Clarifications:
-"Person Talking"-
-(Person Thinking)-
-
[Skills or Magic]
(JC: Author's Notes)
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Let's start
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-"Thank you, sir!"-
The bearded captain roared as he entered the room with his head bowed. The miners filed in behind him.
-"You're the potion guy? Thank you so much!"-
-"My arm was pretty broken. I didn't think I'd ever be able to work again, even if I survived... Thank you!"-
-"...."-
The last guy didn't say anything before everyone left, but I was pretty sure he was grateful too. Glad to see the potions worked.
By this time, it was well past sunset. It was almost dark when the captain spoke to me again.
It turned out that the quintet who had tried to take me were members of this nation's Free Guild. They were talented, but they also had a previous reputation as troublemakers.
-"That should teach them a lesson!"-
The captain said with a hearty laugh.
The guard was already certain we weren't guilty of anything, but they still detained me out of respect for the other "victims" I had unwittingly upset with my actions. No one pressed charges, though; I guess they thought demanding restitution for running away scared wasn't the most astute of social moves.
So I told him the truth. I was helping rebuild a Goblin Village, and we needed weapons and clothing, as well as someone who could provide some guidance on the site. The captain listened attentively, some of his men occasionally turning around. They even asked Gobuta a few questions, despite his bulging eyes and puzzled expression.
We were still in the guardroom. Gobuta had borrowed another cell to sleep in, which I assumed he was still using. Since I had nothing better to do, I was watching some of the Dwarf personnel run during morning training in the field behind the guard post, with Night lying on my lap. Swinging heavy wooden swords to work on their speed, sparring a bit in mock combat, running a few laps, the usual.
I sat there, taking it all in and imagining how they'd fare against the assorted creatures I'd "consumed" at this point. It was a bit of a game to me...
It turned out the guards barely stood a chance. Even if I give myself a disadvantage, there are only a few who can beat the bat and the lizard.
In a one-on-one confrontation, the scales were tilted quite heavily toward the monsters, but since the Dwarves always seemed to operate in teams of four to six, some of the combined groups could take on the spider quite well. However, even the twenty of them on the field couldn't take on the centipede. I didn't expect these guys to be Special Forces types, of course, so the results made sense to me.
They were almost absorbed by the moment Gobuta woke up. The captain checked in at roughly the same time.
-"Very well,"- He said. -"You're free to go. Sorry for keeping you here for so long. I was obligated to keep you overnight, at least. Apologies!"-
-"Oh, no, no. It saved me the cost of one night's hotel, at least."-
-(Sometimes you have to look at the bright side, right?)-
-"I'm glad you see it that way. Here, let me make it up to you. I can introduce you to a talented blacksmith I know!"-
-"That would be perfect. Thanks!"-
Things were looking up, finally. We'd just gotten priority entry, an inspection—an exciting inspection—and we had some extra spending money. I thought finding a gunsmith who wouldn't rip me off at first glance would be a chore, but a military reference was the best I could ask for. Maybe I can be a little optimistic after all.
-"In exchange for that..."-
Of course, nothing in life comes for free...
-"If you have any of those Recovery Potions left, would you be interested in leaving them?"-
-(Aha. They must really be short on them, huh?)- That soldier mentioned it yesterday. -(Well, I have a ton I could sell for... But I don't really know the going rate.)-
-(Now what?... Ah, why not? Anyway, I had a manufacturing cost of exactly zero on those things. If he wanted some, he could have some.)-
-"Fair enough,"- I replied. -"It'll depend on how many, though. I need to have some for myself, too."-
-"Any extras you're willing to part with are fine with me. Even if it's just one."-
-(Hmm? A rather odd way of putting it, right?)- I thought he was trying to rebuild the guard reserves. -(One isn't going to be enough in a pinch, is it...? Well, whatever. Maybe times were just that tough.)-
-"Okay, um, well, how about five then?"-
-"Five! Ah, that would be wonderful!"-
-"Sure. Oh, also, I'm pretty sure they'll still work even if you dilute them a bit, okay? If it's just a regular cut, ten parts water to one part potion should be enough."-
The captain nodded vigorously, completely convinced. I made my five potions appear, and he responded by handing me a small pouch. Inside, I could see a selection of gold coins.
