Chapter 121: The Magic Tool of Regeneration
Having fought Abyssal Monsters, I got really into leveling, so after returning to the village, Yuri and I diligently hunted Bloody Bears.
Since the tunnel is open, Ignat will apparently handle the scheduling with Kai. There’s also the matter of Ignat going to Belfast Castle, so he needs to go inform Kai. I asked if it was okay for him to go so frequently, but apparently, it’s no problem at all if he acts alone. He mentioned he’s more worried about Natalia-san, whom he’d be leaving behind. Well, it’s true that entry and exit from the town are lax, and it’s not like you get specially questioned by anyone. It seems there won’t be a problem as long as he wears a mask properly.
When I returned to the village just past noon, for some reason, I could see a road. It was clearly visible from the sky. The road, just enough to connect the houses, was nearly half complete.
Huh, roads aren’t made that quickly, are they?
“Huh… They did say they’d build it, but isn’t this too fast, even if it’s just around the village?”
“Rui, look over there.”
When I looked where Yuri pointed, a strange vehicle was moving slowly. After it passed, the ground was scraped down by several tens of centimeters and neatly leveled. Looking closely, it was an application of the tunnel-digging machine; it scraped off a large amount of earth, collecting it, and even pressed it with a roller attached to the rear. The subsequent process, handled by the construction crew, was also mechanized: concrete was poured, pressed, and water-draining magic was applied. A road was being completed just by two vehicles passing.
“Wow, if they have the materials, even connecting to the town will be quick.”
“They’ll need a considerable amount, so it won’t be easy, but it’s overwhelming how fast this is.”
I saw Ichiro and the others, arms crossed and with smug looks on their faces, supervising the construction site, so I headed over there.
“You guys are amazing as always, huh?”
“What are you talking about? You’re the root cause of this, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. We just applied it. Well, the Magic-Powered Car was our idea, though.”
“Ah, I’m sure you understand, but let me tell you, okay? We’re deliberately keeping the speed down. Conversely, it’s harder to maintain that slow speed consistently!”
The guy with the staff started rattling off about the new machine at high speed, even though I hadn’t asked.
Ah, so the one pouring concrete needs a constant speed, huh? Indeed, adjusting that seems tough.
When I replied with something like that, he nodded happily, saying, “Exactly! You really get it, don’t you?” Changing the subject, I asked them something that had been on my mind. “Hey, why aren’t there any magic tools for healing magic?”
That’s right. It’s probably something so necessary you could call it paramount. Because you could heal without having to find a healing magic practitioner.
“Well, there are two reasons for that. One is the reduction in effectiveness.”
“Yeah. Simply put, the effectiveness drops significantly. To a level of less than ten percent, even.”
“Huh? Doesn’t the story change a bit if you can use pure mithril?”
When Mizuki said that last, the two of them put their hands to their chins and fell into thought.
“If I recall… with pure mithril, it should go up to nearly fifty percent.”
“But, you can’t turn that into a magic tool, right? That’s the other reason, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, for some reason, that material… it doesn’t let the light of healing magic pass through.”
To summarize, even with pure mithril, the effectiveness drops by half, and since it can’t be made into a magic tool, it can only be used in the state of a magic circle. In short, is it that they can’t make them because the effect is low and it also violates the law?
“Come to think of it, who holds the rights to healing magic circles?”
“That’s obviously the Church. Well, there isn’t a church here anymore, though.”
Does that mean the Northern Church holds the rights? It’s a foreign entity, so I don’t know how things would work out in that regard…
“But, even if you say rights, it only applies to inscribing it visibly. There are no restrictions on someone who can use it turning it into a magic tool.”
“No, that’s why it can’t be made into a magic tool, right… wait a minute.”
So, it’s fine as long as the magic circle isn’t visible? Isn’t it just a matter of letting light pass through but making the inside invisible?
“If such a convenient material existed, we’d have made it already.”
“No, no, what if we use mirrors or something to gather the light so the magic circle isn’t visible? Wouldn’t that work?”
“I see. It’s possible to make it invisible by refracting it. Well, this is only possible because Rui brought us a ridiculous amount of mithril, though.”
Just as Ichiro raised his voice, saying “If that’s the case,” the guy with the staff stopped his words.
“Wait a moment… If it’s pure mithril, we can boost the effect with an amplifier, right? If we compensate for the drop in effectiveness with magical power, what happens to the burnout limit…?”
He said, looking at Mizuki’s face.
“If the burnout limit is the same as the multiplier for normal magic… if we make it at the size we’re currently considering, we’ll create something pretty insane, you know?”
Her eyes widened as she nodded back at the guy with the staff, and he smirked, one corner of his mouth lifting.
“Then let’s make it!! A healing magic tool? It’s not gonna be some dinky thing like that! Yes, what we’re going to make is a Magic Tool of Regeneration!!”
“So, for that reason, Rui, you’re going to help us with the production from now on. We can’t make decent parts without you. You’re the only one who can quickly make precise things like mirrors.”
