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TL: ALT
Chapter 212 – Day 43 of Management Life
Looking up, I saw that the sky was overcast. A light drizzle fell.
Monsters hid in caves and their lairs.
If it started raining properly, even the dragons of Midgard would be chilled.
“Hey, this way!”
Sylvia confidently guided the dragons. When dealing with monsters, you had to be bold, or they would underestimate you.
Chel followed behind the group of dragons, using ice magic to poke their tails. Dragons were reptilian monsters, too. They were indeed weak against the cold.
Meanwhile, Jennifer and Lipa were clearing a straight path to the magic stone mine. Swinging their axes, they cut down everything in their path, be it treants or giant bendgrass. The hard grass and wood chips that flew off were burned away by the dragons’ fiery breath. To the dragons, it probably felt like they were just out for a walk together.
Meanwhile, Hel and Kahiman searched for a spring where the group could rest. Kahiman was barely visible, but he appeared wherever Hel pointed.
“What did Makyo teach Kahiman?”
“Just to come along.”
Kahiman’s talent for stealth had become extraordinary. This was probably because his magic manipulation had improved.
Meanwhile, I was wrestling and dragging a dragon that kept trying to fly off. They were a handful.
A few dungeon dwellers followed along, but they were just checking the surroundings.
A fine, clinging rain fell throughout the morning. I was drinking Katan’s spicy soup and wearing a leather coat made by Sylvia, so I was almost too warm.
“Ma-Makyo. Can I say something shocking?”
During our break, Sylvia approached me by the spring.
“What is it?”
“The dragons are tired.”
“But we haven’t moved that far…”
The dragons were indeed plunging their heads into the spring and gulping water voraciously.
“You did feed them, right?”
“Yeah, they ate a lot yesterday.”
“They were moving around so much after waking up. Yet, they’re such lazy creatures. Got it. I’ll give them some magic power.”
I infused each dragon with magic, one by one.
With their magic replenished, the dragons flew energetically through the sky.
“Hey, you guys, maybe you’re just bad at walking?”
I asked a dragon, tugging its cheek.
Come to think of it, a dragon’s front legs are good for grabbing things, but not for walking.
“Sylvia, Let’s get the dragons flying. Chel and I will guide them.”
“Huh?”
“You know how they’re clumsy with their front legs? It’s the same thing. Dragons just aren’t good at walking.”
“I see…”
After the break, I let the dragons fly. Though the dungeon dwellers were slow, we reached the magic stone mine in the northwest without issue.
Numerous holes dotted the mountainside, and the dragons entered whichever one they pleased. Peering inside, we found them curled up in the hollows we’d carved out.
“I guess they like their new nests?”
“M-more importantly, why were the dragons so attached to Makyo yesterday?”
“We were just playing yesterday. Maybe you and the others should practice levitation, too.”
“Don’t make it sound so easy. We practice, too.”
Hel looked troubled as she said this.
“Make sure to feed them!”
Sylvia and Hel left as soon as the dragons had finished moving, probably for awakening training.
Jennifer and Lipa started explaining magic stone mining in the mine and the dungeon entrance along the way. They said they would do what they needed to first before starting their awakening training.
With only Kahiman, Chel, and me left, we started clearing the path.
“Are you two okay with awakening?”
“Worrying about it won’t help, you know.”
“It’s better to use your body than your head.”
We cut down the trees blocking the path with an axe and P.J.’s knife.
It had been a while since I had used P.J.’s knife, but it was well-made. Using my fingers didn’t change the power much, but the blade’s consistent width made it practical.
“Doesn’t Makyo not need magic tools?”
“It’s convenient because I can control the magic power.”
“You’re the only one using it for control, Makyo-san.”
Even Kahiman chimed in with a jab.
“It’s really coming down now.”
The rain gradually grew heavier.
We cleared away the cut branches and pushed the logs to the side. It didn’t take long, and the vines, soaked with rainwater, began to wrap around the fallen trees and secure them.
We finished the work at a reasonable pace while keeping an eye on the rain.
“That should be enough. No need to rush. Let’s see if the monsters have evacuated and if there are any flash floods.”
“Roger that.”
Chel and Kahiman were at Cliff Garuda watching the evacuees, so they didn’t push themselves to move around in the rain. However, the monsters’ evacuation destination was unusual, as they seemed to prefer places with few attacking plants.
Occasionally, we saw something resembling a brawl between monsters and plants. The Treant threw cam berries at the Green Tigers and Emerald Monkeys over a cave in the cliff.
It was quite a sight to see the carnivorous green tiger pounce on the tree monster. However, it dragged Treant away and rooted him to a large rock.
At this time of year, the Nushis also begin to move in various places, leading their fellow monsters with them, which is reassuring. The Nushis aren’t all bad.
As usual, the monsters disappeared from the giant magical beast’s footprints, leaving only rocks and shrubs behind.
I carried the Spider Guardian that had failed to escape, treated the injured Ice Weasel, and ate the cam berries, biting my arm.
Glancing back, I saw the rain-drenched, demonic forest. There was something about this forest that felt off; it should have been utterly ordinary.
“Is something wrong?”
“Hm? No, it’s just that the rainforest is so quiet. It feels a bit off.”
“Even with all these monsters moving around?”
Indeed, the monsters were moving, their footsteps echoing loudly.
“Yeah, I guess…”
Despite my unease, the monsters and plants were preparing for the usual giant magical beast invasion.
I scouted as far north as possible, destroying puddles that could cause flash floods.
