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TL: ALT
Chapter 199 – Day 30 of Management Life
While doing laundry, my tattered undershirt ripped apart completely. Jennifer destroyed the armor I’d been using, and now I have nothing left to wear on top.
“I need something to wear.”
I sat down in front of Sylvia and pressed her for an answer.
“T-too close. I have a breastplate. There’s also a coat that fits Makyo, but no undershirt.”
“That’ll be stuffy.”
“Couldn’t you just get some from the military facilities? The demonic land has materials like Arachne silk that require artisan skills to process, but there aren’t many materials that are easy to use.”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”
Everyone except Saketsu had returned to the cave near the entrance to restock materials and consumables.
“All right, let’s go trade. Do we have anything suitable for bartering?”
“We have various medicinal herbs and poisonous plants. Katan-chan gathers them, so we have quite an abundance.”
“We have plenty of healing potions, too. We’re almost out of bottles, though.”
Jennifer and Hel brought the inventory from the warehouse. They also decided to take the pile of furs stored there. No matter how cold the winter in the demonic land gets, there are more than enough furs to last.
“If there are empty bottles, I’ll grab some. Does anyone want anything?”
“I-I need iron!”
“”New robes!””
“Clothes.”
“Me too.”
“Me as well.”
Besides Sylvia needing iron, it seemed like everyone else was short on clothes. The dungeon dwellers were making them some, but they should prioritize their own clothes.
“Shall we go to the trading village, too?”
I put on only the crocodile leather breastplate and carried the basket on my back.
“When we get back, we have to deal with the master of the magic stone mine, so don’t be late.”
“Yes.”
It was strange that I was the only one going to trade, but everyone seemed busy, so I didn’t complain.
I suppose they all had their own rooms to clean.
As soon as I entered the forest, the Green Tiger family approached me. The children were now as big as the adults. After petting them, I headed to the small stream at the entrance, where a group of slimes approached me.
Since they had helped me with my observations the other day, I used my magic to kick them far away. When I first arrived in the demonic land, a slime bit me, and I lost all my magic. Now, however, I can share my magic with them.
“Good morning. Are you working?”
After crossing the stream, an elf guard greeted me.
“Good morning. Just doing a little trading. There aren’t enough clothes in the demonic land.”
“Ah, I see. That happens.”
“You guys should start living properly, too. It’d be awful if you got hit by a curse and had to cut off your arms and legs.”
“”Yes.””
I handed them a bottle of healing potion and told them to keep it on hand.
The path to the military facility was well-maintained and easy to walk on. However, the sleeping flowers planted along the side were wilted. Perhaps they struggled to grow outside the environment of the demonic land.
There were no monsters in sight either, likely because the soldiers had hunted them down.
In the facility’s fields, people were harvesting vegetables. Pumpkins, eggplants, radishes, and various tubers were plentiful. Unlike the demonic land’s attacking plants and wild grasses, these were enviable.
Purple tubers with high magic content have also been found in the demonic land, but it might be better to search for more root vegetables.
“Hello! What a bountiful autumn.”
“Oh, Makyo-kun! You’ve come at just the right time. This year’s crop is bountiful, and there have been fewer animal pests.”
The captain laughed and showed me a wooden box filled with potatoes.
“Looks delicious. But today, I’d like to trade for some clothes.”
“True, you are unusually exposed today.”
The captain remarked upon seeing my appearance.
“My underwear got shredded quickly, and the residents broke my armor. So, I’m wearing a makeshift breastplate.”
“Understood. Since Sasha hasn’t returned yet, it seems the trading village is preparing.”
“My apologies. I’ll check on the village later, too.”
The captain washed his hands and invited me inside the facility. Beside the fields stood a hut that was once used for trading. Now, harvested goods were being packed into wooden boxes and stacked up. Apparently, they were relief supplies bound for Midgard.
“Do you need women’s sizes, too?”
“Yes, and if you have any old clothes, could I have them? They seem important to the Ghosts we found in the southwest.”
“Are you commanding even the dead, Makyo-kun?”
“It’s less about commanding and more about them just settling in. I figure they’ll be useful. I can get ancient information directly from them, and I can entrust them with managing the port where the Magic Sealing Clan lives in the southwest seas.”
The captain chuckled and patted my shoulder.
“You’re really starting to look like a lord.”
“Nah, I don’t know anything yet.”
The captain gave orders to his men. They prepared several new sets of inner garments, separated by gender, along with practice blades—blunt iron swords—and even leather armor. In exchange, I handed over furs from the demonic land, poisonous herbs, and healing potions. The medicinal herbs alone were meant as gifts for the trading village.
