The next day, Zeros started using a transmutation magic circle early in the morning to make the components for the winnowing machine. Currently, he was wearing a straw hat and had a towel wrapped around his neck. He continued to work donned in that outfit.
A winnowing machine is a tool that separates the chaff from the rice grains. However, the device he was building was remodeled, so it could now also separate the different types of rice grains. Said function was necessary because, according to their size, each variety of rice had different properties.
The unprocessed rice grains are put into the container on the upper part of the machine, then, due to the slope, both the chaff and the grains fall. Taking advantage of that, by way of wind power, the rice grains will be sorted out depending on their size. Nevertheless, it was the first time Zeros had ever made this kind of agricultural machinery. Unlike with the desiccator, he had a lot of difficulties making the smaller components.
Instead of using metallic bolts for the hardware, he carefully shaped the small components so they would perfectly fit with each other. Then he made and installed only a few metallic fittings, which in its own way, made the machinery quite sturdy.
Initially, the wind was to be produced by a hand-crank mechanism. However, when Zeros eventually realized it would become annoying to operate, he made another type that would use a magic stone to rotate vanes to produce a wind current. Still, the old man felt just a tiny bit anxious about it, so he ended up making three prototypes, one of which used a conventional hand-crank mechanism. He could use the third one to adjust the wind pressure required for the final model by comparing it with this prototype, and even if it ended up being a failure, he could dismantle it and turn it into iron ingots.
Because the structure was rather simple, the assembly itself was an easy process, so it didn’t take too long to give it form.
And so, in front of him were the three winnowers with slightly different appearances.
“The magic stone is inserted, now I just have to try it and see if it works… but, why do I feel like it’s going to break down…?”
For some reason, he thought that the prototypes wouldn’t be a resounding success.
The designs for the machines were close to being flawless, and he had already made some improvements to them, so he was hoping that the likelihood of failing would be low given that the devices installed on them were only made to circulate air. Nevertheless, he felt strangely uneasy after installing the magic stone.
It was the same sensation he felt when he was a salaryman and was working on the development of the system architecture of an O.S., or when he was making a high-performance tool in ORG; that sensation ended up becoming an omen of failure.
To give an example, at the time he was working for the company, he only had to finish some of the work required for things like programming-bugs and system errors, however in ORG, when he tried to make a sword with an extreme destructive power by imbuing the four primary magic attributes, they ended up canceling each other out without displaying any of the intended effects. Or when he tried to make a time bomb by using a magic stone, and it exploded the moment he set it off. In other words, he always had a lousy time whenever he felt that.
Nevertheless, were his hunches always right on the mark? In truth, they were correct about 30% of the time. A prediction may or may not come true. The causes of his failures, whether it was in real life or in-game, were either because he overlooked basic things or because he used the wrong materials. Nevertheless, after finding out afterward, he made use of all of those things to improve on his work. Well, even without those hunches, in the end, if he fails, he fails. [lo que será, será]
“I feel like it’s going to end up in failure this time, I’m sure I thoroughly checked the magic formula… I don’t know.”[Zeros]
One flustered middle-aged man. The prototypes were more or less completed, but the only way to see if they would fail or not was to put them to test. Though they wouldn’t explode, anxiety washed over him for some reason.
“Good morning, Zeros-san.”[Luceris]
“Ah, Luceris-san, good morning.”[Zeros]
Behind Luceris, the three girls of the women-only party, Jane included, were waiting. It seems they came due to the agreement of repairing Jane’s sword they made yesterday.
“We’re here, Mister∼♪”[Iris]
“No way, there was a house behind the church… the garden— no, the fields are huge.”[Jane]
“Good morning. At any rate, to build a house this fast… Hanba Constructions really is amazing.”[Rena]
In Santhor, the dwarves of Hanba Constructions have a myriad of nicknames with slightly different connotations; they are known as the “construction lunatics,” “stubborn men obsessed with details,” “Warring Constructions,” “dancing construction workers,” and so on. They were entertainers who can sing and dance. Moreover, they had an abnormally fast work speed and the corresponding skill to back it up. They were an absurd group that would use any means necessary to work merrily. They would try to develop new techniques regardless of the financial cost, and would not shirk from tempering their dance and construction skills day and night. Furthermore, their way of working started infecting other people in the construction industry, as well as the craftsmen that have worked with them, who, by the time the construction work is finished, end up becoming just like them. The dancing construction workers were beginning to spread across the country.
“Farmers might also start dancing sooner or later, huh?”[Zeros]
“What are you even talking about?”[Iris]
Iris tilted her head at Zeros, who looked up at the sky with a faraway look. A chill crept up his back when he imagined the sight of merchants and artisans across the country, all singing and dancing while working. The scene of the city being a merry festival every day, sort of like a musical, seems peaceful in a sense, but a fantasy world where all the residents could sing and dance flashed through his mind like in a certain anime seemed all too bizarre to him.
“Yes, repairing the sword, right? Just a moment, please, I am going to test this machine.”[Zeros]
“The hell’s that?”[Jane]
“Ah, is this a farming tool you made, Mister?”[Iris]
“I’ve never seen anything like this. What is it used for?”[Rena]
The three tilted their heads at the unfamiliar machine. However, the middle-aged Zeros just pressed the switch to activate the device instead of answering. The windmill that had incorporated a wind magic formula made a “bururu…” sound and started rotating. Then, from the back of the winnower, wind started being propelled forward. For a moment, it looked like it was a success, but then, the wind gradually began to grow stronger, making the winnower start moving forward little by little. As the bad feeling he had before became real, he reached for the off switch in a hurry.
“Huh? I pressed the off switch, but it’s not stopping…”[Zeros]
He went around the front and held onto the machine to prevent it from moving, but it kept accelerating regardless, and at that moment, as it got thrown out of balance for an instant, it lifted itself and began shooting up, soaring high up in the air.[1]
Just like that, the winnower started rising very high towards the sky. On this day, the world’s first farming machine that controlled the skies was born.
““““………””””
“…Was it supposed to fly, Mister?”[Iris]
“Prototype No.1… Difficulties adjusting the wind power. Was it a flaw in the activation of the magic formula? I probably would have to re-examine it…”[Zeros]
The winnower escaped from the confines of gravity and obtained freedom in the skies.
He made three different prototypes, giving priority to efficiency. The first one was an automated winnowing machine, however, it presented flaws in the activation formula, considering that the rotation of the vanes turned out to be too fast. That made him anxious about the rest of the prototypes.
“Prototype No.2, starting.” [Zeros]
“Please wait! Just now, the other prototype flew into the air, right? Maybe you should take a break from working on—”[Luceris]
Just as Luceris was finishing her sentence, his finger had already pressed the starting switch.
The second prototype’s distinctive feature was its screw-shaped cylinder that was unlike a regular tube-shaped barrel. The machine emitted a high-pitched, screeching sound that loudly echoed through the surroundings. The cylinder converges the air pressure into a single point, making it more powerful than with the first machine. With a loud boom, the winnower accelerated at ultra-high speeds, destroying the wall that enclosed the plot of land, only to then shoot up towards the sky, and while zigzagging due to the excessive air pressure it accumulated, it soon disappeared into the heavens. On this day, the world’s first farming machine that managed to break the sound barrier was born.
“The barrel’s shape was a poor design decision, huh? I’ll have to re-examine the designs later.”[Zeros]
His original idea of producing wind with a mechanism similar to that of an electric fan was good. Still, the mana contained within the magic stone enhanced the desired effects more than expected and made the vanes installed inside the winnower rotate at high-speeds, thus causing the increased air pressure to be suddenly released. It can be thought as – the more batteries are connected to a motor, the higher its rotational speed will be. And, naturally, given that the winnower wasn’t fixed in place, it started moving as its velocity increased. Besides, the cause can also be attributed to Zeros, who put an excessively high concentration of mana into the magic stones. In short, both machines went out of control due to the defective mechanical fan that started moving with the wind power ultimately produced by the magic stones.
