It was around the time the sky dusked and many began to fall asleep or relax after a hard day’s work. The man carried a certain article, which he had finally managed to get in his possession, to his chambers in order to confirm its authenticity, and once he did, he raised the corners of his mouth in a gloating smile. His public facade was that of a successful and skilled merchant, but in the criminal underworld, he was known as a large purveyor of black market goods.
To obtain what we wanted, the trader would not hesitate to use whatever means necessary, like deceiving people into artificially raising the prices of certain commodities, or in some cases, ordering his subordinates to dispose of them.
In his hands was a necklace with two translucent jewels that tended to be priceless more often than not. He spared no efforts to obtain this item, which it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that it could be found in the treasury of some country. But, although its original owner was already buried six feet under, with the necklace being such a famous article, selling it on the authorized market would’ve been impossible, and he already predicted that a search for it would be conducted the next day. Nevertheless, probably due to there being a great number of people looking for all manner of illegal goods, the man already had a list of potential buyers in mind that would quickly take it off his hands. And, since he was trading illegal goods, the best course of action would be to sell it and have it immediately taken out of the country.
“Good Lord… Making me go through so much. You wouldn’t have died if you’d sold it to me when I asked.”
The man held the necklace between his fat fingers while directing a sneer at its deceased former owner but that soon transformed into a vulgar smile as he looked at the magnificent ornamentation of the necklace once more. He didn’t know how much the item would fetch for, but he was certain it would be enough to fill his pockets chock-full with gold. That was because the necklace in question was a magic tool. Furthermore, it was a relic with a high artistic value discovered in an ancient ruin. Just thinking about the price, the man couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
“A treasured article made by an elf from ancient times, huh? How splendid kukuku… hm? W-What the… My neck…”
He suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, and when he went to touch the spot with his hand, he found a small needle lodged in there. The man had a big frame as a consequence of all the excess flesh covering his body, which had blocked the needle’s path leaving but a small wound behind. However, he soon felt his body grow heavy and strong nausea assaulted him.
“Eh!? Ca… Mo… Ve…”
Gradually, it became difficult for him to move, he had an intense headache along with the nausea. Paralyzed without being able to even ask for help, he promptly concluded that he was hit by a poisoned needle. Unfortunately, he also happened to dismiss all his subordinates to appraise the necklace. In a way, it was poetic justice.
On the other hand, the poison seemed to be a fast-acting one, meaning that it was too late for him. The man experienced excruciating pain before dying just like all his victims. And, in the empty room where its owner died, something started to move. A black shadow emerged from the floor as if seeping out of it. The shadow wriggled eerily on the spot until it took the shape of a human body before long – a woman in her twenties. Wearing a black dress that heavily emphasized her cleavage, and adorning herself with a large number of accessories, her figure was clearly reminiscent of that of a noble lady. However, her gentle smile seemed unfitted for such a gruesome scene. Regardless, she approached the table the man was using and picked up the necklace, nodding in satisfaction.
“Hm, wonderful. Fufufu… No hard feelings, alright? It’s just business.”
The underworld would always be a place where lives were at stake. The man was killed because he had been targeted by another organization. His rivals in the business world wanted to trample over his dead body.
“Sure, it’s kind of a pain, but if I can get my hands on these beauties, I’m all for it anytime. Ufufu…”
Even though she just killed a man, she was still mesmerized and enamored by the ornament in front of her eyes, and as she was touching it, the necklace suddenly vanished from her hands.
“I might as well take some other things while I’m at it. Now, I wonder where’s the good stuff hidden.”
The woman slipped back into the shadows and disappeared from the room. All that was left was the corpse of the merchant who committed crimes to satisfy his greed.
It was not until morning that his corpse was discovered. Nevertheless, the identity of the killer could not be ascertained and therefore, the investigation was eventually closed, as no traces of the murderer were found. In the end, the only people who rejoiced were those whose lives were ruined by the black market merchant.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
It was early morning, at the time Zeros finished weeding the fields as he did every day and the chickens started with their training. Close to twenty chickens were thrusting their fists and legs in and out in perfect succession as if they were practicing martial arts stances in some Buddhist temple. For some reason, the three types of chickens – Shiro Obi, Ripper, and Archer were also practicing stances. Seemingly wanting to transform into a stronger variant, they hadn’t neglected their training for even a single day.
Additionally, the Grappler, Slasher, and Sniper Cuckoos were named Wookay, Zankay, and Senkay, respectively, and they were asked to serve as the representatives for the rest of the chickens. And, perhaps because they received a name, somehow Zeros thought the chickens might have become even stronger, but in the end whatever the truth was, he decided to put it out of his mind and not worry about it.
To start with, it was a world with strange laws, like the existence of magic, for example, so it wasn’t strange to think that there could be named monsters. With his nonsensical reasoning, Zeros took it as —“Don’t really care if they get stronger, just want them to lay more of those delicious eggs.”
Unexplainably, the three chickens who were named became more loyal and helped with the farm work as well as doing their training every day in order to become stronger. As a result, the rest of the chickens also started to help with the fields, hence there was no need to hire any extra hands, luckily for Zeros. Moreover, as they even ate the harmful insects, they were on their way to becoming quite the useful workers. Nevertheless, he couldn’t understand why these chickens, including the Sniper Cuckoo, were so keen to learn martial arts.
“Why do you guys want to learn martial arts? And you, you’re a long-range support type, you know?”[Zeros]
“Kike kikeriki (I realized that I couldn’t solely rely on sniping. Close-quarters combat techniques might be necessary depending on the situation.)”[Senkay]
“As long as you don’t become a jack of all trades master of none, right? Well, thinking what you want to be is also part of the training. Just wondering what you will evolve into next time.”[Zeros]
To be honest, Zeros had no idea about what the chickens were aiming for or where they were trying to reach. From the start, they were a subspecies created and molded by the unique environment they were brought up into, so there was an unknown number of possibilities for them to evolve.
Recently, the chickens have been learning calligraphy from Kaede, as well as starting to play shogi and making weapons, among other things. They were indeed very proactive. And, since monsters would transform to adapt to their environment, it would be truly frightening to see what kind of evolutionary path they would take. Furthermore, it was possible for monsters to evolve into absurdly strong creatures known as Demon Kings, and it was also entirely possible for one of the chickens to become one, as well, one way or another. Whatever it is, it was bound to be interesting for Zeros.
It was generally believed that beastmen originated from monsters and that they possibly adopted a human-like form through evolution.[1] Therefore, if that was to be believed, there was a high likelihood of the chickens transforming into something resembling humans. Considering the level of intelligence they had shown so far, it wasn’t really all that far-fetched. In fact, there were already races possessing the lineage of spirits, namely elves and dwarves, so it wasn’t impossible. And, although it was a complete enigma the process by which beings shrouded in such mysteries attained a physical body, it was clear that spirits were creating new species through evolution. Rather than just being “the mystery of life”, it could be rendered as an inflation phenomenon.[2]
“Just how far are you guys going to end up…”[Zeros]
“Kike kikkeri ki (I think, therefore I am. I push myself to the limits and only aim for the top.)”[Senkay]
“And your way of life is more important than your life itself, huh? In a sense, that’s like reaching a state of enlightenment, I suppose.”[Zeros]
They didn’t seem like chickens at all. They purely sought to obtain strength and aim for the heights. Since they were monsters, the law of the survival of the fittest was ingrained in them by instinct. That’s why, the chickens were burning their lifeforce [give their all] in an attempt to become strong enough to survive and at the same time, diligently learning all manner of things to protect their fellow avian. They instinctively changed to adapt to their environment while continuing to earnestly pursue what they thought was essential knowledge. It could be said that the chickens were bulldozing their way through the path of human evolution at a terrifying pace.
“Is there no point in thinking about the future? Hold on, what are the children doing here?”[Zeros]
Before the place Zeros was gazing at, the children of the orphanage were practicing stances along with the chickens for some reason. They were being taught thrusting techniques by Wookay and the rest of the chickens, projecting their fists in and out as if gouging through their opponents. The children were continuing to train to internalize the techniques and make them their own.
“Kike kiki (In order to live comfortably in the future, it seems you will have to earn money from now on. In that case, you should first start building up your stamina…)”[Wookay]
“You guys sure are burning with ambition, huh? I must say, it’s really commendable…”[Zeros]
For the sake of their prospective licentious lifestyle, the children had started to lay the foundations that will allow them to make money in the future. And, fitness training was certainly a step forward in that direction, but their motives were too impure.
Their plan was to dive into dungeons, betting everything on a get-rich-quick gamble.
“Alright, next up, let’s go for a run!”
“““Yes!! Hardship makes the man![3]”””
In a way, children saw things in life clearer[in reality as opposed to fantasy] than some adults. And, regardless of their motivations, their actions were definitely positive, at least for now.
Said children had lined up and started to run.
“To have a comfortable future~”
“““To have a comfortable future~”””
“Gettin’ rich quick is my dream~”
“““Gettin’ rich quick is my dream~”””
“I want money!”
“““I want money!”””
“Money’s everything!”
“““Money’s everything!”””
“Wanna make money! Lotta money!”
“““Wanna make money! Lotta money!”””
“To live in depravity, my dream is!”
“““To live in depravity, my dream is!”””[4]
The children ran while singing running cadences as if they were in some army training.
Although stained with greed, they were firmly moving forward in life. Part of Zeros was a bit concerned about it, but even so, the children were earnestly training for the sake of their dreams. As an adult, he wasn’t sure what to say to them. Regardless, the biggest enigma in his mind was whether they actually knew the meaning of the words they were singing.
