TLNote: Sorry a little bit late guys
Enjoy
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Ossan, Meet Kreuz
Translator: OssanTL
Proofreader: Enkiros
“What …… the……?”
One thing lead to another and the ossan escaped from the mercenary guild.
The place he ran to was the appointed inn which was rather fancy.
The room was too spacious for one person to stay, with paintings, beautifully colored vases and flowers, soft carpets, and a large bed that could easily accommodate two or three people.
Zeros could not help but be stunned by the luxurious atmosphere of the place, which did not seem like an ordinary inn by any stretch of the imagination. The couches were fluffy, and the employees were extremely thorough and diligent.
The hospitality was not just excessive, but it completely surpassed the point of being overwhelmingly welcoming.
“This room…… doesn’t look like the kind of room you’d stay in alone, does it?”
If he had to guess, he would say it was a VIP room at a three-star hotel. The room itself was elegant, but it was a little uncomfortable for Zeros, a simple farmer.
The sheets were laid out on the bed without a single wrinkle, indicating that the hotel was very attentive to its guests.
In a sense, the room was completely dazzling.
“DelSasis-dono…… Isn’t this too much for a guy like me?”
At the sight of the large room with no one but himself in it, he was stunned.
If this were a second-rate inn, let alone a third-rate one, perhaps one might want to dive into the bed to relieve one’s physical and mental fatigue. However, he felt hesitant to dive into the luxurious bed, which was covered with sheets without a single wrinkle.
Although he had experienced staying in a luxury hotel, he was actually a small-town guy. He is not very good with such classy places.
Basically speaking, he prefers to stay in a cozy four-and-a-half tatami mat room, so if the room is unnecessarily large, he may feel uncomfortable.
(*Enkiros: From google: The size of a Japanese-style room is measured by the number of tatami mats: Four mat room = 6.12 sqm = 66 square feet.)
Now that he has been living in the countryside for a long time, he feels uncomfortable staying at such lodgings, both physically and mentally.
If he had been a corporate executive, he would have been able to adapt, but since he had already left such a world, he could only be troubled by this kind of accommodation.
“As expected…… I don’t feel comfortable diving into it! For some reason, I feel guilty when things are cleaned up this well… Why should I feel guilty about coming to an inn and getting worked up about it?”
For the old man, it would have been fine if it was just a cheap inn, but for some reason, DelSasis had arranged for a luxury inn that was way beyond his league. He could feel his frustration building, particularly with the Guildmaster of the mercenary guild.
He hadn’t stayed in such a high-class inn alone in more than ten years. The ossan was no longer accustomed to it.
――― Kon! Kon!
Just when he was confused about what to do, he heard a knock on the door from outside, and the ossan turned his head.
It’s obvious that Iris and the others are still in the guild, because he ran away as fast as he could, and it’s impossible they arrived at the inn so quickly. The ossan is far superior in terms of stats, there is no way they can catch up to him as he ran much faster than them.
There is no point in thinking about it, so he decides to open the door.
If it was a robbery and a knife was suddenly thrust out, the ossan now has the power to easily deal with it. He decides that there is no need to hesitate as long as he can handle it.
“Yes, who is…… Oh?”
He opened the door and saw a familiar face.
It was Misuka, a maid with dark blue hair and glasses, who was also Celestina’s personal maid.
“It’s been a while. Zeros-dono.”
“It’s been a while since we met, Misuka-san. I thought it would take a few more hours before we met, but you are faster than I thought.”
“I knew that Zeros-dono would be at the academy by the end of the day, so I timed my visit to the inn accordingly. That shouldn’t be so surprising.”
“No, it does surprise me. I just arrived at the inn a few minutes ago…… Are there secret agents all over the place?”
“It’s a trade secret. With all due respect, Zeros-dono, I’m not allowed to say.”
With that statement, he realized that there were quite a few secret agents inside the academy city.
It was, after all, DelSasis. Understandably, he would at least take steps to protect his own children, but if he acts this fast, it is more than just a few people.
The thought of how many people he has under his command sends chills down his spine.
“Unfortunately, Zweit-sama and Ojousama are unable to come to see you. It is not schoolwork…… but they had an appointment. Instead, Kreuz-sama is here.”
“Kreuz…… A~a! The report Zweit-kun’s brother wrote the other day was well written. It looks like he’s been doing a lot of detailed research on magic medium rings…… So where is he?”