“I’m so confused… I used the smallest magic stone I could find, but it seems I should use an even smaller one. Still, if it is too small, it would be remarkably challenging to engrave the magic formula precisely. Even if I manage to do it, I wouldn’t be able to check it unless I make a tool that allows me to magnify it…”[Zeros]
“Sorry to interrupt, but ain’t that super dangerous!? What the hell did you make, old man!?”[Jane]
“It clearly wasn’t a farming machine. It just shot up into the sky, so…”[Rena]
“Mister, did you want to build a rocket?”[Iris]
It was hard even to know where to go to recover the flying winnowing machines, especially the one that went faster than the speed of sound. There was no choice but to give up on that. Probably, gravity will pull them back after the magic stones’ mana is exhausted. Indeed, all things bounded by gravity must eventually return to the ground.
“Zeros-san… what if they fall on someone…?”[Luceris]
“It would be a horrible tragedy, wouldn’t it? I hope it falls somewhere people don’t live, at least.”[Zeros]
The farming machinery, now released from the fetters of gravity, somehow vanished somewhere far away into the sky with its newfound freedom. On the other hand, the middle-aged Zeros kept praying in his heart —“please don’t let them fall in this country.” Luceris as well, she prayed to God while also imploring that no victims come out of the situation.
Even though Zeros made those machines, he didn’t feel incredibly guilty about it.
Incidentally, Prototype No.3 was the machine with a hand-crank mechanism he first made. Nevertheless, only the sorting of the rice grains was automated and was also significantly larger than the previous prototypes, which added to the tedious task of disassembling it and assembling it once again in the storage room.
The more convenient the machine is, the larger the initial manufacturing process becomes. From there, a lot of time and effort is required to downsize it by reviewing and optimizing the design. Zeros decided to re-examine his plan for improving the winnower carefully.
The question remains, however, what happened to the prototypes after they went flying…?
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
【Prototype No.1】
“Run!! You must survive even if it’s only you and bring these medicinal herbs to the village.”
“No! I won’t leave you, dad!”
“Please understand… without this herb, your mom and the others will die…”
Deep within a forest, a father and a child were in a tense situation. The village where they lived had been afflicted with a disease endemic to the region, and they had to trek deep into the forest to find the medicinal herbs needed to treat it. Naturally, many monsters were roaming around the woods, and they had to avoid them and find the herbs.
As a hunter, the father knew the forest very well, but just when they were about to reach the village, a monster that wasn’t supposed to appear in said area suddenly came out.
——Guooooh!
A colossal bear whose entire body was covered in crimson fur appeared – a Fire Grizzly. Its distinctive feature is its usage of flame magic[2] that is far more powerful than the average magician’s.
Moreover, just one swing from its massive claws can smash apart a big tree, but most importantly, due to its extremely aggressive nature, they will relentlessly chase their prey once they come across it. It was a ferocious monster that attacked anything that moved.
The Fire Grizzly smelled where they were hiding and charged at them in blind rage.
“Hurry up and run! I’ll attract its attention!”
“Dad!”
The bear was rapidly approaching even as they had that exchange of words. As the father thought that he at least had to save his daughter, a strange object came down from the skies.
“Guoh?”
Sensing something unusual, the Fire Grizzly stopped in its tracks and looked toward the direction of the sound. However, that action proved to be fatal.
——Gowashaaa!!
The metallic object that hit the Fire Grizzly instantly killed it.
“W—What just happened?”
“I think that something came down from the sky.”
The winnower was traveling at such a high speed that its mass and velocity were enough to bury the Fire Grizzly in a single hit completely. Only the corpse of the monster torn to shreds and metallic fragments scattered about remained.
At any rate, two lives were saved, and the medicinal herbs were delivered safely to the village. Thanks to them, no one died from the disease, and the villagers rejoiced thinking it was a miracle of God.
Later on, the story of the village would be called – ‘The Miracle of the Village that Was Saved by God’s Mercy,’ and in a few hundreds of years, it would be remembered as a fairy tale, but for now, no one knew the true identity of the flying piece of metal.
The metal recovered was made into tools like hoes and sickles by the villagers, the meat provided nourishment to those weakened by the disease, and the magic stone and gall bladder was sold for extra income for the village.
【Prototype No.2】
The incident happened in the territory of a small country located next to the Magic Kingdom of Solisthea. The victims were the only son of the feudal lord that governed the whole surrounding area, and his henchmen, the three escort knights. He was a person who had been guaranteed the title of Feudal Lord in the future.
Said person was now reduced to finely-minced pieces of flesh scattered on the ground.
“How terrible… But, what even are those fragments of metal thrown all around?”
“Inspector, it seems like the victim was searching[3] for some city girls in the nearby area. Most likely, he planned to pick some women up on his carriage and have some fun with them tonight.”
(T.N: searching in the sense of looking for something to steal.)
“He was the useless son of the feudal lord, right? A lot of people seemed to have a grudge against him.”
Perhaps because the victim knew he was going to become the next lord, he was doing whatever he wanted with his power. He seemed to have been a notorious lecher, and the guards who accompanied him also tormented the city’s residents quite a lot. Moreover, the current lord had no successors other than his only son, the victim. The lord also eventually lost his people’s trust and earned their loathing, and yet, he never even bothered to try reversing the situation. Now, however, he had no choice but to adopt a child from another noble family and make him his successor. By now, there was no point in using his power to cover up the incident.
“There are four victims, including the escort knights. Was it a magic attack, I wonder?”
“No, the residents who witnessed the incident said that some metallic object dropped from above with a roaring sound and hit the victim.”
“That man had a pretty bad reputation, and he preyed on more women than I can count. Serves him right.”
“Honestly, it’s a relief now that he’s dead. The Lord’s pressure helped bury the incident, and we too can only pretend not to have seen anything…”
The spot where the metallic object fell was gouged out and turned into a crater, and from its traces, it was clear that it fell with considerable speed. The mass and velocity with which it crashed into the ground created a powerful shockwave, and the descending air currents that came afterward – the sonic boom – brought forth enough destructive power to be felt in the whole area.
The scattered metal fragments became deadly weapons that completely turned the escort knights into pieces of meat, which were then spread on the surroundings due to the shockwave of the impact.
However, the city’s residents, who holed up in their homes to hide from the feudal lord’s son and his knights, miraculously only sustained a few injuries, with no one dying.
“The residents are happy too…”
“I know, right? If it weren’t for my position, I’d be thrilled with his death… I’m at a loss as to what to do here, you see.”
“What do we report this as? ‘the victim received God’s Judgement?’”
“It’s a dead-end since we don’t have any clue about the culprit. I don’t know what fell from the sky, but even if it came from a foreign country, we can’t do anything about it.”
“That’s right. More importantly, what comes now is the hard part, we have to collect all this minced meat…”
“That’s just an impossible task, right? We’d be better off reducing them to ashes, it will save a lot of time, and honestly, I don’t want to recover these guys’ corpses. Just burn them as they are!”
The officers abandoned their professional duties as if it were a matter of course.
The bodies of victims must be collected and returned to their families. Still, given that the corpses were practically minced meat that was scattered on the surroundings, the recovery process would be an arduous task. Frankly, it was more trouble than it was worth.
Crows and stray dogs had already absconded with pieces of meat as their food, and patrolmen who had built up a lot of resentment, also started incinerating the remains with magic earlier on.
Each of the bodies of the four individuals was already wholly transformed into small pieces of meat, and not only couldn’t they be identified in this world, but without DNA tests, it would also be impossible [in modern Japan]. That was probably why other officers also started using magic before even receiving the order.
The victim hated by the residents with such intensity was eventually disposed of so carefully that his body was never recovered and not even dust, not to talk ashes, remained.
The lord was furious when he was informed of this. Nevertheless, he was also responsible for not stopping his son’s outrageous behavior and was forced to take responsibility for what was later reported to the king, which resulted in him being stripped of his title and sentenced to mining labor.
The king, a pious follower of the Four Deities, declared the incident to be a divine judgment, apologized in front of his people for his inadequate management by appointing a competent person to be his lord, and asked for God’s forgiveness at the temple.