“For Makyo-kun, leather armor that isn’t quite as hard as iron armor would be better, right?”
“That’s right. Rather than something stiff and hard to move in, something like what rookie adventurers wear is just right.”
“Is it because you’re confident it won’t let monster attacks through?”
“Now that you mention it, I haven’t taken a monster attack head-on in a while…”
I usually observe before confronting monsters, so I don’t recall ever taking a direct hit in leather armor. Whether I’m dodging, parrying, or devouring them, having multiple options means I rarely need to take hits.
“Could you come to the training grounds? I think it would be more beneficial for the soldiers to get some practice than to exchange goods.”
“Sure, I guess…”
The captain gathered the soldiers at the training grounds.
“Makyo-kun, could you teach us how to take hits?”
“Understood. Could someone strike me with this practice sword?”
“Then I’ll…”
A large soldier, apparently a new recruit, stepped forward but was immediately pinned down by more experienced soldiers who had also participated in survival drills.
“Sorry. It’s dangerous for someone who hasn’t taken many hits before. We’ll handle it.”
A heavily tattooed female soldier stepped forward with an iron sword drawn.
“I don’t usually carry weapons, so I often take hits barehanded. Go ahead and strike.”
I took the blow from the female soldier and grabbed the bent blade.
“Like this,” I said, “grabbing the weapon. Strike again.”
I parried the soldier’s sweeping sword strike with my fist, which I had imbued with defensive magic.
“Sometimes I block with defensive magic. But lately, I hardly ever do that. I mostly dodge or deflect attacks that I see coming. There are several ways to deflect. Keep hitting me, okay?”
I demonstrated deflecting with a wind-imbued fist at the right moment, using spinning magic power, and repelling with a slime wall.
The new recruits arriving at this training facility lately seemed bewildered and unable to utter a word, but a question flew from a soldier engaged in survival drills.
“Which technique do you use most often, Makyo-san?”
“I mostly use spinning magic power to deflect attacks. Magic doesn’t change much either way. Want to try?”
“Would a sword imbued with magic be okay?”
“Go ahead.”
A heavily tattooed female soldier and a big man who’d shaved off his beard swung swords imbued with ice and fire magic.
Pang!
I redirected the spinning magic onto the back of my hand, deflecting the swords. Both swords flew through the air and embedded themselves in the wall of the training ground.
“For pure magic, I’ve recently developed a technique specifically for fighting the Nushi. Are there any mages here?”
“Yes, me.”
A soldier with a long face and stubble stepped forward. His body was covered in scars, evidence that he had survived the survival drills in the demonic land.
“Anything goes?”
“Yeah, curses, magic, whatever. Fire away.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the soldier with the beard conjured and hurled a sharp stone and a dagger-like blade of water.
I formed the slime’s mouth with my hand and magic, swallowing the launched spells and storing them in its stomach. Unlike the Nushi’s magic, it didn’t spin or go berserk. It probably just looked like I crushed them.
“Did you just nullify that with anti-magic?”
The soldier who cast the spell asked, breathing heavily.
“No, ‘ate the magic’ is probably more accurate. Is there even such a thing as anti-magic?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only heard of it in legends, so I thought maybe you could use it, Makyo-san. Does my own magic not work in the demonic land?”
“Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. You might want to focus more on manipulating the magical power or altering its properties, though. Straightforward attacks rarely hit.”
“Got it! Thanks a lot!”
The mage soldier and his comrades exchanged puzzled looks and murmured things like, “The magic got eaten?” and “Can magic actually be eaten?” I’m sorry I couldn’t explain it better.
“How about this?”
“Perfect! Many couldn’t grasp Makyo-kun’s technique principles, which just shows how great the skill gap is. Those who accept and understand the current situation should strive to bridge that gap. As you are aware, the inhabitants of the demonic land continue to evolve. Even if you can’t catch up, you should at least try to understand them.”
With that, the Captain concluded the training.
Ultimately, the Captain declined the supplies from the demonic land and said, “It was a good stimulus,” allowing me to take various items. However, it seems the robe stock is depleted, so we’ll have to place an order.
“If you have some Arachne cloth, making them from that would probably result in sturdier items.”
“Oh, I see.”
The mage I had just trained told me that, even if they were made from Arachne cloth, they would still fall apart. However, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that.
I promptly changed into the leather armor and decided to donate the breastplate to the training facility.
“Well then, see you.”
“Yeah. I might send another training exercise before winter.”
“Understood.”