There was no sign of Kreuz behind Misuka, and for some reason, there was just a strange object with a roughly coiled rope lying in the corridor. But if you look closely, you can see that the object is wriggling like a caterpillar.
“……No way, I don’t think so, but that thing wrapped in a rough rope is……
“It’s Kreuz-sama. If you let him out of your sight, he’ll go to a shady street vendor, and you’ll have no choice but to……. I “Really” had no choice but to tie him up and drag him here.”
Misuka’s glasses were glinting faintly.
The word “Really” was unusually forceful, but as far as he could see, she was happy to have tied him up. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised because she was enjoying it.
The ossan thought, ‘She’s definitely enjoying herself,’ but he didn’t say it
because she was stomping on Kreuz, who was in a caterpillar form. The old man was terrified by her behavior, which was merciless even to the son of her employer.
“But, how did he end up like this again……?”
“Even though it was time to pick up Zeros-dono, Kreuz-sama hadn’t come out of his room for some time, so I forced my way in and found him carrying a large amount of bags on his back, unable to move under the weight. I advised him to reduce his stuff, but this time he started wondering which magic tools to take with him, so I tied him up like this because it became so troublesome.”
“Long, long……. But still, magic tools? I think he wanted me to appraise them?”
For some reason, Zeros could tell what Kreuz was going to do.
At the same time, his mouth was gaping at the excessive actions of Misuka. He had no mercy at all, even for the second son of a duke.
“W, well,…… I can’t leave you standing there forever, so please come inside.”
“If you’ll excuse me.”
Misuka bows coolly and gently, and comes into the room, dragging Kreuz by the rope.
The old man wonders inwardly, ‘You didn’t just drag him in here, did you?’
As if to see through the old man’s mind, the cool maid raised her glasses and muttered a few words to him.
“Don’t worry. We took a horse-drawn carriage to get there. Although I had to drag him along……”
“You are going to kill him! That’s really dangerous, isn’t it?”
“It’s okay. I calculated the distance and made the ropes thick enough to prevent death even if I dragged him. I’ve tried to make it a comfortable thrill for Kreuz-sama.”
“That doesn’t sound safe at all!? How can you be safe if you’re doing it that way!?”
“If you live a peaceful life, you will eventually rot away. I think sometimes we need a thrill.”
“I don’t want it! I don’t need that kind of thrill!”
The ossan shuddered at the maid whose personality had changed so much in the two months since he had seen her.
“Well, I’m only half-joking……”
“Isn’t half of it true! How much of it is a lie and how much is fact!”
“I lied about the part where I dragged him in the carriage. It was a horse, to be exact?”
“So you dragged him here either way!? What kind of punishment is that!”
She was a fearsome maid.
In the Creston mansion, she was a maid with a reputation for her meticulous work, but in fact, she seemed to be a rather dangerous person. He felt that if he was fooled by her cool appearance, he wouldn’t be injured.
“Well, as long as he’s alive. Please untie the rope. I could use a little help with something.”
“You need help? …… It’s troublesome. I think we should just leave it like that.”
“No, you can’t! I’ve got a little trouble to work on, and I need his help. I’d like to change the equipment on my high-speed transport magic tool, but I’m a little short-handed.”
“Magic tools!”
“Whoa!”
Kreuz jumped up and down vigorously in a caterpillar form.
He was far crazier than the average person when it came to magic tools.
The old man was surprised by Kreuz’s action.
“Magic tools, where is it! What kind of magic tool is it, and how does it work? What kind of abilities does it have? Is it a mountable type? Is it a physical attack type like a weapon? What is its duration? What is the range? Please tell me everything, without any hidden details!”
“……You, you’ve never met me before, have you? Do you think you can just skip the greeting and focus on the magic tools?
“That is Kreuz-sama. He is only interested in the study of magic and magical tools, and not in anything else. He’s the second son of the duke’s family, so you understand the hardships we’re going through, don’t you?”
“You’re the type of person who doesn’t care about anything but his interests ……. Also, a family member with a strong personality?”
The previous head of the family was an old geezer, the father of the current head of the family was an enigmatic man with mysterious underworld activities, the older brother was a hot-headed man and the younger brother was a magic maniac. The younger sister, Celestina, seemed to be the most normal one.