-"I know it's not much,"- He explained. -"But I hope you'll accept it. I'll give you five gold pieces for each of these!"-
-(Twenty-five gold then? Fine by me)- I don't know if I'm undercutting myself or not, but I'm in no position to haggle. However, it's best to find out exactly how much that is.
-"Hmm, if I could..."-
-"Isn't that enough? I'm doing my best here, sir..."-
-"No, no, the price is perfectly fine, but I needed to ask you..."-
-"Huh? Yes? So... So, what did you need?"-
-(Oh. Hmm, that's not a good reaction. So, have I been ripped off?)- I knew I should have started higher. -(Oh, well. The captain seems like a nice guy. I doubt he's fleecing me that much.)-
-"I hate to admit it, but I'm not exactly sure what this money is worth, or what the prices are like here... If you could give me some guidance, that would really help. I'm just an inexperienced young man, after all."-
-(Ah, my pride hurt saying that...)-
We ended up having a long conversation before Gobuta, Night, and I set off. Soon, I was back in the fresh air of freedom... But not before lunch. The captain insisted.
For the first time in a while, I enjoyed a decent meal; though I prefer my own.
-(Maybe I'll cook something next time...)-
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-(Ugh... Why do I have to be so busy...?)- Kaijin the Dwarf grumbled to himself. -(What do you mean, the Eastern Empire might be on the move? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!)-
He had reason to doubt it. Peace had reigned over the kingdom for three hundred years. The Empire had all the riches it could want; what motivation could it have for staging an invasion? That was what he didn't understand.
-(Of course,)- Kaijin added to himself. -(I doubt the blacksmiths in this city would mind a good war to fill their coffers. But... Arrgh, why is my job so busy all of a sudden?!)-
And that wasn't his only problem.
He frowned. -(I curse that damn Minister!)-
He rubbed his forehead as he imagined himself taking a hammer to the man and sighed. Many sighs recently.
There wasn't much time left. A refusal would damage his reputation. "I can't do it" wouldn't be an excuse. He was waiting for some of his friends to come back with him, and according to their reports, all could be lost.
He had made a decent name for himself as a weaponsmith, but he wasn't omnipotent. What kind of blacksmith could make weapons without raw materials to work with?
Finally, he heard the news he'd been waiting for.
-"Sorry,"- One said as he walked through the door. -"We wanted to contact you yesterday, but we ran into a major distraction..."-
They were three Dwarven men, all brothers, the trio Kaijin had assigned mining duties to. The eldest was Garm, an armor craftsman with long, muscular arms. The middle child was Dold, who was known throughout the kingdom for his intricate handiwork. The youngest, Mildo, rarely spoke, but was skilled in almost everything—architecture, art, you name it. A prodigy of sorts.
Any of them might have been talented enough to run a successful business on their own, but they all had one critical disadvantage. Outside of their individual God-given talents, they were completely hopeless, barely able to dress themselves without an instruction manual. None of them had a business mind or laid the groundwork for a successful career. They seemed to prefer letting other people use them instead.
This is how they ended up entrusting their shop to someone who stole it, falling into the trap of an apprentice jealous of their natural talent, being bullied by the government after failing a ministry application... In the end, with nowhere else to go, they turned to Kaijin, an old friend and practically a fourth brother to them in their youth. He wished they'd called him sooner, but that was neither here nor there; they needed a place to hide, and he could use some help around the shop.