I headed straight for the trading village, carrying my large load.
The familiar path was safe, so it wouldn’t take long.
I arrived before noon, running steadily the whole way.
As soon as I set down my load in the square, the villagers came running over.
“Hey! Isn’t that Lazy Taro-chan?”
“Did you get tired of life in the demonic land and decide to move here?”
The ladies of the night were as lively as ever.
“Nope, I brought trade goods: Monster pelts, medicinal herbs, poisonous plants, and healing potions. These are our clothes. How’s it going? Any complaints?”
“Now’s not the time for complaints. We’re short on buildings, so there aren’t enough places to live. But the female soldiers are doing a great job, so no one’s starving.”
“Right. Well, that’s good, then.”
While talking with the women, I spotted the head soldier, Sasha.
“Makyo-san! You were here?”
“Yeah. Glad to see you’re doing well. Here, use these for trading: They’re medicinal herbs and healing potions. Read the notes about the poisonous plants carefully, and use them with caution.”
“This is a huge help. Some adventurers just happened to arrive. Jennifer-san gave them some pamphlets about the demonic land.”
Looking around, I could see properly equipped adventurers watching us.
“Ah! That Jennifer girl was scouting properly. Hello! Good day! I’m the Lord of the demonic land! Nice to meet you all!”
Greetings are important. A few people raised their hands in return. It should be fine.
“Since we haven’t attracted an adventurer guild yet, we’re posting monster extermination requests here.”
Sasha is handling the work.
“If we recognize an adventurer’s skill, I plan to send them a letter of introduction to the military training facility. Is that all right?”
“Yeah. Sounds good. Thanks. Are there any merchants here who sell equipment? I’m short on robes.”
“There are some, but…”
Instead of answering, Sasha’s older sister looked at the small shop in the square.
“What’s up?”
“Some merchants who have never heard monsters’ voices before are here. They say they can’t sleep at night.”
“Huh? Really? I heard them say, ‘My clan is cursed.’”
Though the prostitute and Sasha were saying different things, it was clear that the merchants were troubled.
For now, I knocked on the shop door.
“Hello. I’m the Lord.”
Without waiting for a reply, I opened the door and saw a young man muttering to himself at the counter while counting silver coins. He seemed to be running the small shop alone. He was wearing a necklace and a ring, apparently trying to avoid being looked down upon.
“Who’s there!? I paid my church taxes, I swear! Not you…the ‘Sixteen of Hashish’!? Please spare my life!”
He seemed overwhelmed by too much information; his mind was in a state of turmoil. His emotions swirled within him, mingling with magic and transforming into a curse. There was no time for business.
“I’m coming in.”
I patted the young man on the back and sent magic into him.
Pop!
“Gah…!”
As I confirmed the swirling black magic smoke bursting from his mouth, I recreated the slime’s mouth and sucked it in. I imbued it with sticky magic, creating a gooey, black, magical substance.
“Got a pot or something?”
“Got one.”
I took the pot from the prostitute and poured the black magic substance into it.
“Sorry to ask, but could you burn the contents inside?”
“Sure thing.”
She moved immediately after I gave the order.
“Why am I here?”
The young man finally woke up.
“Even with all kinds of pressure, there are things you just can’t do. That’s okay. You don’t have to force yourself to wear decorations. You can ask the villagers for help. For now, can I have two of those robes?”
“Sure. Thank you!”
I asked him to put it on the Lord’s tab and received a hooded robe.
“Can you cast curses now, Taro-chan?”
“Nah, I just ate it. See you.”
I said goodbye to the prostitute with the tilted head and returned to the demonic land.
By the time I got back to the cave, it was past noon.
Sylvia was rubbing her sleepy eyes while sharpening a bone knife. The others seemed to be out.
“F-finally back. Jennifer and the others went to investigate the Midgard migrating monsters that were running wild. Chel and the others went to the magic stone mine in the northwest. Can I sleep?”
Sylvia handed me the freshly sharpened bone knife. She wanted me to test its edge.
“Good night.”
I set down my pack and headed northwest, knife in hand.
The vegetation shifted to conifers. I dodged flying pinecones and listened to the sound of goat monsters butting horns. A wolf with bristling hair like swords gave chase, but I escaped without fighting.
At the entrance to the magic stone mine, Chel, Hel, and Kahiman were setting up camp.
“What the hell was that!?”
Chel shouted the moment I arrived.
“You mean that thing? Probably the remains of a monster that failed to become a dungeon.”
“If that’s the case, the dungeon must be outside.”
Hel announced with a sigh.
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