TN: Please read my translations only on my website nyx-translation.com since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi and Patreon to read several chapters ahead!
Enjoy~
TL: ALT
Chapter 154 – Day 46 of the Strategy Life
When I returned home, Ka-Ryu was sitting in front of the bonfire, looking like a child. I immediately replenished her magic. As soon as the magic reached her, she swirled up the dust and dirt around her and transformed into a large woman.
“Makyo, have you changed how you use your magic again?”
“I’m not aware of it, but maybe I have. There’s a dwarf who’s a genius at suppressing magic. I’m trying to see if I can mimic him and refine my magic.”
“Even though you’re suppressing your magic, the amount you’re sending increases.”
“Maybe I’m starting to understand how to use relaxation.”
“Hahaha, you’re going to make the demon girl angry again.”
Ka-Ryu looked up at the sky and laughed out loud.
Lipa hung a pot over the fire and prepared a late-night meal. It was a soup with wild herbs and large chunks of meat.
“Welcome back.”
Jennifer came out of the cave and noticed that I had returned. Chel seemed to be asleep.
“I’m back. I’m sorry about the trainees.”
“Even though they dropped out, it was their first time, so I’m sure some of them will try again. Those who lost heart, though, may not be able to.”
“Just surviving is a success in demonic land training.”
“Chel and Lipa helped them a lot, though. It’s hard to know how much support to give.”
Supporting them is easy, but if you support them too much, it’s not training.
“Do you have a report?”
“Yes, while watching the trainees, I realized there were some abilities necessary for the demonic land that we weren’t aware of. Is now a good time to report?”
The sky was pitch black, but the area around the bonfire was bright, and there was no sign of monsters.
“Please go ahead.”
I listened to Jennifer’s report while eating meat and wild grass soup.
“Living in the demonic land naturally sharpens your observation skills, but people from outside still lack perspective and attention to detail.”
“Didn’t you explain the plants?”
“Of course. I explained the plants and monsters at the beginning, but there are so many of them that it takes time.”
“Lack of caution?”
“Yes. It seems they only considered plants like sleeping flowers and egg mushrooms as ingredients for medicine. There was a gap between the effects of the plants in the demonic land and the trainees’ understanding of them.”
“I see. You can’t understand unless you experience it yourself.”
“When dealing with monsters, they prioritized defeating them over escaping or observing them. This resulted in several paralyzing staffs being wasted.”
“Did you teach them how to use them?”
“I taught them repeatedly, but they prioritized defeating the monsters over stopping their movements. This is true of the Adventurers’ Guild, but the military, in particular, places a strong emphasis on attack and defense power as the measure of combat strength.”
“Combat strength, huh? You’re right. You can’t survive this kind of battle if you fight like you do in the Colosseum matches.”
Jennifer nodded vigorously.
“They can’t survive without eating, and they’ll die if they don’t rest. So, I talked with Chel-san and Lipa, and we changed the way we teach them.”
“What did you do?”
“We told them that it’s important to read the monsters’ movements and lure them into a position where they can be killed. We thought they would learn through trial and error, but…”
“It didn’t work?”
“Yeah. When they try and fail, they get discouraged. For us, it’s just part of training, but for them, it’s their reality. They live in a monster-infested place. Once they realize that their past experience and effort don’t work, they stop thinking.”
Fighting against what you’ve built up is harder than fighting with it. I didn’t have much to build on in the first place.”
“We broke down a lot at first, too.”
“Are there any trainees who seem likely to try again?”
“The two or three who dropped out after being poisoned at the beginning.”
“What about the trainees sleeping in the cave?”
I pointed to the cave.
“I thought they would be able to do it because they have a high sense of crisis and perception. But if they can’t sleep, they can’t recover.”
“I see. Maybe the tents weren’t good enough? Can they sleep in the cave?”
“No. They’re so sensitive to the slightest sound, like the wind, that we had to give them sleeping medicine.”
“They all seemed like tough guys, so I didn’t think they were that sensitive.”
“It seems that it’s difficult to live in this place unless you have the sensitivity to carefully observe your surroundings and the thick skin to accept whatever happens.”
“I see. I wouldn’t have understood that if the trainees hadn’t come.”
“Yes, we’ve learned a lot. So, um… I have a favor to ask.”
Jennifer suddenly sat up straight and looked at me. I had a bad feeling that she was about to say something troubling again.
“I don’t want to hear it, but I’ll listen anyway.”
“Regarding the training, I think relying on the military will just break their spirits again. Would it be okay if I scouted some adventurers?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“After we finish exploring the central dungeon, I was thinking that I could visit the adventurer’s guilds in Estinia, recruit adventurers suited for the demonic land, and train them.”
“Jennifer! That’s an amazing suggestion, which is unlike you. If there’s a catch, tell me now.”
“There’s no catch. If anything, I just want Makyo-san to praise me.”
Jennifer said with a fixed smile.
“You’re lying! I think you did a good job supporting the trainees this time, and your support was perfect. But, come on. You don’t think I’d praise you just like that, do you? How long have we been living together!?”