The only problem was that Kaijin didn't have any work for them. He was a merchant who dealt in battle gear, and he already had steady connections for all his wares, except for weapons. Those he made himself, and he figured he could keep the trio busy by making the rest of his lineup... But he couldn't get them started immediately. Telling his contacts for his armor and accessories out of the blue that their services would no longer be needed would lead to easily avoidable problems. Until things calmed down a bit, he'd have to continue business as usual.
Instead, with few other options available, Kaijin was having them lead a team of workers as they mined ore and other materials.
The brothers had arrived at Kaijin's shop with a wild story about a monster. It was the last thing he wanted to hear. He rubbed his forehead.
-"Well, at least everyone's okay,"- He told them. -"I'm glad you escaped before you got too hurt!"-
And you were. If they weren't hurt, they could return to harvesting ore. The safety of their friends was naturally important, but... Even so.
The three brothers looked at each other uncomfortably.
-"Well... We didn't escape, exactly."-
-"No! In fact, we still can't believe what happened to us yesterday!"-
-"...."-
They went on with the story, an account of a mysterious human boy who provided them with lifesaving medicine. It seemed like a load of ridiculous ramblings, but these people weren't ones to make up stories. They didn't have the talent for it.
So, did the whole thing really happen? Perhaps it didn't matter. It was true enough, he knew, that people were attacked in the mines. And that meant no mining for a while. The workers he'd hired all left yesterday and headed for the hills at the time of the news of the monster. And why not? His brothers were injured, no doubt.
Now would be the perfect time to enlist the services of the Free Guild, but that's probably equally impossible. He had submitted a mining application long ago, to the deafening silence. He knew he wasn't the only one either. A shortage was beginning to rear its ugly head.
Hiring guild members as mine guards wouldn't accomplish much either. They weren't cheap, and even then, they wouldn't lift a finger more than the guild paid them. Guild guards did just that—guard duty and nothing more. And if this was the kind of monster that could take out a Grade B- adventurer…
-(It was useless! There was no way to make a profit.)- In fact, this would bankrupt him. -(Bah! Why did such a powerful monster have to appear in such a cursed, shallow part of the mine?!)-
Kaijin let out a deep sigh. Now what? There wasn't much time left. Maybe he'd have to go there and take the ore himself. He couldn't think of any better ideas. All that filled him now was the passing tick of his destiny.
The four of them exchanged glances, all at a complete loss. That was just when a group of rather strange customers appeared.
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-"Hey! Are you there?!"-
Captain Kaido shouted.
As we chatted, we'd become friendlier and more amicable with each other. We were on a first-name basis now, and it turned out his older brother was in charge of the shop we were visiting.
It was a cozy place, the kind where you'd expect the owner to be a grumpy old man behind the counter.
-"Hello!"-
-"Excuse me,"-
I said as I followed Kaido. The moment we entered, we felt several dubious glances cast upon us.
-"""Ah!!"""-
The three miners who had thanked me for saving them yesterday raised their eyebrows. They looked like new, but their expressions weren't exactly jubilant.
Just as expected, the man standing behind them was a perfect image of the gloomy, grumpy types anyone had once had to deal with. He was the owner, no doubt. He didn't look much like Kaido.
-"What do you want? Do you know these guys?"-
-"Kaijin, this is it! The guy! The one who saved us..."-
-"Yeah! Sure he is! And you're our boss's brother, right, Captain?"-
-"...."-
-"Oh-ho! The guy, you say? We were just talking about you! Thanks for getting these guys out of a bad situation yesterday."-
-"Oh, no, it was nothing..."- I politely declined. -"I just showed up at the right time. Glad I could help, though."-
-"So,"- The old man said, standing up a little. -"What brings you here today?"-
I decided to go into full detail. We all piled into seats further back, and Kaido was kind enough to provide a quick rundown for me. I added a few choice details, and everything moved along at a good pace.
-(However, that younger one... Mildo, right? I wish he'd say something. How did he manage to stay in conversations without saying anything?)- It honestly confused me.
