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Re:Monster - Volume 4 - Chapter 21




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Chapter 21: Day 181 ~ Day 185

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Day 181

Before morning, I was already flying for hours with the 【Jade Eagle King’s Wings】 equipped. Kanami-chan wasn’t accompanying me despite being the only Lord among the members who could fly.

Since it started getting cold, I thought high-speed flight wouldn’t be a good idea. However, the [Cold Resistance] of the exoskeleton is better than I thought, and it didn’t feel cold when I was flying through thick cold clouds.

As expected though, the surface of the exoskeleton got covered in thin ice but it’s not a problem as the ice easily comes off from a little shake.

I continued flying at full speed without any worry.

I encountered several flying monsters while on the way but since they easily got blown away by the violent winds produced when I passed through them, they probably weren’t high-level monsters.

As I'm in a hurry, I decided to pick up and eat them later when I head back. I think I'll enjoy checking what kind of flavor they have.

And with that, I arrive at the base located at the Kuderun Large Forest.

Naturally, the reason I returned is to bid farewell to Gobujii who died yesterday.

Only several hours had passed since his death. I went to sleep early yesterday so that I could wake up before I usually do and return to the base.

Since I was quite fast, I arrived at the base by sun rise, the time when most of the members who were left at the base become fully active.

The base has low combat ability since the only members left are non-combatants; the [Cat Siths] and Kobolds that worked at the Hot Spring, the Dwarves, and the human women.

Because I didn’t tell them in advance, they were surprised when I suddenly showed up but quickly understood it as 『Since it is Aporou, it’s not strange for me to be present in the base and the Royal Capital at the same time.』

Although many members came from the outside before they started living here, it seems to be that their “Common Sense” had slowly collapsed. Having become familiar with the “Common Sense” here, their reactions got diluted.

I expected that they would at least care about the other species that they have become familiar with. However, their initial response was quite lonesome when I think about it.

Anyway, I exchange simple greetings with the members I pass through as I hurry to Gobujii’s location.

It seems like Gobujii’s corpse had been enshrined in the morgue to prevent his body from rotting. Well, it would be quite inconvenient if the residential area had to be remodeled into a morgue so to prevent that, one of the deep tunnels had been left out in advance.

It was quite cold and most of the insects had been exterminated so keeping corpses there for a short time won’t be a problem.

Although it’s possible to use the place for food storage due to its size, that will be for later. 

Upon arriving at my destination, Gobujii is lying on top of the flat stone covered with fur.

He is wearing his usual loincloth with his favorite walking stick by his side.

There are no visible injuries so it looks like he is sleeping peacefully but upon closer look, it’s obvious that he’s already dead. His body is cold and has a putrid smell, indicating that he will never move again.

It’s unlikely that he would turn into an undead and start moving though.

Well, even if he did turn into one, he’d probably be still weak.

After confirming it completely, I clasp my hands and silently pray.

Namu. I pray that Gobujii’s soul may rest in peace.

I feel a little lonely as I thought of various things while looking at his body.

There were no tears of sadness, but just like to the long-dead Velvet, my gratitude for Gobujii will never disappear.

If it weren’t for the old man, it would certainly be hard to obtain information of this world like how to process materials from the Kuuderun Great Forest, and a lot more information which Redhead didn’t know.

Really, Gobujii helped out a lot.

After expressing my gratitude, I start eating Gobujii’s body. By expanding my mouth beyond the limit, I finish eating him in three mouthfuls.

Honestly, Gobujii isn’t delicious. Since he was quite thin, there wasn’t much meat and his worn-out bones easily broke from a light bite. Several hours had only passed since his death but considering he’s a 20 year old goblin, it’s hard to tell how fresh his body is.

Still, I ate all of Gobujii without leaving a single drop of blood, thinking of it as being my relative’s flesh and blood.

I believe that it’s the right thing to do.

Ability 【Old Goblin’s Wisdom】 learned

...Frankly, I didn’t even think it was possible to learn anything.

Gobujii is way too weak and as an Apostle Lord, the amount of goblins I would need to eat in order to learn would be far more than necessary.

However, I had just learned something.

Perhaps Gobujii was saving his wisdom to allow me to learn it after eating him. While that seemed unlikely, I can’t just ignore that possibility.

Or perhaps, because I was a goblin before, the foundation was already in place which made it easy to learn.