“Excuse me, my name is Kreuz von Solisthea. I have long heard rumors of the Great Sage Zeros from my brother and sister. I have been wanting to speak with you for some time now, but have regretted that I have not been blessed with the opportunity. However, I have come here to take this opportunity to ask for your guidance, Zeros-dono.”
“You’ve been dragged……… though. Is your body okay? I heard you were being dragged away by a horse. ……?”
“I really thought I was going to die. Misuka has been merciless lately, and that’s a problem…… What if I did die?”
Misuka brushed aside Kreuz’s scowl with a cool face.
It was a dangerous thing to do that would normally result in death, but the fact that they accepted it as if it were the usual thing showed once again the strangeness of the House of Solisthea.
“More importantly, can you please untie the rope quickly? If I fall again, I won’t be able to get back up……”
“Alright …… Please wait a moment…… The knife is…… not this one…… this one is highly effective in poisoning……”
Going through his inventory, he searched for knives, but all of them had bad additional effects. They were all knives that could trigger dangerous magic just by cutting the rope.
The combat knives had too thick and sharp of a blade to be inserted into the gap between the ropes. The other knives were dangerous weapons that had been modified for fun and were not suitable for such a simple task. The magic contained in them was too powerful and they were all leftovers from failed attempts.
“…… Would you like to try to cut them down to the millimeter? If it fails, you might get injured, but fortunately, I can use recovery magic. What do you think? Even if your fingers are cut off, we can still attach them……?”
“…… Please cut the rope normally. From the sound of it, I’ll absolutely die instantly if you were to swing the knife.”
“I suppose you can’t treat someone if they die instantly～…… What do I do?”
The knots were secured with a skill that could be called mastery, with no gaps. Even a small knife would have a hard time cutting the rope. Moreover, if you look closely, you can see that the rope is embedded with steel wire.
Even if you wanted to cut it with a knife, it would be impossible to untie it without a decent amount of sharpness.
“Zeros-dono? With so many knives in your possession, do you have anything decent?”
“No. Even a relatively decent one will trigger a medium-range attack magic. The only ones left are the ones that were made as a joke to harass people. All the regular decent knives have been sold~ ……”
“It can’t be helped. I’ll lend you my favorite knife, but please return it later, okay?”
“So you had one! Anyway, couldn’t you have just cut the rope, Misuka-san?”
“You want me to destroy one of my own creations in this artistic packaging? Zeros-dono is cruel……”
She seemed to have some kind of obsession with tying things up with ropes.
He had no choice but to borrow the knife and cut the knot, little by little around the edges.
There were no gaps at all, and the rope itself was much sturdier than the braided steel wire.
“Someday I will tie Ojousama up with a tortoiseshell…… ahem! Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“…… Now, didn’t you just casually say something outrageous? More importantly, the shape of this knife is rather odd, but what is it used for? And before that, why do you always have a knife on hand?”
“That’s, a woman’s secret.”
The knife that he borrowed was, how should it be described……It had a strange physical shape to it.
The blade is distorted and barely recognizable as a knife, but it gives off a bizarrely evil and eerie vibe, like the kind of thing that is used in rituals by a certain tribe.
It is obviously stained with blood and rust and decorated with skulls, snakes, and other creepy decorations. It definitely looks like it is cursed.
It is a mystery what it is really used for.
“…… Please cut the rope as soon as you can, I don’t care what you do. This is a painful situation indeed, isn’t it?”
“This…… where did you get it from? It looks like the kind of thing that would be used to kill a sacrifice offered to the demons……”
The ossan was baffled in many ways, holding a hideous knife in his hand.
It would then take fifteen minutes for Kreuz to be freed.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
The old man was adjusting the equipment on his motorcycle with Kreuz, who had been freed from the ropes.
Fortunately, the room was on the first floor, so he was able to take the motorcycle out of the inventory. However, no doubt the floor was screeching out.
In fact, the room floor is still creaking. It seems that the modification process will take some time.
“There, leave the rear wheel frame horizontal. Now, install the cover and then attach the pins……”
“I have a quick question, why does the rear wheel’s frame move from side to side?”
“When you install a sidecar, you can actually only drive in a straight line~. And to turn on a curved road, you really need to be able to shift your center of gravity~……
As the rear wheel frame is operated, the wheels of the sidecar are also operated in the direction of the turn. Without this, this magic tool …… or maybe a magic machine? I, I guess it can’t turn.”
Due to the design of the motorcycle, it is not possible to turn by shifting the center of gravity if there are sidecars on both sides.