“How lively… I don’t have a dream, so I can’t really talk, but… ‘money is everything,’ huh? It’s not wrong, but it’s not something kids should be saying.”[Zeros]
There was nothing bad with working hard to pursue one’s dreams. However, when the final goal was to be slothful, as someone who’s lived longer, it would be natural for him to warn them about it. On the other hand, it would also be bad if he took the wind out of their sails and it ends up negatively affecting their upbringing. In the end, Zeros could only mutter a few words to himself.
“Ugh, you have improved in these last few days. How formidable…”[Kaede]
“Kiki Kikeri! (I have still a long road ahead! Nevertheless, it’s the same for you. Your swordsmanship is sharper than yesterday.)”[Zankay]
Ahead of the place in which the children started running, the high elf who lost herself to the path of carnage – Kaede – was fiercely crossing swords with Zankay. Anyhow, Zeros was starting to get surrounded by muscle-heads in his life.
Although irrelevant at that point, he had already stopped thinking about the fact that he was having conversations with chickens. Still, It would’ve been hard for him to say whether that was because he adapted to the environment or just gave up trying to find an explanation. In the end, he seemed to have rendered this incomprehensible phenomenon as “well, it’s an otherworld, so.” In a sense, it might’ve been a wise decision.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
After his early morning training and fieldwork, Zeros was overcome with emotion as he looked at the food he had longed for. A bowl of steaming white rice with an egg on top. Of course, it was TKG.
He poured a dash of the soy sauce he received from his exchange with Kaede and mixed it together with the rice and egg. He moved his hands while trying to keep his excitement in check until it ended up as a uniform blend with a yellow-ish color. Although Zeros was somewhat worried about there being parasites in the unfertilized eggs, a scan with his appraisal skill guaranteed that they were safe to eat, so the middle-aged magician faced his favorite food. He swallowed his saliva after seeing the TKG mixed together.
“W-Well, then…”[Zeros]
He took the bowl as if he were about to engage in a fierce battle, and without hesitation, he started to wolf down its contents. The rich flavor of the rice and eggs together with the umami of the soy sauce was supposed to invite supreme bliss in his mouth… And, certainly, the egg was delicious, however…
“It’s definitely good, but the flavor is too strong… It’s not the same, the egg should have a milder…”[Zeros]
Despite still being delicious, it wasn’t the TKG from his memories. Its taste was so intense that it completely overshadowed the umami of the soy sauce. In other words, the sense of “not tasting quite right” came from the soy sauce being overwhelmed by the egg. What was supposed to be a subtle seasoning that brought out the flavor of the rest of the ingredients ended up being defeated by the intensity of the egg’s flavor.
“Oh Gods, you ask of me to create the greatest soy sauce known to man? Impossible! Who do you think I am? Unlike Im*oka-san or Kai*-sensei[5], I’m no food expert. At most I could make a somewhat normal-looking soy sauce.”[Zeros]
Unlike the eggs cheaply sold at a supermarket, these eggs would be more similar to silkies’ eggs or Yodo Hikari’s[6], one might say, but actually, they went way beyond that.
For someone with an untrained palate like him, making a kind of soy sauce that would go well with the eggs of the Wild Cuckoo seemed close to impossible. Their eggs were very much unlike chickens’. They should probably be considered as a totally different kind.
Zeros had made soy sauce on a whim when he was living in the countryside, but it had tasted just fine.
“It’s over. I didn’t expect the eggs to be like this…”[Zeros]
They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but it was as if he couldn’t even give his first step because his way was already blocked by a sheer precipice. It would be insanely difficult to go on.
“God is dead. I don’t believe in anything anymore.”[Zeros]
Said Zeros, who has never believed in God.
One might think he was exaggerating, making a fuss simply over a bowl of TKG. But, it was something a person who has lived abroad in a secluded region for a number of years might perfectly relate with. No matter how much they sought even simple Japanese food, there was an obstacle preventing them from getting close to the taste of home. On the contrary, thinking about the number of dishes that are mistakenly called “Japanese Food” but in the end are completely different things can give one an idea of how desperate Zeros was. And, the tamago kake gohan he just ate seemed to be exactly that kind of dish that gets the aforementioned misnomer. Although delicious, it wasn’t what he was expecting at all. Furthermore, Zeros was specialized in production skills[in the sense of engineering or inventing technology], so he was a complete amateur when it came to food. The fact that he was able to make soy sauce and miso was a feat in itself, or rather, it would be stranger if he were able to effortlessly devise a type of soy sauce tailor-made for the eggs he had. It seems that there were some things that cheats could do and some things they simply couldn’t.
To this rather abstruse question, the middle-aged magician was as depressed as the Marianas Trench is deep.
“For soy sauce and miso I’d need wheat, kouji, and salt… And then, soybeans. Hmm, soybeans, huh?”[Zeros]
There were Jack Beans planted on the fields, which grew like trees and bore a fruit that was similar to a pomegranate’s. However, the problem was that this fruit was filled with several beans that resembled mung beans or fava beans. In the end, Zeros could not help but hold his head in between his hands after he looked at the reference book. It seemed that the most common type of bean [in this world] was the adzuki bean, therefore it would be exceedingly difficult to gather enough [soybeans] to make miso or soy sauce. This world’s ecology was strange in many different ways, even when it came to plants.
“Well… I think I should probably leave it to someone else. I feel like this is already too much for me to do on my own.”[Zeros]
He was capable of making a passable miso and soy sauce, but the eggs of the chickens who have undergone an outrageous evolution were too high quality. It was an inevitability that they would defeat the mediocre condiments. Even still, Zeros refused to surrender and so he put his mind to work in order to find the ideal seasoning at any cost.
“It’d be nice if I could at least make a good sake… I’ve never done it before, though.”[Zeros]
In modern Japan, one couldn’t make sake without a permit. So, he would essentially have to fumble his way through it if he wanted to make some. It was incomparably more difficult than making miso or soy sauce. Because, although he’d lived in the countryside for a long time, he still bought almost everything food-related, therefore, attempting to make it himself was nothing short of a foolhardy plan.
Nevertheless, there was nothing wrong with seeking the taste of one’s hometown. He felt that he could finally start moving forward if he could recreate that taste. Naturally, it would be an illusion, a fabrication in his head, but being in a completely different world instead of just a secluded place on Earth, that feeling he had about Japanese cuisine was very important to him.
“I could use fish sauce, but it smells bad during the fermentation process. It would disturb the neighbors…”[Zeros]
Fish sauce had a very strong odor during its fermentation stage. Not only will he end up with Kusaya brine[7] if he fails, but it would also require a great deal of courage to attempt making it in the first place. It was not something to make in the city. And so, Zeros had his meal while agonizing about that kind of thing.
Just as he was about to enter into a never-ending cycle of worries, Wookay opened the door and entered his house.
“Ki Kikeri Ki (Master, you have a guest. What shall we do?)”[Wookay]
“A guest? Who might it be? I don’t remember expecting any guests. Hmm…”[Zeros]
“Kike Kikeri! (I’m afraid I don’t know.)”[Wookay]
“Fumu. Then, I’ll go receive them right now. It could be Creston-san.”[Zeros]
Zeros promptly made his way toward the entranceway and opened the front door, where a good-looking middle-aged man was calmly standing. The man, who wouldn’t look at all out of place in a pub with a cocktail shaker in his hands, was Duke of Solisthea’s butler, Dandyce.[8]
He was only second to the feudal lord, DelSasis, when it came to dandyism.
“Oh, if it isn’t Dandyce-san? It’s been a while, what might you need?”[Zeros]
“Yes, it’s been a while, Zeros-dono. Actually, DelSasis-sama wanted to discuss a few things with you, so I came to invite you. Unless you have some important business to attend to, he would like you to come to the residence immediately.”[Dandyce]
“Is it urgent? I’m not particularly busy or anything, I’m just wondering what it could be about? I doubt it’s a request to produce something…”[Zeros]
Thinking that it would be rude to leave a guest standing at the door, he invited Dandyce into the house.
Many of the things Zeros made were dangerous. Put in another way, the minority of his magic tools were safe to use. He’s only made weapons that would have a massive power if used. Of course, if he wanted to, he could make items for self-defense but for some reason, he didn’t feel like making them.
In the game, he was like a criminal who took pleasure in seeing others’ reactions to his wrongdoings as he made explosives while saying “Art is an explosion!”[9] Sort of like a villain from a certain ninja manga.
As one would expect, he didn’t feel like doing that sort of insane thing considering he wasn’t in his avatar anymore. Nevertheless, as an old man, the fact that he was almost pretending to be a terrorist in a game didn’t go away. A relatively new period of his dark history, if you will.[10]
“Oh, were you in the middle of your meal?”[Dandyce]
“Yes, I got some good-quality eggs recently. It’s just that it was a bit disappointing that they didn’t go well with the condiments I have. I was pondering about that.”[Zeros]
“Hmm, condiments, is that right? Ho, Is this soy sauce? Certainly, I’ve heard it’s made in an island country in the East.”[Dandyce]
“I can make a somewhat normal soy sauce, but the Cuckoos‘ eggs have too much of an intense flavor for it. I would’ve liked if the soy sauce was a bit stronger.”[Zeros]
“Oh? Does that mean you didn’t buy it from the Solisthea Firm? I believe they manufacture and commercialize soy sauce, miso, and other condiments…”[Dandyce]
“…What?”[Zeros]
(Said in English)
His mind went blank for a moment.