Since Gobujii had learned a lot as well, it might have also raised the learning success rate.

Anyway, I stopped thinking about the reasons on why I learned something.

In the first place, it’s probably something influenced by chance. Learning by chance and learning something when expected is something I can’t control.

For now, I’ll try out 【Old Goblin’s Wisdom】.

However, nothing changed. All I could see is the bare surface of the cavern.

Definitely not a misfire. The ability’s certainly active. This time, I take out a Burst Seed from my item box.

Upon doing so, I can see the illusion of an inverted triangle above it. Previously, 【Old Goblin’s Wisdom】 didn’t have any effects but upon touching the item, I start thinking about examining it.

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Name: Burst Seed

Habitat: Throughout the Kuuderun Great Forest, Scarian Forest Prison, etc.

Characteristics: Upon receiving impact, the hard seed will burst. The current species will burst into 3 – 8 pieces though there are many smaller variants.

Remarks: It is the only species edible. As it is, the seed is too hard to eat but it can be softened by boiling it for several hours. The texture and rich flavor would become similar to pork.

Additional Information: Upon scattering, it will attach to any unlucky or dead small animals nearby which it will use for nourishment.

While it is unlikely, it may grow faster, become harder, and its explosive power will be greater.

In that case, it would be known as 【Destructive Burst Seed】, the world’s strongest burst seed. Of the five 【God Class】 【Age of the God’s Dungeon】, it is confirmed to exist only in one location - at Orturia Extinction Forest.

At point blank range, it is capable of breaking Dragon Scales and Shells. It is said that adventurers who challenge the dungeon must first develop counter-measures for it.

Do you wish to view additional information?

≪ YES ≫ ≪ NO ≫

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After a few tries, I finally understand that 【Old Goblin’s Wisdom】 allows me to see the characteristics of materials taken from Large Forests. Even information and knowledge that I did not know until now such as production of poison and many more were shown in my mind.

Somehow, it is similar to the ability 【Detect Analysis】 and since both holds extensive knowledge, I could say that I now know a lot more.

Although there’s the drawback of a lot of information being unreadable, extensive knowledge should still be useful…… Maybe just for a bit, I’d like to cultivate the real secrets of the 【Burst Seeds】.

I’d surely like 【Destructive Burst Seeds】. It’s quite interesting, being considerably dangerous.

Well, since there is also information in how to use a variety of things, I expect that it would be surprisingly helpful when developing new medicines with Alchemist-san.

I pray again towards Gobujii who is still helpful even after dying.

After saying my farewells with Gobujii, I went back out of the morgue. I smelled something good so I went to the dining hall, meeting the Sisters making breakfast at the kitchen.

The Sisters didn’t know I was here so they were surprised when I showed up. However, they immediately smiled after managing to calm down. It became warm and fluffy.

While I thought about returning to the Royal Capital at once, upon seeing their smiles, I decided to enjoy the Sisters’ home cooking after my long absence.

I didn’t have breakfast yet so it’s just right.

The smell is tempting and my stomach is empty. Even Gobujii was not enough to fill my stomach for a minute.

With that, I observe the two as I sat down proudly in one of the seats at the [Dining Hall], big enough for all group members, being used right now by the present members.

The [Kitchen] providing the dishes to the [Dining Hall] had been gradually expanded and improved. Even ten people could cook in it at the same time.

Equipment such as a cooking stoves and water supply were installed in the kitchen along with kitchen utensils such as kitchen knives and pans, manufactured by Blacksmith-san with magic metals and spirit stones.

It’s not a boast to say that it is equal to the kitchen of Tomboy Princess’ Amber Palace and above the other neighboring facilities.

The Sisters were cutting a lot of ingredients followed by throwing them into the large pan, cooking the stew using the stove fitted with a fire spirit stone, then mixing in various seasonings for the flavor. Their movements did not slow down one bit and so, breakfast was steadily cooked.

Though no one else is cooking in the kitchen other than the Sisters, there’s no problem with that as they are the 【Chief Cook】, and are capable of providing enough food for the scores of residents.

Although they’re in charge of cooking, from time to time, they also help out in different areas when needed. There’s no need to worry though since the Sisters seemed to be enjoying it.

While waiting for the Sisters cooking, Blacksmith-san and Alchemist-san, after not seeing them for a long time, came over to the [Dining Hall].