Thus, the case was closed, and an evil disappeared from the country.
The fragments of metal that were recovered were sold as rosaries, and it would seem that many nobles bought them at exorbitant prices. [4]
The things the middle-aged Zeros made performed acts of mercy at places unknown to their creator.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“Well then, about Jane-san’s sword.”[Zeros]
“Mister, did you just abandon the farming machines that went flying?”[Iris]
“Since I can’t collect them, I don’t have a choice, do I? Given that they started flying at such high speeds, I have no way of telling where they will fall, and one of them even flew faster than the speed of sound, would you be able to retrieve it, Iris-san?”[Zeros]
“Ugh, impossible. I wouldn’t be able to catch up to a winnower flying at the speed of sound even if I could fly in the sky.”[Iris]
Even with his flight magic, it would be impossible for him to fly as fast as a fighter jet. Even more so crossing the sound barrier with his own body.
“Whatever, but can you really smith a sword, old man? No matter how great of a magician you say you are, no way you can pretend to be a real blacksmith.”[Jane]
“Your argument is quite reasonable, Jane-san. However, I have a production-type occupation[or job]. I’ve made equipment – swords included – before, and I’m even capable of producing magic tools, assuming that I have the right materials, that is.”[Zeros]
“Seems as if you could also make secret medicinal potions[5]. I’m starting to feel like you can do anything, Zeros-san.”[Rena]
“I can make them, you know? I just don’t do it because it’s too much trouble. Depending on the materials, I have to defeat some truly fiendish monsters. Besides, I have no intention of selling them, even if I make more than I need.”[Zeros]
The middle-aged Zeros is aware that his power is absurd. He can produce as many powerful weapons as he wants, but he doesn’t wish for them to be used for war.
Mercenaries are particularly conscious of other people’s equipment, and there has been a not small amount of cases of people being killed and their weapons being stolen. The list of mercenaries having their weapons taken after being murdered is endless. Not to mention, Iris and the others were a women-only party, so if they have powerful weapons, they are more likely to be attacked and to be involved in dangerous things in other ways as well. Since they have an appearance that would make slave traders and the sort very happy, it’s highly likely that they would be sold off to another country after thoroughly being toyed with.
“I’m just going to make a regular weapon, alright? It will be done right away if I use magic forging.”[Zeros]
“After being scammed by that bastard, you saying that just makes me more anxious… Are you gonna make a normal one, old man?”[Jane]
“It’s just an iron sword with a little mithril. It won’t take much time. More importantly, what sort of property shall I bestow it with? Please choose whether you would like to make it into a magic sword or maybe grant it undead resistance, for example. I can also add whichever other property you want.”[Zeros]
“It’ll be effective against the undead if it has mithril, so … a magic sword with fire attribute, please.”[Jane]
Truth be told, Zeros had already deployed the forging magic circle and was ready to make the sword at any time. The magic stone was harder than diamond, but it would soften as it got infused with attribute-less mana. Thus, he grounded it up in a mortar, arranged the broken sword, and the mithril ore inside the magic circle and proceeded to activate it.
“What would you like the sword to look like? Should I make it look like a normal sword, or would you prefer it to be a little bit showy*[6]?”[Zeros]
“No, the hell is with making it showy!? Just make a normal one, okay? Don’t do anything weird!”[Jane]
“Then, an ordinary-looking sword, am I correct? A crude appearance without any distinctive features, right?”[Zeros]
“Yeah… I don’t like flashy things, a normal one is fine.”[Jane]
In this world, swords were mainly made by casting instead of repeatedly striking them to strengthen them like with Japanese swords. On the other hand, magic forging[7] was capable of skipping that complicated process and producing a sword with a reasonably strong metallic bond.
If there’s a problem, it would be that a magician would also have to be a high-level Blacksmith and Alchemist to use it. And given that it also consumed a considerable amount of mana, it wasn’t a technique that could be casually utilized. It took a befitting amount of training to get to that point, and the residents of this world would need to spend a lifetime to reach the realm in which they could use magic forging. Needless to say, they could also raise their levels through battles. Yet, most magicians would never reach that realm, given that they only spend their time researching instead of accumulating actual combat experience.
As long as they were fighting moderately, their levels would have risen, and the number of mages with appropriate skill techniques would have increased. However, in the Magic Kingdom of Solisthea, magicians mostly aimed for scholarly positions, and for that reason alone, there weren’t any magicians who reached a higher realm [in magic].
“This is the magic circle used to repair the sword before, right? Can you really smith a sword with it?”[Rena]
“It’s faster to make one from scratch than to repair it. Previously, I repaired the damaged parts of the sword, but the detailed work is tedious. I would have to repair the small cracks while examining the damaged areas, and it’s also not practical because it uses nearly twice as much mana. It would be quicker to make the same sword again.”[Zeros]
Zeros languidly answered Rena’s question. Even during that moment, he continued working. Inside the magic circle were the broken sword and the prepared materials floating in midair, squirming loosely around as if they were made out of liquid mercury or slime. By mixing small amounts of charcoal to create carbon bonds, the molecular bonding of the metal could be seen at plain sight, and with the addition of the magic stone, the metal, which has become red-hot without releasing heat, changes its shape into a sword again.
The process took around 30 minutes in total, but it was a mysterious sight for Luceris, who had never seen magic forging before.
“Amazing. So magic can do this sort of thing…”[Luceris]
“I’ve seen it once before, but I didn’t realize how easy it was to make weapons like this…. The blacksmithing business is up in smoke.”[Jane]
To the dazed Luceris, Jane expresses her thoughts, although somewhat dumbfoundedly.
“Speaking of which, do the two of you know each other? It seemed like you two had a more intimate relationship than that of an acquaintance.”[Zeros]
Zeros asked a rather simple question as he continued with the forging process. He was curious since the exchange they had at the diner-cum-inn yesterday.
“Jane and I grew up in the same orphanage. When we came of age, I went to the temple to become a priestess, and Jane became a mercenary, so we went our separate ways.”[Luceris]
“Luceris has helped me a lot. There’s healing magic for when you get hurt, right? She treats a few injuries at a reasonable and honest price.”[Jane]
“I just wanted to be like the priest who raised us. I want to help as many people as I can, but I’m still an apprentice, so I’m hoping to be inducted as a cleric in due form.”[Luceris]
“I owe a lot to the priest, too. That person taught me all sorts of things.”[Jane][8]
(T.N:( ͡°( ͡° ͜ʖ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ʖ ͡°) ͡°))
“So the priest was quite the character… And, about the priest… Hm?”[Zeros]
In response to Zeros’ casual remark, their eyes were swimming all over with all their might. An awkward air fills the place.
“The priest was… how should I put it… a bit of a strange person.”[Luceris]
“The woman liked drinking and gambling way too much, and she had a talent for both. Also, she was insanely good with the sword. She was so quick-tempered that, whenever she got mad, she would immediately start using her fists.”[Jane]
“…Are you sure she was a priest?”[Zeros]
“Yes, she was indeed a priest. It seems she caused some problems and was sent to manage the orphanage, but to this day, I still have no clue about what she did.”[Luceris]
“She was also my sword teacher. She used to say ‘God is dead,’ ‘God is the enemy,’ or ‘God must be killed, I must do it.’”[Jane]
Although she was supposed to be a priest, she was an outlaw who didn’t fear God. Moreover, she had already been removed from her position as a cleric by the time she fell into alcohol and gambling.
“Are the temples of the Four Gods really that lacking in human resources? No matter how much I think about it, that’s not how a clergyman should be, right?”[Zeros]
“No, well, it isn’t really like that…”[Luceris]
“She had a strong sense of both duty and empathy[9], but she was also a believer of not relying on God to solve all her problems. Even during her sermons, she used to say: ‘Do not think that God will do everything for you! Do you really believe that humans can’t judge human crimes? That by pleading to God, all the problems in the world will disappear? Are you idiots?’
She was a bit of an unorthodox priest, but she was really popular for some reason.”[Jane]
“That’s not just a bit, you know!? Wasn’t she clearly a heretic!?”[Zeros]
It seemed there was virtue even in the most absurd of behaviors. Zeros again learned that the world was full of many different kinds of people.