-"Very well,"- The old man replied. -"I understand. But what do you want? I can't do anything for you. I have a job from a certain country I have to deal with as well. None of this leaves the room, but..."-
Then it was his turn to speak, deliberately omitting some of the finer details, as everything was classified. Basically, various countries were sending orders for weapons and armor, scared that a certain "idiot nation" might be trying to incite a war against them all. This connected with why the guard had no medicine yesterday, as well as the shortage of raw materials plaguing the stores.
-"So,"- He continued, tapping his head. -"I managed to pull an all-nighter to get an order for two hundred square steel spears... But I also need to get twenty swords, and I don't even have one yet. There's simply no material!"-
-"Why don't you just say you can't complete the order?"-
Kaido asked.
-"Fool! You think I didn't do it at first? But that damn Minister Vester told me, 'So you're saying the great Kaijin, famous throughout the kingdom, can't even fulfill a simple order like this? Is that right?' In front of the King himself, no less! Can you believe that damn idiot?!"-
Amid the cursing and shouting, I learned that Mildo, the taciturn third brother, had denied Vester's request to build him a house. The minister had taken it personally, annoying him to the point that Mildo had to go into exile with Kaijin. It seemed like a stupid grudge to have.
-(So, this guy is buying up all the kingdom's raw materials so the shops can't sell anything? Sounds plausible to me)-
-"What's the difference between spears and swords?"-
I asked, curious about his sword problem.
-"I need special ore for swords,"- The old man spat out. -"Magic ore. Spears are just steel picks."-
Without the proper materials to work with, even a master craftsman is just a man. It must have been incredibly frustrating. The Minister must have been waiting for me to appear, hat in hand, begging for mercy.
-"And that's not even the half of it. It takes a full day to complete even one of those swords. Even if I built an assembly line and simplified everything I could, it would still take two weeks to make twenty..."-
I thought about asking about the deadline, but stopped. I could read the answer on his face anyway.
-"I have until the end of this week,"- He snarled. -"Early next week, I'm being charged to deliver them to the King. It's a task for the kingdom, and all the shops have been asked to do the same. If I can't, they could take away my craftsman's license..."-
So there are five days left, just like it sounded. And it seemed doubtful much work would happen today, so, four, basically? What a difficult situation... -(Wait, why am I here? None of this has anything to do with me)-
-(Wait, did he say "Magic Ore"? I have some of that, right? Not that it matters...)-
The next time I looked up, I noticed everyone staring at me. -(What? You expect me to come up with a solution? I can do that, but we literally just met)- Whatever. Time to throw some serious favors around -(At least I hope you'll help me get someone for Goblin Village)-
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-(That's the plan~)-
Although it seems bad, it isn't; after all, I'd be helping them. I'd have to become a manipulator like before, but these moments warranted it. Like I said before...
Nothing in this life comes for free!
-"You really have a trivial problem, old man... Do you think you could use this?"-
Then, with a small tap, I handed over a quantity of mined ore to the worktable in front of me. I then sat down on the sofa, leaned back, rested my right leg over my left, and rested my hand on top of my right hand, giving them all a calm smile that concealed a hint of superiority.
-(I hope I haven't lost my touch...)-
-"...Wait! Whoaaa! That's Magic Ore! And, my goodness, look how pure it is!-
-(Heh. It's not Magic Ore.)- I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the master blacksmith's ignorance. -(I already processed it for you! It's a piece of pure Magic Steel!")-
-"Come on, old man, are your eyes failing you?"- I asked with a smile. If they couldn't see what this metal was, they couldn't have been worth much. "(I'll sell you the materials, but that's about it. I have a business here, sort of.)"
-"What...? No... It can't be! This entire piece is Magic Steel?!"-
It finally dawned on him. His shock surprised me a bit.