“I meant to say that the Solisthea Firm sells them. We established a partnership with an Eastern merchant, so we’ve been producing and selling them in this country for some time now… Were you not aware of it?”[Dandyce]
“God, I would’ve never guessed that they would be sold here. No… never mind that. Just in how many places is the feudal lord-dono doing business?”[Zeros]
“Well, the lord can sell anything to anyone while also managing buy anything that can be bought. Anyhow, the East seems to be embroiled in war, and so, many merchants and craftsmen who can’t find any work come as refugees, hoping for more favorable conditions.”[Dandyce]
“…DelSasis-dono. Isn’t he more of a cheat than me? I knew he wasn’t a normal person.”[Zeros]
The cheat sage. Completely defeated by the flawless super lord.
As an aside, the soy sauce and miso sold at the Solisthea Firm were in high demand because of their taste, and they were famous as high-class seasonings, being traded at equally high prices. Since the ingredients used were different from the ones in the East, they were substituted for ones that would perform better in this country. By now, they were being mass-produced and sold by Eastern craftsmen. And, the fact that they weren’t used as slaves, but instead hired as craftsmen valued for their skills, showed the lord’s uprightness.
“It’s a bit hard for me to enter the shop. It gives too much of a high-class feeling, you know? It’s also in a prime location. Not just me, but anyone would feel hesitant entering, right?”[Zeros]
“Hahaha, right, it isn’t a store that is marketed toward commoners. That’s what all the people who visit there say.”[Dandyce]
“I suppose it’d be hard to anyway. I really didn’t expect to find soy sauce and miso so close by. Duke DelSasis is to be reckoned with, truly.”[Zeros]
Duke DelSasis, a man who lives for his work and playing around with women.
Zeros didn’t know what his work philosophy was, but judging from the fact that he’s not only managing his territory but also raking in good results in business, he couldn’t be simply described with the word “excellent.” The middle-aged magician was struck with awe and fear by such a super genius entrepreneur. And now, miso and soy sauce…
“But well, what is it that you needed me for? Did DelSasis-dono tell you anything?”[Zeros]
“No, I’m afraid I wasn’t informed. Ah, well, there is one thing, I suppose…”[Dandyce]
“What is it?”[Zeros]
“The lord asked if you could wear formal attire as long as it is within the realm of possibility, of course. Um, it seems that the madams were quite displeased…”[Dandyce]
As Dandyce pointed out, Zeros usually wore a discolored gray robe and two swords at his waist. He looked absolutely suspicious, and above all, it wasn’t at all the proper appearance to have a meeting with the feudal lord. He previously met DelSasis in those clothes, and the two Duchesses[11] seemed to loathe him because of it. On the other hand, one didn’t need to think too far to see how incredibly rude it must’ve been for Zeros to show up like that.
He didn’t mind getting on the bad side of those in power, but this time around he felt that it would be a bad move to get on bad terms with the president of the firm that sells and produces soy sauce and miso. Nevertheless, even if he were requested to wear formal attire, he didn’t have anything suitable in his possession.
“Alright, could you wait just a minute? Let me fix my appearance a little bit.”[Zeros]
“Yes, I’m terribly sorry about this, but the fact that you are a Great Sage must remain a secret.”[Dandyce]
“It’s fine, don’t worry. Still, just how long it’s been since I’ve dressed up…”[Zeros]
Zeros had not worn any sort of formal attire in around seven years. He immediately shaved his stubble and fixed his hair after he entered the washroom. There weren’t any hair products, but he did have a compounding oil made from plants instead, and when he used appraisal on it, he found out that it could be used as a hair conditioner. This oil was made by crushing and squeezing out the milewid fruit, however, it wasn’t used in cooking but mainly in medicine compounding; adding a small quantity of this oil could improve the efficacy of the remedy. Incidentally, it could also be used as medicine for abdominal pain, but it seemed that it had the same effects as castor oil when ingested a certain amount of it. It was fortunate that Zeros possessed a large quantity of this oil, as he often used it in the production of secret medicinal potions.
“Now, put this for my bangs… My hair at the back is getting too long, should I tie it up with Dragon Hair?”[Zeros]
He shaved his beard with a knife, which normally one might think to be too dangerous, but Zeros was more than familiar with the task. He became quite skilled in using a kitchen knife to shave so as to not have to buy a shaver. It remained a mystery if he also didn’t feel like just buying razors…
And so, he took his full equipment out of his inventory. A coat-styled robe made from the hide of a Black Dragon and a breastplate made from its scales. Adding the boots and gauntlets created using a Black Armor Wyvern[12], he looked just like a fighting priest.
Zeros was in all black from head to toe, but strangely enough, he still gave off a feeling of holiness. The gilding and gold thread ornaments here and there created a sense of elegance and refinement. However, his equipment had been entirely customized[13] and made from materials so precious that an average magician wouldn’t even dream of obtaining.
If appraised properly, it would appear as having defense on the same level as legendary-grade equipment. Even so, the most extraordinary thing would be the staff he was holding. Using a greatsword, that was made out of rare metals, as a base, the scales and shell of a Black Dragon were used to give it a bizarrely ominous and mechanical [like a transformer] appearance. After all, the revolver-like magazine and the several rings attached to the center of the sword exuded a certain eerie feel, like a mix between a living organism and something completely mechanical, as antithetical as it sounded.
CUSTOM WAND MODEL 54: Despite looking like a sword, it was a wand that served as a magic medium. A joke weapon[14] capable of magic bombardment, in other words.
In addition, he had two combat knives at his waist and several throwing ones concealed in his inside breast pocket. The moniker Black Annihilator came from the fact that he was absolutely peerless when he was donning the previously-mentioned equipment.
“First time wearing this outfit here, I guess. It’s embarrassing how chuuni it is, though…”[Zeros]
With his hair done and his eyes now visible, the middle-aged magician’s thin eyes[15] and gentle impression were completely revealed. Albeit slightly, it was actually scary when Zeros would open his eyes. Even he himself thought that he gave off a cold-blooded air, so naturally, other people would think so as well.
Regardless, although he wasn’t exactly super handsome, the material itself wasn’t bad at all. The finishing touch was a pointy hat so characteristic of magicians, woven from mithril thread and Kuroko Spider silk. To illustrate, he seemed like he would shout something like “Aaaameeeen!!” while hunting vampires.[16]
With that enormous sword on his back, Zeros went to Dandyce.
“Z-Zeros-dono, are you going to war!?”[Dandyce]
“Is that the first thing you say!? Well, in a sense, I guess it is a war, right? I wouldn’t want the Duchesses to take jabs at me from the side [to look down on], so I’ll have to put some sort of intimidating aura…… Truth is that I don’t have a suit, alright.”[Zeros]
If he had one, he wouldn’t be wearing such dangerous-looking equipment. Unfortunately, most of his possessions were articles like that.
“If I may ask, what do you normally do on a day-to-day basis? To have such a formidable weapon…”[Dandyce]
“Just farming, you know? Ah, by the way, do you want some eggs? Can’t eat them all by myself.”[Zeros]
“We procure Wild Cuckoo eggs from a reputable farm, so I’m afraid I’ll have to decline, but how about sharing some with the orphanage?”[Dandyce]
“Good idea… So, shall we stop by before heading to the feudal lord-dono’s mansion? Freshness is the key to eggs, after all.”[Zeros]
For some reason, Zeros’ house and the orphanage were connected. There was a backdoor that went through the wall. Obviously, any thief would be able to pass through it, except that they would encounter the strongest and most atrocious guards ever. Any thief would be beaten black and blue by the warrior chickens.
Zeros took a container with the eggs and headed toward the orphanage. Incidentally, the construction materials for his house had to be carried from the orphanage because his house didn’t have a wide-enough road for a carriage to go through. The reason he had never seen it before was probably because the dwarves of Hanba Constructions danced their way in early in the morning. When it came to working, they were unusually quick on their feet.
He knocked on the church’s backdoor and called out.
“Luceris-san, are you there?”[Zeros]
“Yes, hold on a minute. I’ll unlock the door…”[Luceris]
Maybe she was nearby because she quickly came running to unlock the door and greet the middle-aged magician.
“Um, are you Zeros-san?”[Luceris]
“Right… I actually like the design of this outfit, but I guess it does look a bit strange.”[Zeros]
“No, it looks good on you. It’s just that… you look like a [Catholic] priest or maybe a Shinto priest[17]. It might be a little flashy, though.”[Luceris]
“I’m supposed to be a magician, though. But anyway, these are eggs laid by my chickens, but they’re a bit too much for me alone, so I’d like to share some with you.”[Zeros]
“Are you sure? Eggs are high-class ingredients, you know? Just selling them like this should get you a lot of money.”[Luceris]
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I don’t particularly care about money and if I ever have the need, I can just go hunt deep into the forest.”[Zeros]
It was a rather bleak way of earning money. But then, to live a normal life, depending on the quality, seven palm-sized magic stones would be enough for a whole year. Earning that much could be easy for Zeros, however, he didn’t want to do anything that would make him stand out, as he wanted to live a quiet life. Additionally, since he wasn’t a mercenary, he didn’t receive requests, and so, at most he’d have to work harder in his part-time job at Hanba Constructions if he wanted extra income. Regardless, he already had enough to live comfortably for half a year.
“Thank you very much. I’m sure the children will be very happy.”[Luceris]
“Well, they’ll probably say something like ‘gimme meat, uncle!’ They aren’t exactly very timid, to say the least.”[Zeros]
“I apologize for their lack of education…”[Luceris]
“Don’t worry about it. They seemed to be thinking for themselves. Though their motives are a bit, you know…”[Zeros]
It wasn’t wrong to work hard for the sake of a comfortable life. Nevertheless, the children were foolishly pushing toward a rather vulgar dream. Zeros was worried that they would fall apart before reaching it.