“Wow! It’s a lot prettier than how it was before!”[Iris]
“It really is. I wonder if he would make one for me, too. Luckily I have materials.”[Rena]
Iris and Rena were watching the magic forging process and were beginning to wonder if they should ask him to also make weapons for them.
Although it wasn’t as strong as a magically-modded weapon, it was still a fairly powerful weapon.
“It’s finished. It might feel somewhat… unpleasantly warm, but please try swinging it a couple of times for now.”[Zeros]
“Sure— Woah, it really does feel weird.”[Jane]
When performing magic forging, somehow the temperature of weapons and medicines ended up being the same as the human body’s. Depending on the item that is produced, it could be an extremely unpleasant feeling.
Jane swung the sword a couple of times to feel its response. Her chest shook violently as well. It was poison for the eyes [extremely tempting] for the middle-aged Zeros, who was not used to a female’s presence.
“Perfect. As if it was made to fit my hands.”[Jane]
Jane, who smiles in satisfaction, and the appeased uncle who admires her furiously swaying mounds. A sight for sore eyes.
“If you pour mana into it, you can release a fireball, but please refrain from trying it here, alright?”[Zeros]
“Got it. Then, with this, I can kill those chickens…”[Jane]
“Chickens? Ah, the Wild Cuckoos, right? Are you planning on getting your revenge?”[Zeros]
“Obviously. Our livelihood depends on it.”[Jane]
“Fumu…”[Zeros]
Zeros was planning on raising chickens. That being the case, he was contemplating whether he could actually get chickens to raise for their meat. Luckily, the Wild Cuckoo was mostly unpalatable except for its eggs, so the possibility of procuring some of them was relatively high. Calculations started running off in Zeros’ mind.
“In that case, I will accompany you as well. I was planning to raise chickens anyway.”[Zeros]
““““!?””””
The four girls’ expressions transformed into one of utter astonishment as if they saw something unbelievable.
“Z–Zeros-san… Are you really planning to raise Wild Cuckoos?”[Rena]
“Wait, are you really!? That thing is so violent that the word ‘wild’ can’t even begin to describe it!”[Iris]
“Hey, give up, old man. You’ll be grappling with chickens every day, you know?”[Jane]
“Zeros-san. It might look like a chicken, but it’s a bona fide monster…”[Rena]
The middle-aged magician couldn’t distinguish between a Wild Cuckoo and a normal chicken. And, as long as that was the case, there was no reason to draw that line between them. On the other hand, he was underestimating the Wild Cuckoos at this point in time.
“If they lay such delicious eggs, doesn’t it make you want to try them even more?”[Zeros]
“The problem is that the bird that lays them is too vicious!”
“It’s a dangerous creature! It’s seriously strong, you know!?”
“Stop this nonsense! What if something happens to the children of the orphanage!”[Rena]
The victims speak about the dangers of these chickens. It would be odd if Zeros did not think they weren’t chickens by now, and yet, he wasn’t able to make that distinction. Rather, he wanted to confirm it with his own eyes.
“This one also wants to be permitted to join you in subjugating that monster.”
Before they knew it, a certain high-elf with emerald-colored hair appeared. It was Kaede, donned in a shrine maiden [miko] attire.
“Kaede-chan!? How long have you been here for!?”[Luceris]
“She’s been waiting in the shadow of the storage room since a short while ago… Aiming at me and already prepared to draw her sword at any time, but…”[Zeros]
“But you noticed me, isn’t that right? I was trying to fathom the extent of your skill by observing your openings, but sadly, I couldn’t find any to exploit.”[Kaede]
In actuality, she intended to attack Zeros by first eliminating her presence, and then striking after finding an opening. However, her presence had already been detected, thus her surprise attack ended up in failure.
“We’re talking about real combat, though. Well, if our opponents are just chickens, isn’t it fine?”[Zeros]
“No, that’s what I’ve been telling you… They’re not like any normal bird.”[Rena]
“I don’t think we can convince him. I think Mister is serious about raising Wild Cuckoos.”[Iris]
“There’s no point in trying to stop him. Maybe he doesn’t know how vicious those things are, so he has naive fantasies about it.”[Jane]
Zeros actually wanted to get Wild Cuckoos. The three mercenaries who had faced them already, knew of the monster’s strength, but they are yet to fathom the old magician’s might. They have forgotten that ordinary monsters can’t even put up a fight against an opponent with a vast level difference. And, that was exactly Zeros’ case. He simply was looking for chickens that could lay eggs. Even if they were monsters, as long as the eggs were delicious, that was all that mattered.
Reminded of his longing for TKG, he suddenly realized something.
“Ah, I don’t have soy sauce… How frustrating. I haven’t made it yet, so the taste would be…”[Zeros]
The middle-aged Zeros finally remembered that crucial predicament causing his tension [excitement] to drop. TKG without the soy sauce would be nothing but an imperfect product. However, when one door closes, another one opens, and likewise, there was someone who extended their helping hand.
“Soy sauce? This one possesses some, and I could share it with you if you’d like.”[Kaede]
“You have soy sauce!? Please, by all means! TKG without it is basically eating plain rice with an egg, after all.”[Zeros]
“Then, I will offer you soy sauce on the condition that you let me join this monster subjugation. I just want to test my abilities a little.”[Kaede]
“YES! I’d sell my soul to the Devil for some soy sauce!”[Zeros]
“Is this one the Devil…?”[Kaede]
His reply came immediately.
The island nation in which the elves lived apparently possessed a method of producing soy sauce. It could be said that there were no more obstacles to eating TKG.
“Well then, please lead the way. Finally, I will get my hands on TKG!”[Zeros]
“【Kogarashimaru】 is already thirsty for blood tonight… fufufu”[Kaede][10]
(T.N: 木枯らし[kogarashi] means winter wind and 丸[maru] is a suffix for sword names)
“Kaede-chan… It’s daytime now, though…”[Luceris]
There was no stopping the two of them now. Their enthusiasm was so great that they didn’t seem to be able to hear anyone else anymore, prompting Jane and the rest to heave a sigh. On the other hand, Luceris seemed to be worried they might get hurt and was restlessly fidgeting around.
The duo of the strongest magician and the heavenly demonic swordsman has been temporarily formed. Thirst for blood and gourmandism, the two of them walk down the same road, each for their own purpose…
Translator Corner
[1] it literally says “aerodynamic lift was generated” but my brain too small, so I assume the scene described here is the winnower being lifted in the air due to Zeros grabbing it while it continued to move forward in the direction he is standing, a lever-like movement, if that makes sense. [2] uses the kanji for flame instead of fire, but I don’t remember if it’s appeared before and I just translated it as fire magic; 炎系統の魔法, but i’ll keep it like this anyway [3] [4] for the non-catholics, the rosaries are those necklaces with beads used to count the number of prayers, the author most likely meant it in the sense of an object used in a religious practice or ritual, though it could also be that they simply used the fragments to make rosary beads. [5] 秘薬, literally, secret medicine. Most likely in the sense of a super effective medicine whose production method is unknown. I initially wanted to translate it as “elixir,” but I’m fairly certain that the author used a different term in a past chapter. I’ll change it if it appears differently afterward. [6] literally: 自己主張, self-assertion; to try doing it in a way that shows self-assertion. [7] the author’s been using the term 魔導[madou] to talk about this specific thing instead of what he had been using to refer to magic in general, 魔法[mahou], so I’ll translate both as “magic” for now because I don’t believe he has explained if there are any differences, e.g., I’ve seen other translators use sorcery for madou and magic for mahou, that sorta thing. [8]( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) [9] The terms used here (義理[giri] and 人情[ninjou]) refer to broad cultural beliefs that are more or less unique to Japan or Asian cultures in general, which are hard to translate directly. Both terms complement and directly oppose each other, but in short, they refer to the conflict between one’s obligations toward the collective – giri – and the feelings the individual possesses, which might oppose the duty toward the group – ninjou – think of Romeo and Juliet for example.