Though they were both surprised to see me just like the Sisters, they quickly returned to their usual expressions. Not having seen me for a long time, they were happily telling me some childish stories.

Even though we’ve been speaking through the communication cuffs every day, there is no doubt that talking face-to face is better. The physical warmth and expressions of the body that subtly changes are hard to express through just talking.

And as expected, the cooking of the Sisters is delicious, nourishing me and filling me with a day’s worth of vitality from the inside.

However, what one should pay attention to the most right now is Nicola, my only human child who is sleeping peacefully in Alchemist-san’s arms.

Honestly, her sleeping face is too cute. Her red cheeks were squishy and when I held her with her cute sleeping face, her five small fingers grasped my finger in return. With her small delicate body, it feels like she’d break from just a touch.

Of course, Auro, Argento, and Oniwaka are also lovely children and beneath them is Nicola who is still an embarrassingly lovely baby. I love all four of them equally and I intend to show it though, um, with Nicola’s sleeping face, I just can’t help but smile.

So cute.

She’s so cute that it’s impossible to show it with just words. Sometimes, the others observed our spot quietly.

Inheriting my blood, she's able to move in unexpected ways despite being a one year old child so it might be possible to talk with her. As expected though, that’s just an exaggeration but it’s something to think of.

Since I was a bit worried, I check Nicola using one of the 【Ancient】 class magic items inherited from Velvet. It became clear to me that somehow, she actually has two jobs when she was born, called 【Job – Ogre Child】 and 【Job – Crest Maker】.

She probably obtained 【Ogre Child】 while I was an ogre. Since Auro and Argento also have that, it’s probably based from the race of the parents.

As I mentioned regarding their characteristics, their vitality is stronger than usual and their growth seems to be based on their power.

While Alchemist-san is feeling a bit tired in breast-feeding Nicola, I told her that it would help in raising up our child’s power.

As for 【Crest Maker】, it is a kind of 【Magic Occupation】 that is used for creating the Crest of Valor.

Although they have tattoos like me, Nicola’s and the other three’s tattoos are subtly different than mine.

Now though, I am slightly worried about Auro and Argento who do not have 【Crest Maker】. I’m pretty sure that it depends on one’s personal qualities and talent.

Or could it be a hidden condition?

Well, I’ll put that aside.

Being healed inside by five people after so long, I decided to stay overnight at the base today.

Even though we could talk via the ear cuffs, since I came home after a lot of effort, I’d like to assist in one of my obligations which I had neglected for so long.

That’s my reason.

After finishing breakfast, I walk around along with Blacksmith-san and Alchemist-san, going to the Leprechauns who were making armor and to the diligent Dwarves at their ≪Workshop≫, which is one of the major facilities for forging weapons.

Apparently, they, I mean the two people who the Dwarves took in seem to be devoted to developing new materials.

It is said that they study every day and night in order to create even just a slightly improved alloy.

Stainless steel that doesn’t easily rust from water drops, magnesium alloy that could be used in various ways, and silicon steel made from magnetic materials that can be used for the development of motors, they were things which were only told in stories but that was enough to pique their interest.

Fortunately, in regards to the expansion of the base, I was able to secure and buy new materials in large quantities when I went to the Royal Capital. There was also a recent expedition to the mountains nearby which dug up some new ores. However, there’s only enough for studying, not for making stuff.

Listening to their reports, it should be possible to make alloys with the various metals found. Saying that, I hand out the plentiful kinds of metal I bought as a souvenir beforehand.

I was very pleased from all this.

With the short term help of the Dwarves and the use of unique manufacturing methods used for 【Magic Metal 】 and 【Magic Medicine】 not found in my previous life, the research results seemed to have succeeded in developing of a new alloy with interesting characteristics.

Blacksmith-san and Alchemist-san puffed up with pride, their satisfied faces being quite memorable.

Aside from Blacksmith-san, to think that Alchemist-san could be like that too, it is quite touching to see a different side of her.

Well, there was a lot of failures during the experiment but then again, failure is the stepping-stone for success.

Since we were able to make something new, the wasted materials were worth it.

For now, it’s not something that can be revealed. I do look forward to the point where a convincing report would show it to be near completion.

Although I got motivated, I will refrain from examining on what kind of alloy it is beforehand.