“Lu… can you get me some water? I had too much to drink last night.”[Jane]
“Ah, Jane-san. Seductive since early in the morning, I see. Though, it might be a little too stimulating for an uncle like me…”[Zeros]
“Hyaaaaaaaaa!”[Jane]
Although it was supposed to be an orphanage, the mercenary Jane appeared in her underwear for some reason. For a middle-aged bachelor who’s never been around women such as Zeros, this scene was a feast for his eyes, or rather, too stimulating for them.
Anyhow, by the time she noticed Zeros, there was no point in trying to cover her body with her hands like she was currently doing because he had already seen her. Conversely, it only served to emphasize her nice figure in an erotic way to the point of almost causing a nosebleed. Her breasts that seemed to be an E cup were dazzling. Zeros was blessed with a beautiful daytime sight.
“Jane-san, what’s going— Ah! The Black Annihilator!”[Iris]
“Please stop saying that. I’m not at an age where I’d enjoy being called by that kind of nickname.”[Zeros]
Iris was also in the orphanage for some reason. For her, the top-ranked players in ORG were objects of her admiration, especially the five Annihilators, who she admired as much as any idol group. And, one of them, the Black Annihilator was in front of her.
“Mister, are you going to war somewhere!? You’re in your full equipment, right?”[Iris]
“No, I just have a few errands here and there. I’m wearing this because I didn’t have a suit. In any case, why were you here in the church, Iris-san?”[Zeros]
“Ahaha… I didn’t have enough money to stay at an inn, so I asked Luceris-san if I could stay here for a little while.”[Iris]
“It’s not really a laughing matter. I think you should pick up a trade, even learning compounding would be really helpful.”[Zeros]
“Uu… I can’t make magic potions because… I ignored the production jobs.”[Iris]
Iris only ever specialized in being a combat magician and did not possess any of the skills of the production jobs. Even though she enjoyed going on adventures, she wasn’t able to put food on her plate just by working as a mercenary in the real world. Looking at her current situation, she wouldn’t be able to subsist like that very long.
“If you want, I can teach you how to make simple concoctions. If you sell them, you can at least earn money for lodging.”[Zeros]
“Really!? Please teach me, I’m in a really tight spot right now.”[Iris]
The fact that Iris was in a bad financial situation meant that Jane, who was her companion, also had no money.
That Jane was crouching down behind a wall blushing. She seemed to have been really embarrassed.
“Jane-san, did Mister see you like that?”[Iris]
“It’s good being young, right? It was a sight for sore eyes for me, but it looks like it was pretty disgraceful for her. You shouldn’t be, you’re really lovely, you know?”[Zeros]
“Hyau!?”[Jane]
“Mister, that’s sexual harassment.”[Iris]
“You can’t take that to court under the laws of this country, and in any case, it was an accident, I’m not at fault here, alright.”[Zeros]
She was in low spirits as she turned bright red behind the wall, annoyed at that man who saw her unladylike appearance but remained unfazed. As she got even more embarrassed, Jane suppressed her voiceless scream and started to resent the middle-aged magician instead.
“Zeros-san, don’t tease her too much. She might look like a strong-minded woman, but she’s a pure-hearted maiden on the inside.”[Luceris]
“I meant it, though. But going back to the eggs, you should start using them as soon as possible. They’ll last about twenty days at room temperature, but I recommend eating them while they’re fresh.”[Zeros]
“Fufufu… Fret not! I bought a refrigerator in case something like this happened. This will be able to preserve perishable foods a lot longer.”[Luceris]
“And you purchased that from the Solisthea Firm, right? I just made that the other day and they’re already selling it… Duke DelSasis is not to be underestimated, indeed.”[Zeros]
He couldn’t hide how amazed he was at the duke’s zealousness, seeing that the idea he proposed around three weeks ago had culminated in the product already being sold. Although the structure itself was simple, implying that it wouldn’t cost much, just gathering the required number of magic stones and mediums to make ice should’ve been quite the challenge. Zeros was curious about all that they had to do to make it possible.
“Well then, I have some things to do, so I’ll be on my way… Ah, now that I think about it, I haven’t seen the children.”[Zeros]
“Ange-chan and the other children went to clean up the city. They wanted to save up some money to buy equipment for when they become mercenaries.”[Luceris]
“They’re really strong… If only they weren’t doing it because of… you know.”[Zeros]
The children who were pushing forward for the sake of their dreams were indomitable, but he still thought they left an air of disappointment. Zeros and Luceris were seriously thinking about what went wrong with their upbringing.
“Anyway, here are the eggs. I’m running a bit late, so I’ll excuse myself now. Ah, can I go through the church?”[Zeros]
“Of course, and thank you for all your help. Now our meals can be a little more extravagant.”[Luceris]
“Hahaha. I’m glad you’re happy. Then, I’ll be on my way.”[Zeros][18]
Zeros went through the church and headed for the carriage waiting at the front entrance. In order to run away from him, Jane went first to hide in the room where the children usually slept in.
After seeing him off one last time, Luceris went to the storeroom to get a broom to start cleaning.
“…Lu… You like that old man?”[Jane]
“What!?”[Luceris]
“Hmm, I thought so. You were looking at him like a newlywed wife.”[Jane]
“Newlywed!? Me!? That’s— that’s not true! And what about you, Jane? I know you’re self-conscious around him, right!?”[Luceris]
“Ugh! Me!? With that guy— no, that old man!?”[Jane]
“Yes, you’re interested in him too, aren’t you? You’re oddly aware of him, and love has nothing to do with age, right?”[Luceris]
“I… am not…”[Jane]
Both Jane and Luceris were just as aware of Zeros. However, they were budding feelings that were yet to bloom into love. The two, who never experienced a first love, were still unaware of their feelings.
And so, in front of the altar dedicated to the gods, they enjoyed their girls’ talk. Nevertheless, there was something they were forgetting… In this world, there existed an embarrassingly fiendish phenomenon commonly known as Love Syndrome, or in other words, a mating season[or estrus].
This love syndrome will suddenly spread like wildfire one day.
[1] I’m fairly certain that the author isn’t referring to the modern synthesis of evolutionary theories, but the fantasy/game-esque kind. Doubt the people in this fantasy world have science to begin with
[2] I guess it makes sense, but I’m still confused by that sentence; 生命の神秘と言うより、寧ろインフレなのかもしれない。Like, considering that elves and dwarves, and surely spirits as well, live for so long, given enough time and horniness, new species are bound to happen, I guess??
[3] a proverb, literally meaning something like “if you want to live comfortably in the future, you gotta be willing to go buy your hardships” which is probably using some obscure use of the verb to buy, so I just googled what tf it meant;楽して生きる為には、今の苦労を買って出もしろ
[4] Term used is 酒池肉林[shuchinikurin], a double entendre, if you will. It originally carried the meaning of a luxurious and extravagant banquet – making a pond of sake and enough meat to cover a forest – but now, seeing the kanji, most people think of orgies and licentiousness, I imagine due to the word 肉欲 [nikuyoku] meaning literally ‘wants of the flesh’. Couldn’t come up with a word with the same implication in English, but I guess the meaning of “depravity” isn’t restrictive to orgies or sex in general, so.
[5] No clue, either. Might be an anime reference? Google wasn’t very helpful; ○岡さんや海○先生
[6] Silkies are those chickens that look like maltese dogs, with – I kid you not – black meat and bones and endemic from Asia.
They’re known for the especially intense color of their egg yolks.
ヨード卵・光[yodo tamago hikari] is a brand of relatively high class eggs, marketed as being “the healthiest eggs” due to both the feed and the animals themselves being exceptional. Their most distinctive feature is also their colorful yolk
which as you can see, makes for a pretty flashing-looking tamago kake gohan.
[7] Kusaya is a type of dried fish known for its incredibly foul smell (I even saw it being described as ‘the worst smell ever’) due to using partly-fermented fish juices. I put it as brine, but is more like the resulting stinky broth that comes out of the process given that it uses a different character for it.
[8] yes his name is a pun on Dandy. Actually, the author wrote it as “dantisu” the first time, which looks and sounds cooler romanized imo. “Dandisu” sounds like Candice in English.
[9] Famous saying of Japanese pop culture artist, Okamoto Tarou, known for his weird art and eccentric personality. Seems random at first, but it has its layers. The phrase is reflective of his whole life philosophy, essentially meaning that art is something you actively enjoy and make, as opposed to something boring and passive. It takes a more literal meaning here, though.
[10] yes the previous 3 paragraphs were randomly inserted here for some reason, I checked again but I’m sure I didn’t skip anything.
[11] The author wrote “marchioness” but I’m sure that’s just a kanji mistake. Or I’ve mistranslated quite a lot of this novel lmao
[12] it uses a different kanji for dragon and it also happens to be a monster from Monster Hunter; https://monsterhunter.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Gravios so I just took the English translation on that page
[13] I previously translated 魔改造 in chapter 42 as “magically-modified,” but after a bit of googling I saw that it was mainly used as slang for fan-made, unofficial mods of figurines – like gundams for example – so I’ll go with “customize” because it sounds a bit more game-y and gives off the vibe of actually leaving something in a better state than it previously was
[14] items, or weapons in this case, that devs put in a game as a joke because of how silly they look;
also, revolver gun is apparently a thing from final fantasy
[15] by thin eyes the author means itome [糸目] like the eyes of anime villains like ichimaru from bleach. It’s not racist i swear
[16] reference to that hellsing anime I haven’t seen. I assume it’s the protagonist’s catchphrase
[17] I think I had a bit of trouble translating both terms in a previous chapter. 神父 refers to a christian priest, but especially a catholic one, while 神官 refers to a traditional shinto one. I assume the author simply wanted to differentiate between 2 types of fantasy priests and not exactly name-drop the real-life religions.