The next day, Zeros started using a transmutation magic circle early in the morning to make the components for the winnowing machine. Currently, he was wearing a straw hat and had a towel wrapped around his neck. He continued to work donned in that outfit.
A winnowing machine is a tool that separates the chaff from the rice grains. However, the device he was building was remodeled, so it could now also separate the different types of rice grains. Said function was necessary because, according to their size, each variety of rice had different properties.
The unprocessed rice grains are put into the container on the upper part of the machine, then, due to the slope, both the chaff and the grains fall. Taking advantage of that, by way of wind power, the rice grains will be sorted out depending on their size. Nevertheless, it was the first time Zeros had ever made this kind of agricultural machinery. Unlike with the desiccator, he had a lot of difficulties making the smaller components.
Instead of using metallic bolts for the hardware, he carefully shaped the small components so they would perfectly fit with each other. Then he made and installed only a few metallic fittings, which in its own way, made the machinery quite sturdy.
Initially, the wind was to be produced by a hand-crank mechanism. However, when Zeros eventually realized it would become annoying to operate, he made another type that would use a magic stone to rotate vanes to produce a wind current. Still, the old man felt just a tiny bit anxious about it, so he ended up making three prototypes, one of which used a conventional hand-crank mechanism. He could use the third one to adjust the wind pressure required for the final model by comparing it with this prototype, and even if it ended up being a failure, he could dismantle it and turn it into iron ingots.
Because the structure was rather simple, the assembly itself was an easy process, so it didn’t take too long to give it form.
And so, in front of him were the three winnowers with slightly different appearances.
“The magic stone is inserted, now I just have to try it and see if it works… but, why do I feel like it’s going to break down…?”
For some reason, he thought that the prototypes wouldn’t be a resounding success.
The designs for the machines were close to being flawless, and he had already made some improvements to them, so he was hoping that the likelihood of failing would be low given that the devices installed on them were only made to circulate air. Nevertheless, he felt strangely uneasy after installing the magic stone.
It was the same sensation he felt when he was a salaryman and was working on the development of the system architecture of an O.S., or when he was making a high-performance tool in ORG; that sensation ended up becoming an omen of failure.
To give an example, at the time he was working for the company, he only had to finish some of the work required for things like programming-bugs and system errors, however in ORG, when he tried to make a sword with an extreme destructive power by imbuing the four primary magic attributes, they ended up canceling each other out without displaying any of the intended effects. Or when he tried to make a time bomb by using a magic stone, and it exploded the moment he set it off. In other words, he always had a lousy time whenever he felt that.
Nevertheless, were his hunches always right on the mark? In truth, they were correct about 30% of the time. A prediction may or may not come true. The causes of his failures, whether it was in real life or in-game, were either because he overlooked basic things or because he used the wrong materials. Nevertheless, after finding out afterward, he made use of all of those things to improve on his work. Well, even without those hunches, in the end, if he fails, he fails. [lo que será, será]
“I feel like it’s going to end up in failure this time, I’m sure I thoroughly checked the magic formula… I don’t know.”[Zeros]
One flustered middle-aged man. The prototypes were more or less completed, but the only way to see if they would fail or not was to put them to test. Though they wouldn’t explode, anxiety washed over him for some reason.
“Good morning, Zeros-san.”[Luceris]
“Ah, Luceris-san, good morning.”[Zeros]
Behind Luceris, the three girls of the women-only party, Jane included, were waiting. It seems they came due to the agreement of repairing Jane’s sword they made yesterday.
“We’re here, Mister∼♪”[Iris]
“No way, there was a house behind the church… the garden— no, the fields are huge.”[Jane]
“Good morning. At any rate, to build a house this fast… Hanba Constructions really is amazing.”[Rena]
In Santhor, the dwarves of Hanba Constructions have a myriad of nicknames with slightly different connotations; they are known as the “construction lunatics,” “stubborn men obsessed with details,” “Warring Constructions,” “dancing construction workers,” and so on. They were entertainers who can sing and dance. Moreover, they had an abnormally fast work speed and the corresponding skill to back it up. They were an absurd group that would use any means necessary to work merrily. They would try to develop new techniques regardless of the financial cost, and would not shirk from tempering their dance and construction skills day and night. Furthermore, their way of working started infecting other people in the construction industry, as well as the craftsmen that have worked with them, who, by the time the construction work is finished, end up becoming just like them. The dancing construction workers were beginning to spread across the country.
“Farmers might also start dancing sooner or later, huh?”[Zeros]
“What are you even talking about?”[Iris]
Iris tilted her head at Zeros, who looked up at the sky with a faraway look. A chill crept up his back when he imagined the sight of merchants and artisans across the country, all singing and dancing while working. The scene of the city being a merry festival every day, sort of like a musical, seems peaceful in a sense, but a fantasy world where all the residents could sing and dance flashed through his mind like in a certain anime seemed all too bizarre to him.
“Yes, repairing the sword, right? Just a moment, please, I am going to test this machine.”[Zeros]
“The hell’s that?”[Jane]
“Ah, is this a farming tool you made, Mister?”[Iris]
“I’ve never seen anything like this. What is it used for?”[Rena]
The three tilted their heads at the unfamiliar machine. However, the middle-aged Zeros just pressed the switch to activate the device instead of answering. The windmill that had incorporated a wind magic formula made a “bururu…” sound and started rotating. Then, from the back of the winnower, wind started being propelled forward. For a moment, it looked like it was a success, but then, the wind gradually began to grow stronger, making the winnower start moving forward little by little. As the bad feeling he had before became real, he reached for the off switch in a hurry.
“Huh? I pressed the off switch, but it’s not stopping…”[Zeros]
He went around the front and held onto the machine to prevent it from moving, but it kept accelerating regardless, and at that moment, as it got thrown out of balance for an instant, it lifted itself and began shooting up, soaring high up in the air.[1]
Just like that, the winnower started rising very high towards the sky. On this day, the world’s first farming machine that controlled the skies was born.
““““………””””
“…Was it supposed to fly, Mister?”[Iris]
“Prototype No.1… Difficulties adjusting the wind power. Was it a flaw in the activation of the magic formula? I probably would have to re-examine it…”[Zeros]
The winnower escaped from the confines of gravity and obtained freedom in the skies.
He made three different prototypes, giving priority to efficiency. The first one was an automated winnowing machine, however, it presented flaws in the activation formula, considering that the rotation of the vanes turned out to be too fast. That made him anxious about the rest of the prototypes.
“Prototype No.2, starting.” [Zeros]
“Please wait! Just now, the other prototype flew into the air, right? Maybe you should take a break from working on—”[Luceris]
Just as Luceris was finishing her sentence, his finger had already pressed the starting switch.
The second prototype’s distinctive feature was its screw-shaped cylinder that was unlike a regular tube-shaped barrel. The machine emitted a high-pitched, screeching sound that loudly echoed through the surroundings. The cylinder converges the air pressure into a single point, making it more powerful than with the first machine. With a loud boom, the winnower accelerated at ultra-high speeds, destroying the wall that enclosed the plot of land, only to then shoot up towards the sky, and while zigzagging due to the excessive air pressure it accumulated, it soon disappeared into the heavens. On this day, the world’s first farming machine that managed to break the sound barrier was born.
“The barrel’s shape was a poor design decision, huh? I’ll have to re-examine the designs later.”[Zeros]
His original idea of producing wind with a mechanism similar to that of an electric fan was good. Still, the mana contained within the magic stone enhanced the desired effects more than expected and made the vanes installed inside the winnower rotate at high-speeds, thus causing the increased air pressure to be suddenly released. It can be thought as – the more batteries are connected to a motor, the higher its rotational speed will be. And, naturally, given that the winnower wasn’t fixed in place, it started moving as its velocity increased. Besides, the cause can also be attributed to Zeros, who put an excessively high concentration of mana into the magic stones. In short, both machines went out of control due to the defective mechanical fan that started moving with the wind power ultimately produced by the magic stones.