Lipa, who had been listening to the conversation, started laughing. Ka-Ryu, who was now much larger, shook her body.
Jennifer’s smile disappeared, her face contorted, and she threw a chunk of meat from the pot into her mouth.
“Well, it’s not exactly a secret. Running the demonic land costs money, right? I thought that if I held a demonic land survival seminar at the adventurers’ guild to scout new recruits, I could make some money.”
So she had a plan after all.
“There’s no need to give away knowledge for free. Just charge a proper fee and teach the adventurers! The death rate among adventurers will decrease, and those who were previously overlooked will be reevaluated, which would be beneficial for the guild. Plus, if we can pick up some new recruits suited for the demonic land, that would be ideal!”
Jennifer ranted.
“You just want to make a quick buck with scouting, don’t you?”
“No way! It smells like money!”
She declared boldly.
“No, that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do as the general affairs officer of the demonic land. I was worried you were scouting for no reason, so I thought something was wrong. I’m glad it’s okay.”
Reassured, I slurped up my soup.
“You can go scouting first. Leave the central dungeon exploration to me and Lipa.”
“What? Is that okay?”
“It’s not like we can clear the dungeon right away. It’s not going to break or anything, is it?”
“That’s true. Then I’ll write up a manual for the training session.”
Jennifer said this and headed to her room in the cave. Those who want to earn money should go ahead and do so.
“Are you sure? We’ll be without a food manager for a few days…”
Ka-Ryu asked.
“It’ll be fine. There’s a skilled gatherer among the dwarves that I called.”
“But will that dwarf be able to adapt to the demonic land?”
Lipa asked worriedly.
“The two non-technicians were troublemakers expelled from the dwarf village, so I think they’ll adapt to the demonic land.”
“Exiles? They sound like me.”
“The elf gatekeeper survived, didn’t he? I think they’ll be fine.”
“Even the military’s troublemakers couldn’t do anything, and you’re so carefree.”
Ka-Ryu said, shaking her body.
I washed the dishes and took a nap in my room. It had only been four days, but I felt like I had slept well for the first time in a long time.
Splash!
“Did you come back alone?”
I was awakened by a water ball thrown by Chel in the early morning.
“Huh? Oh, Hel and Sylvia are coming later with the dwarves. I received a letter saying that the trainees had left, so I came back first.”
“How was the elf country?”
“It was beautiful, with people gathered around a big tree to form a town. There seems to be discrimination, though. The people aren’t very friendly.”
When I said that, Hel laughed.
“It’s a shame about the training.”
“Yeah, it’s surprisingly difficult.”
“Jennifer is going to sell her survival manual for the demonic land to the adventurers’ guild.”
“It’s impressive that she’s not giving up for free. I’ll send the trainees.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Chel led three bearded trainees toward the stream.
“We need to prepare for the dwarves.”
I stretched and went outside, where I saw that Lipa was preparing dinner, which was unusual.
“It’s rare for you to cook.”
“Everyone else is busy. Don’t expect it to taste good.”
“I could cook, but I wouldn’t know if it tastes good.”
Ka-Ryu was adding firewood to the bonfire.
“Jennifer is waiting for you at the swamp.”
“Huh? Did she finish the manual? She worked fast.”
I washed my face and went down the slope where Jennifer was waiting for me. She was wearing freshly washed priestess robes and had her arms crossed. For some reason, she was acting in a hostile manner.
“What are you angry about?”
“No, I’m leaving the demonic land, so let’s fight!”
Jennifer raised her bone mace. Come to think of it, I fought her when Chel temporarily returned to the Meiju Kingdom.
“You don’t have to fight me. You can just leave if you want.”
“That’s not the point. This is about my honor and my position.”
“I just woke up.”
“Are you running away?”
That’s a clear provocation.
“Why does it always come to this? Don’t make such troublesome rules.”
I can’t afford to get into a fight every time someone leaves the demonic land.
There’s no choice. I gathered my magical power in my lower abdomen.
“Here I come!”
“Hurry up and come!”
I want to get this over with.
Jennifer put all her strength into a leap, shouting, “Kyeeeee!” as she swung her mace down at my head.
Her straight attack in midair was easy to read. I dodged to her side easily and landed a right hook.
As I expected, she deployed a slime wall to deflect it.
I dug my bare feet into the ground and forced my right fist into her. Unable to brace herself, she was blown into the old field.
I heard the bendgrass close, but Jennifer should be able to handle it.
Bang!
Along with the dust, large plants, such as bendgrass and razor grass, flew through the air.
Immediately after, Jennifer flew straight toward me, kicking up dust. She must have used the slime wall to propel herself forward. Without slowing down, she swung her mace mercilessly toward my side.
As expected, her attacks were predictable since she was flying in a straight line. She didn’t seem to be using any forbidden mental magic, either.
I deflected her mace with a back fist.
“Ouch!”
Jennifer stepped back and healed the bruise on her forearm with a spell.
“You can heal?”
“I’m a priestess. Of course I can.”
Jennifer is skilled at defense, and even if I hit her, she can heal herself. I didn’t expect this battle to be long.