[18] I thought Dandyce was with him the whole time tho. what happened to him
It was around the time the sky dusked and many began to fall asleep or relax after a hard day’s work. The man carried a certain article, which he had finally managed to get in his possession, to his chambers in order to confirm its authenticity, and once he did, he raised the corners of his mouth in a gloating smile. His public facade was that of a successful and skilled merchant, but in the criminal underworld, he was known as a large purveyor of black market goods.
To obtain what we wanted, the trader would not hesitate to use whatever means necessary, like deceiving people into artificially raising the prices of certain commodities, or in some cases, ordering his subordinates to dispose of them.
In his hands was a necklace with two translucent jewels that tended to be priceless more often than not. He spared no efforts to obtain this item, which it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that it could be found in the treasury of some country. But, although its original owner was already buried six feet under, with the necklace being such a famous article, selling it on the authorized market would’ve been impossible, and he already predicted that a search for it would be conducted the next day. Nevertheless, probably due to there being a great number of people looking for all manner of illegal goods, the man already had a list of potential buyers in mind that would quickly take it off his hands. And, since he was trading illegal goods, the best course of action would be to sell it and have it immediately taken out of the country.
“Good Lord… Making me go through so much. You wouldn’t have died if you’d sold it to me when I asked.”
The man held the necklace between his fat fingers while directing a sneer at its deceased former owner but that soon transformed into a vulgar smile as he looked at the magnificent ornamentation of the necklace once more. He didn’t know how much the item would fetch for, but he was certain it would be enough to fill his pockets chock-full with gold. That was because the necklace in question was a magic tool. Furthermore, it was a relic with a high artistic value discovered in an ancient ruin. Just thinking about the price, the man couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
“A treasured article made by an elf from ancient times, huh? How splendid kukuku… hm? W-What the… My neck…”
He suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, and when he went to touch the spot with his hand, he found a small needle lodged in there. The man had a big frame as a consequence of all the excess flesh covering his body, which had blocked the needle’s path leaving but a small wound behind. However, he soon felt his body grow heavy and strong nausea assaulted him.
“Eh!? Ca… Mo… Ve…”
Gradually, it became difficult for him to move, he had an intense headache along with the nausea. Paralyzed without being able to even ask for help, he promptly concluded that he was hit by a poisoned needle. Unfortunately, he also happened to dismiss all his subordinates to appraise the necklace. In a way, it was poetic justice.
On the other hand, the poison seemed to be a fast-acting one, meaning that it was too late for him. The man experienced excruciating pain before dying just like all his victims. And, in the empty room where its owner died, something started to move. A black shadow emerged from the floor as if seeping out of it. The shadow wriggled eerily on the spot until it took the shape of a human body before long – a woman in her twenties. Wearing a black dress that heavily emphasized her cleavage, and adorning herself with a large number of accessories, her figure was clearly reminiscent of that of a noble lady. However, her gentle smile seemed unfitted for such a gruesome scene. Regardless, she approached the table the man was using and picked up the necklace, nodding in satisfaction.
“Hm, wonderful. Fufufu… No hard feelings, alright? It’s just business.”
The underworld would always be a place where lives were at stake. The man was killed because he had been targeted by another organization. His rivals in the business world wanted to trample over his dead body.
“Sure, it’s kind of a pain, but if I can get my hands on these beauties, I’m all for it anytime. Ufufu…”
Even though she just killed a man, she was still mesmerized and enamored by the ornament in front of her eyes, and as she was touching it, the necklace suddenly vanished from her hands.
“I might as well take some other things while I’m at it. Now, I wonder where’s the good stuff hidden.”
The woman slipped back into the shadows and disappeared from the room. All that was left was the corpse of the merchant who committed crimes to satisfy his greed.
It was not until morning that his corpse was discovered. Nevertheless, the identity of the killer could not be ascertained and therefore, the investigation was eventually closed, as no traces of the murderer were found. In the end, the only people who rejoiced were those whose lives were ruined by the black market merchant.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
It was early morning, at the time Zeros finished weeding the fields as he did every day and the chickens started with their training. Close to twenty chickens were thrusting their fists and legs in and out in perfect succession as if they were practicing martial arts stances in some Buddhist temple. For some reason, the three types of chickens – Shiro Obi, Ripper, and Archer were also practicing stances. Seemingly wanting to transform into a stronger variant, they hadn’t neglected their training for even a single day.
Additionally, the Grappler, Slasher, and Sniper Cuckoos were named Wookay, Zankay, and Senkay, respectively, and they were asked to serve as the representatives for the rest of the chickens. And, perhaps because they received a name, somehow Zeros thought the chickens might have become even stronger, but in the end whatever the truth was, he decided to put it out of his mind and not worry about it.
To start with, it was a world with strange laws, like the existence of magic, for example, so it wasn’t strange to think that there could be named monsters. With his nonsensical reasoning, Zeros took it as —“Don’t really care if they get stronger, just want them to lay more of those delicious eggs.”
Unexplainably, the three chickens who were named became more loyal and helped with the farm work as well as doing their training every day in order to become stronger. As a result, the rest of the chickens also started to help with the fields, hence there was no need to hire any extra hands, luckily for Zeros. Moreover, as they even ate the harmful insects, they were on their way to becoming quite the useful workers. Nevertheless, he couldn’t understand why these chickens, including the Sniper Cuckoo, were so keen to learn martial arts.
“Why do you guys want to learn martial arts? And you, you’re a long-range support type, you know?”[Zeros]
“Kike kikeriki (I realized that I couldn’t solely rely on sniping. Close-quarters combat techniques might be necessary depending on the situation.)”[Senkay]
“As long as you don’t become a jack of all trades master of none, right? Well, thinking what you want to be is also part of the training. Just wondering what you will evolve into next time.”[Zeros]
To be honest, Zeros had no idea about what the chickens were aiming for or where they were trying to reach. From the start, they were a subspecies created and molded by the unique environment they were brought up into, so there was an unknown number of possibilities for them to evolve.
Recently, the chickens have been learning calligraphy from Kaede, as well as starting to play shogi and making weapons, among other things. They were indeed very proactive. And, since monsters would transform to adapt to their environment, it would be truly frightening to see what kind of evolutionary path they would take. Furthermore, it was possible for monsters to evolve into absurdly strong creatures known as Demon Kings, and it was also entirely possible for one of the chickens to become one, as well, one way or another. Whatever it is, it was bound to be interesting for Zeros.
It was generally believed that beastmen originated from monsters and that they possibly adopted a human-like form through evolution.[1] Therefore, if that was to be believed, there was a high likelihood of the chickens transforming into something resembling humans. Considering the level of intelligence they had shown so far, it wasn’t really all that far-fetched. In fact, there were already races possessing the lineage of spirits, namely elves and dwarves, so it wasn’t impossible. And, although it was a complete enigma the process by which beings shrouded in such mysteries attained a physical body, it was clear that spirits were creating new species through evolution. Rather than just being “the mystery of life”, it could be rendered as an inflation phenomenon.[2]
“Just how far are you guys going to end up…”[Zeros]
“Kike kikkeri ki (I think, therefore I am. I push myself to the limits and only aim for the top.)”[Senkay]
“And your way of life is more important than your life itself, huh? In a sense, that’s like reaching a state of enlightenment, I suppose.”[Zeros]
They didn’t seem like chickens at all. They purely sought to obtain strength and aim for the heights. Since they were monsters, the law of the survival of the fittest was ingrained in them by instinct. That’s why, the chickens were burning their lifeforce [give their all] in an attempt to become strong enough to survive and at the same time, diligently learning all manner of things to protect their fellow avian. They instinctively changed to adapt to their environment while continuing to earnestly pursue what they thought was essential knowledge. It could be said that the chickens were bulldozing their way through the path of human evolution at a terrifying pace.
“Is there no point in thinking about the future? Hold on, what are the children doing here?”[Zeros]
Before the place Zeros was gazing at, the children of the orphanage were practicing stances along with the chickens for some reason. They were being taught thrusting techniques by Wookay and the rest of the chickens, projecting their fists in and out as if gouging through their opponents. The children were continuing to train to internalize the techniques and make them their own.
“Kike kiki (In order to live comfortably in the future, it seems you will have to earn money from now on. In that case, you should first start building up your stamina…)”[Wookay]
“You guys sure are burning with ambition, huh? I must say, it’s really commendable…”[Zeros]
For the sake of their prospective licentious lifestyle, the children had started to lay the foundations that will allow them to make money in the future. And, fitness training was certainly a step forward in that direction, but their motives were too impure.
Their plan was to dive into dungeons, betting everything on a get-rich-quick gamble.
“Alright, next up, let’s go for a run!”
“““Yes!! Hardship makes the man![3]”””
In a way, children saw things in life clearer[in reality as opposed to fantasy] than some adults. And, regardless of their motivations, their actions were definitely positive, at least for now.
Said children had lined up and started to run.
“To have a comfortable future~”
“““To have a comfortable future~”””
“Gettin’ rich quick is my dream~”
“““Gettin’ rich quick is my dream~”””
“I want money!”
“““I want money!”””
“Money’s everything!”
“““Money’s everything!”””
“Wanna make money! Lotta money!”
“““Wanna make money! Lotta money!”””
“To live in depravity, my dream is!”
“““To live in depravity, my dream is!”””[4]
The children ran while singing running cadences as if they were in some army training.
Although stained with greed, they were firmly moving forward in life. Part of Zeros was a bit concerned about it, but even so, the children were earnestly training for the sake of their dreams. As an adult, he wasn’t sure what to say to them. Regardless, the biggest enigma in his mind was whether they actually knew the meaning of the words they were singing.
