care of him. Have a safe trip. Yes. Well then, excuse us. The carriage carrying Dante-san, the coachman, and the adventurers guarding them started running out of the Sanctuary. The carriage exited the gate and faded into the distance. Etoileeeeee!! Ill come back sooooon!! Leaning out of the carriage window, Dante-san screamed Etoiles name. Sheesh, what an embarrassing grandpa, huh~ Mother, father is so pitiful though. Its fine, its fine. If he wants to stay with Etoile, then he should retire and leave the territory to Darphy. I feel like its too early for Dante-san to retire, but Im quite certain that we will meet Dante-san again in the not so distant future. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 563: Dante Decides A horse-drawn carriage ran along the well maintained road that runs northwards. From the Sanctuary, the carriage passed through what could be called the gateway to the Sanctuary, Valor, the city that the Trination alliance of Yggurle Kingdom, Valkyra Kingdom, and Lomaria Kingdom worked together to build, and casually headed north. Because the roads were well maintained and the carriage was being pulled by Demon horses, the journey to Yggurle Kingdom was shortened considerably. Even so, it was not a distance that could be completed in a day or two. The inside of the carriage was filled by a heavy atmosphere. Of course, the source of that heavy atmosphere comes from none other than the head of the Sylphide family, Sophias father, Dante. Still~ that inn was so luxurious and comfortable. It even had games Ive never seen before, there wasnt a day I was bored. You got that right. The bar had tasty and cheap alcohol. and before I knew it, I drank too much every day. Yeah, you cant drink that level of wine even in Yggurle Kingdom. Im gonna have to tolerate bad alcohol once were back in the country. The coachman and escorting adventurers talked about the fun time they had at the Lodge in an effort to distract Dante from his brooding. Even so, Dantes dark expression did not change. Haa~ Master, cheer up. Its definitely quite the distance, so while it might not be easy, but lets come again during the off season. Madam as well, once shes spent a little bit more time with Etoile, I believe she will return. They tried to cheer the depressed Dante up, though it seems nothing they did was working. Then, out of the blue, Dante questioned his servant, the coachman. Master, please calm yourself! Is young lord Darphy not too young? If territory management is why he couldnt meet Etoile, wouldnt everything be fixed if he leaves it to his heir? The coachman was flustered by Dantes sudden enthusiasm. ? The opinion of the servant coachman was mainly living in the Yggurle Kingdom. By human standards, Darphy was not at an age people would consider young, but by Elven standards, his age is still treated as a juvenile. What, isnt it simple? Its been over 50 years since I took over managing the territory. Territory management is somehow on track, and thanks to Takumi-kun, Ive had the rare opportunity to meet with His Majesty, Her Majesty, and Prime Minister Balza, and he had been supporting the Sylphide territory from the shadows. If Darphy succeeds me now, then it should be alright. W-well, I suppose so. As for Yggurle Kingdom, because of the Great Spirits, the nation would not want to antagonize Takumi as much as they could. Rather, they want to always have a deep connection to him. And since that was the case, their relationship with House Sylphide became important. It was a given that they would have show favorable consideration towards House Sylphide which was no more than a chevalier. King Yggurle even planned to promote House Sylphide two ranks up and appoint them the title of baron. Ha ha ha, who would have thought, it was this simple. Im going to retire and Darphy is going to succeed me just a little sooner. Kukuku, Etoile, grandpa is gonna come see you soon! Haa, young master Darphy, my sympathies...... Inside the carriage that ran north towards Yggurle Kingdom, the overwhelmingly heavy mood in the carriage just moments ago had vanished, replaced by Dantes boisterous laughter. At that time, Darphy, who had been working in the Royal Capitals Chivalric Order, was hit by mysterious chill. *** Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 564: Darphy’s Homecoming As Dante approached the border of Yggurle Kingdom, Darphy was summoned by the Knight Commander for some reason. Umm, return home? Yeah, thats right. I heard that Lord Dante and Madam Freesia are absent. If the lord of a territory is absent for an extended period of time, the people would be uneasy. Chancellor Balza said that you, the heir, were to keep watch for the time being, P-Prime minister Balza did!? No wonder Darphy was surprised, to him who was a mere successor to a Chevalier family, the weight of Balza, the name of the an Elven Elder who serves as the countrys prime minister, was far too immense. Of course, Balza had already caught on to Sophias childbirth, and because of this, he knew that Dante and Freesia would have gone to see their grandchild. Next to Takumis house was Princess Mimirs mansion, and right now, Queen Lumia was staying there long-term. As much information as they wish was coming to them. They could profit from creating a chance to owe favor from Dante and Freesia, and connect with Takumi through Sophias newborn child. ......very well. Until Father returns, I shall govern the territory. Well said. You could think of this as a rehearsal for when you succeed your father. Sir, yes sir. As Darphy saluted and left, the Knight Commander looked at him with pity. The Knight Commander was informed. In the not so far future, Darphy would become the head of the House Sylphide. Well, even with the absence of the lord for several months, it did not have a considerable effect on a small territory, so he did not feel the need to rush back. The farther he got from the capital, the more rural the scenery got outside of the window of his carriage. Normally he would return home by way of horseback, but for some reason, he was instructed by the Knight Commander to load majority of his belongings from the knights dormitories into a carriage as it was likely that he would be staying for an extended period of time. Darphy hated the Sylphide territory. He was working hard to become a respected knight of good standing in the Royal Capital, but he had to inherit a small territory in the not-so-distant future. To Darphy, the Sylphide territory was, put bluntly, at the bottom of Yggurle Kingdom and was simply several small village in the sticks. Thats why he wanted his father Dante to continue being its lord as long as possible. He was working as a knight to climb the ranks and escape his situation. Even without his antagonistic mindset towards his sister, Darphy had had such a goal. That desire was shattered by unforeseen circumstances, but with regards to rising in the ranks, that would come true later on. Darphys carriage arrived at his mansion in the Sylphide territory. At the same time, Dantes carriage had just passed through Yggurle Kingdoms border and was rushing towards the Sylphide territory, with the Demon Horses being pushed to their limits with less breaks than normal. The father who single-mindedly wanted to return to his granddaughters side, and the son who didnt want to succeed him were soon about to meet. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 565: Pitiful Darphy Darphy arrived home and received reports on the territorys current situation, and after a few days of performing duties as acting lord of the land, Darphy who had been secluded himself in the office, had received word that the Sylphide carriage returned. Bam! The office door slammed wide open, Darphys father Dante spotted his son and smiled widely. Darphy! What a relief! Youve saved me the effort of having to call you home! Father, please settle down! What is the matter, this isnt like you. Darphy was bewildered by Dantes strange excited state. In order to calm down somehow, Dante asked the maid to make him a cup of tea then sat down on the sofa in his office. Father, you had been away from the land for far too long. No matter how small the land is, there is work that must be done by its lord. Ah, yeah, sorry Darphy. But Darphy, but this is a good chance for you to learn the ropes of how to do it, isnt it? Well, I did consider it as a rehearsal. Right, thats right. Dante nodded in satisfaction at Darphys response. Then Darphy remembered that there was an envelope from Balza that he was entrusted with. Father, come to think of it, I have an item from His Excellency Prime Minister Balza. From Lord Balza? How unexpected it was for the Balza, the prime minister of Yggurle Kingdom to make direct contact with House Sylphide which was only of Chevalier peerage. Wait, Darphy, I have something I wish to speak of. Father, please settle the matter from the Prime Minister first. Hmph, o-okay. Dante seemed to want to talk about something, but was first told to look into the envelope given by Balza, so he assented and opened the envelope. Yeah, Freesia is also obsessed with how cute Etoile is. Well, it cant be helped that Etoile is too cute, but shes said that she wants to watch Etoiles growth every day. Etoile is so cuuute, you know? She has silver hair that none from our line have, but her face is lovely like Sophias, and the shape of her ears are like mine. Umm, F-father... He understood his mother not wanting to return for a time, but upon witnessing his father suddenly becoming a completely doting fool, Darphy was at a loss. Dante showed the bewildered Darphy the document that Balza had given him. And this! T-th A family head change request form. Sign this. Once this is submitted to the House of Lords, I can openly retire. I can show Etoile as much love as I want! Wha!? Darphy was at a loss for words. Then he realized something crucial. The one who prepared these documents was Prime Minister Balza. What does this mean? As merely the heir to a Chevalier, this was something that he could not refuse from someone of a much higher standing...... Look, the document for your resignation from the Knight Order is also included. The Knight Commander who handed Darphy this envelope also planned this outright. Darphy finally understood the uneasy feeling he had when he was told to bring his luggage with him when he returns home. Dante patted the dazed Darphy on the shoulder. Good luck, you will be fine...... I hope. Stating so, Dante left the office. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 566: Darphy becomes a Lord In the office devoid of his father, Darphy, who was momentarily stunned, collected himself and stood up from his chair. H-hold on, please wait. Father! Darphy who watched as Dante leave the room happy about his retirement, chased after him upon regaining himself. Retirement? Change of heads? What is Father saying? Darphy was followed Dante while still trying to fully untangle his thoughts. The document handed by Prime Minister Balza was a document for a change of head to be submitted to the House of Lords? Eh, me? Succeeding the territory? Darphy couldnt wrap his head around the unexpected development. Minimal clothing and underwear should be fine. Wait, maybe I should bring Freesias ou When Darphy caught up to Dante and entered his parents bedroom, there he found his father muttering to himself as he packed. Father! Hm? Oh, Darphy, whats the matter? Dont whats the matter me! What do you mean by change of heads!? Even if you ask me, thats really all there is to it. Contrary to Darphys agitation, Dantes calm response only exasperated Darphy even more. No way, the reason you are abandoning this territory isnt because you want to be by Sisters childs side, is it? Darphy, its not sisters child. Address her properly as Etoile. No, thats not the problem! Dont yell, Darphy. Youll go bald. Worried? My worry at this moment is whether or not Etoile has already forgotten my face! It is impossible for a child who was just barely born would remember your face, Father! What a foolish remark from a doting grandfather. Every foolish remark Dante yelled, Darphy returned with his own yell. Fufu, listen, Darphy. Youre looking down on your own niece. Etoile is a prodigy. Surely she remember her gramps face. Gr Because he was an Elf, Dante looked young, but witnessing him happily call himself gramps truly made Darphy wonder if his father really was a different person. How Darphy saw his father ever since he was young was serious and taciturn. If anything, he thought his father was a humorless man. His mother Freesia was a calm and graceful mother, but when his sister disappeared after the war, she rarely smiled. Ever since Sophia returned to their territory with a human male, she returned to being the calm and graceful mother, but Dante was still a serious and ordinary lord of a small territory. That was......... I should send Sanctuary wine I brought with me to Lord Balza, His Majesty, and the Knight Commander as a souvenir. Im sure they would be pleased. Ah, right! I should buy hair accessories for Etoile. ......I believe hair ornaments are too early for babies. All Darphy could do was make quips as Dante hummed happily as he packed. Its a matter of succession for the Chevalier family, but if the Prime Minister and Knight Commandeer acknowledge it and the current head of the family wanted it, there was nothing that Darphy could do. And so, Darphy was forced to agree. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 567: It seems Father-in-law is coming again A month has passed since Dante-san bid a teary farewell to Etoile. Etoile and Haruka are still unable to lift their heads, but Flora developed early because of her beastkin characteristics and was now able to hold her head steady. However, perhaps because of my genes, she was still growing a little slower than other normal Rabbitkins. Oh yeah, where are Etoile and Freesia-san? Mother took Madam Lumia and Etoile on a walk. A maid is with them just in case, so I believe everything will be alright. I was carrying Haruka while asking Sophia, who was relaxing with me in the living room, where my mother-in-law Freesia-san had gone. Apparently, she went on a walk. I thought it was still a little bit too early for Etoile to be going on a walk, but I do think it would be good for her to encounter all sorts of stimuli. And how long does Madam Lumia plan on staying here. Shes staying with Mimir, but Ive seen Mimir pleading with her to go home already multiple times. And Dryas also joined them, so dont worry. Its surprising how fond Dryas is of children. We were then reassured by Sylph, who was relaxing in our living room like always, that Dryas was also on that walk. Well, I dont mind the thing with Dryas, but I had built a private mansion for Sylph and the Great Spirits at their request. And yet, for some reason, they were always here at mine. And as ever, Madam Elizabeth still shows no signs of returning to the Royal Capital. Because of that, she often squabbled with her daughter Charlotte. In the beginning, Charlotte was also happy to be reunited with her mother, but with Madam Elizabeth showing no indication that she would ever return and seemingly set on becoming a permanent resident of the Sanctuary, there were many instances where Charlotte grumbled that she should go home. To Charlotte, this was her place of work. She must have been embarrassed that her mother was by her side. Just then, Freesia-san, who was holding Etoile, and Madam Lumia came back. Etoile fell asleep, so I will lay her down. Mother, then I will- Its fine, its fine. Etoile-chan youre okay with sister, right~ Mother, thats embarrassing, please stop calling yourself her sister. Dont wanna. I dont want to be called a granny. When I got to the dining table, Sylph sat down as if it was the most natural thing to do and dropped a bombshell. Ah, right, right, Sophias dad, Dante, was it? Yes. Thats him. What of my husband? Sophia and Freesia-san worriedly asked if anything had happened with Dante-san? That Dante is returning to the Sanctuary. It wasnt just Freesia-san and Sophia, even I ended up exclaiming. After all, Dante-san should have just returned home, so it couldnt be helped that the three of us were to surprised. ......what do you mean by that? Apparently, hes retiring and coming here. ......Father, is he insane? That man also doesnt want to be apart from Etoile-chan. I sympathize, but...... will Darphy be alright? ......eh, no way. Apparently, Dante-san was getting ready to retire and migrate to the Sanctuary. Sylph got this information from her familial spirits, so there was no mistaking it. Will I be living together with my in-laws? That was the first thing I thought of when I heard that from Sylph. *** Chapter 568: A distance where the soup doesn’t get cold Because of the bombshell that Sylph dropped, I even forgot what I ate for dinner. Who would have thought that Dante-san was even thinking of retiring and immigrating to the Sanctuary. According to Sylph, Darphy-kun had already returned to the Sylphide territory to do the work as the Lords representative. Apparently, Dante had already decided on retirement during the carriage ride home, and the moment he returned to his territory, he told Darphy about the change of heads and began making preparations to return to the Sanctuary. It seems the Yggurle Kingdoms Prime Minister had already taken care of it. What do you mean? Sylph said that Dantes retirement and migration to the Sanctuary was influenced by Yggurle Kingdoms Prime Minister Balza. Sophias younger brother was sent back to the territory to act as the proxy of its Lord. In short, Forselty, the Knight Commander, and Balza have said that they wanted Dante to retire and be by Etoiles side. They had even prepared the documents for a smooth transfer of authority. Why are King Yggurle and Prime Minister Balza meddling with Dante-sans retirement? I hate to say it, but House Sylphide was a Chevalier at the border. I thought it wasnt a matter that needed the meddling of a nations king and prime minister. What are you talking about? Isnt it to increase the amount of connections they have with you? You are a special individual to Yggurle Kingdom. To the Elves who revere Spirits, they would want every connection that they could have with you, the Keeper of the Sanctuary. Which means, Dante-san decided to come back. Didnt I say that at the very start? Damn it, they wont even let me escape reality. My apologies, Takumi-sama. No, its not your fault, wait no, its not that I dont want Dante-san to come. ......lets see. Firstly, the two of us do not need servants, so a small house is fine. I think a living room with just enough space to not feel cramped would be nice. The same for the dining room and kitchen as well. I want a bathroom but it does not have to be huge. If I want to take a bath in a huge bathroom then I will come here. Ah, and, two separate bedrooms for Dante and myself. ? After pondering over it for a while, Freesia-san told me her wishes. Of course I will comply with your requests, but two individual bedrooms? Oh you~ Takumi-kun, how old do you think Dante and I are? Were nearly at that age where we just want to relax and sleep by ourselves. I-is that so? That aside, will you really not be hiring any servants or maids? You had some servants in your mansion in your land, will the two of you be fine on your own? My instincts were telling me that it would be best not to listen too deeply about their bedroom matters, so I asked about something else I was curious about. With their peerage, Dante-san and Freesia-san must have lived a life being served all the time. Wil they really be alright with cooking and cleaning? About that. If its simple then I am alright with cooking, but I will basically be coming over to your house to eat, but cleaning and laundry would be an undertaking. I wonder if we should hire someone...... ......so you will basically eat here. Oh my, is that not allowed? No, of course that would be no problem. Lets endure mealtimes. Now that I think about it, Madam Elizabeth is freeloading even now, and Madam Lumia frequently visits during mealtimes as well, so no point complaining now. Okay, then theyll be at a distance where the soup doesnt get cold[1 This means that they live not too far, yet not too close. A distance just right.]. Yep, lets think of it like that. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 569: Building the in-laws’ house Afterwards, I heard various other detailed requests from Freesia-san. The building will be two stories tall, with a room for a servant. One toilet on each floor. There will be two bathrooms, one for the couple, and another for the servant. Needless to say, it absolutely must be near our mansion. And now, I was going to the site of Freesia-sans intended mansion lot with her. It was a two minute walk from my mansion. The central district where Mimirs and my mansion are built had the cathedral and music hall, but it wasnt a residential area, so there was plenty of space. And so, it was possible to build Freesia-sans residence a stones throw away from mine like she wanted. A garden similar to the one at the Sylphide mansion would be fine. Umm, so a decent size then. Yes, if its too big, it would be hard to maintain. I dont think it would be that hard to do. Is that so? Yes. There are a lot of Dryas familial Spirits here, so they take care of the trees, flowers, and lawn in the garden. Oh, really? But its fine. More than likely, only Dante would use it. I-I I cant ask. I cant ask Freesia-san if she plans on spending most of her time at my house. Please use mainly wood for the building. I guess as an elf, wood is better? No, thats irrelevant. Its just a matter of personal taste. Is that so? My house uses stone and bricks in addition to wood, so I thought Sophia was just tolerating it. As with Sophia, when I built Mimir-samas mansion, it was the same as ours, and we didnt focus on making it with wood, so I thought they were putting up with it when they used it. Freesia-sans request was an ivy-crawled mansion. The ivy would damage the walls when covered, but in Yggurle Kingdom, the wood walls werent damaged, perhaps because of the spirits. It was fine in Yggurle Kingdom, so naturally, it would be fine here. I took a deep breath and concentrated. I brought to mind the blueprint of the house that Freesia-san wanted, and held a solid image of it. Then, to not make any mistakes, I amassed more magic power than usual so it permeates through the materials, and invoked alchemy. Transmute! A magic circle of the same size as the mansion lit up the ground then covered the materials. Then, in the next instant, a two-story wooden mansion stood before us. Mhmm, that looks well made. Takumi-chan~ Its Oneechans turn~ As soon as the mansion was completed, Dryas returned. The naked ground was covered by lawn grass, and the mansions exterior was adorned with ivy. Ohh! Thats perfect, Dryas. Right? You can praise me more~ Thanks to Dryas, Freesia-san and Dante-sans home transformed into a western-style home was crawling with ivy in a blink of an eye. Now then, Freesia-san, lets check the inside. ......y-yes, Youre right. Then this Oneechan will be having tea at Takumi-chans house, okay~ Yeah, thanks Dryas. Now then, we have to check the inside and install some magic devices and fixtures. I urged Freesia-san to enter the mansion. I was a bit curious about Freesia-sans expression, could it be that she doesnt like it? Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 570: My Son-In-Law Is Abnormal Dante had turned over the position of head of House Sylphide to Darphy, and had chosen to retire to the Sanctuary. I knew Etoile-chan was cute, but was it enough for him to retire? As expected, Takumi found it stifling living under the same roof as me, and more so with Dante. Regrettably...... while I truly wished to live with Etoile-chan, I had to have a house prepared for Dante and I. But there are some things I would not yield. First, it must be close to Takumi-kun and everyones house. After all, it would be a troublesome to go there every day if it was far. I went with Takumi-kun to the location of where Dantes and my house would be built. There, it was a series of surprises, even for an elf with profound knowledge of magic such as myself. Firstly, the Great Spirit Dryas-sama, who could normally be encounter here, had moved the vegetation that were already firmly established in the soil. This should have been a spell that we elves were familiar with, but that was nothing in comparison to what Dryas-sama, a Great Spirit, had done. That aside, was Takumi-kun able to employ Dryas-sama conveniently like that? As I was thinking about it, I heard Takumi-kun speak in a casual tone. Okay, Ill prepare the soil first. When Takumi-kun said that, a frightful torrent of magic power activated alongside the invocation of Earth Magic, and in the blink of an eye, the ground beneath us flattened. It should have been an enormous amount of magic power, and yet I felt no exhaustion coming from Takumi. For Takumi-kun, was this no different from illumination or fire-starting magic? Leaving me in confusion, Takumi-kun continued to work as though nothing happened. Like this, I guess? I will build it in one go, so please make the small adjustments after that. Eh, yes...... As I was immersed in this sea of thought, Takumi-kuns voice pulled me back to reality. Now then, Freesia-san, lets check the inside. ......y-yes, Youre right. Then this Oneechan will be having tea at Takumi-chans house, okay~ Yeah, thanks Dryas. I entered the completed house at Takumi-kuns suggestion. Takumi-kun checked the interior while installing lighting fixtures. With the flick of a single switch, the lighting magic devices can be turned on. Ah- i-is that so? Takumi-kun explained how to use every single magic device in the living room, dining room, and other rooms. Just like at his house, the corridors, toilets, and bathrooms were installed with illuminating magic devices. Obviously, the toilets were also magic devices. The bathroom also seemed to have a magic device for hot water. Ah, oh yeah. The kitchen needs a Refridgerator MD. And a Stove Range MD. R-right. Having those would be very handy. In Takumi-kuns mansion, the maids had practically done everything for me, so I will need to ask how to to use these magic devices. All things considered, it seems my son-in-law really did make all of these magic devices. Well done, Sophia. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 571: Parent-Child Ice Breaker Inside the Sylphide territory, Dante was preparing to immigrate to the Sanctuary, and Darphy had to succeed the family. ......to think that succeeding as the head of the family was this simple. You fool. Its because its the House Sylphide that its simple. If it had been a higher rank, it would have been much more troublesome, you know? ......Father, that is not something to boast about. In actuality, though it was called a succession of heads, Dante was handing over the role onto Darphy, and he knew the amount of paperwork that would follow. The amount of paperwork in a Chevaliers territory at the border was far less in comparison to the documents that Darphy must process in the Chivalric Order. Even the paperwork that accumulated over the two months in Dantes absence when he was at the Sanctuary was still easier than the documents Darphy had to process daily. With that in mind, one would think that it was a nice and easy as a lord, but that was a rural village in the Sylphide territory. There was no easy path for an insignificant Chevalier. As was the case with Dante and Freesia, they naturally had to cultivate and do farm work themselves. Other miscellaneous tasks in the territory were also Dante and Freesias jobs. Compared to the time when he was in the Order, there was definitely a lot less paperwork, but a life of part-time farmer despite being called a Lord was waiting for Darphy. I can probably get daily necessities there, but I will need to bring clothes and underwear. What of Mother? Watching Dante pack clothes into a bag, Darphy asked what he would do with his mother Freesias clothing. According to what he heard from the servants of the mansion, she did not bring that much luggage. He didnt hear about the Sanctuary having a store that sells clothing. ......Ahh, you have nothing to worry about if its Freesia. Umm, that...... Darphy grew anxious as Dante stared into the distance for some reason. Freesia must have made some sort of mess. Darphy knew. She looked kind and gentle mother, but she was actually very strong. That was exactly why she had Dante under her thumb, and was secretly the shadow Lord of the House Sylphide. ......how very much like Mother. Yeah, in a positive sense, Freesia has no reservations with family. No, wouldnt you consider call that predatory? No more of that, Darphy. What would you do if Freesia hears of this from the Wind Spirits? Ah! When told so, Darphys face paled as he looked around nervously. Darphy was still unable to hear the voice of the Spirits, but he was still able to see where they were. Fuu, that was dangerous. No, we might already be too late. You can only see mid and high level Spirits, cant you? Ah! Oi! Dont tattle to mother! Darphys shouting was likely already too late. Father, I will help you pack your luggage, please do something about Mother...... Yeah, Im already troubling you with the succession, after all. Ill do what I can about Freesias temper. Thank you very much, Father. Dante and Darphy, who couldnt be considered close in these recent decades, had come to understand each others feelings. The reason for this was pitiful though. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 572: Grandchild, Gramps has returned Darphy, who grew twisted by his rivarly towards Sophia, and Dante, who couldnt be honest with his feelings, quickly packed up the luggage and finished preparing for the journey to the Sanctuary. Ill leave the territory to you then, Darphy. ......I cant say to expect much, but I shall try to do my best. Okay, good luck, Darphy. Stay well. Darphy looked unconvinced a s Dante looked extremely pleased. After the father and son who were of conflicting feelings parted ways at the front of the mansion, the carriage Dante rode began its journey to the Sanctuary. The process of changing heads was handled swiftly, and it did not take long for Dante to depart once more for the Sanctuary. While waiting for the process to finish, Dante was busy preparing for the travel. The carriage driver was the same as the previous time, and the guards escorting were adventurers again. House Sylphide also had a few knights, but they were so few in number that it was difficult for them to leave the territory. As such, while he had hired adventurers the last time, Dante was even more reluctant to employ their knights because he was no longer the head of the family. Adventurers were hired by way of the Adventurers Guild to deliver the succession paperwork to the Royal Capital. Incidentally, at the Adventurer Guild Royal Capital branch of Yggurle Kingdom, escort requests to the Sanctuary were extremely popular. The requests that would stay in the Lodge at the annexed area were especially wanted even if the commission reward was low. Still~ We highly appreciate that you hired us yet again, Boss. Seriously. Boss request lets us get inside, after all. Luckily, Vault and Luna gladly agreed to accompany him, and after many years of serving the family in the motherland, they were going to follow them into the Sanctuary. Dante was nothing but grateful. As to why, Freesia helped with the farming, but she was devastatingly horrible at housework. Sophias lack of skill with things that werent fighting were rooted from this. In the first place, Vault was aware of how delicious the food was and how nice the bath felt in the Sanctuary Lodge, then feeling the vast difference in quality of life upon returning to his daily life in the Sylphide Territory, he began feeling bitter about it. So, when Dantes immigration to the Sanctuary came up, he was willing to do anything and everything to accompany him. Well, the Sanctuary where the Great Spirits had manifested was undoubtedly a special place to the Elves, and they truly did want to live there. There was no need to hurry, but the carriage boarded by Dante and the others ran on a strict schedule and finally arrived at the gate to the Sanctuary. Naturally, the Demon Horse exhausted. And so, while the two adventurers were supposed to return to Yggurle Kingdom with the carriage, they had to rest for a while before doing so. Passing through the barrier, the carriage stopped in front of the Lodge at the dejima area, and there, Takumi came to meet them. Without even noticing the perplexed look on his face, Dante came leaping out of the carriage and yelled in a loud voice. Etoile! Etoile! Its Gramps! D-dante-san Etoile is waiting for you at home! She didnt come here! The impression that Takumi had of Dante was smashed to pieces by none other than Dante himself. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Footnotes: 1. The names used by the author are very similar when used especially in English. ?` Bart and ? Bolt (Aligerous Tribe), ?? Vold (Charlottes family name), and now ?Vault(Sylphide Servant). The same thing happened with Anna (Maid) and Ana (Aide). Chapter 573: Battle for the Grandchild it surprised me that dante really was retiring and immigrating to the sanctuary, but it did dumbfound me to see that him suddenly turn into a foolish doting grandfather. i pulled myself together and greeted the two servants that came with dante-san, then retrieved and stored the luggage from the carriage and stored it in my item box. dante-san, you dont have that much luggage? after that, i arranged a stay at the lodge for the two adventurers who would return with the carriage, then had dante-san, along with his married servants vault-san and luna-san, ride with me in the carriage tsubaki pulls. the two adventurers were apparently staying for the night then returning to yggurle kingdom. their job will not be over until the carriage is returned to darphy-kun in the sylphide territory. iruma-kun, quickly. no, dante-san, we will reach the mansion very soon, so please do not be flustered. im not flustered! i just want to see etoiles face as soon as possible! master, please calm down. with wholehearted yearning to be with etoile, dante-san even retired, so i understand that his desire to see etoile even slightly sooner, but the current state he is in had really flipped 180 the impression i had of him when we first met. even vault, who had served him for many years, must be perplexed. tsubaki, lets go. leave it to me. i called out to tsubaki and the carriage departed. not having a coachman to go to a destination was one of the perks of tsubaki pulling a carriage. tsubakis intelligence upon evolving to a high ranking monster was high, no different from that of a person. in hindsight, if i had wandered anywhere else aimlessly, i was in danger of having been cheated out of all of my possessions, or even my life taken. this was a world where such dangers were always close by. you call yourself a grandfather, yet you had neglected sophia-chan for 50 years, arent you just all talk now after etoile-chan was born? kuh! what do you know!? a destute chevalier couldnt have possibly bought sophia. then patiently wait your turn. you might be able to hold her after me then you in order. guh, youuu! i asked sophia if its alright not to stop this argument that was heating up. hey sophia, is it alright to not stop them? its fine. actually, if it is between father and vanga-san, i will support vanga-san for taking you under his care, takumi-sama. ......thats why i feel bad for dante-san. when sophia was in yggurle kingdom, she was not that close with dante-san, as they did not communicate with each other very well. this was the driving force behind sophias infatuation with the sword, as well as making a name for herself as a knight in the royal capital. and she was mindful of me too. thats why, if pushed to say, she would take vanga-sans side. pitiful dante-san. maybe i should pay him a bit more mind. previous | toc | next up to 5 advanced chapters are available on patreon. Chapter 574: NEETs are not allowed Even after Vanga-san and Martha-san had left, Dante-san was still in a foul mood. Vault-san and Luna-san had been servants to the Sylphide family even before they became nobles with land, so naturally, they were acquainted with Sophia. Thats why Vault and Luna were happy to alternate holding Etoile. Dante-san still had to bring his belongings to their new residence, but he complained that he did not want to leave Etoiles side, so at Freesia-sans instructions, I took his luggage out from my Item Box and she helped tidy it up. Freesia-san begrudgingly took Dante-sans luggage as she complained about him. Im sure they will fight about it later. That man, forcing me to tidy his belongings. Etoile-chan all to himself, he says...... Madam, I will scold Master later too. Indeed, Madam. It would not be good to let Master escape. Vault-san and Luna-san pacified her but...... wait, theyre not pacifying her. Just as I finished helping her unpack, Dante-san arrived. I had failed to tell Dante-san the location of the house, but it was within a two-minute walk, and other than Mimir-samas house, my house and the Great Spirits house a slight distance away, there was no other residence in sight in the central district. Even a directionally challenged person would find their way. However, his expression was not good. Kuh, Why is Madam Lumia here? ......ah. In that single statement, Freesia-san and I knew that Madam Lumia snatched Etoile from him. The reason being that, ever since Etoile was born, Madam Lumia frequently visited my home. Naturally, her objective was to cuddle with Etoile and her cuteness. Based on standing, Dante-san was unable to defy her. Normally, Mimir-sama would drag Madam Lumia home at a reasonable time, but today, Mimir-sama hadnt yet returned from Yggurle Kingdom so there was no one holding Madam Lumia back. Your job. Eh, work!? Surely you werent thinking of living and eating for free, were you? ............o, of course not. Ahh, he thought about it. He did retire, after all. He definitely thought of living just to dote on his grandchild. I didnt mind either way though. I had more than enough to take care of my in-laws. But it seemed as though that was not acceptable to Freesia-san. Then Dante, search for a job tomorrow. In that regard, Takumi-kun, may I ask that of you as well? Y- yes. And so, it looks like Dante-san would be on a job hunt today. By the way, Freesia-san was apparently a housewife. Housewife, in this case, did not mean housework as a whole. It was her job to take care of Etoile. Household chores wee Vault-san and Luna-sans job, after all. Naturally, she didnt say a word of that to Dante. Her husband was apparently healthy and being away from the house would be good for him. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 575: Dante’s Job Search 1 The morning after Dante-san arrived at the Sanctuary, it was decided that I would immediately show him around the Sanctuary. Freesia-san looked after Etoile in my mansion as if it was the most natural thing to do. For starters, shall we go to my home? Yeah, if I can work by Etoiles side, that would be ideal. I picked Dante-san up in place of Freesia-san. And to start with, lets see if he can help me with my office work. By all means, work related documents are in my study, or that room that looks like an office on the second floor. There, the office ladies(?) of our business sort various documents there. Despite everything, I was still a Chevalier with a territory. Processing paperwork is simple. Im glad to hear that. Charlotte and the others had also requested for an increase in personnel, after all. When I opened the door, a mountain of paperwork occupied my desk like always. Yesterday, I went to pick Dante-san up, so the mountain was higher than normal, but Id like to think it was better than before. Ah, Master. ......who is that? Oh my, Iruma-sama, that person is? The clickity-clack of the abacus could be heard within the office, and Gina, Ana, and Charlotte sent me puzzled looks when Dante-san followed me in when I passed through the door. Come to think of it, they had never come face to face with Dante-san before yesterday. He had stayed a pretty decent period here, but I guess the paperwork had kept them busy. Ill reflect on it. Ahh, Ive referred to him before, havent I? This is Sophias father, Dante-san. Freesia-sans husband. Ahh, is that so? Now that you mention it, Sophias father did stay here just recently. I would like to reintroduce myself. My name is Charlotte, I am an aide of House Iruma. I am Gina. Ana. ........................ Dante-san? For some reason, Dante was stunned. ......A, ah, Im Dante von Sylphide. Well, they were freshwater fish that live in rivers, ponds and lakes, so there might have been something about them. The next place I led him to was the agricultural sector where many of the Sanctuary residents work in. The children waved their hands when they saw me. The children who were now able to work were working. Fumu, I worked the fields in the Sylphide territory too so it should be no problem. Is that so? That would be worth it especially because the crops grow very well here thanks to Dryas and Undine. On the way to the next place I was going to show to him, Dante-sans mood fouled. He saw Vanga-san walking in the opposite direction. Ah, Vanga-san. Are you on your way back from hunting? Oh Takumi, this is what I got today. Vanga-san lifted the rabbit he caught. Hee~ so you caught three of them. Yeah, it is thanks to the Great Spirits that prey are aplenty. That sour face beside you looks irritated again. What did you say?! Vanga-san and Dante-san really dont have good compatibility. They continued to glare at each other and walked away. I greeted and said goodbye to Vanga-san and hurriedly chased after Dante-san. Vanga-san is a hunter. His wife Martha-san cultivates the fields and does needlework. Im going to have to refuse working the same job as that guy. I-I see...... Well, there were still other jobs. Lets head to the next location. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 576: Dante’s Job Search 2 Chapter 576: Dantes Job Search 2 The next place I showed him was orchard where many elves worked. Perhaps because the Elf Melty-san was in charge here, or because it was suited to their race, many Elves worked here. Of course, Melty-sans two daughters Melanie and Malorie were also working in the orchard. Thats why I doubt Dante-san would have a problem here since many of his peers worked here. If there was one problem, it would be that the person in charge of this area, Melty-san, was a commoner. So I wonder if, despite being a Chevalier, the former head of the House Sylphide would be able to work under Melty-san. The number of Elves working in the orchard was more than Dante had expected, and spoke of his thoughts at the sight of Melty-san and the others working. There are quite a lot of immigrant Elves. Yes, well, Yggurle Kingdom doesnt seem to be an easy place for commoners to live in. ......certainly, that is indeed the case. Ah, a-and the Great Spirits presence here was enough for the Elves to choose to immigrate here. I hurriedly backtracked when I made a verbal slip towards Dante-san, but Dante-san shook his head. No, I am aware of the current state of our nation. Certainly, the Great Spirits presence is also a huge influence. So much so that one might even abandon anything and everything to immigrate....... However, it was also true that among the commoners of Yggurle Kingdom, many live a destitute daily life. ......sorry. No, Im grateful to you, Iruma-kun[1. Not sure if typo or intentional, Takumi is refered to as Iruma-dono instead of Takumi-kun. I cant remember right now how Dante refers to him.]