After that, the Sisters began cooking lunch for the afternoon.

The ingredients to be used couldn’t be found in the Kuuderun Great Forest so they were bought from the Royal Capital and the Labyrinth City.

The food is Wyvern Hamburger Steak using the meat of a Jadar Wyvern. After finishing all work in the morning, lunch became so popular that all members ate seconds.

Incidentally, after finishing the meal, I imposed a gag order on the current members.

That’s because the members who were not able to eat it would probably feel jealous. Though sharing the secret is an insignificant matter, I hope to at least strengthen their unity through this, even if it’s just for a little bit.

In the near future, I intend to feed the other members the same food.

Once noon came, I went to the ≪Hot Spring Facilities≫ which Dorian-san maintains with great effort.

The ≪Hot Spring Facilities≫ could be freely used by the Elves. They, the visitors, gave the alias ≪Parabellum Spa≫ to the Hot Spring. Only a few elves were excluded from entering.

Their baths where placed at a distance with a Japanese-style premise like wall put in place which surrounds the hot spring. It had become splendid over time, the natural and peripheral equipment having increased.

The Dwarves who were making armor with Mithril had set up their own shop that sells delicate accessories, known as ≪Dwarf’s Equipment and Glass Hammer≫.

There was also the restaurant ≪Beckoning Cat’s Increasing Order≫ and not only is it reasonably priced, the ingredients used are remarkably inexpensive.

Within the constantly expanding ≪Farmlands≫, there is the ≪Blessing of the Forest Spirits≫ which sells cheap fresh vegetables and fruits which were enhanced by spirit stones. It is very popular for the Elf wives.

For something new and dangerously addictive for the greedy, there is the late night gambling house ≪Casino Bacalar≫.

For the gamblers who ran out of money, there is the place that lends money which attracts those who lost or those with debt, known as ≪Debt Hell≫.

In the evening, for customers who don’t want to tire themselves out from returning late at night or those who want to stay for the night, they could stay at the simple one-story inn, ≪Hot-spring Hotel Tyra≫.

By reserving at the ≪Hot-Spring Mansion and Ogre’s Kiln≫, they can stay at lavish rooms which utilizes magic items for better comfort. They can also use various services such as the hot spring on their own convenience.

That's the current state.

To be frank, I didn’t think we’d get such results with just the hot spring.


However, being involved in various businesses is not a bad idea.

Even if we continue being mercenaries, the number of members would likely increase to 1000 in no time and it’ll be hard to feed them all.

For now, with the ≪Farmlands≫ where vegetables are grown and my 【Lesser Giant Generation】, our food expenses can be controlled and there’s no need to harvest ingredients outside.

Although it’s possible to buy a lot of ingredients and equipment for all members, we would need a lot of money for that.

So while we were improving the base in many ways for additional income, in the future, we would need to develop ways to receive more income.

With that reason, it is just right to use the various established stores as a way of training.

Well, it’s quite hard at first but since I took the chance of planning deep around the Elves livelihood, it should be successful after some time.

With this, the burden on my shoulders became lighter.

The Elves want to continue being good neighbors in the future and so, our position would remain excellent and superior.

After thinking and worrying about how to further improve ≪Parabellum Spa≫, I finally got the massage oil (derived from aroma oil) from Dorian-san.

While she is the one who made it, I was the one who taught her massaging techniques such as what is right and wrong, explaining and improving it at the same time.

The usual every day fatigue was healed with relaxation.

In the end, the massage was good.

In the evening, after a long time, I finally drank liquor along with Father Elf.

While drinking elven wine at the hot spring exclusive for the top brass, the hot spring felt better thanks to the taste of the wine. Since it was dug out in a way to face the scenery outside, the taste improved while drinking and watching the glowing stars in the night sky.

In the end, it’s nice to have a drinking companion. We talk about stories regarding Father Elf’s younger brother.

His younger brother is someone I allowed and invited in the hot spring in exchange for ten barrels of wine.

For several days, Younger Brother Elf would stay in ≪Parabellum Spa≫ along with Father Elf. While he considered the various stores quite interesting, he wanted to enjoy the variety of hot springs the most.

After getting exhausted from a long day, he was completely stuck in the hot spring and became more energetic after getting out.