-"You... You'll let me have this? I mean, I'll pay the going price, of course!"-
-(Hehehe, I got you!)-
-"Ooh, about that..."-
-"Nggh, what do you want? I'll do everything I can for this!"-
-"Now that's what I wanted to hear! You've heard what my team and I are doing, right? I need your help finding someone to travel to the village and provide us with technical guidance."-
-"What? That's all you need?"-
-"I need some connections with clothing and weapons suppliers, too. And armor."-
-"If that's all, then of course!"-
And then old Kaijin and I forged a verbal contract for the piece of Magic Steel. We agreed to iron out the details after his work was done. Judging by his reaction, I probably could have squeezed a little more out of him, but there's no point in being too greedy, or I'd just become the same as before.
Kaido left after we all finished dinner. I suppose the border guard captain can afford to miss work all afternoon. Though nice of him to bring me here.
The three Dwarf brothers took turns thanking me once more. They felt a little out of place, no doubt, and were to blame for the government toying with Kaijin.
-"So why don't you join us?"-
I asked. Their jaws dropped. Then they began to discuss it among themselves. To me, that sounded like the best thing for their problem.
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The next day...
Even though I had all the materials I needed, that deadline still seemed impossible. Time to get it out of the way.
-"You have four days left, Kaijin. Do you think you can finish it?"-
-"... No, to be honest. But I have to do it!"-
I didn't think a "can-do" attitude would help much. What I did know was that if something was impossible, it was simply impossible. It wasn't possible until all the right elements were in place.
-(... Geez. I've already got my foot in the door. Might as well go all out)-
-"Well, I think I have an idea. For starters, could you make me a single sword? The best quality you can achieve?"-
-"What? But you're a complete amateur. What could you possibly do?"-
-(Hey, I was able to produce a prosthetic arm that's capable of turning into a cannon! Is that amateurish?! Although I did have help from a Skill, but that doesn't matter!)-
-"I can't tell you, but you have to believe me. If you don't, then go ahead. Continue. You'll probably lose your license, but..."-
-"... So, can I trust you? Because if I can't, you better not expect payment for that Magic Steel. I won't be able to take care of it myself, let alone cover it... However, keep your promise. I swear I'll keep mine. I'll give you the best swordsmith this kingdom has!"-
We have a deal. And promises are made to be kept.
We headed to the workshop. I owed Kaijin one for letting me rest in his apprentice's chamber anyway, so I wanted to keep my end of the bargain.
When we entered, we found the three brothers staring at the lump of Magesteel on the table, sighing to themselves as they turned it over in their hands, scrutinizing every surface. The lump that appeared was the size of a fist. Was it that rare? They must have acted that way.
-"What are you talking about?"-
Kaijin exclaimed when I asked about it.
And according to his explanation...
Magesteel was a raw material refined to make Magesteel. Even the base ore could compete with gold in value, for one simple reason: It was rare and useful for a variety of applications.
It all came down to the Magical Energy that seemed to form almost everything in this world, something Earth seemed to do well, but which played a very important role here.
On rare occasions, when a monster was defeated, it would release a whole chunk of Magic Energy, referred to as a Magic Stone. This was a kind of portable power source, and served as fuel for something called Spirit Engineering, an invention unique to this world. Magic Stones came in levels of purity, and the purest were used as cores within a variety of products. Even ornaments could harness this energy for special effects. The resulting clothing and accessories could augment the user's abilities, grant them additional effects, and do any number of other things.
Now, the main difference between old ore and Magic Ore was that the latter could only be obtained in areas where higher-level monsters lurked. It required the combination of regular ore, a high concentration of Magic Energy, and eons of time for the ore to absorb the magic and undergo the transformation, a sort of geological mutation.
Of course, any place with a lot of magic also tended to have a lot of monsters—it might even have a gigantic monster called a Behemoth. Not in ordinary places where ordinary adventurers could kill for pocket change, but you wouldn't find any Magic Ore around. You'd have to travel to places with at least B-rank monsters in them.
