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 join our Patreon to read up to 12 chapters ahead for this novel!
Enjoy~
TL: ALT
Chapter 181 – Day 12 of Management Life
“Even if we call them ‘veins,’ there may be discrepancies between the surface and the underground if we divide them based on vegetation alone.”
Yesterday, I returned from Cliff Garuda and spent the night in the ruins. I started running early in the morning and arrived at the military base in the desert around noon.
Everyone else is resting after running nonstop.
In the meantime, I’m talking to Ka-Ryu and Gussenbach, the base’s overseer, about earth veins.
“There were researchers studying earth veins 1,000 years ago, but most of them lived in Midgard. I wonder how things are now…”
Are they traveling through time using the giant magical beast?
“Regarding the earth, it would be best to ask those blessed by the God of Fertility. Regarding magic power, we have no choice but to study the Sealing Clan’s documents.”
“We’ve found the ruins of the God of Fertility and know the location of the buried village at the bottom of the river. However, we need to prepare for mosquitoes. We couldn’t enter the Sealing Clan’s dungeon before, but maybe we can now…”
“Don’t take everything on just because you’re the lord. Let us help you.”
With that, Ka-Ryu poured her magic into me.
“I thought we were still here after death because we hadn’t fulfilled our mission, but it seems that wasn’t the case.”
“Actually, the golem who was teaching Saketsu his skills regained his ‘hands.'”
“What do you mean?”
“Look at my hands.”
Ka-Ryu showed me her sandy hands, which she clenched and unclenched.
“I’m recreating my hands based on my memories, but they’re not perfect. They probably move with the precision of wearing several layers of thick gloves, right?”
Now that she mentioned it, Ka-Ryu’s hands were larger than mine.
“Perhaps he recalled his memories clearly while teaching the technique. The golem technicians were able to recreate a recognizable human hand.”
For 1,000 years, we protected the base. But over time, we realized what we had lost. We could no longer remember our individual lives before we died; we only remembered our roles as guardians, soldiers, and technicians. Above all, we had no memory of dying.”
“What? You don’t remember the moment you died?”
I leaned forward and asked Gussenbach.
“That’s right. We became golems because we died, but we have no memory of that moment. In other words, it’s not about whether or not we fulfill our mission; we may simply not be aware that we are dead.”
They understand their current state, but they are unsure how they arrived there.
“Makyo, we need to awaken the golems’ individual memories and let them experience death again. Otherwise, they might not be able to ascend.”
“Ka-Ryu, do you remember the moment you died?”
“I remember dying in the dungeon leading to Midgard. But I don’t know why I died. I guess the memory of the moment I died is gone.”
I remember many things about the moment I almost died in the demonic land, but not the moment itself. Will I forget it someday? I’m starting to worry that I won’t die properly.
In any case, we can’t put off dealing with this problem.
“I understand. In addition to the usual restoration work, we should give the golems various experiences to help them regain their memories.”
“I’d like you to do that.”
I need to prepare roles for the golems in the modern world. The skeletons at the port in the southwest may be necessary as well.
“You can move day and night, right?”
I asked Gussenbach.
“Of course! Golems can move without rest, even in the dark of night!”
“I want you to dig up the signposts.”
“The desert roads change after sandstorms and rain…”
“Not this desert, but there are mountains to the west with harder ground, right?”
“The refugee area…”
Gussenbach looked up at the ceiling.
“Is there a problem?”
“Golems aren’t well accepted over there. There’s a chance we’ll be attacked by bandits, as well as monsters.”
“There weren’t any bandits. There were pirates on the other side of the mountains, though. We’re transporting clothes for them. Even if the two sides are enemies, we still need to interact.”
“There are also rampaging Guardian Spiders, which are dangerous even to us…”
He wants the work but doesn’t want to push himself too hard.
“Is it difficult?”
“We’re making it difficult for ourselves.”
Ka-Ryu chimed in from the side.
“The military has a guilty conscience. The hawks of Midgard drove them to the southwest in the first place. Even though the military was following political orders, they called the refugees ‘oni’ and carried out the orders. They don’t think they will be accepted, even if they say they have become golems.”
Ka-Ryu explained. Apparently, the golems had been talking among themselves.
“Were the ones in the southwest ‘oni’?
“They were called both ‘oni’ and ‘holy knights.’ In the end, some of them committed mass suicide in the temple, and we couldn’t do anything about it…”
Gussenbach held his head in his hands and looked down.
“The sins of the past cannot be erased. You don’t intend to discriminate against them anymore, do you?”
“That’s right. Being a golem has nothing to do with racial discrimination.”
Gussenbach said this and spread his arms wide.
“Then, even if they won’t accept us, we have no choice but to apologize and make a path for them quietly. If you’re still regretting it after 1,000 years, why not settle this once and for all?”
There was a conflict that even the dead didn’t know about. Rather than being tormented by unerasable feelings, it might be better to bow your head, move on, and die with dignity.
“I guess so.”
Gussenbach slumped his shoulders and began to gather the golems.
The desert journey was particularly dangerous due to the possibility of being attacked by monsters. There seemed to be some opposition to coming into contact with pirates. Since the recently arrived lord of the demonic land didn’t seem to be a good fit, I decided to leave it to Ka-Ryu.