“How lively… I don’t have a dream, so I can’t really talk, but… ‘money is everything,’ huh? It’s not wrong, but it’s not something kids should be saying.”[Zeros]
There was nothing bad with working hard to pursue one’s dreams. However, when the final goal was to be slothful, as someone who’s lived longer, it would be natural for him to warn them about it. On the other hand, it would also be bad if he took the wind out of their sails and it ends up negatively affecting their upbringing. In the end, Zeros could only mutter a few words to himself.
“Ugh, you have improved in these last few days. How formidable…”[Kaede]
“Kiki Kikeri! (I have still a long road ahead! Nevertheless, it’s the same for you. Your swordsmanship is sharper than yesterday.)”[Zankay]
Ahead of the place in which the children started running, the high elf who lost herself to the path of carnage – Kaede – was fiercely crossing swords with Zankay. Anyhow, Zeros was starting to get surrounded by muscle-heads in his life.
Although irrelevant at that point, he had already stopped thinking about the fact that he was having conversations with chickens. Still, It would’ve been hard for him to say whether that was because he adapted to the environment or just gave up trying to find an explanation. In the end, he seemed to have rendered this incomprehensible phenomenon as “well, it’s an otherworld, so.” In a sense, it might’ve been a wise decision.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
After his early morning training and fieldwork, Zeros was overcome with emotion as he looked at the food he had longed for. A bowl of steaming white rice with an egg on top. Of course, it was TKG.
He poured a dash of the soy sauce he received from his exchange with Kaede and mixed it together with the rice and egg. He moved his hands while trying to keep his excitement in check until it ended up as a uniform blend with a yellow-ish color. Although Zeros was somewhat worried about there being parasites in the unfertilized eggs, a scan with his appraisal skill guaranteed that they were safe to eat, so the middle-aged magician faced his favorite food. He swallowed his saliva after seeing the TKG mixed together.
“W-Well, then…”[Zeros]
He took the bowl as if he were about to engage in a fierce battle, and without hesitation, he started to wolf down its contents. The rich flavor of the rice and eggs together with the umami of the soy sauce was supposed to invite supreme bliss in his mouth… And, certainly, the egg was delicious, however…
“It’s definitely good, but the flavor is too strong… It’s not the same, the egg should have a milder…”[Zeros]
Despite still being delicious, it wasn’t the TKG from his memories. Its taste was so intense that it completely overshadowed the umami of the soy sauce. In other words, the sense of “not tasting quite right” came from the soy sauce being overwhelmed by the egg. What was supposed to be a subtle seasoning that brought out the flavor of the rest of the ingredients ended up being defeated by the intensity of the egg’s flavor.
“Oh Gods, you ask of me to create the greatest soy sauce known to man? Impossible! Who do you think I am? Unlike Im*oka-san or Kai*-sensei[5], I’m no food expert. At most I could make a somewhat normal-looking soy sauce.”[Zeros]
Unlike the eggs cheaply sold at a supermarket, these eggs would be more similar to silkies’ eggs or Yodo Hikari’s[6], one might say, but actually, they went way beyond that.
For someone with an untrained palate like him, making a kind of soy sauce that would go well with the eggs of the Wild Cuckoo seemed close to impossible. Their eggs were very much unlike chickens’. They should probably be considered as a totally different kind.
Zeros had made soy sauce on a whim when he was living in the countryside, but it had tasted just fine.
“It’s over. I didn’t expect the eggs to be like this…”[Zeros]
They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but it was as if he couldn’t even give his first step because his way was already blocked by a sheer precipice. It would be insanely difficult to go on.
“God is dead. I don’t believe in anything anymore.”[Zeros]
Said Zeros, who has never believed in God.
One might think he was exaggerating, making a fuss simply over a bowl of TKG. But, it was something a person who has lived abroad in a secluded region for a number of years might perfectly relate with. No matter how much they sought even simple Japanese food, there was an obstacle preventing them from getting close to the taste of home. On the contrary, thinking about the number of dishes that are mistakenly called “Japanese Food” but in the end are completely different things can give one an idea of how desperate Zeros was. And, the tamago kake gohan he just ate seemed to be exactly that kind of dish that gets the aforementioned misnomer. Although delicious, it wasn’t what he was expecting at all. Furthermore, Zeros was specialized in production skills[in the sense of engineering or inventing technology], so he was a complete amateur when it came to food. The fact that he was able to make soy sauce and miso was a feat in itself, or rather, it would be stranger if he were able to effortlessly devise a type of soy sauce tailor-made for the eggs he had. It seems that there were some things that cheats could do and some things they simply couldn’t.
To this rather abstruse question, the middle-aged magician was as depressed as the Marianas Trench is deep.
“For soy sauce and miso I’d need wheat, kouji, and salt… And then, soybeans. Hmm, soybeans, huh?”[Zeros]
There were Jack Beans planted on the fields, which grew like trees and bore a fruit that was similar to a pomegranate’s. However, the problem was that this fruit was filled with several beans that resembled mung beans or fava beans. In the end, Zeros could not help but hold his head in between his hands after he looked at the reference book. It seemed that the most common type of bean [in this world] was the adzuki bean, therefore it would be exceedingly difficult to gather enough [soybeans] to make miso or soy sauce. This world’s ecology was strange in many different ways, even when it came to plants.
“Well… I think I should probably leave it to someone else. I feel like this is already too much for me to do on my own.”[Zeros]
He was capable of making a passable miso and soy sauce, but the eggs of the chickens who have undergone an outrageous evolution were too high quality. It was an inevitability that they would defeat the mediocre condiments. Even still, Zeros refused to surrender and so he put his mind to work in order to find the ideal seasoning at any cost.
“It’d be nice if I could at least make a good sake… I’ve never done it before, though.”[Zeros]
In modern Japan, one couldn’t make sake without a permit. So, he would essentially have to fumble his way through it if he wanted to make some. It was incomparably more difficult than making miso or soy sauce. Because, although he’d lived in the countryside for a long time, he still bought almost everything food-related, therefore, attempting to make it himself was nothing short of a foolhardy plan.
Nevertheless, there was nothing wrong with seeking the taste of one’s hometown. He felt that he could finally start moving forward if he could recreate that taste. Naturally, it would be an illusion, a fabrication in his head, but being in a completely different world instead of just a secluded place on Earth, that feeling he had about Japanese cuisine was very important to him.
“I could use fish sauce, but it smells bad during the fermentation process. It would disturb the neighbors…”[Zeros]
Fish sauce had a very strong odor during its fermentation stage. Not only will he end up with Kusaya brine[7] if he fails, but it would also require a great deal of courage to attempt making it in the first place. It was not something to make in the city. And so, Zeros had his meal while agonizing about that kind of thing.
Just as he was about to enter into a never-ending cycle of worries, Wookay opened the door and entered his house.
“Ki Kikeri Ki (Master, you have a guest. What shall we do?)”[Wookay]
“A guest? Who might it be? I don’t remember expecting any guests. Hmm…”[Zeros]
“Kike Kikeri! (I’m afraid I don’t know.)”[Wookay]
“Fumu. Then, I’ll go receive them right now. It could be Creston-san.”[Zeros]
Zeros promptly made his way toward the entranceway and opened the front door, where a good-looking middle-aged man was calmly standing. The man, who wouldn’t look at all out of place in a pub with a cocktail shaker in his hands, was Duke of Solisthea’s butler, Dandyce.[8]
He was only second to the feudal lord, DelSasis, when it came to dandyism.
“Oh, if it isn’t Dandyce-san? It’s been a while, what might you need?”[Zeros]
“Yes, it’s been a while, Zeros-dono. Actually, DelSasis-sama wanted to discuss a few things with you, so I came to invite you. Unless you have some important business to attend to, he would like you to come to the residence immediately.”[Dandyce]
“Is it urgent? I’m not particularly busy or anything, I’m just wondering what it could be about? I doubt it’s a request to produce something…”[Zeros]
Thinking that it would be rude to leave a guest standing at the door, he invited Dandyce into the house.
Many of the things Zeros made were dangerous. Put in another way, the minority of his magic tools were safe to use. He’s only made weapons that would have a massive power if used. Of course, if he wanted to, he could make items for self-defense but for some reason, he didn’t feel like making them.
In the game, he was like a criminal who took pleasure in seeing others’ reactions to his wrongdoings as he made explosives while saying “Art is an explosion!”[9] Sort of like a villain from a certain ninja manga.
As one would expect, he didn’t feel like doing that sort of insane thing considering he wasn’t in his avatar anymore. Nevertheless, as an old man, the fact that he was almost pretending to be a terrorist in a game didn’t go away. A relatively new period of his dark history, if you will.[10]
“Oh, were you in the middle of your meal?”[Dandyce]
“Yes, I got some good-quality eggs recently. It’s just that it was a bit disappointing that they didn’t go well with the condiments I have. I was pondering about that.”[Zeros]
“Hmm, condiments, is that right? Ho, Is this soy sauce? Certainly, I’ve heard it’s made in an island country in the East.”[Dandyce]
“I can make a somewhat normal soy sauce, but the Cuckoos‘ eggs have too much of an intense flavor for it. I would’ve liked if the soy sauce was a bit stronger.”[Zeros]
“Oh? Does that mean you didn’t buy it from the Solisthea Firm? I believe they manufacture and commercialize soy sauce, miso, and other condiments…”[Dandyce]
“…What?”[Zeros]
(Said in English)
His mind went blank for a moment.