Regardless, the point was that Magic Ore didn't appear out of thin air. Furthermore, the extracted Magic Steel took up three, maybe five percent of its total mass. Even a fist-sized piece of that steel was worth at least twenty times its weight in gold.
It also seemed that prices, in general, averaged about the same as in my old world. Gold was used as currency because it was worth so much, just like on Earth. As a result, every country had adopted gold as a standard of currency.
I kept the fact that I had a large stockpile of these pieces of Magic Steel in my [Stomach] a secret. Honestly, it was getting a little scary.
-(Now, for the real problem)-
Magic Steel was rare, to be sure, but that wasn't what made it so valuable. That lay in how easily adaptable it was to serve as a conduit for magical force.
One could control Magiculas through the power of imagination, to a certain extent. My [Magic Perception] Skill worked that way, but even the [Water Manipulation] Skill worked by manipulating the ambient magic around me. Most monster Skills also took advantage of it in one way or another. I didn't actually know much about magic spells, but I guessed they worked on the same premise.
So what if a weapon was made from material infused with large amounts of magic? Surprisingly, it became a weapon that could mature!
Basically, unless you were really into a weapon, you'd always be better off with a magical infusion in it. -(But what if, even though this would require a lot of skill and money, you made a blade out of pure Magic Steel and inserted a Magic Stone into it? Could you make, like, fire swords and blizzard swords and stuff?)-
My creative juices started flowing. My heart sang, demanding that Kaijin make one right this second. But I'd have to be patient. However, the next Magic Stone I got my hands on... For sure.
After that quick lesson, Kaijin strapped in and got to work. I saw him as his aspiring young apprentice. Night kept me company, and Gobuta was probably sleeping somewhere...
Swords, of course, come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. I, of course, imagined a Japanese-style katana as the strongest of them all, but even katanas appeared in all sorts of shapes. That's what made me so curious about the kind of sword he'd make.
Ten hours later, he was finished.
It looked, to me, like an old greatsword. And that was a lot of Magic Steel. And here I was worrying about whether a fist-sized lump would be enough for even one. It turned out Kaijin couldn't even guess how much it would cost to use 100 percent Magic Steel in everything. I guess not. No wonder no one has invented a fire sword or a blizzard sword or even a thunder sword. It would cost too much. Makes sense.
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-(Really?... Eh, it doesn't really surprise me, considering what kind of world I lived in.)-
Back to the sword, the Magic Steel formed only the core of the weapon, and the rest of the blade was made from regular steel. That core was all it needed for its magic to work its way into the steel, eventually merging into the entire sword. That, he said, was why a weapon grew stronger as it was used over time. The blade would never rust or lose its shape; it could use ambient Magic Energy to regenerate.
Interestingly, though, even these Magic Swords had their life cycle. If they were bent too much or deformed beyond recognition, the magic would seep out, causing rapid erosion.
Kaijin showed me his newly forged sword as he spoke. It was all very interesting to me. I took the weapon in hand as I marveled at it. It was simple to make, straight as an arrow. No accessories. It wasn't strictly for slicing like a katana, but the blade seemed adequate for chopping.
But this was just a base. Over time, I assumed, the sword would adapt to whatever its user wanted from it. No wonder the smith kept things simple.
-(Good)-
So Kaijin and his team had designed this beautiful sword for me, just as they'd promised. Now it was my turn.
-"Good!"- I said. -"Time for me to do a little secret work for you. Sorry, but would you mind leaving me alone here for now?"-
There was no way I could let them see this. It would be very difficult to explain, for one thing.
-"Well, you have everything you need here, I guess. But are you sure? I'd be happy to help you."-
-"I'll be fine, thank you. Just promise me you won't peek in this room for the next three days."-
-"Very well. I'll trust you and wait..."-
With that, Kaijin and his men left. Only Night remained, and Gobuta also left, for some stupid reason. -(What's going through his mind, day after day, that keeps him alive?)- I have to squeeze it out of him someday.