Jennifer and the dwarves, who had gone to gather herbs for paralysis medicine, returned. They left in the morning and returned in the afternoon, when the temperature was at its highest.
“Are you finally back? What about the civil war?”
“The civil war is over, but we can’t get any more magic stones unless we dig a new mine.”
“I see…”
“I have magic stones!”
Katan laughed and opened her large backpack, revealing a large number of magic stones small enough to hold in our hands.
“What are these?”
“I got them by dismantling magical plants buried in the desert.”
“What kind of magical plants are they?”
“They start walking when you pour water on them, and when the wind blows, they roll around and move. There are monsters like that.”
Kahiman explained slowly. These were probably monsters that P.J. hadn’t found yet.
“You two are better at finding things than I am.”
“They’re dried up and buried, so they won’t attack us and they’re easy to deal with.”
Apparently, the paralyzing medicine is extracted from the fruit of these monsters.
“Magic stones also seem to have a paralyzing effect, so we can make a lot of staffs.”
“They’re useful for many things, so it’s better to have them. We can trade the extra ones.”
“Will we have enough magic stones to trade?”
Jennifer got to the heart of the matter.
“It’ll be difficult right away.
“But if we run out before winter, then we’ll have to go to the Meiju Kingdom…”
“There might be a rebellion. This is a good opportunity. Let’s make the demons think about how to deal with magic.”
“Will the demons die?”
Kahiman asked fearfully.
“Yes.”
“Are the bird people dead?”
Katan asked.
“Some may have died in the civil war. Some of the bird folk were infected with the same beast magic disease as the dungeon dwellers. They all looked like harpies. They seemed to have been persecuted and targeted for attacks.”
Did Makyo-san help those people?”
“I just healed their wounds and ate with them. If they and the sorcerers hadn’t discovered the earth vein, Cliff Garuda would be in trouble.”
“Do we need people with beast magic, too?”
Jennifer asked in surprise.
“They should be able to sense magic better than humans. They might be able to find the Earth veins deep underground.”
“Then shouldn’t we have the dungeon dwellers in the demonic land search for the earth veins, too?”
“That’s right!”
“But the dungeon dwellers tend to slack off at work.”
Unusually, Kahiman voiced his dissatisfaction.
“That’s right! Makyo-san, listen. Only a few people, like the Demon King and the director, are working now.”
“Is that true?”
I confirmed this with Jennifer, and she nodded.
“It seems that many of them thought they could fight as long as they had food and magic. They are shocked to realize that they are no match for the monsters living in the demonic land. We have taught them how to fight, but they take a long time to make decisions.”
They look just like monsters, so they probably thought they could fight them. If they stay locked up in the dungeon, they won’t learn how to survive in the demonic land.
“We need to tell the dungeon dwellers to go outside.”
All three nodded vigorously in agreement.
“So, what are we going to do? Collect magic stones? Search for the Earth’s veins?”
Katan asked, biting off a scorpion’s claw from somewhere.
“Right! The big plan is to search for the Earth’s veins. But we won’t find them just by searching blindly. Let’s dig up the villages buried in the river and look for clues that might lead us to them. Then, let’s try challenging the Sealing Clan’s dungeon again.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if Makyo-san searched underground?”
Kahiman asked, placing his hand on the ground.
“We won’t find anything deep underground. The Sealing Clan’s dungeon is full of magic, and the traps will activate. Kahiman, you’re our only hope!”
“What!?”
“Also, when we dig up the riverbed, mosquito monsters will attack us, so Jennifer and Katan, please find some insect repellent herbs. And get some magic stones, too.”
“Got it! All right!”
They replied energetically. Are they okay?
“They’re fine. They’ve been to the demonic land many times and are used to it.”
Jennifer smiled like a mother watching her children.
“Makyo, dinner’s ready!”
Chel called from the back.
“Ah, Jennifer and the others are back.”
“Welcome back, Chel-san.”
“Welcome back.”
“Welcome back.”
“I’m home. I made spicy poultry soup, so eat it while it’s hot.”
As Chel said this, Jennifer and the others ran into the back room. Before I knew it, the delicious aroma of the soup was wafting through the air.
It seemed that she had made lunch while I was talking to Gussenbach.
“I thought you were sleeping.”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“I see.”
“Speaking of which, I was thinking about searching for the earth’s veins…”
“What?”
Chel’s accent was unusually clear, which made me a little wary.
“I was thinking that there might be a master in the demonic land…”
I remembered the master of the mine. In a place with a lot of magical power, there might be a powerful master.
“Huh? They’re in the demonic land, too. The big ones.”
We’ve confirmed the presence of giant crocodiles, apes, bears, and snakes in the underground lake.
“I’m thinking of looking for a place where large monsters live. What do you think?”
“Okay. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I’m sorry, but could you teach me how to control magic?”
It was rare for a demon like Chel to ask for help.
“You’re the one who taught me magic, Chel.”
“I know that! That’s why I’m asking you, even though it’s embarrassing!”
Chel turned away and started walking toward the back.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll teach you. Any time is fine. Just ask me when you have time.”
Chel raised her hand in response. She had put her demon pride aside to ask for help, so she must have been determined to learn.
When Hel and Sylvia woke up in the evening, they started making a simple map and discussing the differences in vegetation on their own.
The search for the magic veins of the demonic land had begun.
If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read up to 12 chapters ahead for this novel!