“I meant to say that the Solisthea Firm sells them. We established a partnership with an Eastern merchant, so we’ve been producing and selling them in this country for some time now… Were you not aware of it?”[Dandyce]
“God, I would’ve never guessed that they would be sold here. No… never mind that. Just in how many places is the feudal lord-dono doing business?”[Zeros]
“Well, the lord can sell anything to anyone while also managing buy anything that can be bought. Anyhow, the East seems to be embroiled in war, and so, many merchants and craftsmen who can’t find any work come as refugees, hoping for more favorable conditions.”[Dandyce]
“…DelSasis-dono. Isn’t he more of a cheat than me? I knew he wasn’t a normal person.”[Zeros]
The cheat sage. Completely defeated by the flawless super lord.
As an aside, the soy sauce and miso sold at the Solisthea Firm were in high demand because of their taste, and they were famous as high-class seasonings, being traded at equally high prices. Since the ingredients used were different from the ones in the East, they were substituted for ones that would perform better in this country. By now, they were being mass-produced and sold by Eastern craftsmen. And, the fact that they weren’t used as slaves, but instead hired as craftsmen valued for their skills, showed the lord’s uprightness.
“It’s a bit hard for me to enter the shop. It gives too much of a high-class feeling, you know? It’s also in a prime location. Not just me, but anyone would feel hesitant entering, right?”[Zeros]
“Hahaha, right, it isn’t a store that is marketed toward commoners. That’s what all the people who visit there say.”[Dandyce]
“I suppose it’d be hard to anyway. I really didn’t expect to find soy sauce and miso so close by. Duke DelSasis is to be reckoned with, truly.”[Zeros]
Duke DelSasis, a man who lives for his work and playing around with women.
Zeros didn’t know what his work philosophy was, but judging from the fact that he’s not only managing his territory but also raking in good results in business, he couldn’t be simply described with the word “excellent.” The middle-aged magician was struck with awe and fear by such a super genius entrepreneur. And now, miso and soy sauce…
“But well, what is it that you needed me for? Did DelSasis-dono tell you anything?”[Zeros]
“No, I’m afraid I wasn’t informed. Ah, well, there is one thing, I suppose…”[Dandyce]
“What is it?”[Zeros]
“The lord asked if you could wear formal attire as long as it is within the realm of possibility, of course. Um, it seems that the madams were quite displeased…”[Dandyce]
As Dandyce pointed out, Zeros usually wore a discolored gray robe and two swords at his waist. He looked absolutely suspicious, and above all, it wasn’t at all the proper appearance to have a meeting with the feudal lord. He previously met DelSasis in those clothes, and the two Duchesses[11] seemed to loathe him because of it. On the other hand, one didn’t need to think too far to see how incredibly rude it must’ve been for Zeros to show up like that.
He didn’t mind getting on the bad side of those in power, but this time around he felt that it would be a bad move to get on bad terms with the president of the firm that sells and produces soy sauce and miso. Nevertheless, even if he were requested to wear formal attire, he didn’t have anything suitable in his possession.
“Alright, could you wait just a minute? Let me fix my appearance a little bit.”[Zeros]
“Yes, I’m terribly sorry about this, but the fact that you are a Great Sage must remain a secret.”[Dandyce]
“It’s fine, don’t worry. Still, just how long it’s been since I’ve dressed up…”[Zeros]
Zeros had not worn any sort of formal attire in around seven years. He immediately shaved his stubble and fixed his hair after he entered the washroom. There weren’t any hair products, but he did have a compounding oil made from plants instead, and when he used appraisal on it, he found out that it could be used as a hair conditioner. This oil was made by crushing and squeezing out the milewid fruit, however, it wasn’t used in cooking but mainly in medicine compounding; adding a small quantity of this oil could improve the efficacy of the remedy. Incidentally, it could also be used as medicine for abdominal pain, but it seemed that it had the same effects as castor oil when ingested a certain amount of it. It was fortunate that Zeros possessed a large quantity of this oil, as he often used it in the production of secret medicinal potions.
“Now, put this for my bangs… My hair at the back is getting too long, should I tie it up with Dragon Hair?”[Zeros]
He shaved his beard with a knife, which normally one might think to be too dangerous, but Zeros was more than familiar with the task. He became quite skilled in using a kitchen knife to shave so as to not have to buy a shaver. It remained a mystery if he also didn’t feel like just buying razors…
And so, he took his full equipment out of his inventory. A coat-styled robe made from the hide of a Black Dragon and a breastplate made from its scales. Adding the boots and gauntlets created using a Black Armor Wyvern[12], he looked just like a fighting priest.
Zeros was in all black from head to toe, but strangely enough, he still gave off a feeling of holiness. The gilding and gold thread ornaments here and there created a sense of elegance and refinement. However, his equipment had been entirely customized[13] and made from materials so precious that an average magician wouldn’t even dream of obtaining.
If appraised properly, it would appear as having defense on the same level as legendary-grade equipment. Even so, the most extraordinary thing would be the staff he was holding. Using a greatsword, that was made out of rare metals, as a base, the scales and shell of a Black Dragon were used to give it a bizarrely ominous and mechanical [like a transformer] appearance. After all, the revolver-like magazine and the several rings attached to the center of the sword exuded a certain eerie feel, like a mix between a living organism and something completely mechanical, as antithetical as it sounded.
CUSTOM WAND MODEL 54: Despite looking like a sword, it was a wand that served as a magic medium. A joke weapon[14] capable of magic bombardment, in other words.
In addition, he had two combat knives at his waist and several throwing ones concealed in his inside breast pocket. The moniker Black Annihilator came from the fact that he was absolutely peerless when he was donning the previously-mentioned equipment.
“First time wearing this outfit here, I guess. It’s embarrassing how chuuni it is, though…”[Zeros]
With his hair done and his eyes now visible, the middle-aged magician’s thin eyes[15] and gentle impression were completely revealed. Albeit slightly, it was actually scary when Zeros would open his eyes. Even he himself thought that he gave off a cold-blooded air, so naturally, other people would think so as well.
Regardless, although he wasn’t exactly super handsome, the material itself wasn’t bad at all. The finishing touch was a pointy hat so characteristic of magicians, woven from mithril thread and Kuroko Spider silk. To illustrate, he seemed like he would shout something like “Aaaameeeen!!” while hunting vampires.[16]
With that enormous sword on his back, Zeros went to Dandyce.
“Z-Zeros-dono, are you going to war!?”[Dandyce]
“Is that the first thing you say!? Well, in a sense, I guess it is a war, right? I wouldn’t want the Duchesses to take jabs at me from the side [to look down on], so I’ll have to put some sort of intimidating aura…… Truth is that I don’t have a suit, alright.”[Zeros]
If he had one, he wouldn’t be wearing such dangerous-looking equipment. Unfortunately, most of his possessions were articles like that.
“If I may ask, what do you normally do on a day-to-day basis? To have such a formidable weapon…”[Dandyce]
“Just farming, you know? Ah, by the way, do you want some eggs? Can’t eat them all by myself.”[Zeros]
“We procure Wild Cuckoo eggs from a reputable farm, so I’m afraid I’ll have to decline, but how about sharing some with the orphanage?”[Dandyce]
“Good idea… So, shall we stop by before heading to the feudal lord-dono’s mansion? Freshness is the key to eggs, after all.”[Zeros]
For some reason, Zeros’ house and the orphanage were connected. There was a backdoor that went through the wall. Obviously, any thief would be able to pass through it, except that they would encounter the strongest and most atrocious guards ever. Any thief would be beaten black and blue by the warrior chickens.
Zeros took a container with the eggs and headed toward the orphanage. Incidentally, the construction materials for his house had to be carried from the orphanage because his house didn’t have a wide-enough road for a carriage to go through. The reason he had never seen it before was probably because the dwarves of Hanba Constructions danced their way in early in the morning. When it came to working, they were unusually quick on their feet.
He knocked on the church’s backdoor and called out.
“Luceris-san, are you there?”[Zeros]
“Yes, hold on a minute. I’ll unlock the door…”[Luceris]
Maybe she was nearby because she quickly came running to unlock the door and greet the middle-aged magician.
“Um, are you Zeros-san?”[Luceris]
“Right… I actually like the design of this outfit, but I guess it does look a bit strange.”[Zeros]
“No, it looks good on you. It’s just that… you look like a [Catholic] priest or maybe a Shinto priest[17]. It might be a little flashy, though.”[Luceris]
“I’m supposed to be a magician, though. But anyway, these are eggs laid by my chickens, but they’re a bit too much for me alone, so I’d like to share some with you.”[Zeros]
“Are you sure? Eggs are high-class ingredients, you know? Just selling them like this should get you a lot of money.”[Luceris]
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I don’t particularly care about money and if I ever have the need, I can just go hunt deep into the forest.”[Zeros]
It was a rather bleak way of earning money. But then, to live a normal life, depending on the quality, seven palm-sized magic stones would be enough for a whole year. Earning that much could be easy for Zeros, however, he didn’t want to do anything that would make him stand out, as he wanted to live a quiet life. Additionally, since he wasn’t a mercenary, he didn’t receive requests, and so, at most he’d have to work harder in his part-time job at Hanba Constructions if he wanted extra income. Regardless, he already had enough to live comfortably for half a year.
“Thank you very much. I’m sure the children will be very happy.”[Luceris]
“Well, they’ll probably say something like ‘gimme meat, uncle!’ They aren’t exactly very timid, to say the least.”[Zeros]
“I apologize for their lack of education…”[Luceris]
“Don’t worry about it. They seemed to be thinking for themselves. Though their motives are a bit, you know…”[Zeros]
It wasn’t wrong to work hard for the sake of a comfortable life. Nevertheless, the children were foolishly pushing toward a rather vulgar dream. Zeros was worried that they would fall apart before reaching it.