They started saying unreasonable things like “take responsibility for bringing it up,” and I ended up being forced to go along with them. When I told them I could help until nightfall because the princess of Lestall is apparently coming tomorrow, they grabbed us and started running.
Judging by their atmosphere, it seems they intend to work until it’s complete… I messed up. I should have said something like, “when I get back from Belfast in three days.”
Or so I thought, but it was surprisingly simple and was completed quickly. It was shaped to reflect light inside a tube, refract it once, and emit it from a narrowed tip. I’d heard the effect was weak, but because it concentrates the light, it doesn’t look that weak.
“That was fast. When I saw the size of the design, I wondered what would happen, but I never thought it would be completed in just a few hours.”
“Indeed. But that’s all because Rui makes things so quickly…”
As Yuri and I were talking like that, Mizuki shook her head.
“You fool. When making precise things, smaller is harder. Well, it’s good that it functioned with a simpler design than I expected, though.”
“What are you guys talking about? The real work starts now!”
Apparently, they were about to start installing the amplifier. Mizuki sighed, “I know, I know.” It seemed the time had come to endure his selfish demands.
“Uhehe, I’m gonna connect them to the limit! Ah, make a spare magic circle just in case, okay?”
It seems he plans to go until it burns out once. Even though it’s quite a lot of mithril… I wonder if it’s necessary to push it that far, but it’ll probably be invaluable if those guys from the Empire come, so maybe I can consider it a necessary expense. No, looking ahead, it’s definitely necessary. It’s better to have the most efficient one. Yeah, it’ll be very much in demand for wars and such too.
“Alright, if we’re doing this, why not go all out and try making it two or three layers?”
“Right… I guess. If we’re only looking at efficiency, changing the size seems better, but it’s definitely worth trying. Alright, let’s do it!”
“Hey now… How many jewels are you planning to connect?! I’m the one who’ll have a hard time!”
Apparently, she, the circuit specialist, was in charge of most of the actual installation, and while she grumbled like that, once she started working, her eyes were shining brightly.
“Tch, there’s hardly any work for me. Rui, if you’re free, wanna try riding the Magic-Powered Car?”
“Eh, there’s one that can run normally already?!”
“Of course. You made all the precision materials, after all. Well, it’s an unsightly thing with no exterior, though…”
“Ooh, nice, nice,” I said enthusiastically and followed him, but it was so crude I wanted to ask, “Where do we sit?” It felt like a go-kart buggy made even simpler, with the passenger seat removed. Since there was no choice, I attached a passenger seat with my Maso, and Yuri and I excitedly boarded.
“It runs if you send magical power from your feet or attach a magic stone here. The brake is this lever here. If you’re powering it with a magic stone, make sure to remove it before braking.”
After receiving a brief explanation, I supplied magical power from my feet. The moment I did, it launched as if I’d floored the pedal in first gear. The tires spun, and after moving a little, they gripped the ground and it shot forward.
“Kyaaaaaaah!!”
“Whoaaaaaaah!!”
In an instant, it easily exceeded fifty kilometers per hour. When I cut off the magical power and pulled the lever, this time the tires locked up and the vehicle’s body thrashed around. I somehow managed to control it and stop quickly. I was really glad it was the longest straight road…
Yuri and I let out deep sighs of relief, then got out of the car and closed in on Ichiro.
“You! If it was going to be like that, you should’ve told us beforehand!!”
“Exactly! I was so surprised, I let out a weird scream!”
“Haha, well, it was your first ride. I guess I made it too simple. As expected, you have to take things step by step at first…”
This guy, did he just use me as a test subject…?
Ichiro, ignoring me, muttered something like, “It’s annoying to just directly copy the Empire’s technology.”
Even Yuri-chan was understandably furious at that.
I have to give him a piece of my mind.
“Hey, Ichiro! If you don’t shape up, I’m seriously going to take away all your materials!”
“Huh… W-wait. I get it, I’ll shape up. My bad.”
Honestly… While I was expressing my displeasure and pointing out that the brakes were no good because they’d lock up even if you eased off them, a crowd had somehow gathered.
Apparently, they’d come out, startled by the screams and the sound of skidding.
While explaining the situation, since it was a good time, I invited everyone to eat, and we all ended up having dinner together with the villagers.
This time, dinner was inside the mansion.
As an apology for startling them, Yuri, Ichiro, and I diligently cooked and served the meal.
Well, Ichiro isn’t much of a cook, so under my direction, he was in charge of preparing the plates and plating the salad.
Today, per Yuri-chan’s request, we had hamburg steaks. Since it’s a lot of work for a large group, I used my Maso to significantly shorten the cooking time, and it was done relatively quickly.
I also made Naomi’s special sauce, and it turned out perfectly.
And so, while we all ate, I also talked about leaving the village for about two or three days starting tomorrow, about Ignat and the others bringing more villagers, and also about future salaries.