However, this magic motorcycle has an independent rear wheel suspension that can be moved to the left or right to some extent by removing the brackets and the cover.
By putting a sidecar cover on the rear frame and fixing it with bolts, it will look like a long and thin three-wheeled baby carriage. But it’s actually a four-wheeled one……
The sidecar stabilizes the balance and prevents the car from tipping over, but the movable fixed frame of the sidecar glides up and down in corners, so the vehicle should be able to make stable turns without swaying.
However, the front wheels were also equipped with motors and the shape of the car was not well balanced, so the sidecar often lifted off the ground in corners.
The motorcycle was originally designed to be ridden by a single person, and the seat was not designed to carry a person behind it. This is why a separate seat cushion had to be changed.
It was not designed to carry a large number of people, and the additional functions made the work more complicated.
Moreover, the sidecar and the two-person seat are connected to each other by a docking chain and can be removed and stored in the inventory.
This was a hassle to take out separately, so it was combined into one beforehand, but due to its size, it was a meaningless consideration. They would need to be pulled out of the inventory.
It was lighter, but the large equipment was nothing more than a burden.
“…… This, what are these parts that look like shields or swords? I think it looks like a weapon……”
“This is a secret I’ll keep to myself. I don’t know where anyone’s ears are, and I have no intention of mass-producing this motorcycle. If you’d like to, you can try doing it yourself. At least, I’m not going to.”
“…… A weapon. It’s probably built into it…… I’m curious as to what kind of weapon it is…… Can I take it apart and see?”
“No……. If you disassemble it, it’s going to be troublesome to reassemble it～…. It’s just that so much effort is put into the equipment that the rest is cut out……. However, the design is simple, yet strong.
It’s not finished yet, so I’m embarrassed to show it to anyone, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t look into it so deeply.”
“Is this incomplete? …… It’s an amazing technology.”
From the ossan’s point of view, it was just a larger version of a toy, but from Kreuz’s point of view, it was an unknown technology.
His curiosity was piqued, and Kreuz had the expression of a young child.
“It was made by magic alchemy, so other than the appearance and the casing, it’s not too shabby, and because of the amount of effort put into the external armament, it doesn’t have stable performance.”
“Now, did you just say armament? And still, you’ve managed to build something like this…… Wait! Now, you said magic alchemy, right? You can use it? That’s one of the things that mages are aiming for!”
“Eh? You can learn ‘Magic Alchemy’ and ‘Magic Manipulation’, as well as other occupational and creative skills such as blacksmithing and engraving, by increasing your rating level to a specific stage, you know?
I think it’s more of a problem when you start learning how to do it…… You can make a lot of defective or faulty products, and how many materials and minerals you have to use up to make a product that will give you the performance and effect you want……”
“Isn’t Magic Alchemy one of the highest levels a mage can reach? That’s what I have heard……”
“It’s not easy to learn, but it’s possible. To master it, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of materials. In order to collect materials, I also acquired the skills of ‘Mining’, ‘Foraging’, and ‘Alchemist’, and these skills were integrated and developed into occupational skills. Recently, there was also a profession skill called ‘Divine Sage’, though I have no idea what that means.”
The Ossan, who had originally acquired a large number of skills and developed them into profession skills, would now acquire profession skills with the slightest thing. When Zeros found out about this fact, he stopped looking at his status.
The things he could do and the abilities he could use came up in his mind by themselves. It became a hassle to check each and every one of them, and he decided that he didn’t need to worry about it since he didn’t usually use them much.
In other words, he has become a jack of all trades.
“A ‘Divine Sage’, It is difficult to understand whether you are a god or a hermit…… You’re a mage from the East, right?”
“I have no idea what kind of logic this world is using. I think it’s because I’ve mastered martial arts and magic-related profession skills, but I don’t really need those skills anymore. I don’t even know the profession.”
The Ossan and Kreuz were having a lively conversation while they worked on the wiring.
Misuka was relaxing on the sofa, leisurely enjoying an elegant cup of tea.
The motorcycle continued to be re-equipped, and it was transformed into a form with huge blade-like parts (or maybe shields) connected to both sides.
The parts on the blade are fixed with a retractable mech arm, and the motorcycle’s appearance has changed to something that looks like something a dark hero would use.
Is it his imagination, or does the shape of the motorcycle look rather hostile?