“Lu… can you get me some water? I had too much to drink last night.”[Jane]
“Ah, Jane-san. Seductive since early in the morning, I see. Though, it might be a little too stimulating for an uncle like me…”[Zeros]
“Hyaaaaaaaaa!”[Jane]
Although it was supposed to be an orphanage, the mercenary Jane appeared in her underwear for some reason. For a middle-aged bachelor who’s never been around women such as Zeros, this scene was a feast for his eyes, or rather, too stimulating for them.
Anyhow, by the time she noticed Zeros, there was no point in trying to cover her body with her hands like she was currently doing because he had already seen her. Conversely, it only served to emphasize her nice figure in an erotic way to the point of almost causing a nosebleed. Her breasts that seemed to be an E cup were dazzling. Zeros was blessed with a beautiful daytime sight.
“Jane-san, what’s going— Ah! The Black Annihilator!”[Iris]
“Please stop saying that. I’m not at an age where I’d enjoy being called by that kind of nickname.”[Zeros]
Iris was also in the orphanage for some reason. For her, the top-ranked players in ORG were objects of her admiration, especially the five Annihilators, who she admired as much as any idol group. And, one of them, the Black Annihilator was in front of her.
“Mister, are you going to war somewhere!? You’re in your full equipment, right?”[Iris]
“No, I just have a few errands here and there. I’m wearing this because I didn’t have a suit. In any case, why were you here in the church, Iris-san?”[Zeros]
“Ahaha… I didn’t have enough money to stay at an inn, so I asked Luceris-san if I could stay here for a little while.”[Iris]
“It’s not really a laughing matter. I think you should pick up a trade, even learning compounding would be really helpful.”[Zeros]
“Uu… I can’t make magic potions because… I ignored the production jobs.”[Iris]
Iris only ever specialized in being a combat magician and did not possess any of the skills of the production jobs. Even though she enjoyed going on adventures, she wasn’t able to put food on her plate just by working as a mercenary in the real world. Looking at her current situation, she wouldn’t be able to subsist like that very long.
“If you want, I can teach you how to make simple concoctions. If you sell them, you can at least earn money for lodging.”[Zeros]
“Really!? Please teach me, I’m in a really tight spot right now.”[Iris]
The fact that Iris was in a bad financial situation meant that Jane, who was her companion, also had no money.
That Jane was crouching down behind a wall blushing. She seemed to have been really embarrassed.
“Jane-san, did Mister see you like that?”[Iris]
“It’s good being young, right? It was a sight for sore eyes for me, but it looks like it was pretty disgraceful for her. You shouldn’t be, you’re really lovely, you know?”[Zeros]
“Hyau!?”[Jane]
“Mister, that’s sexual harassment.”[Iris]
“You can’t take that to court under the laws of this country, and in any case, it was an accident, I’m not at fault here, alright.”[Zeros]
She was in low spirits as she turned bright red behind the wall, annoyed at that man who saw her unladylike appearance but remained unfazed. As she got even more embarrassed, Jane suppressed her voiceless scream and started to resent the middle-aged magician instead.
“Zeros-san, don’t tease her too much. She might look like a strong-minded woman, but she’s a pure-hearted maiden on the inside.”[Luceris]
“I meant it, though. But going back to the eggs, you should start using them as soon as possible. They’ll last about twenty days at room temperature, but I recommend eating them while they’re fresh.”[Zeros]
“Fufufu… Fret not! I bought a refrigerator in case something like this happened. This will be able to preserve perishable foods a lot longer.”[Luceris]
“And you purchased that from the Solisthea Firm, right? I just made that the other day and they’re already selling it… Duke DelSasis is not to be underestimated, indeed.”[Zeros]
He couldn’t hide how amazed he was at the duke’s zealousness, seeing that the idea he proposed around three weeks ago had culminated in the product already being sold. Although the structure itself was simple, implying that it wouldn’t cost much, just gathering the required number of magic stones and mediums to make ice should’ve been quite the challenge. Zeros was curious about all that they had to do to make it possible.
“Well then, I have some things to do, so I’ll be on my way… Ah, now that I think about it, I haven’t seen the children.”[Zeros]
“Ange-chan and the other children went to clean up the city. They wanted to save up some money to buy equipment for when they become mercenaries.”[Luceris]
“They’re really strong… If only they weren’t doing it because of… you know.”[Zeros]
The children who were pushing forward for the sake of their dreams were indomitable, but he still thought they left an air of disappointment. Zeros and Luceris were seriously thinking about what went wrong with their upbringing.
“Anyway, here are the eggs. I’m running a bit late, so I’ll excuse myself now. Ah, can I go through the church?”[Zeros]
“Of course, and thank you for all your help. Now our meals can be a little more extravagant.”[Luceris]
“Hahaha. I’m glad you’re happy. Then, I’ll be on my way.”[Zeros][18]
Zeros went through the church and headed for the carriage waiting at the front entrance. In order to run away from him, Jane went first to hide in the room where the children usually slept in.
After seeing him off one last time, Luceris went to the storeroom to get a broom to start cleaning.
“…Lu… You like that old man?”[Jane]
“What!?”[Luceris]
“Hmm, I thought so. You were looking at him like a newlywed wife.”[Jane]
“Newlywed!? Me!? That’s— that’s not true! And what about you, Jane? I know you’re self-conscious around him, right!?”[Luceris]
“Ugh! Me!? With that guy— no, that old man!?”[Jane]
“Yes, you’re interested in him too, aren’t you? You’re oddly aware of him, and love has nothing to do with age, right?”[Luceris]
“I… am not…”[Jane]
Both Jane and Luceris were just as aware of Zeros. However, they were budding feelings that were yet to bloom into love. The two, who never experienced a first love, were still unaware of their feelings.
And so, in front of the altar dedicated to the gods, they enjoyed their girls’ talk. Nevertheless, there was something they were forgetting… In this world, there existed an embarrassingly fiendish phenomenon commonly known as Love Syndrome, or in other words, a mating season[or estrus].
This love syndrome will suddenly spread like wildfire one day.
[1] I’m fairly certain that the author isn’t referring to the modern synthesis of evolutionary theories, but the fantasy/game-esque kind. Doubt the people in this fantasy world have science to begin with
[2] I guess it makes sense, but I’m still confused by that sentence; 生命の神秘と言うより、寧ろインフレなのかもしれない。Like, considering that elves and dwarves, and surely spirits as well, live for so long, given enough time and horniness, new species are bound to happen, I guess??
[3] a proverb, literally meaning something like “if you want to live comfortably in the future, you gotta be willing to go buy your hardships” which is probably using some obscure use of the verb to buy, so I just googled what tf it meant;楽して生きる為には、今の苦労を買って出もしろ
[4] Term used is 酒池肉林[shuchinikurin], a double entendre, if you will. It originally carried the meaning of a luxurious and extravagant banquet – making a pond of sake and enough meat to cover a forest – but now, seeing the kanji, most people think of orgies and licentiousness, I imagine due to the word 肉欲 [nikuyoku] meaning literally ‘wants of the flesh’. Couldn’t come up with a word with the same implication in English, but I guess the meaning of “depravity” isn’t restrictive to orgies or sex in general, so.
[5] No clue, either. Might be an anime reference? Google wasn’t very helpful; ○岡さんや海○先生
[6] Silkies are those chickens that look like maltese dogs, with – I kid you not – black meat and bones and endemic from Asia.
They’re known for the especially intense color of their egg yolks.
ヨード卵・光[yodo tamago hikari] is a brand of relatively high class eggs, marketed as being “the healthiest eggs” due to both the feed and the animals themselves being exceptional. Their most distinctive feature is also their colorful yolk
which as you can see, makes for a pretty flashing-looking tamago kake gohan.
[7] Kusaya is a type of dried fish known for its incredibly foul smell (I even saw it being described as ‘the worst smell ever’) due to using partly-fermented fish juices. I put it as brine, but is more like the resulting stinky broth that comes out of the process given that it uses a different character for it.
[8] yes his name is a pun on Dandy. Actually, the author wrote it as “dantisu” the first time, which looks and sounds cooler romanized imo. “Dandisu” sounds like Candice in English.
[9] Famous saying of Japanese pop culture artist, Okamoto Tarou, known for his weird art and eccentric personality. Seems random at first, but it has its layers. The phrase is reflective of his whole life philosophy, essentially meaning that art is something you actively enjoy and make, as opposed to something boring and passive. It takes a more literal meaning here, though.
[10] yes the previous 3 paragraphs were randomly inserted here for some reason, I checked again but I’m sure I didn’t skip anything.
[11] The author wrote “marchioness” but I’m sure that’s just a kanji mistake. Or I’ve mistranslated quite a lot of this novel lmao
[12] it uses a different kanji for dragon and it also happens to be a monster from Monster Hunter; https://monsterhunter.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Gravios so I just took the English translation on that page
[13] I previously translated 魔改造 in chapter 42 as “magically-modified,” but after a bit of googling I saw that it was mainly used as slang for fan-made, unofficial mods of figurines – like gundams for example – so I’ll go with “customize” because it sounds a bit more game-y and gives off the vibe of actually leaving something in a better state than it previously was
[14] items, or weapons in this case, that devs put in a game as a joke because of how silly they look;
also, revolver gun is apparently a thing from final fantasy
[15] by thin eyes the author means itome [糸目] like the eyes of anime villains like ichimaru from bleach. It’s not racist i swear
[16] reference to that hellsing anime I haven’t seen. I assume it’s the protagonist’s catchphrase
[17] I think I had a bit of trouble translating both terms in a previous chapter. 神父 refers to a christian priest, but especially a catholic one, while 神官 refers to a traditional shinto one. I assume the author simply wanted to differentiate between 2 types of fantasy priests and not exactly name-drop the real-life religions.
[18] I thought Dandyce was with him the whole time tho. what happened to him