Afterwards, Younger Brother Elf and Father Elf had exchanged a few words, the former requesting and getting a communication cuff.

While I haven’t spoken with the Younger Brother Elf yet, the cuff gave me information via the clone buried in it.

As expected of brothers, he is just like a dandy uncle similar to Father Elf. They are quite graceful despite being considered as elderly men.

Besides, since he has quite a high position in the ≪Green Arrow Star Village≫, it’s fine to be in familiar terms with him if he wants to.

Well, it'll be easy to be on good terms with him thanks to the hot spring.

There’s no doubt that the Hot Spring is a valuable place.

I collect as much information as I can and upon understanding the true value of the [Hot Spring], I don’t intend to give any discounts.

Younger Brother Elf seems to have quite a bit of political power and right now, he plans to head towards the Royal Capital. He promised that after arriving, he'd like to conduct full-scale business negotiations in various ways.

Since Father Elf also told me to 『Get along with my Younger Brother』, I intend to be friendly with both for a long time.

Since it was already late at night, I let Father Elf stay at the ≪Hot Spring Mansion and Ogre’s Kiln≫ while finishing the few necessary procedures.

Having enjoyed the night today, I quickly finished.

Notes:

As mentioned by a comment, Cat Fairies is the literal translation of the kanji words 猫妖精. It has the Katakana ケットシー (Ketto Shi) above which I didn't get at first until I read the commend which turns out to be Cat Sith / Sidhe so I went with that.

Change the Coat of Arms of Valor to Crest of Valor just to make it sound better. However, I'm not sure if the sentence that contains those words is correct. What I got is the only way I could use the Katakana for Valor that was included in the line.

I translated 【滅爆の実】 as Destructive Burst Seed but I'm not confident with it. Should still convey the meaning though.

The names of the stores should be accurate enough but its something that I believe needs a little more checking.

* * * 

Day 182

Due to the current requests, with probably more coming in the future, the members are scattered in various places.

As for the contents of the requests, they are:

•    Town Defense

•    Escort of Noble’s Convoys between territories

•    Subjugation of a band of thieves hiding in the nearby mountains

•    Subjugation of aggressive monsters

•    And many more

Before, our only client was the Tomboy Princess. However, thanks to the mercenary group’s name becoming well known, many new clients have suddenly appeared, forming a queue.

Due to the recent coup d’état significantly affecting public order, thieves and bandits are moving about in the open. Knowing this, I’ve sent members towards villages where the feudal lord or village chief feels troubled by the situation. By doing this, we should be able to take about half of the current requests.

By completing the requests we receive, we would gain more trust. Even though we’re not in a dire situation, there’s no reason to decline something that compensates with lots of gold.

For their convenience, I let the members who would become useful in the future gather around the mansion in the Royal Capital and the Labyrinth City Purgatory. By adjusting their schedules, they should be able to perform requests.

Though there are some who didn’t want vacation to end, they’ll just have to be patient for their own sake.

Before a full-scale mobilization, some more preparations are needed so I’ll treat them well for now.

Once I gave out instructions and finished breakfast, I head back towards the Royal Capital.

After being seen off by Blacksmith-san, I enjoy my trip in the air for a bit.I caught several flying monsters on the way and ate them but didn’t learn anything in the process. As expected, I would need to stop and hunt more of them. I stop eating after a certain amount and hasten my pace.

Before long, I catch sight of the Royal Capital. After landing on the ground, I use the 【Proof of Belonging to Royal Authority】 to enter.

Previously, there weren’t that many people out on the town’s streets near the Castle. Now though, the place is back to normal and full of vigor, just like in the past. Humans are walking about as voices continue to try and attract customers.

As expected of the Royal Capital. For now, I head towards the mansion that had been given to me as a reward, located in the boundary between the Nobles' District and the Castle District.

In my trek, while walking around and checking out the prices of various merchandises, people around were gradually whispering and pointing at me.

Thanks to my superior hearing, I can hear them without doing anything. Still, I use 【Wiretap】 against the noise to try and get a clear understanding of what they are saying.

『Look. That’s the trump card I’ve heard from the stories.』

『His skills are the real deal. From the beginning, I saw him kill a Jadar Wyvern in one hit. That guy is terrifying.』

『Haa haa. Amazing, real one, the real one, it’s the real one! Buhaa!!』

...is what they are saying.