“It’s okay. I won’t let this drag on.”
With that, Jennifer scattered powder above my head. It was probably a paralyzing or sleep potion.
I tried to dodge backward, but my feet were stuck to the ground. Something with strong adhesive properties had been spread on the ground.
“It’s ant honey. I thought it might stop you for a moment.”
Jennifer said as she deployed magical defensive walls in front of me, behind me, and to my sides, trapping me.
If I stayed, I’d end up inhaling the poison. If I flew overhead, the mace would be waiting for me.
I held my breath and assessed the situation. Even when I punched the defensive wall with all my magical power, it only bent.
“It’s all over,” someone else might think.
Since this was a rare opportunity, I decided to try something new.
I transferred the magic power that I had been rotating in my lower abdomen to my shoulders and then to my arms and fists. Twisting my fists, I slammed the spinning magic power directly into the magical defensive barrier.
The honeycomb-structured barrier caved in and twisted, and the beautiful hexagons warped. The distortion at the center spread in concentric circles throughout the barrier, increasing its momentum as it spun.
Spinning at high speed, the magic collided with Jennifer, who was about to jump up with her mace raised. She had erected several layers of defensive walls, but the spinning magic shattered them all.
“What…?”
Jennifer’s body flipped upside down with an expression of confusion, spinning repeatedly as she was blown across the swamp to the opposite shore.
I escaped the sticky ground and retreated into the swamp until the poison stopped falling. I washed not only my face but also my entire body.
“Are you okay?”
Lipa came to check on me, asking with concern.
“That new technique worked better than I expected.”
I climbed the slope, my body still soaking wet, and walked on the ground scattered with paralyzing powder.
After wiping myself off with a cloth and changing into fresh clothes, I ate the meal Lipa had prepared.
“The herbs really bring out the flavor.”
For breakfast, we had venison grilled with herbs.
“Thank you…”
Jennifer, also soaking wet, came up the slope and thanked me.
“Are you satisfied?”
“Yes…”
“Then that’s good.”
Jennifer headed for her room in the cave without eating.
“Didn’t you go easy on her?”
Ka-Ryu turned to me.
“She used traps and prepared poison. I had just woken up and didn’t have anything on me. If it had been a little earlier, I would have lost.”
“Is the general affairs staff of the demonic land really that strong?”
“Yeah, she doesn’t live in the demonic land for no reason.”
Just as Lipa and I finished breakfast, Jennifer emerged from the cave. She was carrying a backpack, a water bag, and a sleeping bag.
“Here’s the demonic land manual.”
She handed me a booklet that looked like a travel guide.
“Okay, I’ll take a look.”
“Well, I’m off.”
“Already? Aren’t you going to see the dwarves?”
“Yeah, I’ll see them when I get back.”
“Do you want me to see you off?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll be back after visiting the Kingdom of Estinia, which shouldn’t take more than ten days. Don’t hunt too much meat and hoard it.”
“Got it. Don’t get caught, Jennifer.”
“I won’t make such a mistake. See you.”
The general affairs officer of the demonic land said this and set off on her journey.
I decided to take a second nap.
After waking up, I went to check on the elf gatekeeper. He could live in a small space as long as he didn’t push himself too hard.
“How’s it going?”
“I haven’t figured out how to deal with the monsters yet, but I can survive. Everything about plants is different, so I have to learn…”
“I see. Should you switch places with the guy in the hut?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
The training was originally divided into two parts, but since all the other trainees had dropped out, only the elf gatekeeper remained.
Accompanied by the gatekeeper, who had completed four days of survival training, we crossed the stream.
It seemed that Chel had sent the trainees who had been staying in the hut back together.
She had already returned home and was searching for wild plants with Lipa. She must have taken over Jennifer’s work while she was gone.
The elf gatekeeper was replaced, and we returned to the training ground. I stayed with the replaced gatekeeper, teaching him how to use the paralyzing staff, identifying plants, and helping him dissect monsters.
He seemed unfamiliar with the new environment, but he would gradually get used to it. Since he had some knowledge of the demonic land, he wouldn’t accidentally run into a field of sleeping flowers. He quietly observed the bendgrass and fed some to the Forest Rats.
When monsters appeared, he ran away and observed them from behind cover. That’s the most important thing. He won’t die so easily.
In the middle of the night, Sylvia and Hel returned with the dwarves on a wyvern they had borrowed from the Colosseum.
“Sa-Sasha is taking care of the horses.”
“The wyvern could grab the carriage, so everything worked out.”
When I opened the carriage door, the dwarves who had lost consciousness rolled out.
“What about the elf observers?”
“They’re coming with Sasha. How did the trainees do?”
“They all failed. Only the elf gatekeepers remain. Jennifer is going to sell the survival manual for the demonic land to the adventurers’ guild.”
When I explained this, the two of them laughed.
“She doesn’t do things for free.”
“Th-That’s just like Jennifer.”
Chel said the same thing.
We carried the dwarves into the cave and decided to sleep for the night.
I hope they get used to life in the demonic land.
If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read several chapters ahead!