“I’m so confused… I used the smallest magic stone I could find, but it seems I should use an even smaller one. Still, if it is too small, it would be remarkably challenging to engrave the magic formula precisely. Even if I manage to do it, I wouldn’t be able to check it unless I make a tool that allows me to magnify it…”[Zeros]
“Sorry to interrupt, but ain’t that super dangerous!? What the hell did you make, old man!?”[Jane]
“It clearly wasn’t a farming machine. It just shot up into the sky, so…”[Rena]
“Mister, did you want to build a rocket?”[Iris]
It was hard even to know where to go to recover the flying winnowing machines, especially the one that went faster than the speed of sound. There was no choice but to give up on that. Probably, gravity will pull them back after the magic stones’ mana is exhausted. Indeed, all things bounded by gravity must eventually return to the ground.
“Zeros-san… what if they fall on someone…?”[Luceris]
“It would be a horrible tragedy, wouldn’t it? I hope it falls somewhere people don’t live, at least.”[Zeros]
The farming machinery, now released from the fetters of gravity, somehow vanished somewhere far away into the sky with its newfound freedom. On the other hand, the middle-aged Zeros kept praying in his heart —“please don’t let them fall in this country.” Luceris as well, she prayed to God while also imploring that no victims come out of the situation.
Even though Zeros made those machines, he didn’t feel incredibly guilty about it.
Incidentally, Prototype No.3 was the machine with a hand-crank mechanism he first made. Nevertheless, only the sorting of the rice grains was automated and was also significantly larger than the previous prototypes, which added to the tedious task of disassembling it and assembling it once again in the storage room.
The more convenient the machine is, the larger the initial manufacturing process becomes. From there, a lot of time and effort is required to downsize it by reviewing and optimizing the design. Zeros decided to re-examine his plan for improving the winnower carefully.
The question remains, however, what happened to the prototypes after they went flying…?
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
【Prototype No.1】
“Run!! You must survive even if it’s only you and bring these medicinal herbs to the village.”
“No! I won’t leave you, dad!”
“Please understand… without this herb, your mom and the others will die…”
Deep within a forest, a father and a child were in a tense situation. The village where they lived had been afflicted with a disease endemic to the region, and they had to trek deep into the forest to find the medicinal herbs needed to treat it. Naturally, many monsters were roaming around the woods, and they had to avoid them and find the herbs.
As a hunter, the father knew the forest very well, but just when they were about to reach the village, a monster that wasn’t supposed to appear in said area suddenly came out.
——Guooooh!
A colossal bear whose entire body was covered in crimson fur appeared – a Fire Grizzly. Its distinctive feature is its usage of flame magic[2] that is far more powerful than the average magician’s.
Moreover, just one swing from its massive claws can smash apart a big tree, but most importantly, due to its extremely aggressive nature, they will relentlessly chase their prey once they come across it. It was a ferocious monster that attacked anything that moved.
The Fire Grizzly smelled where they were hiding and charged at them in blind rage.
“Hurry up and run! I’ll attract its attention!”
“Dad!”
The bear was rapidly approaching even as they had that exchange of words. As the father thought that he at least had to save his daughter, a strange object came down from the skies.
“Guoh?”
Sensing something unusual, the Fire Grizzly stopped in its tracks and looked toward the direction of the sound. However, that action proved to be fatal.
——Gowashaaa!!
The metallic object that hit the Fire Grizzly instantly killed it.
“W—What just happened?”
“I think that something came down from the sky.”
The winnower was traveling at such a high speed that its mass and velocity were enough to bury the Fire Grizzly in a single hit completely. Only the corpse of the monster torn to shreds and metallic fragments scattered about remained.
At any rate, two lives were saved, and the medicinal herbs were delivered safely to the village. Thanks to them, no one died from the disease, and the villagers rejoiced thinking it was a miracle of God.
Later on, the story of the village would be called – ‘The Miracle of the Village that Was Saved by God’s Mercy,’ and in a few hundreds of years, it would be remembered as a fairy tale, but for now, no one knew the true identity of the flying piece of metal.
The metal recovered was made into tools like hoes and sickles by the villagers, the meat provided nourishment to those weakened by the disease, and the magic stone and gall bladder was sold for extra income for the village.
【Prototype No.2】
The incident happened in the territory of a small country located next to the Magic Kingdom of Solisthea. The victims were the only son of the feudal lord that governed the whole surrounding area, and his henchmen, the three escort knights. He was a person who had been guaranteed the title of Feudal Lord in the future.
Said person was now reduced to finely-minced pieces of flesh scattered on the ground.
“How terrible… But, what even are those fragments of metal thrown all around?”
“Inspector, it seems like the victim was searching[3] for some city girls in the nearby area. Most likely, he planned to pick some women up on his carriage and have some fun with them tonight.”
(T.N: searching in the sense of looking for something to steal.)
“He was the useless son of the feudal lord, right? A lot of people seemed to have a grudge against him.”
Perhaps because the victim knew he was going to become the next lord, he was doing whatever he wanted with his power. He seemed to have been a notorious lecher, and the guards who accompanied him also tormented the city’s residents quite a lot. Moreover, the current lord had no successors other than his only son, the victim. The lord also eventually lost his people’s trust and earned their loathing, and yet, he never even bothered to try reversing the situation. Now, however, he had no choice but to adopt a child from another noble family and make him his successor. By now, there was no point in using his power to cover up the incident.
“There are four victims, including the escort knights. Was it a magic attack, I wonder?”
“No, the residents who witnessed the incident said that some metallic object dropped from above with a roaring sound and hit the victim.”
“That man had a pretty bad reputation, and he preyed on more women than I can count. Serves him right.”
“Honestly, it’s a relief now that he’s dead. The Lord’s pressure helped bury the incident, and we too can only pretend not to have seen anything…”
The spot where the metallic object fell was gouged out and turned into a crater, and from its traces, it was clear that it fell with considerable speed. The mass and velocity with which it crashed into the ground created a powerful shockwave, and the descending air currents that came afterward – the sonic boom – brought forth enough destructive power to be felt in the whole area.
The scattered metal fragments became deadly weapons that completely turned the escort knights into pieces of meat, which were then spread on the surroundings due to the shockwave of the impact.
However, the city’s residents, who holed up in their homes to hide from the feudal lord’s son and his knights, miraculously only sustained a few injuries, with no one dying.
“The residents are happy too…”
“I know, right? If it weren’t for my position, I’d be thrilled with his death… I’m at a loss as to what to do here, you see.”
“What do we report this as? ‘the victim received God’s Judgement?’”
“It’s a dead-end since we don’t have any clue about the culprit. I don’t know what fell from the sky, but even if it came from a foreign country, we can’t do anything about it.”
“That’s right. More importantly, what comes now is the hard part, we have to collect all this minced meat…”
“That’s just an impossible task, right? We’d be better off reducing them to ashes, it will save a lot of time, and honestly, I don’t want to recover these guys’ corpses. Just burn them as they are!”
The officers abandoned their professional duties as if it were a matter of course.
The bodies of victims must be collected and returned to their families. Still, given that the corpses were practically minced meat that was scattered on the surroundings, the recovery process would be an arduous task. Frankly, it was more trouble than it was worth.
Crows and stray dogs had already absconded with pieces of meat as their food, and patrolmen who had built up a lot of resentment, also started incinerating the remains with magic earlier on.
Each of the bodies of the four individuals was already wholly transformed into small pieces of meat, and not only couldn’t they be identified in this world, but without DNA tests, it would also be impossible [in modern Japan]. That was probably why other officers also started using magic before even receiving the order.
The victim hated by the residents with such intensity was eventually disposed of so carefully that his body was never recovered and not even dust, not to talk ashes, remained.
The lord was furious when he was informed of this. Nevertheless, he was also responsible for not stopping his son’s outrageous behavior and was forced to take responsibility for what was later reported to the king, which resulted in him being stripped of his title and sentenced to mining labor.
The king, a pious follower of the Four Deities, declared the incident to be a divine judgment, apologized in front of his people for his inadequate management by appointing a competent person to be his lord, and asked for God’s forgiveness at the temple.