Then the next step couldn't be easier. First, take the newly crafted sword and "devour" it. Then, take the rest of the materials lined up here and "devour" them too, stuffing everything into the [Stomach], and...
<
-(Repeats nineteen times. Easy, right?)-
Gosh... Each copy took, like, ten seconds. One hundred and ninety seconds, three minutes and something, and I had nineteen swords scattered around the room. It had been maybe five minutes since I got Kaijin and the rest out of the room.
I mean, I thought I could do it, but it was so easy! And people spent entire lives crafting things like this. I started to feel like I'd done something impolitely rude to them. This [Predator] is a broken Skill.
-(So what? I told them not to open the door for three days. I honestly didn't think the process would be ridiculously fast. Am I supposed to hide here until then? No... I can't sit here like the bubble I am. Maybe I should confess...)-
So I did. I opened the door and walked out. The four Dwarves immediately stood up, looking at me with concern. Gobuta was... sleeping.
-(God, five minutes? Yep. That's when I decided I had to do something about him.)-
-"Wh-What is it? Did something happen?"-
-"Are you short on something?"-
-"Or... Or did it not work then?"-
-"Yeah, um... Well, actually..."-
I sized up the Dwarves, whose eyes were heavy with self-torment. They hurt to look at.
But I just couldn't resist. I had to put on an act.
-(Why did he have to be so mean to people all the time? I thought I stopped doing that a long time ago.)- I know he still did it with Souna-kaichou, but he only did it to embarrass her. -(Watching strict Souna-chan get embarrassed was fun!)-
But back to the Dwarves...
-"... Hehe! Looks like I finished early! They're all done!"-
-"""... Whattttt?!"""-
Guess I can't blame them.
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-"""... Cheers!!"""-
We were at some kind of Dwarven nightclub, having a rather anticlimactic closing party. The weapons were safely in the hands of the King, and it was time to celebrate. I mean, I told them they didn't have to...
-"Aw, come on! There are lots of beautiful women there!"-
-"Yeah, yeah! Young ones, and older ones too, if you like a little rough around the edges! It's the perfect place for any gentleman!"-
-"....!!"-
-"Come on, Yukimaru! We can't leave without the big man himself!"-
-(It was four against one, so I had no choice. Never a dull moment, huh?)-
The place was called the Night Butterfly.
-(The hostesses were really butterflies then? They better turn out to be moths! Why won't I be able to get in if it's that "kind" of club!)- I thought that as we walked in. -(... Not that I really cared. I'm a gentleman now)-
-"Ooh, welcome!"-
-"""Welcome, gentlemen!"""-
-(!!)-
My face twisted into an expression of shock for a moment at what I saw.
The place was lined with beautiful women with long, -(No doubt about it! They're Elves!)-
-(Damn, this was very unexpected! Their clothes are so thin too! It's like I can almost see through them... Damn, and I also got [Magic Perception] to its maximum strength! They've reduced the limits of their clothes, haven't they? What kind of challenge is this?)-
-(I have to deactivate [Magic Perception] before I see something I shouldn't see! If I look too much, I'll never be able to see Neko-chan face to face! She hates perverts! A lot!)-
-"Oooh, look at you, cutie!"-
-"Aww, I saw it first!"-
-(Eeeeeep! T-There it is!!)- My entire body is being shaken by two beautiful Elves. My face heated up when I felt something soft wobbling against both of my arms; it was hard to tell what it was. -(What kind of beautiful and evil torture is this!?)-
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-(Shut up, you don't know!)-
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-(This isn't the time to listen to your past loves! I have a problem here!)- I couldn't be more embarrassed when I saw my current situation. -(Also, what's with this sudden attention?! There's a real Elf sitting on my lap! I can't believe this is actually happening!! Is it because of my new appearance? Am I that handsome?)-
-(Ah, that doesn't matter now! I feel so bad! I feel like I've betrayed someone, and I don't know who or why!)-
However, while we were in that situation...