After finishing their work, the two of them plunged into a magic discussion across the table.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“……So, here’s the spell I’ve deciphered and reconstructed on my own……”
“The magic itself is fairly average, but it’s stable…… If you can make it this far on your own, you’re doing pretty well, the magic formula is constructed very carefully, and the shape of the magic circle is not bad either……. If I had to give it a score it would be 85 points.”
“85 points? Where are the remaining 15 points that are lacking?”
“First of all, the magic circle itself is too big, isn’t it? If we can shrink it as little as possible, it will greatly reduce the magic we need to use. The magic letters themselves are fine, but two lines get in the way. If it wasn’t for this, I would have been happy to accept you as a full-fledged mage.
Also, there are a few weak points in the magic formula that bugs me. Well, it’s your first time creating a magic circle, so let’s not worry about the details.”
Kreuz had restructured the existing magic on his own and was showing the old man how well it worked.
The composition of the magic formula itself was still a bit lacking, but it was verified that it still produced a stable effect, which showed that Kreuz was also blessed with a talent in a production field. He could probably make a good fortune by selling magic scrolls.
Kreuz seems to be very happy to have received a good grade from the Great Sage.
“I’d like to make a magic tool if I could. I know how to carve a magic formula into a magic stone, but I’ve never actually made one before. Are there any tricks to it?”
“If you want to carve a magic formula into a magic stone, it is better to have the ‘Magic Control’ skill. If you can’t control the magic formula when you carve it, it will form a distorted magic circle inside the magic stone.
If this happens, I’m not sure if it will have a strange effect, or if the magic will leak out and have no significant effect.”
“I see…… That’s why Celestina and my brother were training [Magic Control]…… By training your skills to a higher level, you will be able to apply them in a variety of fields.”
“Well, it’s up to the two of them to decide what kind of mage they want to become. I’m not going to say anything about it, though.”
Perhaps because Kreuz was a researcher, he asked questions about things he didn’t know without hesitation.
The Ossan sometimes had some difficulty in answering the questions, but it was really a fun time. It was like having a conversation with a friend from the game days.
“By the way, this bundle of magic formulas……. Where did you keep it? You were all wrapped up, right?”
“Misuka had it with her, didn’t she? I got it from her……”
“No, Misuka-san didn’t have anything on her when I opened the door……”
They turned their gaze to Misuka.
Misuka coolly raised her glasses and muttered a few words.
“Zeros-dono, Kreuz-sama, a maid’s skirt is full of Secrets, you know?”
“In the skirt…… these bundles of papers are quite thick!?”
“How did you fit this bundle into……. It’s as thick as a dictionary, and it will get in the way when you walk around…… It’s a mystery!”
“I think it’s best if you don’t know the maid’s secret, don’t you? If you find out, there will be no turning back.”
‘…… What kind of maid are you! What would happen if I knew…… that there was no turning back?’
A maid is supposed to be a woman who is hired to take care of your personal needs, but Misuka’s description of a maid was somewhat confusing. They both felt like they wanted to ask her about it, but at the same time, they felt a chill.
The two of them felt that there was something sinister about the profession of a maid.
Misuka simply flashed her glasses and smiled quietly at them. Honestly, it is scary.
“……Now, let’s get down to business, shall we? Let me give you this first.”
The ossan took out a ring and an amulet.
All of them were rather ordinary, but if you looked closely at the ring, you could see that it was engraved with intricate patterns and had a small magic stone embedded in it.
The amulets were similarly simple, with strings attached to a plate of magic stones, but it was clear that an incredible amount of magical power was contained within.
Kreuz took each of them in his hand and gasped.
“Thi, this is a …… magic tool? Can I ask what kind of effect it has?”
“The amulet automatically deploys a barrier against attacks, and the ring is linked to my mask to show me where you are. I’ve made it so that if you release your magic when you’re in danger, a special wave will be emitted to warn me.”
“Three……. May I assume that you have prepared each one for us?”
“Yeah……, it’s most likely Zweit who’s being targeted this time, but there’s a chance you two might be targeted as well. I’ve prepared this just in case.”
“The lineageists who control the Weissler faction probably couldn’t help but be bothered by the Duke of Solisthea.”
As long as there are three of them here, including the heir, there is a possibility that they will all be targeted.
It was a magical tool that he had prepared just in case, taking into account the possibility that they might have a stupid idea of making it look like an accident and disposing of it under the guise of an annual event at the academy.