Leaving for a day or two happens often, and we’ve already discussed the matter of Ignat and his group.
That being the case, their interest shifted towards the salaries.
However, setting the rates is difficult.
I asked about their previous workplace salaries, but in the Empire, the going rates are different and lower; the seamstresses’ pay was also far too low.
So, I asked to pay them a uniform rate until they were no longer directly working for me.
The Magic Tool Craftsmen I knew well said things like, “There’s nowhere to spend money here anyway, and we don’t feel we need it,” as if there was no problem, but just because they say that doesn’t mean I don’t have to pay them since I’m the one requesting their work.
“We’re going to build places to spend it from now on. It’d be a problem if you were poor then, right?”
“Haha, you’re not wrong there.”
After that, I decided to pay everyone the standard monthly salary of a Magic Tool Craftsman. Then, since the clothes I’d ordered were ready, we had a sort of unveiling for Yuri’s outfits, and in the ensuing excitement, the seamstresses were flooded with work requests, making for a lively scene.
The craftsmen who were made to buy clothes by their wives laughed wryly, saying, “We’re grateful for the salary.” Well, they’re people who had money to begin with, so I’m sure they were joking.
After that, I was consulted by the craftsmen from the Empire about where to build the village’s outer wall.
We’d discussed it lightly once before, but since we decided to accept citizens from the Empire, a review became necessary.
I mentioned that, but they said that’s precisely why they wanted to demarcate this area now.
Ah, so that’s the reason.
“Alright then, let’s go with a simple construction, with the intention of rebuilding it later. For now, let’s enclose an area about three times what we’ll use ourselves, just to be safe.”
Even then, we can easily accommodate about a thousand people. Even if they take up the same amount of space, not even a tenth of the land will be filled.
And so, it was decided to enclose the area with a truly simple wooden outer wall, and with plans to start tomorrow, the meeting concluded.
Well then, tomorrow I meet the princess of Lestall, huh.
I wonder how things will turn out…
Harboring such anxieties, I went to sleep in the village mansion.
On the road leading to the Royal Capital of Belfast, a Beast-Drawn Cart, guarded by eight imposing escort Knights, was traveling.
“Aah, honestly! Suddenly breaking off my engagement and telling me to marry a prince from Belfast, how tyrannical!”
“I… I sympathize with your feelings.”
Four young women were sharing seats inside the Beast-Drawn Cart.
Her Highness the Princess and her personal maid. A Marquis’s daughter and her personal guard—four in total.
“Isn’t it just?! I never imagined Brother Riley would send such a letter! And why is Marquis Hestia cozying up to the Empire when I’m supposed to be marrying into Belfast?!”
The strong-willed beautiful girl with flowing, naturally curly silver hair, narrowed her eyes, her anger palpable.
However, deep within her eyes, one could glimpse the impatience born of anxiety.
“Um, could it be that you were in love with Marquis Hestia’s son…?”
“Hah! With someone like him?! Please! It was obviously just a political marriage, wasn’t it? But this new one might be even worse than that!!”
The young woman accompanying the princess, who was fuming with anger, lamented inwardly, ‘Why am I even here? Rui-san… this is quite the predicament I’m in, thanks to you.’
Seeing her unlikely to continue, the maid replied to the Princess of Lestall.
“Lena-sama, His Highness the Crown Prince did not exactly order you to marry. He requested that you foster friendly relations to make engagement talks proceed more smoothly.”
“It’s the same thing! There’s no way a small country like Belfast would refuse a marriage with me! Fine. I’ll assess him. If he’s a boring man, I’ll just shatter any friendly relations!”
Seeing the fuming princess, the young woman opened her mouth with a troubled expression.
“Um, Your Highness… Er, this is difficult to say, but he was originally raised as a commoner…”
“Hmph. So he really is a boring man. Very well, Riana. Tell me about him.”
“Yes. In terms of martial prowess, he stands out to an unbelievable degree for his age. If we were to evaluate his magic alone, he would be among the best in the country. However, in terms of etiquette and common sense, his shortcomings are quite noticeable.”
‘Therefore, Your Highness might find him to be a boring man,’ she concluded.
“That sort of thing doesn’t matter! His personality! His character! What about those?!”
“Eh, if it’s about that, he’s a good person, you know? Though he’s clueless about a woman’s heart and isn’t very attentive.”
“Huh? And you call that good?”
“Yes. He’s very considerate of his companions, so if you get close to him, he’ll take care of you in many ways. He’s also generous, and above all, he’s a kind person.”
“H-hmph. So he’s not a bad guy, then. His face…?”
“That depends on your preference. I… well, I think he can be both cool and cute…”
Riana, who received a meaningful look in response to her rather biased reply, awkwardly averted her gaze.
At that moment, the Beast-Drawn Cart suddenly lurched to a halt.
“Wha-?! What in the world is going on?!”
With the sudden stop nearly throwing them from their seats, Princess Lena’s loud voice echoed inside the cart.