Looks like a lot of them were present during my fight in the arena. They were whispering about my active role as a member of the Tomboy Princess’ camp in the coup d’état. Also, there are some young and old men and women who have an atmosphere similar to that of the First Queen and Dark Hero.

While people quietly pray to the Gods using gestures, right now, I doubt that that’s a good thing.

I feel troubled by the number of people gazing at me with bloodshot eyes and flushed cheeks. They have the same ecstatic smile as the First Queen.

This is really hard. Their eyes seem to hold some sort of pressure and I can’t help but shiver from the chills running down my back. Even in town, the other party just stares at me and there’s nothing I can do about it. It had turned into a sort of battle with an instant death condition.

Religious fanatics are truly scary. For me who is more like a militaristic thief, my compatibility with this kind of situation is the worst. Thanks to the stress, my shoulders became stiff.

With my mood souring, I quickly buy a bunch of barbecued chicken from a stall before leaving for the mansion.

However, I could see and feel the signs of numerous stalkers following behind me so I move ahead by jumping around the rooftops. As expected, they couldn’t do anything. I hear what sounds like regretful sighs but I ignore it.

I would just become more depressed if I took notice.

Thus, I finally arrive at the mansion located in the border between the Nobles' District and Castle District. Waiting for me is Kanami-chan who I proceed to hug.

Not knowing the situation, Kanami-chan couldn’t help but grumble a bit before she decided to bury her face in my chest. Looking at her arms, they were slender but had the same strength as heavy industrial machinery.

While she’s fine if it’s me, for others, she would break all of their bones, cause their internal organs to overflow from their mouth, and end them by splitting their body into two.

No. I’m pretty sure Kanami-chan won’t go that far. She should be able to keep her strength in check without any problem. Still, she probably has enough strength to crush boulders with ease.

While she is initially shocked from my unusual actions, she now feels embarrassed. Even though she’s shaking her head out of embarrassment, I refuse to let her go. She slowly calms down in time.

Once I finally let Kanami-chan go, she sighs out of relief.

Behind the bewildered Kanami-chan is Redhead who has a bitter smile. Along with them are Auro and Argento who were looking at Kanami-chan with envy. Together, they all smile at me and greet me with 『Welcome back』.

It might be a bit embarrassing but I answer back with 『I’m back』.

Finally returning, I immediately decide to renovate the Mansion. First, I plan to turn two of the guest rooms in the first floor into a shop so I start expanding there. I keep tampering the place until nothing’s left untouched. Some walls got demolished then expanded, all in order to accommodate the interior planning.

The question now is what kind of shop would be set up in the guest rooms.

There are many things that can be done. The girls, led by Kanami-chan, start by planning around their experience of the oil massage received from ≪Parabellum Spa≫. In the meantime, the leprechauns want to buy and sell the clothes they were making.

While it hasn’t been decided yet on which plan will go ahead, I think that a Stone Sauna would be quite popular with the nobles of the Royal Capital. I intend to take into account on how the place should look.

Some small adjustments will be made to the work schedule later since there’s already a rough idea on what should be done next.

Using my connections with the Tomboy Princess, it’s possible to employ famous and skilled craftsmen in the Royal Capital. Because of that, the renovations should be finished in a short time.

Still, in order to shorten the work period even more, I mobilize the skilled subordinate members.

Increasing manpower and allowing them to train at the same time, it’s just like killing two birds with one stone. Or rather, since both the cost and time needed are also shortened, maybe one could say that it’s killing four birds with one stone.

Be that as it may, it would still take a few days to complete the remodeling of the first floor into a shop.

In the afternoon, I was diligently processing lumber while thinking on how to decorate the merchandises that will be lined up in the future.

Thanks to 【Craftsman】, I can learn the process of making stuff just by watching the numerous professionals in the surroundings. I had obtained that ability thanks to the 【Demigod of Shaping’s Divine Protection】 that I learned a few days ago.

To the others, it looks like I managed to learn a lot even though I have just started making items. One man, specifically a craftsman in his 50’s, seems to look at me in high regards. Even though it’s only been a short time, he is now instructing me techniques that he taught to his disciples.

The Master Craftsman speaks bluntly yet his method of teaching is simple and precise. Thanks to my ability, I easily learn the techniques just by observing.