-"Well! If it isn't Kaijin! My goodness, what are you doing, bringing this vulgar commoner to a high-class establishment like this?"-
-(Who is that guy? Looking to start a fight, it sounded like.)- Things quickly quieted down around us. Even the girls made fun of this visitor; they probably didn't like him too much, though they were polite enough to keep their teasing to a minimum.
By Dwarven standards, this guy was quite tall and slender in stature, making him... well, an average Human in size.
-"Hey! Boss! Are they allowing commoners here these days?"-
-"N-No,"- Said an older female manager. -"But he's just a very polite young man, so..."-
-"Uhh? He's still a commoner! Isn't he?"-
-"I... No, sir, but..."-
The manager stammered noncommittally, trying to calm the man down, but the jerk wasn't even paying attention. Clearly, he was after us.
-"Oh, great,"- sighed one of the girls. -"That's Vester, the Minister."-
-(Speak of the devil! Well, I will be... He looked like the type who refuses to let go of a grudge. I could see it on his face.)-
-"You know what best suits a commoner?"- Vester shouted. -"This!"-
Then he emptied the contents of his water glass on me.
I wasn't exactly a fan of that kind of provocation, but I kept myself in check. This was a government minister; I couldn't let my broken pride cause trouble. Honestly, I was more worried about the elf on my lap; the poor thing was caught in the crossfire.
-
-(You're really exaggerating! If I do anything stupid, Kaijin or the manager of this place will be in trouble. I wouldn't want them banned from the premises. I'll just stand there, letting it go, and-)-
-"Hey... You think you can mess with us all you want?!"-
With an audible kick on the table, Kaijin stood up.
-"You think you can just run up and make fun of me as a guest, Vester? You think I'm not going to be bothered? You think so?!"-
-(...Um? Hey, Kaijin, this is a high-ranking government official, isn't he? Are you sure you're safe here?)-
Vester, to his credit, was so surprised and backed away.
I jumped a little in surprise too, forgetting I had the beautiful Elf on my lap, causing an awkward situation for myself, even though she didn't seem bothered at all. It was still embarrassing. -(It wasn't on purpose! I swear!)-
-"How... How dare you talk to me like that, you..."-
Vester stammered, still in shock.
-"Will you shut up already?!"- Kaijin shouted, punctuating his point by throwing a punch at the Minister's face. A few moments later, he asked me, -"Hey, Yukimaru, you were looking for someone to help you, right? Would I be good enough, maybe?"-
-(Good enough? More than that. But... Really?)- I assumed he'd literally just gotten a ticket out of the Dwarf Kingdom. Now he was making a verbal request.
-"That's what I've been waiting to hear. It'll be great working with you, Kaijin!"-
It would be. We could discuss the details later. If Kaijin was willing to come, I was more than willing to invite him. We don't need some fancy contract! We do what we want, when we want!
Kaijin and I sealed the deal with an emphatic nod.
Just one thing... -(How are we going to get out of here?)- Maybe a little caution wasn't such a bad idea after all. You're creating a lot of problems for yourself anyway. All the bravado in the world wasn't going to solve them, was it?
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
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Author's Notes
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Please note that this story is mostly centered around Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken and another novel that you may recognize. Please also note that Rimuru is completely replaced by my own character (Yukimaru). You are warned.
Disclaimers:
The character or story mentioned from an anime, or novel, does not belong to me. Instead, it belongs to Ichiei Ishibumi (High School DxD), Fuse, Mitz Vah (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken) and Patora Fuyuhara (Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni)
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Upcoming chapters (Spoilers):
Chapter 14- The Heroic King
Chapter 15- The Girl and the Hero
Chapter 16- A New Beginning for the Goblin Village