Thus, the case was closed, and an evil disappeared from the country.
The fragments of metal that were recovered were sold as rosaries, and it would seem that many nobles bought them at exorbitant prices. [4]
The things the middle-aged Zeros made performed acts of mercy at places unknown to their creator.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“Well then, about Jane-san’s sword.”[Zeros]
“Mister, did you just abandon the farming machines that went flying?”[Iris]
“Since I can’t collect them, I don’t have a choice, do I? Given that they started flying at such high speeds, I have no way of telling where they will fall, and one of them even flew faster than the speed of sound, would you be able to retrieve it, Iris-san?”[Zeros]
“Ugh, impossible. I wouldn’t be able to catch up to a winnower flying at the speed of sound even if I could fly in the sky.”[Iris]
Even with his flight magic, it would be impossible for him to fly as fast as a fighter jet. Even more so crossing the sound barrier with his own body.
“Whatever, but can you really smith a sword, old man? No matter how great of a magician you say you are, no way you can pretend to be a real blacksmith.”[Jane]
“Your argument is quite reasonable, Jane-san. However, I have a production-type occupation[or job]. I’ve made equipment – swords included – before, and I’m even capable of producing magic tools, assuming that I have the right materials, that is.”[Zeros]
“Seems as if you could also make secret medicinal potions[5]. I’m starting to feel like you can do anything, Zeros-san.”[Rena]
“I can make them, you know? I just don’t do it because it’s too much trouble. Depending on the materials, I have to defeat some truly fiendish monsters. Besides, I have no intention of selling them, even if I make more than I need.”[Zeros]
The middle-aged Zeros is aware that his power is absurd. He can produce as many powerful weapons as he wants, but he doesn’t wish for them to be used for war.
Mercenaries are particularly conscious of other people’s equipment, and there has been a not small amount of cases of people being killed and their weapons being stolen. The list of mercenaries having their weapons taken after being murdered is endless. Not to mention, Iris and the others were a women-only party, so if they have powerful weapons, they are more likely to be attacked and to be involved in dangerous things in other ways as well. Since they have an appearance that would make slave traders and the sort very happy, it’s highly likely that they would be sold off to another country after thoroughly being toyed with.
“I’m just going to make a regular weapon, alright? It will be done right away if I use magic forging.”[Zeros]
“After being scammed by that bastard, you saying that just makes me more anxious… Are you gonna make a normal one, old man?”[Jane]
“It’s just an iron sword with a little mithril. It won’t take much time. More importantly, what sort of property shall I bestow it with? Please choose whether you would like to make it into a magic sword or maybe grant it undead resistance, for example. I can also add whichever other property you want.”[Zeros]
“It’ll be effective against the undead if it has mithril, so … a magic sword with fire attribute, please.”[Jane]
Truth be told, Zeros had already deployed the forging magic circle and was ready to make the sword at any time. The magic stone was harder than diamond, but it would soften as it got infused with attribute-less mana. Thus, he grounded it up in a mortar, arranged the broken sword, and the mithril ore inside the magic circle and proceeded to activate it.
“What would you like the sword to look like? Should I make it look like a normal sword, or would you prefer it to be a little bit showy*[6]?”[Zeros]
“No, the hell is with making it showy!? Just make a normal one, okay? Don’t do anything weird!”[Jane]
“Then, an ordinary-looking sword, am I correct? A crude appearance without any distinctive features, right?”[Zeros]
“Yeah… I don’t like flashy things, a normal one is fine.”[Jane]
In this world, swords were mainly made by casting instead of repeatedly striking them to strengthen them like with Japanese swords. On the other hand, magic forging[7] was capable of skipping that complicated process and producing a sword with a reasonably strong metallic bond.
If there’s a problem, it would be that a magician would also have to be a high-level Blacksmith and Alchemist to use it. And given that it also consumed a considerable amount of mana, it wasn’t a technique that could be casually utilized. It took a befitting amount of training to get to that point, and the residents of this world would need to spend a lifetime to reach the realm in which they could use magic forging. Needless to say, they could also raise their levels through battles. Yet, most magicians would never reach that realm, given that they only spend their time researching instead of accumulating actual combat experience.
As long as they were fighting moderately, their levels would have risen, and the number of mages with appropriate skill techniques would have increased. However, in the Magic Kingdom of Solisthea, magicians mostly aimed for scholarly positions, and for that reason alone, there weren’t any magicians who reached a higher realm [in magic].
“This is the magic circle used to repair the sword before, right? Can you really smith a sword with it?”[Rena]
“It’s faster to make one from scratch than to repair it. Previously, I repaired the damaged parts of the sword, but the detailed work is tedious. I would have to repair the small cracks while examining the damaged areas, and it’s also not practical because it uses nearly twice as much mana. It would be quicker to make the same sword again.”[Zeros]
Zeros languidly answered Rena’s question. Even during that moment, he continued working. Inside the magic circle were the broken sword and the prepared materials floating in midair, squirming loosely around as if they were made out of liquid mercury or slime. By mixing small amounts of charcoal to create carbon bonds, the molecular bonding of the metal could be seen at plain sight, and with the addition of the magic stone, the metal, which has become red-hot without releasing heat, changes its shape into a sword again.
The process took around 30 minutes in total, but it was a mysterious sight for Luceris, who had never seen magic forging before.
“Amazing. So magic can do this sort of thing…”[Luceris]
“I’ve seen it once before, but I didn’t realize how easy it was to make weapons like this…. The blacksmithing business is up in smoke.”[Jane]
To the dazed Luceris, Jane expresses her thoughts, although somewhat dumbfoundedly.
“Speaking of which, do the two of you know each other? It seemed like you two had a more intimate relationship than that of an acquaintance.”[Zeros]
Zeros asked a rather simple question as he continued with the forging process. He was curious since the exchange they had at the diner-cum-inn yesterday.
“Jane and I grew up in the same orphanage. When we came of age, I went to the temple to become a priestess, and Jane became a mercenary, so we went our separate ways.”[Luceris]
“Luceris has helped me a lot. There’s healing magic for when you get hurt, right? She treats a few injuries at a reasonable and honest price.”[Jane]
“I just wanted to be like the priest who raised us. I want to help as many people as I can, but I’m still an apprentice, so I’m hoping to be inducted as a cleric in due form.”[Luceris]
“I owe a lot to the priest, too. That person taught me all sorts of things.”[Jane][8]
(T.N:( ͡°( ͡° ͜ʖ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ʖ ͡°) ͡°))
“So the priest was quite the character… And, about the priest… Hm?”[Zeros]
In response to Zeros’ casual remark, their eyes were swimming all over with all their might. An awkward air fills the place.
“The priest was… how should I put it… a bit of a strange person.”[Luceris]
“The woman liked drinking and gambling way too much, and she had a talent for both. Also, she was insanely good with the sword. She was so quick-tempered that, whenever she got mad, she would immediately start using her fists.”[Jane]
“…Are you sure she was a priest?”[Zeros]
“Yes, she was indeed a priest. It seems she caused some problems and was sent to manage the orphanage, but to this day, I still have no clue about what she did.”[Luceris]
“She was also my sword teacher. She used to say ‘God is dead,’ ‘God is the enemy,’ or ‘God must be killed, I must do it.’”[Jane]
Although she was supposed to be a priest, she was an outlaw who didn’t fear God. Moreover, she had already been removed from her position as a cleric by the time she fell into alcohol and gambling.
“Are the temples of the Four Gods really that lacking in human resources? No matter how much I think about it, that’s not how a clergyman should be, right?”[Zeros]
“No, well, it isn’t really like that…”[Luceris]
“She had a strong sense of both duty and empathy[9], but she was also a believer of not relying on God to solve all her problems. Even during her sermons, she used to say: ‘Do not think that God will do everything for you! Do you really believe that humans can’t judge human crimes? That by pleading to God, all the problems in the world will disappear? Are you idiots?’
She was a bit of an unorthodox priest, but she was really popular for some reason.”[Jane]
“That’s not just a bit, you know!? Wasn’t she clearly a heretic!?”[Zeros]
It seemed there was virtue even in the most absurd of behaviors. Zeros again learned that the world was full of many different kinds of people.