After finishing an item according to his teachings, the Master Craftsman looks pleased and nods with some satisfaction. Because he seems to have a strict character, it is said that only a few of his disciples manage to get the same reaction from him.

Seeing me learn from the Master Craftsman through observation alone, his disciples who are in their 30’s can’t help but react in astonishment.

I am grateful for the techniques of the Master Craftsman which I easily absorbed. At the end of the day, I decide to serve elf liquor at night as a form of thanks.

The party is held in the garden, the butlers and maids working in the mansion also joining in.

I took charge in cooking the main dishes of the party. Since it’s an outdoors party, I find it suitable to barbecue the meat of Black Fomorians and the vegetables obtained from the Farmlands.

I burn the charcoal processed from lumber taken from the Large Forest followed by placing the food in large volumes over a huge wire mesh. I prepare Yakisoba using an iron plate and it is satisfying. In fact, it seems to be quite popular.

Preparing and cooking a considerable amount of food one by one for each members isn’t really that time consuming.

However, there’s still a lot of people so Auro decided to help out.

With the parent and child’s teamwork, there is enough food even for everyone even though there are some who are gluttonous. Doing this to train the body at the same time was worth it.

I could say that the party’s quite successful.

TL Notes:

1.    Seriously, the Day's describing Rou's life as a non-combatant seems to be the hardest things to translate and this one is no exception. Well, that applies for me. Not sure if that also applies to other translators. Oh well, enjoy. ~Mistelone

2.    There are no problematic or complicated kanji names here. Rather, the only thing I can say about this day is that the context is hard to get in some parts. I guess that's because a lot of the Japanese sentences here in this day are quite long and lack a specific subject. In those cases, I have to depend heavily on the initial context to get the right translation.

* * *

Day 183

For the first time in a while, I’m in charge of training our experimental youth corps Solitude this morning.

Since I’ve entrusted them to Redhead for two days, the children seem to have mimicked her way of fighting as their movements resemble the way a beast moves for some reason. As they’re frequently relying more on their fighting abilities than [Arts], you can say that they’re gradually becoming members of Parabellum.

After finishing the morning training, I mix in with the workers and help them with remodeling the store around noon. Since it’s their second day on the job the workers know what to do and they seem to be doing their work faster.

We continue working in a more efficient way until dusk and we’ve gotten considerably closer to completion of the shop. As they are very skilled craftsmen and their work speed is amazing, I praise the workers and thank them for their services by offering them some liquor. Not the elven liquor but the one I obtained from the labyrinth.

Having some liquor after hard work felt great. However after drinking up to a certain extent, we stop. They have to work early tomorrow morning after all.

TL: I know Rou mentioned his dislike for people who solely relied on Arts without having any actual fighting ability. Throwback to Day 110, which I very liberally incorporated in this translation. Even though there’s still some way to go before they’ll be useful, they’re growing fast every day because they’re still young; the leader of the group and the eldest of the group in particular. I’m expecting them to become strong in the near future because of their avarice.

* * * 

Day 184

Right after midnight, the party of Minokichi-kun and my second son Oniwaka was attacked by someone. However, they were not harmed. The attackers on the other hand, were annihilated. The course of events of this surprise attack can easily be explained.

At first the consciousness of Minokichi-kun's beloved pet beast, who was sound asleep on a pillow, was triggered as it sensed multiple presences approaching. When it roughly checked the surroundings with its hearing and sense of smell, it realized it was an enemy, as it heard soft sounds coming from every direction and it smelled the body odor of dozens of humans. After the team searched for the enemy, a more accurate number of 33 was communicated through the ear cuffs, while the enemy had slowly approached in parallel.

While Minokichi-kun was sleeping in a [Skeleton Centipede] that rearranged its framework into an enlarged tent, other powerful members such as Asue-chan noticed the group approach. Countermeasures communicated through the ear cuffs, as it was decided that only Minokichi-kun would make a sortie upon his personal request. He was the only person that was sleeping outside, so it was convenient. As the enemy entered the attack range, the [Skeleton Centipedes] threw out special smoke-balls that inflicted abnormal statuses [Paralysis] and [Coma]. Right after that, Minokichi-kun jumped out of bed and started trampling on the escaping troops.