I also cleaned the well leading to the underground lake. You never know when the platform near the entrance might collapse.
There are several dungeons in the demonic land that could serve as bases. However, I keep a dungeon as a pet, so I can’t go inside. The residential areas that aren’t dungeons are surprisingly important.
“Is that cave going to collapse?”
An unfamiliar Kahiman asked.
“Yeah, it’s going to collapse. At first, I couldn’t sleep unless I covered myself in mud.”
“That’s rough.”
“What about the iron mine in the northeast?”
Is there a residential area there?”
Didn’t I tell Chel?
“There are a few houses with their doors and windows wide open. They’re kind of like warehouses for Cliff Garuda’s sorcerers.”
“Huh~”
After we finished cleaning up and climbing out of the well, stone monsters called gargoyles had gathered for some reason.
“What’s up?”
I asked anyway, even though we couldn’t communicate.
Of course, the gargoyles remained frozen in their stone-mimicking poses.
“If you want to use the well, go ahead.”
I stepped back to observe as the gargoyles entered the well.
I had disrupted the pool of water and changed its flow, so perhaps the monsters’ refuge had shifted too.
After surveying the area, I returned to the home cave.
The sun had long since set.
Katan was roasting death condor meat and root vegetables underground and serving them to the dungeon folk who had finished their work.
A roof made of palm leaves covered the bonfire, and they had even pulled out the huge tent that had been a failed attempt at making a water ball tent to block the rain. You never know when you might need it, so it’s good to have practice.
It had been ages since we’d all eaten together in a spot sheltered from the rain.
Unlike the dried or salt-grilled meat the dungeon folk usually ate, Katan’s delicious cooking brought smiles to their faces.
“I made three days’ worth of preserved food. I was bored today with everyone gone. If you know a disaster’s coming, it’s less worrisome to be with everyone, you know?”
Katan said this reassuring thing in a light tone.
“Makyo-san.”
After we finished dinner and were cleaning up, Lipa called out to me as if he’d been waiting for the moment.
“What is it?”
“Could I show you the results of my training and get your advice?”
Lipa seemed concerned about whether he had awakened.
“You’re serious.”
For now, we moved to the edge of the swamp, an area that was rarely visited. After the Haze Turtle left, it was no longer visible.
We stood facing each other, each holding a wooden sword.
“Jennifer-san and I often spend time with the dungeon dwellers, don’t we? I was wondering how I could replicate their abilities…”
Without warning, Lipa swung his wooden sword at me.
A thread-like spell shot out from the tip of his sword and wrapped itself around my wooden sword.
“Arachne’s thread?”
“That’s right. And then something like this, too.”
Lipa swept his sword sideways, sending a magical force flying like a flexible tail.
I caught it with one hand, but it was surprisingly heavy. It would probably knock a rock crocodile flying.
“It’s a lamia’s tail. I tried to recreate a harpy’s wings, too, but I couldn’t make them fly.”
“I see. Getting inspiration from monsters is a good idea. I got my inspiration from slimes, too.”
“But… something feels missing, I guess…”
“Jennifer too?”
Jennifer came down the slope partway through to see what was happening.
“Well… I…”
Jennifer held her hand out toward the swamp. A massive magical hammer of energy slammed into the water, sending up a huge splash.
I was already wet from the rain, so getting splashed wouldn’t make me any wetter. Still, it was quite powerful.
“It’s just a bigger hammer. It feels unsatisfying somehow.”
“Yeah. I know this sounds like I’m ruining the moment, but awakening isn’t something you can just decide to do, is it?”
“Now you’ve gone and said it…”
“It’s over, isn’t it? That’s why trying anything has value. But what you both have in common is creating shapes with magic, right? Threads or iron hammers.”
“That’s right.”
They both nodded.
“Depending on the use, is it okay not to change the properties?”
“The properties?”
“Jennifer’s iron hammer might crack a Haze Turtle’s shell. But that would kill it, so it’s not ideal for capturing it. For that, you’d need to add a property to the hammer, like the stickiness of honey from honey ants or palm sap.”
“That’s true.”
“Conversely, the Arachne Thread that Lipa created is good for capturing, but not destroying, right?”
“Indeed, that’s correct. It exists to entangle weapons.”
“But, since it’s made with magic, you can add properties that the Arachne Thread doesn’t have, right?”
“Huh…”
Lipa listened to me with a puzzled look. Was I saying something strange?
“You could wrap the thread around your wooden sword, infuse it with heat, and burn through weapons. That way, you could destroy them. Or, you could freeze the magic thread to steal a bound monster’s body heat. Don’t you think that would make capturing them easier?”
“Ah… I suppose so.”
“You two often gathered medicinal herbs and wild plants, so I think you know more about plant properties than I do. Maybe it’s possible to recreate a monster’s form and combine it with plant properties. To others, it might look like an awakening, but to you, it’s probably just a series of mundane things, right?”
“True.”
“Yeah.”
They both stared at their own bodies as if they had been stabbed.
“It sounds reasonable, but I feel gross about myself. Can I go to sleep?”
“”Yes.””
After climbing the slope, Chel was waiting.
“Did those two properly awaken?”
“No clue. They might be depressed after getting lectured by an oddball. Bring them something sweet.”
“What did you say?”
“Just normal stuff.”
“That oddball’s ‘normal’ is dangerous. Katan, make us some sweets.”
The dungeon absorbed the grime from the rainwater.
It seemed that Sylvia and Hel had returned with Saketsu and the golems in the night. The evacuation of the living had begun.
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