. You had saved my countrymen. I greeted Melty-san, Melanie, and Malorie, then we moved to the next area. The next location also had many Elves. The next place I showed him to was the bowling alley. T-this is............ It is a facility for a sports known as Bowling. Last time Dante-san came here, I dont know if it was because he was always by Etoile or because he never went out of the mansion, but he did not know about this place. I heard Vault-san and the adventurers who escorted him to the Sanctuary were having fun in the games room and bowling alley at the Lodge. I explained to Dante-san the rules of the game as he watched in amazement as many residents played bowling. They look like theyre having fun playing. Its popular in the Sanctuary. Its also starting to spread to areas in with extra land to spare like Volton in Valkyra Kingdom. I believe Vault-san also played it last time you were here. Is that so? Yes, thats what I heard. And as for the job here, it entails waxing the lanes, maintaining the balls and pins, receiving the customers, and cleaning the facility. Once again, Im not saying this is a job directed towards Dante-san, but he might be interested in bowling. Okay, shall we head to the next place? Y-yeah...... In any case, Id like us to get around to everything in a day. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 577: Dante’s Job Search 3 The place I showed Dante-san after the bowling alley was to the Cathedral in the central district. I didnt think Dante-san would become a clergyman but this is also an option, after all. ...... how...... magnificent...... Entering the cathedral, Dante-san was utterly speechless, awestruck at the sight of the stained glass. His reaction to the stained glass I was proud of, which was more than I had expected, had brought a smile to my face. ......h-how should I say this...... what an astounding density of Spirits. So it seems. I am unable to see the Spirits, but I am somehow able to feel their presence. I knew that the Sanctuary itself had plenty of Spirits, but there is an especially high number of them here. Yes. In the Sanctuary, the Spirits gather in various locations centered at the Spirit Tree, and this is one of those places.@@@@ Ahh, I cant forget the spectacle I witnessed at the wedding. The Spirits sang and danced when Goddess Norn descended...... Dante-san closed his eyes and reminisced about my wedding with my wives. Indeed so. Perhaps because of Norn-samas influence, this place felt sacred even within the Sanctuary ever since that time. Well, its simple, Iruma-dono. Even if he says its simple, because I had actually met with Norn-sama, it felt like I had some sort of friendship with her even though shes the Goddess Norn. Still, its impossible for me to be a priest. Its too late for me to be in discipline at this age. Is that so? I thought it might be possible considering the Elves lifespan. No, it would also inconvenience the girls. Right now, the apprentice priests training in the Cathedral everyday were five young women. Additionally, the one in charge was a female priest in her prime who was dispatched by the Genesis Faith that the Great spirits had approved of. In this world, religion was integral. This was reasonable considering how there was clearly a Goddess and Spirits. No, he is Sophias father. My father-in-law. Ohh, gotcha! The names Doganbo! Dante-san seemed perplexed as Doganbo-san patted Dante-san on the back as he introduced himself. Elves probably didnt have this type of person. Im Sophias father, Dante. Ou, nice to meet ya! Y-yeah...... Still, Takumi. That warehouse looks useable. From what Golan-aniki and our comrades had tried, it tastes like its been aged two years after a month. Then its a success. Shall we try it with some wine and whiskey? Ou, you got it. Ill turn in the necessary documents relating to the request for the construction of new warehouses. Understood. Please make a report of the types and quantities of the alcohol you make as well as the varieties of grapes. Umu, theres also a request form for new breed to be planted, so could you take a look at those too? I understand. Upon saying so, Doganbo-san seemed busy as his short legs quickly marched away. I saw Doganbo-san off, and when I looked back at Dante-san, his eyes met mine and he shook his head really quickly. Being the only Elf among Dwarves seemed too much for him. Now then, I wonder if Dante-san now has a job that he wants to do. As for me, I wish Dante, who has experience managing a territory, would help me though. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 578: Freesia-san tries her best After finishing the tour and job hunting around the Sanctuary, I had asked Dante-san if he had made his choice, and he decided he would try each job, with exception to the brewery.@@@@ He said that it was something that he could only really feel once hes tried everything. And perhaps being influenced by Dante-san, who would have thought that Freesia-san would decide to learn housework from Maria, our maids, and from House Sylphides long-standing employee, Luna-san. When I asked Sophia what that was all about, she said that her mother apparently wanted to show Etoile her good side. I think it would be another two years before Etoile could have the ability to understand whats around her, but apparently, she was going to start practicing bit by bit from now on. It seems Mother thinks that if she just dotes on her, she would be no different from Madam Lumia. Shes a grandmother, so I think its fine just doting on them. Setting aside the issue of just how long the Queen would be in the Sanctuary, its not just Madam Lumia but Mimir-sama also dotes on Etoile quite a bit. Because of their longevity, Elves very rarely have the opportunity to interact with babies. Because of this, they were extremely partial to Etoile who was born to our family. Seeing this, Freesia-san held a sense of impending danger. Her only advantage was their blood relation. Moreover, despite being unskilled with any and all household chores starting with cooking, Sophia wanted to make baby food herself and started practicing together with Maria and Marnie. It seems it was then that Freesia-san grew flustered. She couldnt stomach being the lazy grandmother. Though I doubt Etoile, a baby, would think such. Still, Sophia making baby food, huh? If I practice, even I...... Peeking in from far way, it seems as though they were cutting vegetables over a chopping board. From this distance, even I could tell that it was dangerous. RA??O???s Fufu, Im better at it than Mother. It sure looks like it. Youre good at handling swords and daggers, so of course youd also be good at handling kitchen knives. Yes. Im confident in that. Sophia was already in the master levels of swordsmanship and dagger techniques, so handling knives would come easy to her. By the way, I also had high skill levels in those skills, but even way back when I was a salaryman, I had been cooking food for myself for a reasonable number of years, so I cooked normally. I hate to say it, but in the your family, Dante-san and Freesia-an worked in the fields themselves, didnt they? Housework and chores were often entrusted to Vault-san and Luna-san. There were only four servants, and setting aside Vault and Luna, there are only two remaining in the employ of House Sylphide. Moreover, Mother was not very good at housework, with or without the servants. Hmmm, so it was like that. According to Sophia, House Sylphide was at the lowest of Chevaliers, but its history was lengthy, and housework was basically always left to the servants. It was during Dantes era that the family came to own land, and because of this, cultivating new land and managing the territory meant they did not have the time to clean and cook. Still...... itll be a long way off. ............yes. Witnessing Freesia-san wield the knife in a dangerous way, I commented that her mothers goal was going to take a long time. Freesia-san was giving it her all just to feed Etoile some homemade baby food, but it might just be possible if she starts now. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 579: Flora’s Crawl Freesia-sans cooking practice was gradual. You cant just expect someone who hadnt learned any chores for centuries to suddenly be able to do so, after all. Dante-san was trying his hand in various jobs in the Sanctuary. He refused to help in my office. He said that although the Sanctuarys population was still small, the management of the Sanctuary was comparable to that of a small country and that it was too heavy of a responsibility for someone with only the experience of managing a small territory to shoulder. Until just recently, I had left most of the details to the Papeck Company, but having been included in all sorts of business with the Trination all of a sudden, creating a census of the Sanctuary residents, and the small tax charged to them, the amount of work revolving those had caused my three aides to work in full rotations. Actually, it was the residents who suggested that they pay even a small sum for tax. It was proposed because the current state where anything and everything was given to them was detrimental. And because of that, I have to look for a new aide. Thinking about it, it didnt even have to be Dante-san, I just dont want to be buried in mountains of paperwork. I might have underestimated the growth of Beastkin. Etoile, Haruka, and Flora were born not even three months ago. The Elf Etoiles and Human Harukas growth were within my expectations.@@@@ Granted, I hadnt married in my previous life as a salaryman and couldnt experience a life of watching a babys growth, so I couldnt be absolutely certain, but...... Daa! Eh!? Flora spotted me and started crawling on the soft carpet. There might have been more bewilderment than joy in my face at that moment. Seeing me like this, Marnie laughed. Takumi-sama, Beastkin babies grow quickly so this is normal. A fast grower would have started crawling by the second month. I-is that so? Now that I think about it, unlike the other two, Flora was already able to able to turn over. Huh? That means Flora is able to keep her head up? Yes. She can sit up by herself already, I imagine she would start walking in six months. I-its that fast...... Yes. Undine-sama and Dryas-sama said so. Then there should be no problem. Perhaps because my body was especially made by Norn, as well as because of raising my level, I possess magic power far past the limits of Humans, and I dont know if it was also because Maria was also a high level human far above the norm, but the magic power that Haruka possesses was extraordinarily larger than other human children. Oh my, Etoile-chan will not lose either. Indeed. Etoile is also amazing. Wait, I understand Freesia-san saying it, but why is even Madam Lumia...... Please forgive my Mother, Takumi-sama. It was then that Freesia-san who was carrying Etoile, as well as Madam Lumia, who for some reason was here in our residence more than in Mimir-samas mansion next door, entered the room. Sophia followed in after then apologetically. Among the Elven children, Etoile-chan has never-before-seen amounts of magic power. Isnt that right, Madam Lumia? Indeed so. Even among the infants born to Elven Royalty, there have been none that possessed this much magic power.. Etoile, you too, huh. Its probably bad to say that with Elven royalty, so I should put a stop to that. That might become a problem, so please keep that confidential. Takumi-sama, I believe it would be difficult to keep this a secret from elves. Really? Is it the Spirits? Yes. it would be difficult to keep the all the Spirits from talking. ......thought so. If it were higher ranking spirits who were more intelligent or rational, Sylph and the Great Spirits could be told not to, but Spirits intermediate and lower rank would have a hard time holding their tongue as they were similar to innocent children. Daa? Its okay, Flora. Are you worried about Papa? Soothed by Flora patting my cheeks with her tiny little hands, I decided that anything is fine and to just fight back. Cuteness is justice. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 581: Sanctuary Assembly? A new building was completed in the central division of the Sanctuary. It had conference rooms and large halls where legislative assemblies happen. Because the population is rising in the Sanctuary and with its racial diversity, I decided to build a place where everyone can have discussions and make all sorts of decisions. Well, Im aware that I went over the top with my idea. Now, Dwarven and Elven craftsmen were creating statues and ornaments for it. Since weve finally built this facility, we decided to use it to listen to the various discussions with the representatives of the residents of the Sanctuary. In attendance are Sophia, Akane, Laeva, myself, as well as Charlotte from my aides. The residents representatives are as follows: Mappo-san, Cat Sith. Vanga-san, Human. Melty-san, Elf. Doganbo-san, Dwarf. Fluna-san, Mermaid. With the exception of Vanga-san, the representatives were simply the people who were here the earliest. Hey, Takumi. Yes, what is it, Vanga-san? Even if we want something, if we just keep receiving it from you, it would become the ruin of everyone. Hes right. Youve given houses to live in, fields to plow, and even agricultural equipment. If youre saying the tax is cheap because youre concerned for us, entitlement will be right at you. When Vanga-san and Melty-san spoke, everyone else nodded in agreement. Well, but dont you have any requests? When I said that, everyone exchanged looks. Ahh, theres Ferryl and Seru. If we were to leave it to Akanes familiar the Luna Wolf Ferryl [1], and Laevas familiar Serval Seru to do the culling, the deer wouldnt increase too much. Then I shall use Gloam as well. Perhaps because she felt a sense of rivalry, even Sophia mentioned the name of her familiar, Thunder Eagle Gloam. Then well solve the lack of hunters by relying on the familiars. As we continued to discuss if there was anything else, some had suggested that the annual harvest festival should be made a little bit more showy. Hey, Takumi. The number of residents here has increased considerably, should we make the harvest festival even more showy? Making the harvest festival more showy, huh...... that sounds nice. I wonder if the harvest festival would be good as is? There are other festivals too, though. Some of the newly immigrated residents have never experienced a festival, so we decided to hold a festival that everyone can enjoy. Then lets have a separate meeting to plan the date and details of the festival. Lets end it here f or today. Right. Its perfect since Takumis children had just been born, so lets make a grand festival. The children are blessed with various races as Human, Elf, and Beastkin, so lets liven it up! The first Sanctuary Assembly, we decided to have a showy festival. Timewise, the harvest festival would be very soon, so it would be a lavish harvest festival like every year, but maybe we should step it up. Just as we were about to leave, I saw Fluna-san discussing something with Sophia in a whisper, but if there was something going on, she would probably discuss it with me too. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Footnotes: 1. Correction C Raws say that Ferryl is a Shadow Wolf but Ferryl is actually a Luna Wolf and its subordinates were Shadow Wolves. Chapter 582: Planning the Festival Now then, I wonder how they celebrate festivals in this world. I dont really know what a showy festival should be. It would have been food, drinks, and merrymaking in the previous years, but...... Hey, what kind of showy festivals were there? Mikoshi [1]? No, this isnt Japan. Bon Festival[2]? We can go with a dance, but that wouldnt be Obon. Naked Festival [3]? Thats good...... no no, Im kidding. Besides, isnt the Naked Festival indecent? That was dangerous. When I was got a bit deep into a joke with Akane, Sophia and Maria gave me a cold look at the mention of a Naked Festival. That festival was basically a mans festival. When we first met Marnie, she was wearing revealing clothing. Perhaps thats why she wasnt as hypersensitive about the word Naked. In Yggurle Kingdom, every territory holds a harvest festival, and the Royal Capital holds a founding festival. Huh? Is there no festival to worship the Spirits? Now that you mention it, there isnt one. Sophia informed us that food stalls sold cheap food and drinks in the festivals held in Yggurle Kingdom, That was the same even in the Sanctuary, so I wonder if we should increase the scale. Eh, thats all? What about parades? Yes. That is all. It was said that a parade is held when there is a change of Kings. It was said...? Oh I see, there probably hasnt been a change of Kings in several centuries. The long-living Elven race were incredible. But it doesnt seem like there were parades. When I thought about who would be paraded if its the Sanctuary, I had a bad feeling. I thought it would be possible if it was just Sylph, Undine, and the others, but...... I dont know what kind of festivals Takumi-sama and Akane are talking about, but as far as i know, harvest festivals are the most typical. The population has increased since last years harvest festival, I believe its only natural the festival becomes bigger. The advancement of science isnt necessarily bad, but we shouldnt be careless about its rapid advancement because of war. There were also things like pollution, which isnt good for this world. I will make everything related to the fireworks. Ill make a golem to launch them. Sounds great. I dont think we need to be that worried about it. Anything that happens in the Sanctuary wouldnt be seen outside of it. Thats true. Still, I will make the fireworks by myself just in case. As Sophia said, thanks to the barrier, what happens inside the Sanctuary isnt visible. But I should be extra careful. We dont know where information could leak from. Especially the loose tongues of low and intermediate ranking innocent Spirits. While theres no worry over accurate information leaking, it was inevitable that the fact that something happened in the Sanctuary would come out. Can you tell me whats done in normal harvest festivals? ............ Since I will be preparing the fireworks by myself, when I asked about how other places do their harvest festivals, everyone aside from Akane exchanged glances. Until last year, Mimir-sama raised a prayer to the gods before the offerings, and we simply had food, drinks, and made merry, but I wonder what happens in a formal Harvest Festival. Mimir-sama said that the harvest festival was like this in Yggurle Kingdom, but there were people of various races and countries here, after all. In the end, after asking various residents, there really are a variety of customs based on race and region. I wonder how we can find a middle ground. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Footnotes: 1. A Mikoshi is a sacred religious palanquin. Its carried by people from one shrine to another during festivals. 2. Obon () or just Bon () is a fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of ones ancestors. 3. Hadaka Matsuri (, Naked Festival) is a type of Japanese festival, or matsuri, in which participants wear a minimum amount of clothing. 4. C Fireworks festival / display dedicated specifically for the fireworks. As far as I know, theres usually a competition for it by various groups that people go specifically for. As for the dedicated fireworks, imagine a show at the end of the night to close the festival. Chapter 583: Festival Preparations START Now then, it had been decided on that this years Harvest Festival will be held at a grander scale than last year. After various discussions with everyone, weve decided to have the Harvest Festival in the Sanctuary our way. After all, in the village Marnie was born in, she said they would only offer up small offerings and leave it at that, so obviously, we cant have that. If that were the case, the Harvest Festival weve done up until last year would have sufficed, so were just going to do what we want. And so, with everyones help, were setting more variety of stalls compared to last year. The population in the Sanctuary had increased considerably since last year, so we need to expand. Additionally, it seems the priests who manage the Cathedral of the Genesis Faith were going to help with the ceremony of the Harvest Festival from this year onwards. Until last year, that task was left to Mimir-sama. In towns and villages that have arable land in Valkyra Kingdom, they offer harvested crops on an altar and recite prayers to the Goddess. In Yggurle Kingdom, they include offerings and prayers to the Spirits. Well, here in the Sanctuary, those Spirits also attend the Harvest Festival though. Now, the women living in the Sanctuary were brainstorming and trying out menu items for the stalls. Also, Im thinking of reaching out to Papeck-san and ask him to set up a stall. For the limited duration of the event, even if we allow people from the Papeck Trading Company to enter the Sanctuary since the truly hopeless folk cant enter the barrier, it would probably be okay. Since its going to be a festival, people from the outside come anyway. Actually, when we were talking about the Harvest Festival, Mimir-sama expressed her strong desire to participate again this year. I heard that the Harvest Festival this year will be more grand than last year. Yes. Given how the number of people in the Sanctuary had increased, I thought it would be a good opportunity to celebrate the annual festival and express our gratitude to Goddess Norn. I heard there will be a ceremony as well. Yes. We had left it to you entirely until last year, but the priests of the Genesis Faith have said that they would undertake this task. Please, by all means, allow me to participate in the ritual! Umm...... wh- Well then, I shall hold a briefing session with them. No, Mimir-sama! Just as I finished making a prototype of the golem, Laeva came into the workshop. Oh? What a peculiar golem. Yeah, its a prototype for the time being. As I talked with Laeva, I took out magic stones for the fireworks. Oho? Are those magic stones? Yeah, when I really thought about it, I realized I dont need to make gunpowder. I could just use magic to make flashy sparkles. Ohh, that sounds interesting. May I also assist? Now that you mention it, what are you doing in the workshop, Laeva? Ahh, I was thinking of making a few portable cooking stoves for the stalls. According to Laeva, most of the stalls will need fire and use mthe magic device, so she came to make some more in case there werent enough. Yes, I did hear that the grilled skewers and spit roast would use charcoal fire. Charcoal fire definitely makes skewers and roast more delicious. After that, I drew the shapes and colors of the fireworks Ive seen in Japan as I explained it to Laeva, then we did all sorts of experiments based on our intuition. .bg-container-10448869e4d{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } When night comes, we have to raise a concealment barrier and do the experiments. The concealment barrier was so that we could keep it a surprise until its complete. It sure is fun preparing for events like this. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 584: Good Adults Wanting To Participate The residents of the Sanctuary were working together in preparation for the Harvest Festival. On top of the work that comes with harvest season of the crops that they had worked so hard to cultivate, they were also busy with preparing the stalls, but they all seemed to be having fun. The harvest itself will take ten days, so its been decided that the Harvest Festival will be held in around fifteen days. Papeck-san will arrive before the third day of the festival. We had to set up the stands after that, so we had to arrange the number and variety of the stands. It will also take time for Madam Lumia to summon servants from Yggurle Kingdom. Naturally, I was asked to handle the production of their stands. The reason for the vagueness on details was because the circumstances of the harvest and the festival preparations may vary by a day or two. Normally, it would be troublesome if the harvest festival didnt have a set date, but put simply, the Sanctuary was quite lax in that regard. Now, in the workshop, Laeva was making the target shooting and ring toss under Akanes supervision. I couldnt think of any other type of booths in a festival aside from food stands. The number of stalls will increase. The kids would probably enjoy target shooting and ring toss. I think everyone would be in awe at the sight of the loud and pretty firework magic. Is there anything else...... The fire festival was extravagant but quite dangerous, and as for making a float at this stage...... can we manage if I use alchemy with the Elven craftsmen? But the mikoshi and floats dont really fit with Goddess Norns image. All thats left is the question of whether to hold various events or not. It might not feel like a Harvest Festival, but a speed-eating and competitive-eating might be interesting. I think its okay to have other events as well. The ceremonious rituals were only at the start anyway, then it turns into a huge commotion, so it seems Sylph, Undine, Dryas, and the Great Spirits are okay with it as long as its fun. Simon, who was in the process of selecting people to send as civil officials to send to the Sanctuary to strengthen relations, had heard talks of a Harvest Festival in the Sanctuary. Its a given if you really think about it. The Sanctuary not only produces alcohol, but also crops and fruits. There was no reason not to have a harvest festival in such a land. Rather, it was natural that a Harvest Festival that happens in Valkyra Kingdom could also be held in the Sanctuary. Hearing that a caravan of the Papeck Companys carriages was making its way from the Royal Capital towards the direction of Volton, Simon hurriedly took action. He managed to gain himself a holiday during the period of the Harvest Festival, and he, along with his wife and a few servants, headed for the Sanctuary in a Demon Horse-drawn carriage. Madam Rosary, the wife of Valkyra Kingdoms Prime Minister Simon, was told to urgently pack her things when her usually cautious husband suddenly came home and was in a rush to leave. Without so much as a proper explanation, it couldnt be helped that she felt anxious as they seemed to be running away in the night, like a moonlight flit. What is happening, dear? You know about the Sanctuary too, right? Yes, of course. I reckon there is not a single noble in Valkyra Kingdom who isnt aware of the Sanctuary though. And it is currently the time for Harvest Festivals in the Kingdom. Yes, they are occurring here and there even around the Royal Capital. I also look forward to it. Rosary was getting irritated by her husbands usual meandering explanations. Then you should understand. Were going to the Harvest Festival of the Sanctuary. Oh my! We are traveling to the Sanctuary!? Having thought she could never enter the Sanctuary, the tone of Rosarys voice grew higher. At the salons open to noble ladies in the Royal Capital of Valkyra Kingdom, not only the wine, but also the various fruits produced in the Sanctuary were often the subject of conversations. Since Simon was acquainted with Takumi and Papeck, it was easy to acquire Sanctuary Wine, so Rosary basked in a sense of superiority in salons. Yeah, so please bear with the strict schedule. Of course! If we are heading to the Sanctuary, I will ride however many carriages! Rosary said that excitedly, but this carriage made by Takumi did not shake much at all. Simon was not a fool to point that out though. He knew that upsetting Rosary would make the journey longer so it was best to turn a blind eye to it. As Simons carriage raced towards the Sanctuary, another carriage was headed in the same direction. It all started when Lumia urgently summoned her servants by way of a communication magic device. Naturally, this information was conveyed to her husband, King Forselty, and to Prime Minister Balza. Forselty stood up vigorously. Balza, I leave the rest to you! Y-your Majesty! Please wait! Ooh! My Queen and daughter are waiting! Neither Her Majesty nor Her Highness called for Your Majesty! In any event, I leave the rest to you! If anything happens, the prince and the elders will handle it! Ah-, Your Majesty! Forselty hurried his preparations. If not for this, I wouldnt be able to meet my queen and daughter! .bg-container-10448ed3ed0{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-container-10448222eb6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } It has been many years since King Forselty last left Yggurle Kingdom. It was definitely an abnormal situation, but he was also responsible for the Queen and Princess who have not come back at all. The carriage boarding Forselty departed a day after the carriage boarding the servants that Lumia summoned left. The Kings travel abroad was unbelievably swift. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 585: Congestion at the Gate In comparison to the last year, the population in the Sanctuary had increased considerably, and with the birth of my daughters, it was decided that this years harvest festival would be held on a grander scale, and we had begun preparing for it. I do think that my daughters unveiling party was already grand though. Doganbo-san and the Dwarves had prepared copious amounts of alcohol just for this. If Papeck-san were to see this, he would beg to us sell him even a little bit of it. The Dwarves had other tasks too. We repaired the stalls from last year, made additional new stalls, and for some reason, it felt like Laeva was doing something secretly. Also, Maria and Kaede were sewing clothes, but for who, I wonder. Is it for the babies? I might be the only one who thinks its a bit flashy though. The ceremony held at the start of the Harvest Festival was performed in the same place in the previous years, but this year, the altar will be five times bigger than before. The crop yield had increased so drastically this year that it was no mystery as to why the altar was far larger. Moreover, the ceremony will be officiated by not only Mimir-sama, but also the priests of the Genesis Faith, so it wasnt just bigger, but also more extravagant because of this. When I finished making the firework launcher magic device, I received word that the servants that Lumia-sama had summoned from her country had arrived at the gate. They passed through the barrier, but theres no problem with that, right? If they look okay in yours and the others eyes, Sylph, then I have nothing to say about it. They were the people that Madam Lumia summoned, so they probably wouldnt be reckless. Sylph personally came to let me know, but there was no problem in letting the servants through. After all, Papeck-san had already arrived with his people. They seemed to have come from the Royal Capital and passed through Volton like a bullet train. As to be expected, we were using the additional stalls that we made, but Papeck-san immediately went to Akane to discuss where they could bring out their stalls. When I went to see central district where the stalls were lined up, Madam Lumias servants who had just arrived began procuring ingredients and experimenting on the food they would serve in their stall with Madam Lumia. Madam Lumia even took the initiative to cook food in their stall. Mimir-sama was surprised to see this. ......Mother, you are capable of cooking. Oh, isnt that obvious? I used to cook before I married that man. Should I also learn how to cook? Fufu, now now, you have duties in the church as well, do you not? Witnessing this mother-daughter conversation, Sylph suddenly appeared once again and said that several more carriages that werent part of a merchant caravan had arrived and were waiting for approval of entry at the Sanctuarys gate. Uhh, youre kidding, right? I have no need for such jokes. Haa, I guess thats true. Based solely on their character, they can pass through the barrier, so Ill let them pass until the annexed district[1]. Okay, please do. Ill call Madam Lumia and head to the annexed district. Okay. Gotcha. I never could have imagined Sylph to report that the carriage boarded by King Forselty, the ruler of Yggurle Kingdom, would be waiting patiently in front of the Sanctuary gate. Madam Lumia was happily arranging the stalls prepared by the servants that she had summoned from her country. Madam Lumia! Oh, what is the matter, Takumi-kun? About that. Sylph had informed me that...... King Yggurle had come to the entrance to the Sanctuary. Eh? Do you mean Forselty? Yes...... Haa~ I apologize. Jeez, what ever could that man be doing? Madam Lumia looked exasperated, but I think its because she hasnt gone back...... not that I would say that out loud though. Then I shall leave the preparations to you. Yes! Please leave it to us, Your Majesty! Let us be on our way, Takumi-kun. Y-yes. Madam Lumia entrusted the preparations of the stall to her attendant who was close by, then urged me to go. It was a considerable distance to the gate, so I couldnt make Madam Lumia walk that entire way, so I brought my carriage out from my Item Box and summoned Tsubaki, then we rode it to the gate. For some reason, Sylph was also along for the ride. Takumi, I have more to report. ......I dont really want to hear it. Fufu, its not just Lumias husband, the Prime Minister of Valkyra Kingdom also arrived with his wife. Eh!? By prime minister, do you mean Lord Simon?! And his wife, why? I dont get it. I was momentarily perplexed, but was it really that strange? Lord Simons visits to the Sanctuary werent particularly surprising. But he would normally give prior notice. But in comparison to the Yggurle Kingdoms Kings sudden arrival, I would consider the acquaintances arrival to be of no concern. For the time being, could you allow King Forselty and Lord Simon entry to the Annexed District. Gotcha. Despite being troubled by the sudden visit of the King of Yggurle Kingdom and the Prime Minister of Valkyra Kingdom, I instructed Tsubaki to hurry to the Annexed District. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Footnotes: 1. I was hesitant to call the Dejima the annex because I was under the assumption it only meant the annex of a house, but Im renaming it to the annexed district because I always found Dejima to be awkward. Chapter 586: Ecstatic Wife of the Prime Minister When we arrived at the Annexed District, I exchanged greetings with King Yggurle and Lord Simon. As King Yggurles servant brought out the luggage from the carriage and brought it into the Lodge, I noticed there was a woman standing behind Lord Simon. Oh yeah, Sylph did mention the Prime Ministers wife. That means she was his wife. She looks young. Beside Lord Simon, they looked like an elegant couple, even though she could pass for his daughter. Tsubakis gigantic and intimidating body stood out, so King Yggurle and Lord Simon did not immediately notice Madam Lumia and I alight from the carriage. King Yggurle looked elated at the sight of Madam Lumia. Ohh! My Queen! I wanted to see you! ......what are you doing, dear? King Yggurle stretched his arms out and thought he would have a touching reunion with Madam Lumia, but her icy stare stopped him dead in his tracks. U-umm, Lumia, I came a long distance to meet you, you know? Therefore you tossed aside government affairs, what are you doing? The Elven King, whose beauty hadnt faded in years, had a smile on his face, but it was twitching pitifully. Sure enough, the period of harvest festivals was a hectic time for the government body, so Madam Lumias comment of him being out of the country was justified. ......it was justified, but please be a bit kinder. When I inevitably looked way from that sight, I realized that Lord Simon was approaching with his wife. Mister Iruma, despite of our sudden visit, we appreciate that you had willingly shown us in. Lord Simon, you look well. I dont think this is a good time for this man to be in the Sanctuary this time though. This is my wife, Rosary. A pleasure to meet you, I am Takumi Iruma. Oh my! You must be the master of this paradise! P-paradise? Y-you! Could you greet him properly? Oh, pardon me. I am Rosary von Portfort. This mans wife. Madam Rosary looked around with a sparkle in her eyes. She seemed distracted even as she gave her greetings to me. My apologies, Mister Iruma. This is Rosarys first time outside of the country. She is quite excited. It is embarrassing for her age though. Dear, did you imply that I am old? N-no, I didnt say that. I see, in that case, very well. The moment Lord Simon said that Madam Rosary was well in her years, Madam Rosary, whose eyes had been sparkling as they observed the buildings and scenery, suddenly changed expressions. Lord Simon hurriedly denied it, but he looked scared. I read the situation and changed the topic. So what is the reason for your visit today? I dont believe we have anything scheduled though...... O-oh, about that, I thought to congratulate the birth of your children. Or so the official stance states. Actually, I had caught on that the Papeck Company was departing for the Sanctuary outside of its regular schedule. Furthermore, if it had been a forced march, then one would be curious as to why that was so. Well, there is one more matter, but could we touch upon it once more? There was no way the prime minister of a country would come all the way to the Sanctuary just to congratulate the birth of my children. I dont know what he was talking about but Ill deal with that after the Harvest Festival. Sigh, I understand. There is a Harvest Festival in the Sanctuary, so would it be alright to do so after that? Ohh! A Harvest Festival!? What fortunate timing. I shall also partake in this delight. You must be exhausted today, so please relax in the Lodge. Mhmm, no matter how little the jostling was because of the carriage you had created, the long journey had been taxing. We shall rest easy today. Oi! Rosary! Rosary! Do you hear me!? We must check into the Lodge! Eh, did you call for me? Oh my! Are we staying here today!? What a wonderful building! I beg of you, settle down. Madam Rosary was led by the hand into the Lodge by Lord Simon. Madam Rosary seemed to be in her fifties, but she looked so youthful that she could have been mistaken to be in her thirties. Perhaps because of that, her actions felt powerful and full of energy. Lord Simon and Madam Rosary headed to the Lodge to check in, so when I looked towards Madam Lumia out of curiosity, only to find a pitiful looking King Yggurle pleading. Please, my Queen, must we truly part after I have come all this way? Yes. I have a chamber in Mimirs mansion. So Madam Lumia finally has her own room. In that case, would it not be all right if I also stayed in Mimirs mansion? Im sorry. There are no more rooms available. No, your room`There are no rooms for the servants and maids that attend to you....... The escorting knights were impossible, but I thought the servants could at least stay in their employee dormitory, but...... ahh, it seems it was cramped now because Madam Lumia had summoned more people. Let us be on our way, Takumi. Umm, is that alright? Yes, its unreasonable for him to come and want to stay in Mimirs mansion all of a sudden. There are no available beds either. It looks like its been decided that King Yggurle will stay in the Lodge with his attendants and knights. It is likely ill-prepared for the stay of a king. After seeing King Yggurle trudge over into the Lodge, Madam Lumia and I left the Annexed District. But why did King Yggurle come to the Sanctuary at this time? Surely its not because he missed his wife and daughter, is it? Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. TLN- trying to use Mr instead of -dono. May or may not change back. Chapter 587: Women Dress Up The morning after Lord Simon and King Yggurle arrived at the Sanctuary, I went to the Lodge in the annexed district to meet them. The ceremony of the Harvest Festival starts before noon, and the festivities begin afterwards. There shouldnt be a parade before that. When I woke up this morning and went outside, there was a float that could possibly be pulled by Tsubaki. It looks like we could even ride on top of it. Yup, its a parade. Sophia and the others had been excited since the morning. The ceremony was being managed by Mimir with the priests of the Genesis Faith supporting her, and she was raring to go after having finished the purification ritual first thing in the morning. How lively. Isnt it as spirited as the nations founding festival? Indeed. There are also plenty of food that I have never seen before. The area lined with stalls set up by the Sanctuary Residents was filled with people doing last minute preparations since early morning. The food in these stalls were not much difference from last year, but there was more variety with the stalls set up by the Papeck Company that served conventional cuisine of Valkyra Kingdom and standard food of this world, so the variation had increased considerably compared to prior years. Furthermore, there were several stalls led by Madam Lumia. These focused on Yggurle Kingdoms cuisine, which also had more variety in comparison to last years stalls. Oh my, there is a place where you can drink alcohol from the morning. Ohh! Its wine from the Sanctuary! For this years Harvest Festival, we had a lot of discussions with Doganbo-san and Golan-san about how the alcohol would be managed. The Harvest Festival which had been exclusive to the Sanctuary residents until last year was like an extended banquet, so I gave out money to buy food and alcohol, so it was essentially free of charge. However, given how this year the residents earned money through the sale of the Sanctuarys produce, the monetary economy had begun to permeate into the Sanctuary. As such, it was decided that I would take charge of majority of the capital, but the food and alcohol will be sold for dirt cheap. I could see Lord Simon growing excited. It seems the wine from the Sanctuary was popular despite the limited distribution rates. Please freely enjoy what the stalls have to offer once the ceremony ends. There are also various other types of liquor available aside from the wine. U-umu, its still morning. It seems even those in the class of Lord Simon were unable to drink wine from the Sanctuary on a daily basis, and he said that they only bring it out as a reward on special occasions. I was very glad to hear this because I was wondering if we could sell it for cheaper and in larger quantities, but as to be expected, the Dwarves and Great Spirits would not permit this. The Sanctuary residents take precedence no matter what, after all. Incidentally, the Great Spirits drink the liquor for free, but no one complains. Perhaps they saw it as offerings to the Great Spirits. Spirits wouldnt have money. King Yggurle went to Mimir-samas mansion, while Lord Simon and Madam Rosary were invited into my mansion for a moment. When I showed them into the living room, Maribelle told me to change clothes and I was taken to my room. Takumi-sama, please change immediately. Eh, guys, those clothes...... When I entered my room, my wives Sophia, Maria, and Marnie were there with our babies, Etoile, Haruka, and Flora in their arms. Laeva, Akane, and Kaede were also there. What everyone had in common was that they were all wearing beautiful clothing. Beautiful, arent they? Dont you have anything to say, Takumi? ............theyre beautiful. As I stood there in amazement, Akane spoke up, and it was only then that I managed to utter words. Sophias dress was a deep green mature design, Marias dress was dark pink and looked cute which very much suited her. Marnies black dress highlighted her fair skin and hugged her curves. Laeva, Akane, and Lulu-chans dresses were also magnificent and well suited to them. For some reason, Freesia-san was also on board. She was happy about using a dress using cloth made of Kaedes special threads. Etoile, Haruka, and Flora were also wearing cute baby dresses. Now, you should also get changed, Takumi-kun. Ah, yeah, Madam Elizabeth. It was then that my aides, Charlotte, Ana, and Gina, as well as Charlottes mother Madam Elizabeth had come. Upon closer look, Maribelle, the maids, and even my aides were all dressed a bit more refined while still being modest. Madam Elizabeth was wearing more extravagant clothing. Then I checked the clothes that were prepared for me. ......so I have to wear this, huh. Naturally. Now then, please head to the ceremony with the Mistresses and the little ladies. At Maribelles urging, I picked up my prepared outfit. It was just as fancy as a noblemans clothing. Perhaps it was Akanes design, or because of cloths made of Kaedes threads, Im just glad that it doesnt look crude. Please hurry. Yes. The kids were carried by the maids, and Sophia and the others left the room. Lord Simon and Madam Rosary were guided to the venue of the ceremony by the butler Jeeves. Left alone, I resigned myself and wore the prepared outfit. This is that, isnt it? Its related to using that float-like thing. It looks like this years Harvest Festival was also my babies unveiling. Yup, acceptance is key. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 588: Harvest Festival, Unveiling, Fireworks The altar for the ceremony of the Harvest Festival was a short walk from the mansion. This just shows how good the location my mansion is in the Sanctuary though. The altar this year was a far more magnificent than that of last year. Until last year, Mimir-sama would perform ritualistic offerings and prayers at sundown, then everyone would head to the stalls afterwards, but it was starting in the morning this year. When we approached the altar, the people in the Sanctuary were already gathered there. As I was overcome with emotion at just how much the population had increased upon seeing this, Undine beckoned us over. It seems they were waiting on us. Agricultural produce harvested from the Sanctuary, as well as the liquor made from them were offered up at the altar, and Mimir-sama dedicated prayers of gratitude toward Goddess Norn and the Spirits. With the support of the priests of the Genesis Faith, the ceremony was performed without a hitch. Afterwards, Tsubaki appeared with a float that could board a large number of people. Titan then brought in stairs so the float could be boarded. Yeah, were boarding this, arent we? Im the first one, arent I? Succumbing to Titan and Tsubakis stares, I got up the stairs to the float, then my wives Sophia, Maria, and Marnie followed after, then Akane, Lulu-chan, and Laeva. My wives were carrying our babies. Perhaps to assist them, Maribelle and the maids climbed on as well, and my aides Charlotte, Gina, and Ana, who were dressed up more than usual, also did so. Then, for some reason, Charlottes mother Madam Elizabeth, as well as Madam Lumia and Mimir got on. Naturally, Freesia-san was also dressed up and climbed on board. Dante-san, perhaps out of consideration for King Yggurle, did not ride with us. Was it really alright to leave King Yggurle? And finally, the last to board the float were the Great Spirits. Titan unfastened the stairs, and took his position at the rear of the float. Then Tsubaki started moving the carriage. Before I knew it, Kaede was already on Tsubakis back. As the waving and cheering residents crowded both sides of the wide street, the float Tsubaki pulled continued forward. Yup, its legit a parade. I must have had an indescribable look on my face as Undine spoke to me. Give up. The birth of your children is more joyous to the people of the Sanctuary as you think. Its also a delight for us Great Spirits. In particular the Elf Etoile, as she will very likely be the next Guardian of the Spirit Tree and Keeper of the Sanctuary. ...... so it really will be Etoile. It cant be helped. It is very likely to be in terms of lifespans. I held back a sigh. I dont want my daughter to be bound to the Sanctuary in the future. But the Sanctuary isnt a bad place for Sophia and Etoile to live out the rest of their long lifespans. Etoile, Haruka, and Flora were more eagerly welcomed by the residents than I thought. They might have been more excited about it because it was their first time experiencing a parade like this for the first time. As I waved back to Wappa and the Sanctuary children who were cheering, Sylph spoke to me as well. Takumi, Its about time you realize. Realize? Yep. To these people, you are their King. King......no way...... really? Think about it. The population here doesnt amount to a country just yet, but its vast enough to be a small country, and while there is no army, there are plenty of golems. We trade with three countries and have plenty of foreign currency. Takumi, you who created such an environment are undoubtedly the representative of the Sanctuary. Well, its no mistaking that I am the Sanctuarys representative, but...... Then you understand why the people are delighted by the birth of your children. Im just reaping what I sow so I gave up on the attention I gather, but if possible, I want to raise the kids in a normal environment. Well, you dont have to think too hard about it. Unlike normal countries, you dont have to conduct yourself like a king, so its fine if you just do your duties as the Guardian and Keeper. Thats the hard part though. Fufu, its okay~ This Oneechan will watch over your kids and those kids~ Ahh, thanks, Dryas. After the parade around the Central District, we changed into our regular clothes and headed to the stalls. Our babies were taken to the mansion to nap. Lord Simon and Madam Rosary were going around checking the stalls. Madam Lumia manned stalls serving cuisine from Yggurle Kingdom with her attendants. Nearby, King Yggurle carrying the food he bought from other stalls in both hands, eating as he watched Madam Lumia. Is that really okay, King Yggurle? As the sun set and the stars sparkled in the night sky, I separated myself from everyone and started launching the fireworks. Whooosh~~ Boom!! I launch of the firework spell with a whistling sound to help build the scene, then large flowers bloomed in the night sky. Uwaaa!! Wooooah! Its so pretty! So pretty nya! The residents fell silent for a moment, wondering what had happened, but not long after, I could hear the innocent childrens voices, followed by the adults cheers. Once I gave the command, all the prepared firework magic devices will launch automatically. I should also return to my family. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 589: Prime Minister’s Proposal The Harvest Festival, our childrens unveiling, and the fireworks display were a huge success. Lord Simon and Madam Rosary seemed to have enjoyed themselves and were quite excited. King Yggurle and Dante-san felt slightly excluded because their wives had participated in the parade while they did not. As could be expected, it was my childrens unveiling, so it would have been awkward to have the king of Yggurle Kingdom boarded the float. Dante-san was pitiful though. And today, Lord Simon appeared to have visited my residence to have a discussion. If he had something to discuss then it could have been done at the Lodge, theres a conference room there. However, Madam Rosary seemed to want to visit, and so theyre here. Madam Rosary wanted to have a tea party with, my wives, Freesia-san, as well as Madam Elziabeth and Madam Lumia who were also present as if it were a given. So you didnt come here this time for the Harvest Festival. Yes, we bear gifts for the children born to your family, Iruma-dono. This is the catalogue. I accepted the catalogue that Lord Simon presented. We have brought mainly silverware and ceramics, as well as cotton fabric, Thank you very much. The cotton fabric is very appreciated. It seems they brought the cloth fabric for the residents of the Sanctuary to use. As expected of Lord Simon. He knows what I am in need of. Ill have to think of what I can give in return for the congratulatory gift. We truly did wish to congratulate you, but, well, that is one of the official stances. Official? As the prime minister, I needed a reason to revisit the Sanctuary. I see... This time, the reason Lord Simon came to the Sanctuary was neither for the Harvest Festival nor my babies celebration. Of course he wouldnt. It would be too weak of a reason for a prime minister of a country to come all this way for a foreign harvest festival, and the congratulatory visit would be on that same level for to come personally. Now then, what could the issue be. I listened to Lord Simon resume speaking. It would be pointless to deceive you in the Sanctuary graced by the presence of the Great Spirits, I will speak frankly and openly. In truth, I had received information that the Queen of Yggurle Kingdom frequently visits your mansion in the Sanctuary. ......that is so. But it makes Princess Mimir seems happy, and Im grateful that Madam Lumia favors Etoile, so I have mixed feelings regarding this. Simon nodded in agreement with my statement. But then, I started feeling uneasy about how I was gradually starting to find Madam Lumias presence here to not be strange. Well, setting aside personal feelings, it is unacceptable from the perspective of Valkyra Kingdom for one nation to get close to you, the Keeper of the Sanctuary, Iruma-dono. After all, you have a base in Volton and the Royal Capital. In terms of relationships, I believe our nation should be the closest. Well, I guess. What Lord Simon said was reasonable. I do have a relationship with Lomaria Kingdom, Yggurle Kingdom, Samandour Kingdom, Gnomstoll Kingdom, but the place Ive stayed in the longest and have a base in was at Volton which was in Valkyra Kingdom. I have many acquaintances, friends, and people I am grateful for in Valkyra Kingdom. About that. I hear that you are troubled by the shortage of civil servants. I am. I hired three aides, but theyre still not enough. Of course not. While the population is still within the range of a city, it is a given that they would not be enough considering the volume of trade that the Sanctuary conducts. Even if it is considered a city, you still have far too few civil servants. It was still manageable when the the population was at the level of a large village, but now weve reached our limits...... When there wasnt that many people yet, the Sanctuary didnt have a monetary economy, so I was able to manage without any civil servants. But after having distributed money to the residents in last years Harvest Festival, the increase in population, and wages starting to get paid based on the work done, were now just overwhelmed. As such, I considered searching for personnel that could serve that role. I am aware that this is meddlesome, however, frankly speaking, I wish to have a strong connection between the Sanctuary and Valkyra Kingdom. Not at all, I appreciate that. If possible, I would be happy if you could choose people based on their character instead of their abilities. Very well, I will work on that immediately upon my return to the Royal Capital. Eventually, they will have to pass the selection of Great Spirits. None might be left if I choose by prioritizing their capabilities. I will screen through them carefully. Yes! This might alleviate our lack of civil servants even slightly. I dont care about having ties to Valkyra Kingdom now. Im a free person because Im an adventurer, but I was almost like a citizen of Valkyra Kingdom. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. TLN C Thank you for having read up to this point. Ive been reading the comments and I see people are equally as frustrated with certain characters behaviors as I am. Ultimately, it is up to you if you wish to continue or not, but my only consolation without giving any spoilers is that this arc/volume is nearly over. Chapter 590: Prime Minister’s Wife has a Tea Party As Takumi and Simon were discussing the time and place for the civil official interviews, in the garden of the mansion, women were gracefully drinking tea. It is my first time traveling outside of the country, but for it to be in such a magnificent place, I cant go anywhere else. Madam Rosary, Yggurle Kingdom has wonderful places as well. Although they are not as beautiful as the Sanctuary. Rosary was delighted by the beautiful scenery of the Sanctuary. From Takumis mansion, the Spirit Tree across the Spirit Spring was the highlight. Still, Im quite envious, Madam Freesia. You had a mansion built a stones throw away, did you not? Yes. Well, even so, I stay here more often than not. Really, if you keep doing so for too long, Dante would be too pitiful. Freesia literally has a house at a distance where soup wouldnt even cool, yet life didnt change much for her. Perhaps wanting to stay by Etoiles side, she often spent her days in Takumis mansion. And Lumia tattled on her. Oh yes, Madam Lumia, you come here pretty frequently as well. Even though shes my grandchild...... All Elven children are my children and grandchildren. I have my doubts about that. Madam Lumia, is it alright to just leave King Yggurle by his lonesome in at the Lodge as well? That man will be leaving tomorrow, perhaps I should see him off. Lumia brazenly declared that Etoile was just as much her grandchild. Even when that civil servant Charlottes mother Elizabeth asked about Lumia neglecting King Yggurle, but Lumia seemed to have no plans of returning to her country. Madam Lumia, Madam Elizabeth, you seem to be staying here for an extended period of time, but is it not burdensome being away from the capital? Burdensome she says, Madam Elizabeth. Yes, Madam Lumia. Hearing Rosarys question, Lumia exchanged glances with Elizabeth with knowing smiles. Indeed, Madam Rosary. If I want to have a dress made, I have to ask Maria-chan and Kaede-chan, but there are no bothersome parties here. We can simply relax at a tea party without a need for formality. Furthermore, the food here is more delicious in comparison to the finest restaurants that could be found in the Royal Capital. This is most certainly because of the difference in ingredients. Even the products of Yggurle Kingdom, with its multitude of Spirits, could not compare. Indeed. Even the wheat is completely different. There is also an abundance in seasonings as well. Once in a while, our chef goes to Takumi-kun to learn. Hearing this, Rosary looked envious. As the legal wife of the Prime Minister who was occupied with the Kingdom, it was normal for her to host and participate in numerous parties. However, despite understanding that it was necessary as a noble, Rosary had come to realize that she was tired of it. Thats why she unintentionally let her true feelings show. It must be nice not having any bothersome parties. My, is it the same for you too, Madam Rosary? Madam Rosary, Madam Elizabeth, we have identical sentiments, I see. Yes. The majority of people who attend parties try to flatter you or stand in your way. Particularly with my husband being the Prime Minister...... How bothersome. The three women looked at each other and nodded in agreement. That is why this place is the best. The scenery is stunning, and the Spirits are far more abundant here than in the Yggurle Kingdom. Perhaps it is only natural since it is the Sanctuary, but it is brimming of sacred energy, in turn making the food delicious, and above all else, the wine is delectable. Indeed. The wine is superb. Once I had a taste of this wine, the wine sold in the Royal Capital that I would typically partake in felt like muddy water. Certainly, and it is not only the wine, but other liquor are also delightful. According to what they heard, the clothes used by the residents of the Sanctuary were transported from the Royal Capital by the Papeck Company, so it was possible to buy it in stores. The residents could buy those, or craft it themselves. There was no need to dress up for parties, but it was possible to wear pretty clothing when they want to. Elizabeth and Lumia had said that clothing made from the fabrac made of the threads of the legendary class monster Arachne could never be rivaled by the dressmakers from the capitals. The two further stated that the clothes designed by Akane were magnificent. When I saw what Mimir was wearing, I made my own request. I too made a request. Hearing that Lumia and Elizabeth had requested designs made by Akane and clothes made by Kaede, Rosary realized that these two would not be returning for a while. (Would a villa...... be impossible?) Unlike Elizabeth and Lumia who have daughters here, how would she be able to stay here...... Before anyone knew it, Rosary naturally grew inclined to immigrating to the Sanctuary. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 591: Training Resumes Chapter 591: Training ResumesAfter speaking with Lord Simon regarding the civil officials, I went to the basement with Sophia and others. Aside from the teleportation gate room, theres a newly made spacious room. The ceiling was as high as gymnasium. The walls were enchanted with powerful barriers, it wouldnt be disturbed by even some magic attacks. This was the training ground we built for ourselves. Today, Im helping Sophia, Maria, and Marnie rust off from their pregnancies and childbirth. I continued to train with Kaede, Akane, Laeva, and Lulu-chan, but Sophia, Maria, and Marnie were prohibited from doing intense body movements from the moment their pregnancies were confirmed until their childbirth. But a while after our babies were born, Sophia who was very particular about being my escort had said that she wants to start training again. And because of that, Maria and Marnie also wanted to train to be full members again for the first time in a long time. I had two practice poles in my hands. It was two short sticks. Fundamentally, my main weapon was usually the Ice Bringer. I use one handed swords as my substitute weapon in a melee, but so as to not overdo it in this sparring match, I am going to spar with the intention of training to handle two sticks. My opponents were Sophia and Marnie. Sophia was equipped with a one-handed wooden sword and a circle shield. Marnie was dual wielding daggers in combination with martial arts. So, shall we begin? Yes! I loosely held my weapons and readied myself in a seigan stance[1. A Kendo stance where you hold your weapon towards your opponents eyes.]. The first to make a move was Sophia. Ha! I easily avoided the wooden sword swinging from overhead on a downward diagonal, while maintaining the awareness of drawing a circle. I immediately countered her attack with an upward swing. I gently guided to one side using the stick. Fuh! Sophia stepped in with her circular shield and initiated Shield Bash. Instead of back stepping to dodge, I sidestepped to Sophias blind spot. Kah! Kan! As if waiting for that moment, Marnie lunged with a dagger combo, but I deftly parried them. From there, Sophia and Marnie coordinated their attacks against me. Partway through, magic casted by Sophia targeted me, but I defended myself using the weakest barrier magic. Our 2v1 sparring match continued for several minutes, but then Maria joined in with a practice spear, so it turned into 3v1 sparring match. Akane and Laeva looked fed up as they watched the sparring match that was happening at a speed that ordinary folk couldnt keep up with. ......am I the only one who feels scammed when he says hes got a production job? Laeva also thinks Takumi-samas production job is strange. Yes~ Isnt it cool, nya? Lulu watched the fours spar with sparkling eyes. Sophia, Maria, and Marnie had taken a long break with their pregnancies and birth, but what is this 3v1? Moreover, Takumi-sama hadnt gotten attacked even once. Among their companions, the one with the highest level was most certainly Takumi, but in reality, his abilities went beyond his status and levels. Everyone among Takumis companions also had a downgraded version of Takumis blessing, granting them with a growth boost but it would be a mistake to compare them to Takumi. Takumis body was a vessel created directly by Goddess Norn when he had descended into this world. Moreover, he was personally granted divine protection. The boost given by this divine protection upon leveling up was also enormous. Status alone does not decide a fight, but the three who had an lengthy gap since their last fight could not keep up with Takumis speed. Furthermore, their battle senses had dulled, causing them to fall for Takumis skillful feints. Well, thats impossible even those of us who didnt take a break. That, is true. Sophia-san and the others are already finding it difficult to coordinate their attacks after their break too. We cant just watch. Lets do our best too. Lets! Yes nya! Akane, Laeva, and Lulu began a mock battle amongst themselves as well. Akane and Laeva were purely rear guards, but that did not mean that they neglected close quarters combat. In a time where their magic power runs out, it would be necessary to have the skill to fight in close combat if they want to survive. The people outside the barrier who watched the partys intense mock battle were dumbfounded. Lumia, Elizabeth, Freesia, and Rosary had come from a tea party to observe. ......Takumi-kun was that strong? ......my only impression of him was being buried in work or making something, but...... how amazing. Sophia...... did she really take a break until childbirth? Didnt she become too strong? I had heard from my husband that Iruma-san was an excellent adventurer, but...... I did realize just how amazing he was. Lumia had heard that during Triaria Kingdom and Divine Empire Sydnias conquest through the Savage Lands, Takumis party played a major role in the war near the Sanctuary alongside the Trinations alliance of Valkyra, Yggurle, and Lomaria Kingdoms. However, seeing this spectacle unfolding right before her very eyes left Lumia dumbfounded. Elizabeth and Rosary could not follow the partys offense and defense with their eyes. They only knew that it was amazing. Freesia knew that Sophia was renowned for her prowess even among the Chivalric Order during her daughters time as a knight of Yggurle Kingdom. Freesia could tell that despite the long break Sophia had taken due to childbirth, she had become far stronger since that time. And she found it unbelievable that the trio that included Sophia could not land a decisive hit against Takumi. Their training session lasted two hours, with Akane and the others subbing in several times. Once the training was over, Sophia and the others had collapsed from exhaustion, and while there had been an accident where Takumi and Akane had to look after them, but Sophia, Maria, and Marnie felt a pleasant sense of fatigue from having been able to train intensely for the first time in a long while. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 592: PvP Training Sophia, Maria, and Marnie were sitting on the floor of the training ground, trying to calm their rough breathing. Of course, Akane, Laeva, and Lulu-chan had been keeping up with their training so, while they were also tired, it wasnt to the point that they would fall to the floor. Haa, haa, haa, my body really has grown weak. ......haa, haa, my body feels heavy too. Haa, haa, my fighting senses have also dulled. Sophia, Maria, and Marnie seemed frustrated by the fact that their bodies werent moving as well as they had hoped. To me, they had given birth to Etoile, Haruka, and Flora healthily, so it couldnt be their physical strength had taken a decline. It was then that Maria asked about something she had noticed during training. Haa, haa, still, Akane-san, Laeva, and Lulu-chan leveled up, didnt they? Indeed. I also sensed it. I feel as though Lulu-chans growth was huge much like I had when we were lower in level. Marnie and Sophia agreed. Despite having weakened from their pregnancy break, it appears they could still feel how Akane, Laeva, and Lulu-chan leveled up. Of course. During the time you guys couldnt move, we went dungeon diving with Takumi in the Demon Continent. Yes. I occasionally join them to gather materials as well. Yup nya. I go with Berkut-oneechan too nya. Akane, Laeva, and Lulu-chan disclosed their trick at that observation. Before my wives pregnancies, Sophia who was always guarding me would often come, so she nodded in understanding. It all started with Laeva saying that she wanted materials from dungeons in the Demon Continent. We couldnt dungeon dive with pregnant women, and even if we did to dungeons, its only day trips, so they didnt notice. Until then, it was normal for the others and I to not be together for a day. They also stay in Volton and the Royal Capital, after all. ......by any chance, could Takumi-samas level have also gone up? Eh!? Takumi-sama leveled up?! ......no way, Takumi-sama whose level is so high its difficult to increase is...... I wonder if it was an inevitability that they would think that. Normally, the higher the level, the harder it will be to reach the next. That was the norm of this world, so to Sophia, Maria, and Marnie who could be said to be among the top class, it was all the more surprising. Well~ Its because I went into a high difficulty dungeon. Yeah. There was the request from Fraal-san and Ryuka-san of Accuros, wasnt there? You went with Fraal-sama? Yeah, about that...... I explained in detail when Sophia asked. We had a base in the Demon Continent. It is where we placed the Teleport Gate, but we had asked the Aligerous Tribe to manage the base. It was being protected from the monsters of the Demon Continent by barrier magic devices and security golems, but only the Aligerous tribe who maintain it and select few acquaintances were permitted to pass through the barrier. Those few acquaintances were Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san. When Akane, myself, and the others went to the base so we could go dungeon diving, we ended up meeting Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san who happened to be visiting. There was no problem with a Queen and her close aide wandering around, but that wasnt common practice in the Demon Continent. Thats when we received a request from Queen Fraal. If a dungeon is left as is, the monsters inside increase too much and could overflow. If an insignificant dungeon were to overflow, it has very little effect. However, should a high difficulty dungeon has a monster overflow, it would have a huge impact even on the Demon Continent, so periodic dungeon clearing is necessary to cull the population. So it was a contract to cull monsters. Yup, thats right. At first, Queen Fraal and Ryuka were planning on culling the first few levels, but with us around, they would be able to head deeper in. Still~ its been a while since things got that intense. But Laeva was exhilarated with all of the materials. Lulu is happy because Lulu got stronger nya. I see. Certainly, I felt something different with Lulu-chan, but for it to have been because you had leveled up. It cant be helped if you didnt notice, Sophia. When you have a child in your belly, its harder to tell the state of other peoples magic power. When Sophia said that she did not realize the change in Lulu-chan when she leveled, Maria consoled her with the statement that it was an inevitability. When there is magic power that isnt their own in their body, their perception of exterior magic power goes haywire. Its because the increase in magic power is easy to perceive when one levels up. In that case, we should also have a daytrip into a dungeon. Yeah. I dont want to leave Haruka for a long time. If possible, I would like to hunt humanoid monsters. Sophia, Maria, and Marnie began discussing an outing to a dungeon in the Demon Continent. Isnt this perfect? They can relieve their stress from raising the children too, two birds with one stone. Thats true. It might be even better stress relief compared to the indoor training grounds. We decided to wait for Lord Simon, Madam Rosary, and King Yggurle to go home the next day before going on an expedition. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 594: Unexpected Reunion This time, the ones going to the dungeon were Sophia, Maria, Marnie, and I with Kaede and Titan on standby in the Subspace. The four of us teleported to our base in the Demon Continent from the Teleport Gate in the Sanctuary mansion basement. The person who greeted us at the base was Berkut, a girl from the Aligerous Tribe who lived in the Sky Island. Takumi-saaaamaaaa!! Don! Ugh! The moment we arrived at the front of the base, Berkut charged at me with her white wings spread out at high speed. Though I somehow managed to catch her, Berkut happily hugged me and started talking like a machine gun. Takumi-sama! Are you going to a dungeon today? Or are you patrolling? Are you going to the Accuros? I want to meet Etoile-chan, Haruka-chan, and Flora-chan again! Whoa whoa, calm down, Berkut. After calming Berkut down and greeting the other Aligerous tribespeople in charge of the security of the base, I asked Maria and Marnie to brew some tea in the rest area made in the base, and we talked about our reason for coming to the Demon Continent today. Its to level up Sophia-san, Maria-san, Marnie-san? Arent the three of you already strong enough at your high level? We had been sedentary until we had given birth, and we have found that we are far more out of practice than imagined. Moreover, Akane, Laeva, and Lulu-chan had leveled up plenty while we were unable to. And above all, we feel a sense of urgency. I see~ Understood! Berkut nodded in agreement with Sophia and Marias explanation. Then she suddenly turned to me and urged me to take her with us. Takumi-sama! Takumi-sama! Its alright if you take me along, right?! Y-yeah, well, it should be fine to take you along now. Yaaaay!! Berkut would occasionally tag along into dungeons in the Demon Continent and thin out monsters around the base, so now she was the strongest person in the Aligerous Tribe. Moreover, Berkut had been gifted with a Gunlance Rod that I had personally created from a crystalized dragon fang, so she had a high fighting capability. She should be able to accompany us even to a high difficulty dungeon. The first place we were planning to go to with Berkut was Accuros. We needed a high difficulty dungeon because we wanted to level up Sophia, Maria, and Marnie, and it needed to spawn humanoid monsters. Thats why we needed to gather information about dungeons that fulfill these requirements. However, the moment we left the rest area of the base, we lost the need to go to Accuros. Oh! If it isnt Iruma-dono! Are you here for a dungeon again? If so, let us adventure together! Please, Queen Fraal, you are disturbing Iruma-dono. Iruma-dono, congratulations on the birth of your children. Yes, Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san unexpectedly showed up at the base. Queen Fraal, Ryuka-san, its been a while......or not. Do you have some business with us today? Mm, I had been occupied with government affairs lately. I thought of searching for a dungeon to cull while simultaneously relieving pent up stress. I would have liked to stop her. But if I had been capable of doing so, then she would not have been a ruler in the Demon Continent. Haa, and so, we had come to see if Berkut-dono was available. Huh? Dungeons with Berkut? I wonder when they got close to Berkut. Sure, weve taken Berkut with us when we go into dungeons with Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san several times, but...... Mm, in the past, we had come by to have some tea before going into a dungeon, nd in doing so met Berkut-dono by chance. We had gotten along, and have explore dungeons together since then. Berkut-dono is undoubtedly strong, but aside from this, she is capable of being a vanguard to middle guard, and even rear guard. If Im on the frontline and Queen Fraal switches between middle and front, and Berkut-dono doing hit-and-run tactics, our dungeon exploration could be very balanced. I see, theres definitely nothing to worry about with her strength. When Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san spoke highly of Berkut, I happily agreed, and perhaps feeling shy, Berkut tapped me on the back repeatedly. So what of today? Ahh, about that...... I talked about the objective of our search for a dungeon today, and our plan to gather information on dungeons that fall under those categories in Accuros. Oh, so thats it. In that case, leave it to us. Indeed. While it isnt solely humanoid, there is a dungeon relatively close by that is close to what you seek. Could you guide us to it? Of course. It is a dungeon that we have not delved into in quite some time. Shall we do some culling? Indeed. In addition to the humanoid monsters, it also has lesser dragons so materials could be gathered as well. Then please lead the way. Umu, leave it to me. When Queen Fraal pounded on her chest with pride, her voluminous melons bounced and I instinctively turned away. It was inevitable because of a cultural aspect of her race, but Queen Fraals outfit was still far too sensual. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 595: Dungeon Exploration 1 It was decided that we would tackle the dungeon that Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san suggested from the sky. Our dungeon exploration today is intended to be a day trip, and I thought going by foot would take too long, so I took the Ouranos out of the Item Box for the first time in a long while. We traveled through the sky at Ryuka-sans guidance and headed towards the dungeon. Queen Fraal was getting excited as she looked out from the circular window. Our members, of course, and Berkut had experienced riding the Ouranos, so it was pleasing to watch Queen Fraals first ride. Ah, it is around this area, Iruma-sama. Understood. I landed the Ouranos in the area Ryuka-san indicated. Having alighted the Ouranos, I stored the aircraft into my Item Box and after checking the equipment we were wearing, we walked into the dungeon at Ryuka-san and Queen Fraals guidance. The entrance to the cave had a stone gate that seemed like ancient ruins. Once we passed through, I could tell we entered an alternate space. When crossing the boundary between normal space and the alternate space transformed by the dungeon, a slight discomfort could be perceived. I received an explanation regarding this dungeon from Ryuka. The dungeon type of this is? Its the orthodox type of dungeon that has descending floors. However, there are three field types, caves, plains, and forests. As such, despite being a cave type, a large variety of monsters appear, so theres a large variety of monsters and they tend to be in small rooms or corridors. Ohh~ Do you know the lowest floor? The lowest floor is the 50th. There is a boss room every ten floors. As Ryuka-san and I chatted while walking, Sophia, Maria, Marnie, and Berkut were fighting the monsters we encountered. Queen Fraal, Ryuka-san and I were keeping watch from the rear and would catch any that ran away, but we havent really had our turn. Kaede was basically in front to scout for monsters and support Sophia and the others, but right now, she was just informing them of the number of monsters and their locations. Titan was following us at the very back, but hes had no job to do so far. Lets go the shortest route to the lower floors. Yes, lets quicken our pace a bit. Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san had a map of this dungeon, so they knew the shortest distance to the lower floors. We werent going to stay in the dungeon for several days this time, so we decided to go directly to the deeper floors. We traversed the dim dungeon at a quick pace. Kaede was running at the forefront and notifies us of enemies. A group of Kobold Soldiers on the right path, six! Hearing this, Sophia, Maria, and Marnie broke off into a run. A Kobold Soldier was a higher form the Kobold that also evolves to knights, general, and lords. Maria, right! Marnie, left! Berkut assist! Yes! Sophia was equipped with a one-handed sword and round shield, and she killed the first dagger-wielding Kobold Soldier in one swing. Maria lunged with her spear, Explode, stabbing a Kobold Soldier in the neck, then tore the head off of another. Dual dagger wielding Marnie quickly closed the gap, slitting and beheading her targets. Berkut charged at the singular Kobold Soldier that escaped to a wider passage using her Gunlance Rod. The spear processed from a crystalized dragon fang had pulverized the head of its enemy. The six Kobold Soldiers were quickly dispatched without so much as a decent fight. As expected of Iruma-donos wives. The monsters on the higher floors are of no match. Indeed. Lets just collect the magic stones and head to the deeper levels. Ryuka-san and I helped harvest the magic stones from the defeated Kobold Soldiers. During that time, Kaede, Titan, and Queen Fraal watched our surroundings. Okay, lets hurry. We skillfully retrieved the magic stones and moved towards the stairs to the next floor. According to Queen Fraal and Ryuka-sans information, this dungeon starts having traps midway through the floors. As such, we didnt have to worry about traps on the initial floors, and could take it easy so long as we watch out for monsters. The higher floors were inhabited by Kobold-types, Goblin-types, Orc-types, and Ogre-types. That said, there was frequent appearances of one or two higher tier evolutions of any of these monsters. As we descended the levels, we learned that kings and lords appear in the boss rooms. Queen Fraal informed us that the Dragon-types appeared inthe lower levels. Since weve come all this way, we should get the meat and magic stones of the dragon-types. Indeed. Since we are accompanied by Iruma-donos party, the amount we procure is irrelevant. Yes, please send some to Accuros. Between Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san, the amount they could take home was limited, so we could do that much for them. If we didnt have the map that Queen Fraal carried, we couldnt go at the pace were currently at. We were sprinting through the higher floors at a quick pace. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 596: Dungeon Exploration 2 Dungeon middle floor, grassland field type. There was supposed to be a large orc colony here. It feels a bit weird for there to be colonies in a dungeon, but the dungeons themselves were beyond my understanding, so its pointless to think about it. Theres an Orc King. There may be two hundred overall. Right. But even so, theres not a single ordinary orc. The best among us at searching for enemies, Kaede informed us of the scale of the colony. In this dungeon, evolved species such as the soldiers, archers, and mages were the baseline. Orc meat is delicious, lets hunt them, Iruma-dono. Okay. The purpose of this dungeon dive was to help my partners to regain battle instincts and level up, after all. If theres a large colony then of course we would take them down. Queen Fraal loves Orc King meat after all. Ryuka, is it not also your favorite? As we observed the colony while concealing our presence, Ryuka-san and Queen Fraal spoke. I dont know why, but theres a tendency for monster meat to taste better the higher the species was. The same holds true for the orcs, and it was even the favorite of the two. The instant we discovered the orc settlement, there was a change in the sparkle in their eyes and it seems that was the reason. Should everyone attack with magic here? Dont do large scale magic. If you and Sophia seriously fired magic, all that would be left is an empty lot. When we suggested going in with a barrage of magic to destroy the monster colony, Queen Fraal told us to not use magic that was too big. I mean sure, if Sophia, Maria, and I seriously used magic, it would end there. Moreover, we were here with Queen Fraal as well as Berkut and her Gunlance Rod. It would definitely devastate the land. Then lets begin. ......fire! At my order, everyone excluding Kaede, Titan, and Marnie fired off their respective spells. The projectiles that hit the colony simultaneously were a mixture of fire, wind blades, ice bullets, and lightning. The orc colony fell into a panic immediately. Gonna circle to the back okay~! Going ahead! Just as we had fired our spells, Kaede sprinted in a roundabout path to avoid getting hit by it. At the same time, Marnie ran with her two daggers in hand. Master, I, to the right. Titan also accelerated ahead with the Magic Jet Propeller on his back. I will support Marnie-san! Please take care of Queen Fraal! Ryuka-san followed after Marnie. Jeez, that Ryuka, she just wants to go wild. Ha, haha, lets go in too. Queen Fraal seemed eager to fight in close combat, as she took out a one-handed sword and began running. Takumi-sama, Maria and I will begin extermination from the left. Heading in! Sophia and Maria started circling in from the left side. I tailed Queen Fraal to support her. She was the strongest in Accuros so she would have been fine, but she was still the Queen after all. Marnie dashed into the vicinity of an Orc General, which was one size larger than an ordinary orc. Each time, an orcs agonizing screams and death cries could be heard. The Orc General grew excited at Marnies presence. In order to prevent her daggers from getting wedged into the Orc Generals muscles, Marnie cut its defenseless neck and vocal chords, not stopping for even a second. In contrast to Marnie, Ryuka-sans fighting style was very much that of the Oni Tribe. G O O O O N !! Unfazed by the massive Orc Soldier, she swung her fists and took it down. Those fists were equipped with the gauntlets I gave to her as a present. Ryuka-san channels Ki and Magic Power into those gauntlets. Sophia and Maria coordinated to defeat the orcs at a staggering pace. The two had known each other for the longest time so their coordination was outstanding. From the right side, Titan mowed down the colony. Titan, who boasts a larger frame than even the Orc General, crushed the orcs with its giant adamantite alloy fists. The orc heads suddenly flying in the backlines were Kaedes doing too. From my peripheral, I caught a glimpse of Queen Fraals elegant swordsmanship as she killed the orcs while also defeating Orc Archers and Orc Mages. She prioritized eliminating ranged enemies. Now, I fought mainly using martial arts. Domu! Bufoooo! When I used a palm heel strike on the chest of the Orc Archer, that attack stopped its heart. My fighting style was to cause internal damage through the surge of Ki and Magic Power in addition to the palm heel strikes impact. This was to train to fight while utilizing Alchemy. The orc colony that was over two hundred strong had the Orc King as a boss which was defeated by Sophia, Maria, and Marnie, and it took no time at all to completely annihilate the colony. Perhaps because it was still a relatively high floor, Sophia and the others were able to defeat the boss nearly instantly despite being an Orc King, Now then, shall we get the loot? Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 597: Dungeon Exploration 3 The super-quick paced dungeon exploration was at its halfway point. We were taking a break and eating lunch in a safe space where monsters rarely appered. As we ate and rested, Queen Fraal asked about the our plans for this dungeon exploration. So, how far do you want to go? I wonder. We were considering whether to have a day trip or stay overnight, but...... even at our pace, we would only have 4-5 hours if we stick to a day trip. Weve been sprinting down the floors, but we were still only in the middle floors. At our pace, they wouldnt be satisfied with the level up and training at the lower floors. Etoile and our babies have Mother and the maids there, I believe there is nothing to fret over for a night. Yeah. Haruka has also become attached to Madam Elizabeth, Lady Charlotte, and the others. Thats right. Flora[1. Typo C Raw said Fraal] no longer cries at night too. My worries for our children was found out by Sophia, Maria, and Marnie. I see. Then shall we stay here for one night and get as much EXP as we can? Yes. Mothers sure are strong. In the end, were staying here for the night. But I wonder if it was alright for Queen Fraal to be gone for the entire day. But are you alright with this, Queen Fraal? Im grateful for your concern. However, this is fine. I asked Queen Fraal just in case, but Ryuka-san said there was absolutely no problem with it. Umm, but isnt she the Queen? Yes. The ruler of a country in the Demon Continent is as such. When I heard Ryuka-sans answer, I remembered the kings of the Demon Continent. Ahh, Queen Fraal was still better. Yes. The other rulers simply do whatever they please. Oh yeah. Especially the Beast Kings, they were downirhgt musclebrains. As a result of our chat, Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san also welcomed the materials from the lower floors, so we continued to move through the midfloors quickly. And so we arrived at the boss room of the 30th Floor. In front of the large doors, we listened to the information about this room from Ryuka-san. The boss is a Kobold Lord. A Kobold Lord, huh...... its so big. So much that it shouldnt even be called a Kobold anymore. I tried peeking into the small gap in the doors, and the innermost part of the room stood a menacing Kobold Lord over three meters tall. Yes. In addition to that, when we enter the room, it summons its minions, the Kobold Soldiers, Archers, Mages, Knights and Generals. How many will be summoned? The size of normal kobolds was a bit smaller than a human. The soldiers, archers, and mages are around the size of a human. Knights grow to be two meters tall, generals to two and a half meters tall, and the lord becomes three meters tall. It was a vast room, but if it is able to summon multiple knights and generals, it would be extremely intimidating. Numbers vary for each type, however, the total count is around fifty. Fifty...... Id hate to spend so much time on the 30th floor. Shall we annihilate them? Yes. Much like the orc colony from before, wouldnt an onslaught of magic attacks as soon as we open the door then charging in suffice? Then I will back up Queen Fraal. Okay, lets start. Queen Fraal proposed we go with the same method we used to destroy the orc colony, and Ryuka-san said she would guard Queen Fraal as this would likely turn into a melee. Sophia and Maria took out their weapons and prepared their magic, and Berkut also steadied her Gunlance Rod to charge her attack spell. On the other hand, Marnie, Kaede, and Titan were positioning themselves to be ready to go at any time. Ready when you are! Then lets begin! When Queen Fraal started condensed magic power in both her hands and said she was ready to go at any time, I opened the doors. Once the doors were fully open and we invaded the room, the menacing Kobold Lord in the depths of the room howled. Guooooooooooo!! A gigantic magic formation appeared at the center of the room. From there, Kobold Soldiers equipped with leather armor and one-handed swords and axes, Kobold Archers holding short bows, Kobold Mages wearing magician-like robes and wooden staves, Kobold Knights in their metal armor with swords and shields in hand, and lastly, full-body armored Kobold Generals wielding large halberds were summoned. It was then that our focused magic attacks launched. Dogaaaaaaan!! Many of the kobolds screamed in agonizing death, but a magic barrier was raised just in time by the mages, so the knights and soldiers surrounding them werent killed. Besides those, the knights and generals who werent in the barrier`despite being injured` seemed like they could still fight. Using magic that was too powerful inside a dungeon could cause the sturdy dungeon walls to collapse, so this was a disadvantage of deliberately suppressing our firepower. Before the effects of our magic attacks subsided, Marnie, Kaede, and Titan charged at the pack of Kobolds. After we finished casting our spells, we, too, jumped into battle immediately. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 598: Dungeon Exploration 4 I got up close to the Kobold Knight in an instant and delivered a palm strike to its chest. Decomposition! Its a type of martial arts that combines the Alchemy skill Decomposition and the Sleeping Strength Technique[1] . By practicing the Sleeping Strength Technique, it became easier destroy internal organs by way of Decomposition. Moreover, perhaps because this technique and Decomposition were highly compatible, it had tremendous power, ignoring all of the monsters resistances and barriers and deals fatal damage. Don! Decomposition! I drove the heel of my palm onto the armor of the next Kobold Knight and activated Decomposition. As the monsters ranks increased, I had to use Decomposition several times from the outside for it to penetrate. Until now, I had to expend lots of magic power to force the skill, but by utilizing the vibration caused by the force of the physical attack combined with the surge of Ki and Magic Power with the Sleeping Strength Technique, it manifested an effect far greater than I had theorized. Fighting against Kobolds was a good way to train in many ways. Kobolds had a habit of hunting for prey in packs. Thats why even normal Kobolds could do coordinated movements. And when they become Kobold Soldiers, Archers, Mages, and Knights, they made the best use of their respective characteristics, and they coordinate their attacks under the command of Knights and Generals if they are present. Furthermore, Knights and Generals have high weapon handling skills. They were the ideal opponents for Sophia, Maria, and Marnie to regain their battle senses. This applies to me as well, theyre suitable opponents to practice using the combo attack of SST and Decomposition. And for some reason, my instincts were telling me to do so. To get stronger...... To improve my skills...... It was telling me that in the near future, I would need that strength...... (Maybe I should have the maids and my aides go through some power leveling.) Simply raising ones level does not equate to strength, but it could protect you in times of danger. Whether it is to run away or resist, its always better to have higher level. I divided the packs of Kobolds so everyone could move easily as possible. In response to this, Sophia switched from a one-handed sword to her Wind Spear, Tempest, and began swinging it around. The flames of Marias Fire Spear, Explode, burned the Kobold Soldiers and Archers; Sophias Tempest devastate her surroundings with blades of wind as it was wielded. Dogo! Gusha!! Gigantic adamantite alloy fists flew at high speeds, smashing the Kobold Knights heads. Titans Rocket Punch was also evolving. Since I added magic crystals inside those fists, those fists didnt just shoot out, they also had their own propulsion drive. Because of this, a mass of high quantities of magic metals bestowed with strengthening magic could obliterate enemies at even higher speeds. Kaede was also dong some moderate crowd control of the monsters near Sophia and the rest. Yaa! With a shout, the sparkling tip of a spearhead traced a path through the air. Berkut was refining her spear skills too. Using her light frame to offset her speed, she flew unhindered across the battlefield with her white wings. Berkuts Gunlance Rod easily pieced through the Kobold Knights armor. With its extreme toughness and hardness, the crystalized dragon fang could pierce through even magic metals like it was candy. It might even be possible to pierce through adamantite alloy if a large amount of magic power is channeled through it. Queen Fraal effortlessly slayed the Kobolds with her magic and one-handed sword. Ryuka-san swung her fists against the Kobold Soldiers and Knights, who were far larger in physique than her. As I cautiously watched the entire battlefield, I continued to slaughter packs of Kobolds. Guoooo!! Then, the roar that resounded just now was not the Kobold Lords roar, but rather its death cry. It seems like it didnt take much time for Sophia, Maria, and Marnie, who had reached the innermost part of the boss room, to subjugate the Kobold Lord. Once we had finished harvesting the materials, we took a short break before resuming our descent through the floors. After todays events, I think it would be best to create a new weapon for Marnie. The current daggers shes holding are not to be scoffed at, but compared to Sophias Tempest and Marias Explode, it was marginally lacking. There was simply too much of a disparity between a spear and a dagger, but Marnies fighting style didnt use magic, so it made her want something with more explosive power. I had a lot to think about after we return from the dungeon. It might be a good idea to update and strengthen our party members gear. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Footnotes: 1. Shintoukei C an attack that causes internal damage through a palm strike. Chapter 599: Dungeon Exploration 5 Chapter 599: Dungeon Exploration 5After spending the night in the safe zone on the 35th floor, we thinned out the monster population until we descended to the 42nd floor. So its fine as long as we leave this room and wait? Thats right. We just have to wait for them to respawn. How long do they take to respawn, Ryuka? 60 minutes, Queen Fraal. Then while waiting for that, lets clear the next room. Having mostly subjugated the monsters that spawned on the 42nd Floor, we ended up in a somewhat spacious room where Lizardman Knights, Lizardman Generals, Orc Generals, an Orc King appeared. Now, we had just finished the first round of subjugation, Queen Fraal told us that it was time for the monsters to respawn. The Undead room that Queen Fraal was talking about was a room that spawned Skeleton Knights, Skeleton Generals, Dullahans, Wraiths, and Lesser Lichs. According to Queen Fraal and Ryuka-san, the weapons and armor that those monsters drop were valuable to Accuros and the other nations in the Demon Continent. We were aware they had slightly better equipment, but it definitely seemed like a lot of work to get enough for an army. Moreover, if were fighting the undead, its not challenging for us at all. When I casted the Purification magic on the entire room at the start, it was enough to extinguish the Wraiths and other incorporeal monsters. Moreover, since Purification was of the Light attribute, it dealt some damage to the other Skeleton Knights and Generals, Dullahan, and the Lesser Lich. If the Lich hadnt been a Lesser, nothing but a Sanctuary Field would have had an effect on it. If everyones weapons and armor were enchanted with the Light attribute, it was even easier to cause damage to them. Well, if Sophia equipped the Sacred Sword Amaterasu, it wouldnt even need a Light attribute enchantment and still cause tremendous damage towards the undead though. After that, we alternated between the two dungeons, clearing them repeatedly. With a quake-inducing Earthquake Foot, I stomped, amplifying the force generated by my lower half with a spiral motion, and enveloping my elbow in Ki, striking the torso of the Lizardman Generals much larger body. Dogoooon!! Internal damage through combination of direct physical attack power and Sleeping Strength Technique, and Decomposition on top of that renders the metal armor virtually defenseless. Given the normally high defense of the Lizardmen species because of their scaly hide, going against higher evolutions that have learned to wear armor were the best sparring opponents for me. Sophia and Maria were also defeating monsters without much difficulty. It seems their battle senses have returned. Marnie seemed like she was having trouble because her weapon lacked some firepower, but fighting against monsters like Dragon-types and Trolls, she was managing fairly well. The short range of her weapon forces her to be super close ranged, but while I did have my concerns about this, I would think about it more when we return to the Sanctuary. Ive decided to upgrade both the offensive and defensive gear. Still, it was surprising to see that Berkut was doing fairly well on the lower floors of a high difficulty dungeon. Kaede and Titan were providing support, and while Berkuts weapon performance elevated Berkut, she still did satisfactory without those. The spearhead of Tempest was enveloped in Wind Magic Power. The storm spear etched gleaming lines on the Lizardman General. One beat later, without even being able to let out a dying scream, the over 4 meter tall Lizardman General clad in full-body armor had dropped to the floor in pieces. The clattering resounded in a place that fell silent as all of the monsters had been eliminated. With a swish, the Tempest swung and landed perfectly at her side in an alert stance.. And as Sophia relaxed her stance, her expression was one of satisfaction. She really must have polished the rust off her body in todays dungeon dive. Including Marnie and Maria, they seem to have managed to gain several levels too. Good work, Sophia. It seems got the feeling back. Thank you very much, Takumi-sama. Then shall we head home after harvesting? Yes. As to be expected, staying away from our babies for several days was not something even the mothers want to do. We returned to the surface using a Teleportation Circle on the 40th floor. In this dungeon, there was a Teleportation Circle to escape from every ten floors starting from the 20th floor. Ive heard that among the dungeons that span over several tens of floors, there were dungeons that had no Teleportation Circles, and if you dived into them, you would be stuck in there for a long time. According to Ryuka-san, it was insane to go all the way to the bottom of this dungeon in one overnight stay. It was decided that the dungeon drops from this dungeon consisting of armaments, a large amount of orc meat, and magic stones were going to be handed over to Queen Fraals side, and I transported them over to the warehouse of Accuros. Berkut was given some Orc meat, Dragon meat and bones, Troll leather, and magic stones. As for us, we took a bit of Orc meat, Dragon meat, and the copious amounts of magic stones remaining. We can never have too much magic stones as we always have a use for them. Now then, lets return to our babies. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 600: Making brand new equipment for Marnie 1 Chapter 600: Making brand new equipment for Marnie 1 After returning from our two-day one-night dungeon, I gave Etoile, Haruka, and Flora lots of loving, then pondered once more about Marnies lack of attack power that I had noticed in the dungeon and how to strengthen her defense. To me, what she has now is already enough, but Marnie herself seemed to feel discontent, and has been wanting increase the cards for a while now. Marnie was originally an ordinary farmer and the Rabbitkin was hardly a race suited for battle so theres no need to overdo it, but if she herself wants it, then of course I will do everything to support her. And so, the day after returning from the dungeon, I went into the workshop with Marnie and Laeva to talk about Marnies new equipment. In theory, daggers and knives are to slit wrists and the jugular, so against a fully armored higher species, its necessary to aim for the gap in their armor. Compared to Sophia-san and Maria-san, it is lacking in attack power. Well, it is well suited for assassination though. Thats right. The dagger that Takumi-sama had created could cut through even mithril alloy depending on how much magic power is loaded into it, but...... I am a Beastkin. Though there were some races that have an aptitude for magic among the Beastkin, like Laeva-san...... Even with the daggers that Marnie was currently using, if it is charged with magic power, it is able to cut through mythril alloy-made armor and helmets like Laeva mentioned. However, in combat, if Marnie were to coat her weapon as well as strengthen her whole body with magic power, the amount she would have to expend would be far too much. Now that she had increased her level considerably, she would no longer run out of magic power if she were to use body strengthening, but if her weapons eat up a lot of her reserves, it would be too risky in a drawn out fight. Would you like to leave the dagger as it is and try a different weapon? A different weapon? Yup. If you look at Sophia, you can see how weapon swapping can be quite convenient. Our party members were given an accessory-type Magic Bag, so while it take some practice to be able to swap out weapons in the middle of battle, it was possible. In that case...... how about something long? A long weapon might be possible. ............ Marnie pondered Laevas suggestion of using a long weapon. Sophia, Maria, and I were all using spears, and Laeva used a staff. A long weapon is just a normal weapon with extended reach. It wasnt a bad option. ......I am unable to envision myself using a long weapon. I see. Lets pivot then. Indeed. To begin with, Marnie-san has a fighting style that combines Dagger Techniques and Taijutsu. Combining a long weapon and Taijutsu will likely require much training. My apologies. You dont need to apologize. I like making all sorts of things. Thats right. Laeva also enjoys making things. Laeva and I reassured Marnie that it was okay when she apologized for her hesitance in using long weapons. In fact, Laeva and I love taking the time to think about what to make and doing various experiments. Direction-wise, should we aim for destructive power? Destructive without being long...... how about an axe? Axe...... hmm, that might be nice. Its not that long, and while a mace could also fall into this category, but thats more of a blunt weapon. Dual wielding hatchets might be possible too. With Marnies current level and high stats, she would probably be able to carry two somewhat heavy axes. Then lets try making various axe-type weapons. Right. Laeva and I will each make something then well talk some more. For the time being, we decided to make hatchets as well as other similar weapons. And so, next was Marnies armor. Marnies current equipment is similar to ours, but Marnie has a higher rate of close combat, so it might be better to alter it a bit. Recently, Ive also been using Alchemys Decomposition alongside martial arts, so this could apply to me too. Regarding Marnies equipment, Ill think about it alongside mine. How about gauntlets and shin guards? Hmm, youre right. Ill have to think about a design that wont get in the way in a melee, as well as be able to deflect enemy attacks. Disbanding for the time being, Laeva and I went back into the workshop to conceptualize the weapons and armor. Laeva and I sat at our respective tables and started drawing out our ideas. I imagined Marnies fighting style and thought about a system to compensate for the Beastkins racial trait of having low magic power capacity. I took a mental inventory of what materials were in stock and thought about what we dont have enough of as I drew up a design of an axe I thought of. I wonder if I should make something for myself too. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 601: Making brand new equipment for Marnie 2 What I had in mind for Marnie was a crescent axe version of a hatchet with a curved blade. Its a battle axe with a single blade, with a pick on the opposite of the blade and on the end of the shaft. I guess it feels like a short halberd? No, the size of the blade isnt like a halberds. Im designing multiple variations of the shape of the axe blade. This is because of Marnies preference and ease of use. I was also coming up with a design for the handle, aiming for both stylishness and handling. As I was busy sketching designs, Laeva showed me a single piece of paper. It might not exactly be an axe, but this could be interesting. Oh` Laeva thats so cool. Hehe~ Is that so? When Laeva showed me her paper, there was a sketch of a weapon that was quite far from an axe. The axe blade was like a guillotine blade with a handle and it was connected by a chain. On the other side of the chains was a slightly smaller axe without a handle. According to Laeva, this large and small axes coul also be thrown. How interesting. This is so cool. Fufuun. If Takumi-sama says that then that makes me happy. When we talked about axes, I ended up designing an orthodox axe design. Im slightly jealous of Laevas idea. Okay! Ill think of my own unique weapon! Ohh! I will not lose! Im more or less Laevas teacher. I cant lose. Laeva was also getting more and more motivated. ......Im the one who will use it, yes? Marnie looked a tad exasperated, but thats probably my imagination. At least, thats what I was telling myself. Okay, lets focus on destructive power. Considering that we will be relying on the weight of the weapon to increase attack power and Marnies fighting style, long weapons were out, and perhaps long swords too. With that being the case, lets create two thick blade around 60cm in length connected to a handle. Instead of the normal double edged blade, Ill give it a crescent moon curve. Maybe I should connect the blade to the front part of the handle to make it a single blade. Or maybe it could be used as two separate weapons? With ideas coming to mind, I sketched many designs for Marnies weapons. Its really fun spending my time like that. Laeva sketched a weapon similar to a Harpe on the inner blade. In terms of destructive power, it was probably somewhere in between a dagger and an axe. It deviated from the original concept, but it looked interesting so that was fine. Still, it was nice seeing Laeva enjoy designing crazy weapons like the harpe. After that, Laeva and I did not stop at weapons, and we started designing Marnies armor and accessories. We should reinforce Marnie-sans defenses. Yeah. Sophia has a round shield on her left arm and is quite skilled with Shield Technique, but raising Marnie, as well as Maria, and Laevas defenses would bring me peace of mind. Laeva too? Yeah. Laeva, besides magic attacks, you also do close quarters combat, dont you? Of course, Marnie is top priority though. This was essential for the melee fighters, Marnie who was mainly so, as well as myself who had recently started getting into it more. Despite being melee fighters, its not like we should just pile on heavy armor. Marnie and I were the type to fight with speed and skills, after all. If we didnt have light equipment like our current breastplate, bracers, and shin guards, it would be hard to move and fight. Its absolute necessary to have armor that will not hinder movement and has high defense. That said, the functionality of our current breastplate poses no problems. The boots are a masterpiece as well, it enhances agility and can create magic barriers for an instant in the air, creating footholds which makes three-dimensional movement possible. If we had to make improvements, then it would be on the bracer and shin guards. In any case, the performance of Sophias , Marias, and my equipment were guaranteed. ?Ranmas Light Armor ( Water Wind Attribute) ( Wind Magic Resistance ? Water Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Water Magic ? Enhanced Wind Magic ? Enhanced Agility ? Enhanced Magic Power ) Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature Regulation Equipment Weight Reduction Self Repair ?Endos Light Armor ( Fire Earth Attribute) ( Fire Magic Resistance ? Earth Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Fire Magic ? Enhanced Earth Magic ? Enhanced Attack ? Enhanced Defense ) Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature Regulation Equipment Weight Reduction Self Repair ?Jinrais [Thunderclap] Light Armor ( Lightning Wind Attribute ) ( Wind Magic Resistance ? Lightning Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Lightning Magic ? Enhanced Wind Magic ? Enhanced Agility [Extra-Large] ) Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature Regulation Equipment Weight Reduction Self Repair And of course for Marnie who had the affinity for Water and Earth Attributes, I gave her matching armor. ?Doromas [Quagmire] Light Armor(Water Earth Attribute) ( Earth Magic Resistance ? Water Magic Resistance ? Enhanced Water Magic ? Enhanced Earth Magic ? Enhanced Agility ? Enhanced Magic Power ) Automatic Size AdjustmentAutomatic Temperature Regulation Equipment Weight Reduction Self Repair Our light armor was occasionally reinforced with new materials that we come across, and because my Bestowal Magic had also improved, theres probably no armor better than these. Now, should I modify the bracer? How should I do this? Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 602: Trying Various Skill Improvements My work at the workshop has now shifted from the design phase to the manufacturing phase. Laeva and I had discussed what kinds of weapons we would make prototypes of, but instead of thinking of making just what we could use, we decided to make all sorts of things that we want to make. First, a battle axe. The axe blade had some heft as it uses adamantite alloy. It had a 15 inch pick on the side opposite of the blade edge, a handle that lines up perfectly with the blade, and a magic crystal to supplement with Marnies magic attacks. In terms of axes, this was the quintessential type, minus the long handle. Next was the bizarre weapon that Laeva had created. It was an axe with a 60cm blade connected to a smaller axe at the handles by chains. Both the large and small axe could be thrown in a fight. Its a weapon that requires a skilled user. The third one was a huge crescent-shape blade that I made. Originally, I was thinking of attaching two 60cm axe heads, but what I eventually ended up with was a gigantic handleless crescent axe I dont think its even okay to call it an axe anymore. I must admit that I got a bit carried away. Ahh, I really overdid it. This adamantite alloy-made weapon was 1.2m in overall length and 25cm at its widest point. Of course, its an axe so even the thickness of the blade was appropriate for it, and the weight of it was obviously immense. Four magic crystals were embedded into the axe blade, and an engraved geometric pattern connected them together. If you think about it normally, there might be concerns over whether the voluptuous onee-san type Marnie even be able to handle this extremely unwieldly weapon, but in actuality, its not only Marnie but even Lulu-chan would be able to wield this normally. As to be expected, Marnie looked stumped upon seeing it. It was far different from her current fighting style. She seemed to be doing some image training in her head. The fourth one was the dual harpe-like weapon that Laeva had created. The claw-like inner blade had a magic crystal embedded into it like mine had been. Unlike its original design, this felt more like two swords, I guess? For the time being, these were the four weapons. Next, I remodeled the bracer. Since we often encounter large monsters, wielding a shield was not in Marnies fight style. In our party, the shield users were Sophia, Titan, and myself. As a prototype, I tried combining the bracer and a small shield. The original bracer was already capable of deflecting or taking the blows of swords and spears, but I tried to make it thicker and sturdier so it could be swung around like a blunt weapon. Well, this was more of an experiment though, so if Marnie prefers her previous gear, then I intend to scrap it. Well then, could you try it out in order? Yes. Understood. I created an makeshift Mud Golem in the training hall so Marnie could test out the weapons that Laeva and I had created. Marnie broke into a run with the dual battle axes. As it was a makeshift Mud Golem created with limited time restrictions, it wasnt high-functioning. However, according to other people who use Earth Magic, the golems that I created moved quickly and fluidly. Swinging her arms downwards, Marnies axe head made contact. It took no time at all for the Mud Golem that I had created to return to being clumps of earth because of the hits from the two battle axes. Takumi-sama, the next one please! Roger. In response to Marnies request, I created more Mud Golems. After that, I dispatched two of them simultaneously to test out the battle axes usability. How was it? Yes. After I learned the Axe Technique Skill partway through, it really was incomparable to the Dagger Technique Skill, but I believe I have a grasp on how to handle it. Can you use it? Based on what I have seen from the battle axe users among adventurers, I can easily imagine so. As such, if I were to practice with this in some actual combat, I believe I can refine my skills to a usable level. Okay, then you should try the weapon that Laeva made next. Very well. The dual chained axes that Laeva created also seemed to fall under the axe category, as Marnie was able to use it fairly well from the start. ......its quite challenging. ......so it seems. Guess so. Shall we try the next one? What was surprising was that the giant crescent edge was defined as an axe by this worlds system. With the Axe Technique skill, the swing of a large clump of adamantite alloy pulverized the Mud golem. Marnie demolished one Mud Golem after the other. She seemed to be enjoying it. What do you think? Its far different from my fighting style thus far, but this is possible. Its fun. I see, then do you want to try the last one, a harpe? Yes. The dual harpe was a Dagger Technique skill according to Marnie, and she adapted to it in a short time. As a result, Marnie was of the opinion that she would continue to test the weapons, minus the Harpe. If she can handle any weapon with the Axe Technique Skill, then she could even use all of them. Now then, maybe Ill give the bracers a try. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Oops! That page cant be found. Oops! That page cant be found. It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try searching? Search for: Chapter 603: Growing Child of God Chapter 603: Growing Child of GodIn the city at the border of what was once known as the Divine Empire of Sydnia. There had been a crumbling church at the edge of this now ghost town. Yes, it had been crumbling. Its once crumbled walls and roof were now restored. Aside from the color of the building that had once been a holy white to represent Light turning into a dull grey, it was a church that exuded majesty. However, inside the church at the spot where the altar should be, the Flesh Tree towered high into the ceiling. The Flesh Tree , an amalgamation of a multitude of faces and limbs of man and monster resembling a clay sculpture made by a child, was holding a dark child. Born from the fragment of the Evil Spirit Anat, it was revered as the child of God. Though its skin was dark it did resemble a human baby, but it was evident from its rapid growth that it was far from human. The body embraced by the Flesh Tree had already grown to the size of a three year old. It was then that five shadows approached that place. Ho ho ho, the Child of God is growing healthily today as well. Ou! How wonderful! I look forward to Their growth. The first to speak was a seemingly aged man, followed by a horse-headed man with a deep voice, and lastly a four-armed lion-headed man. Everyone, you are being too noisy in front of the Child of God. Hes right. Could you not disturb the Holy Childs sleep? Then a bespectacled man in his prime and a bewitching beauty chided the first three. Ho ho, that wont do. Yeah, I ended up raising my voice. Umu, it was not my intention to disturb their sleep. The five that gathered in front of the Flesh Tree were, of course, neither Human, nor Beastkin, Elves, Devils. They were beings produced beforehand by the Flesh Tree to protect the child born from the fragment of Anat. The one that appeared elderly was Agares. He was created based on a human who held the position of a priest of the Light God Faith. The 2.5m tall horse-headed gigantic man was Gamigin. He was created based on a human who used to work as a woodcutter, with a massive axe on his back. The four-armed, lion-headed man with a physique not much different from Gamigin was Malphas. A fighter born from a former templar knight. He had four swords, two on each side of his hip. The bespectacled civil official-like man who chided the three was Buer. He was created from the magistrate of this city before it became a ghost town. Among them, he and Agares become the peacekeepers. And the sole bewitchingly beautiful lady of the group was Gremory. She was created from a harlot from a brothel in this city. Her appearance was beautiful and bewitching, and had her skin not been a dark grey, she would have looked no different to a person. The Holy Child growth is progressing well. Umu, He is growing so well it goes far beyond His years. Gremory made a remark upon seeing the child cradled by the Flesh Tree, and Agares nodded in agreement. Though it is going favorably, the Holy Childs growth still requires much time. Until then, we must amass our strength. Indeed, we must thoroughly defeat those of the other world. Ohh, all who do wrong by the Child of God shall be annihilated. When Buer spoke of how they must take more time in hiding, Gamigin and Malphas filled him with fighting spirit. The other world that Gamigin noted was what was outside of the barrier that Buer and Agares had built in this current ghost town. The barrier itself was not that strong, but it had a decisive difference to outside world and city. The barrier was brimming with miasma. A normal person would die upon being exposed to it for several minutes, but it was protecting this city. In a corner of the continent, the sign of evil grew steadily. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Footnotes: 1. The five protectors were all named after demons / evil spirits TLN: Thank you for supporting and reaching the end of this volume with me! As usual, I will take a 1 update break. Please take care and rest when you are able to, Ill see you in the next one! Chapter 604: Trying more things out (Volume 12 START) In the Sanctuary mansions practice hall, Marnie wielded the crescent blade. Hey, about that, wouldnt it be better to just use a great axe? ......yeah, I think so too. Laeva and I created weapons in response to Marnies reluctance towards long weapons, but surprisingly, Marnie took a liking to the one-hit-kill weapon. With that being the case, despite it being a beast of a weapon, its grip is in the middle, so I think a normal long-handled great axe was better than a short one. Its good that Marnie was learning the Axe Technique skill and honing it. However, her efforts werent in vain. There were advantages to being able to use that alongside Taijutsu. Now that Marnie has also learned the Axe Technique Skill, she should be fine with a large crescent axe, but I do think she should use it until shes used to it. Yeah. How about we all use this chance to try out all sorts of weapons? Yes! Yes! I will! I want to try weapons other than the spear! Sophia followed up with her input as she watched Marnies training. Since I was already going to try out classic to the more quirky weapons anyway, I tried encouraging everyone to do so as well, and Maria was surprisingly assertive about it. It would seem as though watching Sophia and I use both the spear and sword had made her also want to use a weapon aside from her spear. If you raise all sorts of fighting skills and job levels, it might even be possible to attain a powerful superior skill, so everyone should try things out. Right. I should also get more used to close quarters combat. Even Akane, who was mostly in the rear guard, understood the importance of close quarters combat. She must known that if she could defend herself, the overall stability of the party would rise. Moreover, I was thinking of forging myself another sword. I had the Cursed Sword Tsukuyomi which was the twin of Sophias Sacred Sword Amaterasu, and while this was effective against normal monsters and people, I couldnt use this sword in the undead room in our most recent dungeon expedition. Recently, I have been using Taijutsu and Alchemy when in close quarters combat, but Ive come to want a Light attribute sword that would be particularly effective against the Undead and monsters that had been heavily encroached by miasma. Also, it may seem like wed be a Jack of all trades and a master of none if we dabble in too many weapons, but because of the blessings from Norn-sama, the hurdle for raising all sorts of skill and job levels is incredibly low. I think everyone feels the same way, so I thought this was a great chance to make use of an array of weapons. Gathering in the living room, I asked what weapons they want to try. I wanted to obtain the Bludgeon Technique and Hammer Technique skills. I was thinking I should focus on practicing with blunt weapons. Mhmm, that sounds good. Then Sophia, Ill make a mace and a war hammer for you. Thank you very much. Sophia wanted to challenge herself with blunt weapons. Blunt weapons were effective against Skeletons and Golems, after all. I will train the sword under Sophia-san. I also want to try getting the Swordsman job. Oh yeah. Youve been fully focused on the spear, havent you? Thats great. Maria said she wanted to train in the way of the sword. Would a one handed sword be good? Or maybe a great sword? Ill try making a variety. Maybe I should go with a spear too. What do you think, Takumi? Akane, your area of expertise has been in the rear guard until now. Does that make you want a long-reaching weapon to feel a bit more secure to start with? Thats right. Could you make me a spear or a longsword, please? Gotcha. Ill make several long weapons. Akane, who was using magic to attack and heal as well as support everyone from the back, seemed to want to train with the spear. Lulu wants the big ones nya! Big ones? Yes nya! Lulu-chan wanted a large weapon. Something big, huh. ......well, its not like youd lose to the weight of the weapon. Lulu is strong nya! For sure. Okay, Ill think of a big weapon for you. Yay! Lulu-chan, who already had high physical capabilities as a Beastkin, was also high leveled, so she was strong despite her tiny build. That was why she was capable of swinging huge lumps of metal with ease. Laeva will make Laevas own weapon. Yeah, that makes sense. Indeed. Its fun to experiment and try things out for myself. Laeva was also planning to try out other weapons, but since she was an artisan like me, she wanted to make it herself. Its enjoyable process coming up with ideas and going through experimentation, so of course that was a given. I noted down everyones requests, and wondered if I needed to get ores and materials. Do I have enough in stock? I began taking inventory of the large amounts of materials in my Item Box. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon. Chapter 605: Prime Minister’s Wife Returns Chapter 605: Prime Ministers Wife Returns The day that Laeva and I started producing the weapons based on everyones requests, I was informed that Valkyra Kingdoms Prime Ministers wife Madam Rosary had arrived at the Sanctuary Lodge. Eh? Madam Rosary did? Why? Lord SImon isnt here, right? Calm down, Takumi. As I was polishing a weapon idea in the workshop, Sylph told me of an unexpected persons visit. Whew...... so, Madam Rosary came? Shes already checking into the Lodge. I wonder what its about. She just left a little bit ago too...... I received a letter from Lord Simon wanting a little bit more time regarding the civil servants. Rather, I doubt that Madam Rosary was even involved in Lord Simons work, so it must be another matter, but...... I couldnt think of any. I should meet her for now, I guess? That would be good. Theres no point sitting here and wondering. Yeah, Ill do that then. Laeva, before I go meet with Madam Rosary, could you inform Sophia and the others? Roger that. After leaving a quick word with Laeva, I teleported to the Lodge in the Annexed District. Madam Rosary seemed to have already finished checking into her room as I waited in the lobby for an appointment when the front desk receptionist approached me. Takumi-sama, Madam Portfort had asked me to bring you to her room. This way, please. Okay, Thank you. The service industry had become quite ingrained here too. Ive heard that the work at the Lodge was popular among the residents of the Sanctuary. When I was led to Madam Rosarys room, she was sitting on the sofa in the living room of her suite room. She stood up when she saw me, then smiled and welcomed me, but it felt as though I had to be wary of her smile. Takumi-san, long time no see. No, it hasnt been that long at all as you had just left not too long ago though...... Oh my, boys shouldnt nitpick the tiny details. Madam Rosary was in a good mood for some reason. That made me all the more wary. So what is the purpose of your visit this time? It doesnt seem like Lord Simon is with you, is this a vacation? Fufu, Takumi-san, you are looking for civil servants...... no, perhaps it would be better to say administrative officials, are you not? Yes. As to be expected, with the increasing number of dealings with various countries, it had been extremely difficult the system we have had until now. Reasonably so. The Sancturay is now a small country focused around you, Takumi-san. Madam Rosary likely knew of the lack of personnel in the Sanctuary through Lord Simon, but I wonder what she was trying to get at. It didnt seem like this was just a vacation. ......so, the reason for your visit is? Of course, to become the civil servant of the Sanctuary. Eh!? This must be what it means to be speechless. The wife of the Prime Minister of Valkyra Kingdom came to apply to be a civil official? Is this a lie? Please tell me its a lie. Despite how I may appear, I was hard at work as an internal administrative official even before I had become tethered to Simon. I may be` slightly, beyond my years, but as I have attended countless parties for high society and womens salons (a place of gathering for noblewomen of high standing), handling nobles is my forte. Wait wait wait, the wife of the prime minister of Valkyra Kingdom becoming a civil official of the Sanctuary? Thats impossible! Oh my, please think of that man and myself separately. That man may be searching for civil servants at this moment, however, please consider it a different matter. The maids that I have brought with me are also highly capable of being entrusted with civil servant work. This time, Madam Rosary had brought with her an aged coachman and his wife, as well as two ladies-in-waiting, Despite being elderly, the coachman and his wife had straight backs and youthful appearances. Apparently, these two had training as servants under a Viscount family, and they were capable of the duties of civil servants. The addition of five people, Madam Rosary included, was most certainly welcome given how we had been so shorthanded, but...... was this really alright? This is but a suggestion, wouldnt it be necessary to have a separate building for the Sanctuarys government affairs? I believe it should not be held in your mansion perpetually. ......Madam Rosary, could we perhaps talk about being civil servants after contacting Lord Simon to confirm? I will take the building exclusively for government affairs into consideration as well. Oh, it wont be necessary to confirm with that man though. Well, if you must, then so be it. In the meantime, I will provide assistance in your mansion. Sigh, I would appreciate it if you could help with light work then. Certainly, until I have a proper position, I will not lay hands on any important documents. What is she really planning? Did she really just come to like the Sanctuary and believed she needed a job to be able to live here? A building for government affairs would be like a government office or public office, wouldnt it? I did think that it would be nice to have one for a while now so this is just perfect. Now then, I need to contact Lord Simon immediately. Previous | TOC | Next Up to 5 advanced chapters are available on Patreon.