From the start of the battle until the end, no more than 10 seconds had passed. Several people were cut and slain by one swing of the axe, and even more were killed by the Lightning Flames that spread out and scorched the earth. As Minokichi-kun further increased his power, he has become even more reliable. Normally I would tell him to secure captives in order for them to tell their true intentions, but since it’s Minokichi-kun, it can't be helped. His physical prowess aside, not much has changed from the old days and his intellect remains the same. The attack lacked imagination even more so because it was a ranged one.

Since it was a massacre, it’s disappointing that there were few enemy corpses that kept somewhat of a figure for us to examine and we were not able to discover one article that showed their allegiance. Even though the enemy consisted of beastmen and humans and it was a mish-mash of mercenaries, hired to attack Minokichi-kun and the others, I can’t say for sure that there was no unit they were all dressed in similar uniforms gathered out of stolen equipment.

With swords coated with a paralysis poison, daggers coated with a lethal poison, an unlimited supply of illegal medicines, dark containers filled with deadly poison hidden in various places on their bodies, longcoats and trousers made out of firm leather which held a high effect of 【Body Concealment】, magic boots that muffle footsteps; this was an assassin’s perfect wardrobe. While I’m assuming the enemy belonged to something outside the Sternbild Kingdom, I’m certain that the members of the organization are somewhere in the country.

The reason Minokichi-kun and the others were attacked probably originated from the war within the Sternbild Kingdom. While I’ve already been thinking for a long time that I would be regarded as highly dangerous by other countries because the war potential that Parabellum possessed was superior in both quality and quantity, I now know for a fact that we’re regarded as dangerous from the information gathered from the group. Even though parts were removed immediately, there are things indicating it. It doesn’t say which countries, but there are places like that.

They concluded that since the leader, me, cannot be touched since I'm in the Royal Capital - and there was no more physical way to do it after I cleared out all the spies in the Royal Capital - they wanted to swiftly erase the military unit of Minokichi-kun and Asue-chan, who are my main fighting force. Otherwise my scouting potential might accumulate to such an extent that it would impact their possibility to escape. Even though I think they were completely annihilated, I told all military units to be cautious for the time being.

With this omen of the start of a new war, I began to feel a little excited again.

* * * 

Day 185

The young brother of the elf arrived at the Royal Capital early this morning, and came to my estate. As a present for the Elven Liquor, I’ve prepared several kinds of high-grade liquors from the [Labyrinth City] Purgatory, as well as some rare magic metals and ores. The younger brother might have heard from Father Elf that I’m quite the drinker and as one would expect from the chairman of an established business, the provisions were considerably good. As I lead him through the foyer of my estate, we talk about business. Alongside the younger brother is a shrewd young boy – his son – who is entranced by the good looks of Kanami-chan, who is next to me.

I smile wryly to the younger brother, as his son is absentmindedly listening to our discussion while staring at Kanami-chan.

Through negotiation an excellent number of contracts were signed. Over at our company -- various rights for land and business were put together to support Parabellum in exchange we will give them the right to use the hot spring and the raw materials in the Kuuderun Great Forest. To be frank, he was only looking to go to the hot springs. Even though the younger brother was trying to hide it, he was totally immersed when I accidentally revealed my plans to upgrade the hot spring in the near future. He’s like a hot spring addict. I understand the response since the hot springs are very comfortable, but is it fine to react so obvious like this? I don’t think so.

Well, there are only a few specific places in this world that have natural hot springs. Even so, there are quite a few places you can go to. Then again, «Parabellum Springs» has a variety of curious things in the hot water, such as bubbles and lights, which is enough to consider it a first-class hot spring. The younger brother was agreeing to everything concerning hot springs until his son stopped him. This conversation turned out to reveal interesting information about his personality. Even though it was such a short time frame, I was able to understand the personalities of both of them. At least the contents of the contract will be followed as long as there are no special conditions.

When either one of us breaks the terms of the contract, a suitable compensation will be provided. It seems that I’ll be able to continue our good relations for now.

Because our business discussion ended, I went back to remodeling the estate. As it looked like both elves wanted to observe the state of affairs, I left it to Kanami-chan to entertain both of them. Without any further problems, the day ended like that.

* * *

TL Notes:

-- You’d think the smaller days are easier…

-- So the younger brother heard from his father?

-- Elves came by, yadda yadda yadda, new contract, yadda yadda yadda , hot springs. Exciting stuff!



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