“Wow! It’s a lot prettier than how it was before!”[Iris]
“It really is. I wonder if he would make one for me, too. Luckily I have materials.”[Rena]
Iris and Rena were watching the magic forging process and were beginning to wonder if they should ask him to also make weapons for them.
Although it wasn’t as strong as a magically-modded weapon, it was still a fairly powerful weapon.
“It’s finished. It might feel somewhat… unpleasantly warm, but please try swinging it a couple of times for now.”[Zeros]
“Sure— Woah, it really does feel weird.”[Jane]
When performing magic forging, somehow the temperature of weapons and medicines ended up being the same as the human body’s. Depending on the item that is produced, it could be an extremely unpleasant feeling.
Jane swung the sword a couple of times to feel its response. Her chest shook violently as well. It was poison for the eyes [extremely tempting] for the middle-aged Zeros, who was not used to a female’s presence.
“Perfect. As if it was made to fit my hands.”[Jane]
Jane, who smiles in satisfaction, and the appeased uncle who admires her furiously swaying mounds. A sight for sore eyes.
“If you pour mana into it, you can release a fireball, but please refrain from trying it here, alright?”[Zeros]
“Got it. Then, with this, I can kill those chickens…”[Jane]
“Chickens? Ah, the Wild Cuckoos, right? Are you planning on getting your revenge?”[Zeros]
“Obviously. Our livelihood depends on it.”[Jane]
“Fumu…”[Zeros]
Zeros was planning on raising chickens. That being the case, he was contemplating whether he could actually get chickens to raise for their meat. Luckily, the Wild Cuckoo was mostly unpalatable except for its eggs, so the possibility of procuring some of them was relatively high. Calculations started running off in Zeros’ mind.
“In that case, I will accompany you as well. I was planning to raise chickens anyway.”[Zeros]
““““!?””””
The four girls’ expressions transformed into one of utter astonishment as if they saw something unbelievable.
“Z–Zeros-san… Are you really planning to raise Wild Cuckoos?”[Rena]
“Wait, are you really!? That thing is so violent that the word ‘wild’ can’t even begin to describe it!”[Iris]
“Hey, give up, old man. You’ll be grappling with chickens every day, you know?”[Jane]
“Zeros-san. It might look like a chicken, but it’s a bona fide monster…”[Rena]
The middle-aged magician couldn’t distinguish between a Wild Cuckoo and a normal chicken. And, as long as that was the case, there was no reason to draw that line between them. On the other hand, he was underestimating the Wild Cuckoos at this point in time.
“If they lay such delicious eggs, doesn’t it make you want to try them even more?”[Zeros]
“The problem is that the bird that lays them is too vicious!”
“It’s a dangerous creature! It’s seriously strong, you know!?”
“Stop this nonsense! What if something happens to the children of the orphanage!”[Rena]
The victims speak about the dangers of these chickens. It would be odd if Zeros did not think they weren’t chickens by now, and yet, he wasn’t able to make that distinction. Rather, he wanted to confirm it with his own eyes.
“This one also wants to be permitted to join you in subjugating that monster.”
Before they knew it, a certain high-elf with emerald-colored hair appeared. It was Kaede, donned in a shrine maiden [miko] attire.
“Kaede-chan!? How long have you been here for!?”[Luceris]
“She’s been waiting in the shadow of the storage room since a short while ago… Aiming at me and already prepared to draw her sword at any time, but…”[Zeros]
“But you noticed me, isn’t that right? I was trying to fathom the extent of your skill by observing your openings, but sadly, I couldn’t find any to exploit.”[Kaede]
In actuality, she intended to attack Zeros by first eliminating her presence, and then striking after finding an opening. However, her presence had already been detected, thus her surprise attack ended up in failure.
“We’re talking about real combat, though. Well, if our opponents are just chickens, isn’t it fine?”[Zeros]
“No, that’s what I’ve been telling you… They’re not like any normal bird.”[Rena]
“I don’t think we can convince him. I think Mister is serious about raising Wild Cuckoos.”[Iris]
“There’s no point in trying to stop him. Maybe he doesn’t know how vicious those things are, so he has naive fantasies about it.”[Jane]
Zeros actually wanted to get Wild Cuckoos. The three mercenaries who had faced them already, knew of the monster’s strength, but they are yet to fathom the old magician’s might. They have forgotten that ordinary monsters can’t even put up a fight against an opponent with a vast level difference. And, that was exactly Zeros’ case. He simply was looking for chickens that could lay eggs. Even if they were monsters, as long as the eggs were delicious, that was all that mattered.
Reminded of his longing for TKG, he suddenly realized something.
“Ah, I don’t have soy sauce… How frustrating. I haven’t made it yet, so the taste would be…”[Zeros]
The middle-aged Zeros finally remembered that crucial predicament causing his tension [excitement] to drop. TKG without the soy sauce would be nothing but an imperfect product. However, when one door closes, another one opens, and likewise, there was someone who extended their helping hand.
“Soy sauce? This one possesses some, and I could share it with you if you’d like.”[Kaede]
“You have soy sauce!? Please, by all means! TKG without it is basically eating plain rice with an egg, after all.”[Zeros]
“Then, I will offer you soy sauce on the condition that you let me join this monster subjugation. I just want to test my abilities a little.”[Kaede]
“YES! I’d sell my soul to the Devil for some soy sauce!”[Zeros]
“Is this one the Devil…?”[Kaede]
His reply came immediately.
The island nation in which the elves lived apparently possessed a method of producing soy sauce. It could be said that there were no more obstacles to eating TKG.
“Well then, please lead the way. Finally, I will get my hands on TKG!”[Zeros]
“【Kogarashimaru】 is already thirsty for blood tonight… fufufu”[Kaede][10]
(T.N: 木枯らし[kogarashi] means winter wind and 丸[maru] is a suffix for sword names)
“Kaede-chan… It’s daytime now, though…”[Luceris]
There was no stopping the two of them now. Their enthusiasm was so great that they didn’t seem to be able to hear anyone else anymore, prompting Jane and the rest to heave a sigh. On the other hand, Luceris seemed to be worried they might get hurt and was restlessly fidgeting around.
The duo of the strongest magician and the heavenly demonic swordsman has been temporarily formed. Thirst for blood and gourmandism, the two of them walk down the same road, each for their own purpose…
Translator Corner
[1] it literally says “aerodynamic lift was generated” but my brain too small, so I assume the scene described here is the winnower being lifted in the air due to Zeros grabbing it while it continued to move forward in the direction he is standing, a lever-like movement, if that makes sense. [2] uses the kanji for flame instead of fire, but I don’t remember if it’s appeared before and I just translated it as fire magic; 炎系統の魔法, but i’ll keep it like this anyway [3] [4] for the non-catholics, the rosaries are those necklaces with beads used to count the number of prayers, the author most likely meant it in the sense of an object used in a religious practice or ritual, though it could also be that they simply used the fragments to make rosary beads. [5] 秘薬, literally, secret medicine. Most likely in the sense of a super effective medicine whose production method is unknown. I initially wanted to translate it as “elixir,” but I’m fairly certain that the author used a different term in a past chapter. I’ll change it if it appears differently afterward. [6] literally: 自己主張, self-assertion; to try doing it in a way that shows self-assertion. [7] the author’s been using the term 魔導[madou] to talk about this specific thing instead of what he had been using to refer to magic in general, 魔法[mahou], so I’ll translate both as “magic” for now because I don’t believe he has explained if there are any differences, e.g., I’ve seen other translators use sorcery for madou and magic for mahou, that sorta thing. [8]( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) [9] The terms used here (義理[giri] and 人情[ninjou]) refer to broad cultural beliefs that are more or less unique to Japan or Asian cultures in general, which are hard to translate directly. Both terms complement and directly oppose each other, but in short, they refer to the conflict between one’s obligations toward the collective – giri – and the feelings the individual possesses, which might oppose the duty toward the group – ninjou – think of Romeo and Juliet for example.