“Well, if they attacked all three of you at the same time, it would be like saying that they did it themselves. However, they seem to act without much thinking, so it’s best to be prepared.”
“This is great…… I would love to research this.”
“……Kreuz-kun. You are, not thinking of keeping it to yourself instead of handing it over to the Zweit’s group, are you?”
“Geez! ……Hey, why would you think like that?”
“If it were me, the first thing I would do would be to put it in my pocket and pretend not to know about it. You have a personality similar to mine, so I can somehow predict your actions……”
“・・・・・・・・・”
He sounded very convincing.
Kreuz had been told for a long time that he and Zeros had similar personalities, but he had never expected the same thing to be said about him. And Kreuz has a low resistance to the temptation of the magical tools in front of him.
He was sure that he would take it back to the dormitory and leave it there without giving it to the two of them.
An unpleasant sweat ran down Kreuz’s back.
“Misuka-san, please give these items to the two of them.”
“Very well, Zeros-dono. I’ll give it to the two of them myself.”
“Please do. This is necessary to protect them, so make sure they have it.”
“Zeros-dono…… am I that untrustworthy? Sure, I’m into magical tools, but……”
“I don’t trust myself, you know. I don’t trust myself, especially when it comes to my hobbies, because there’s a high probability I’ll put them first.”
Kreuz and the ossan were each other’s natural enemies.
Not only can they read each other’s actions, but their personalities are so similar that Kreuz can understand what Zeros is thinking.
They’re like-minded, but they also realize that they cannot be enemies.
“Well, just these two will do. I’d love to try out the effects.”
“You were really going to pocket it…… We are similar after all. Just be careful……”
“I’ve heard that Zeros-dono keeps his affairs in order. Kreuz-sama is the complete opposite.”
“There are some aspects that aren’t the same……. Thank goodness for that.”
He didn’t want to meet anyone who was like himself.
To be honest, he was relieved to find out that even though they had similar personalities, they were only similar in character and there was another side to them.
At any rate, the items he created were now in the hands of Zweit and Celestina, and he was ready to go.
However, there is no guarantee that they will be able to escort Zweit during this actual training, so they will just have to leave the rest to their luck.
TLNote: Sorry a little bit late guys
Enjoy
———————————————-
Ossan, Meet Kreuz
Translator: OssanTL
Proofreader: Enkiros
“What …… the……?”
One thing lead to another and the ossan escaped from the mercenary guild.
The place he ran to was the appointed inn which was rather fancy.
The room was too spacious for one person to stay, with paintings, beautifully colored vases and flowers, soft carpets, and a large bed that could easily accommodate two or three people.
Zeros could not help but be stunned by the luxurious atmosphere of the place, which did not seem like an ordinary inn by any stretch of the imagination. The couches were fluffy, and the employees were extremely thorough and diligent.
The hospitality was not just excessive, but it completely surpassed the point of being overwhelmingly welcoming.
“This room…… doesn’t look like the kind of room you’d stay in alone, does it?”
If he had to guess, he would say it was a VIP room at a three-star hotel. The room itself was elegant, but it was a little uncomfortable for Zeros, a simple farmer.
The sheets were laid out on the bed without a single wrinkle, indicating that the hotel was very attentive to its guests.
In a sense, the room was completely dazzling.
“DelSasis-dono…… Isn’t this too much for a guy like me?”
At the sight of the large room with no one but himself in it, he was stunned.
If this were a second-rate inn, let alone a third-rate one, perhaps one might want to dive into the bed to relieve one’s physical and mental fatigue. However, he felt hesitant to dive into the luxurious bed, which was covered with sheets without a single wrinkle.
Although he had experienced staying in a luxury hotel, he was actually a small-town guy. He is not very good with such classy places.
Basically speaking, he prefers to stay in a cozy four-and-a-half tatami mat room, so if the room is unnecessarily large, he may feel uncomfortable.
(*Enkiros: From google: The size of a Japanese-style room is measured by the number of tatami mats: Four mat room = 6.12 sqm = 66 square feet.)
Now that he has been living in the countryside for a long time, he feels uncomfortable staying at such lodgings, both physically and mentally.
If he had been a corporate executive, he would have been able to adapt, but since he had already left such a world, he could only be troubled by this kind of accommodation.
“As expected…… I don’t feel comfortable diving into it! For some reason, I feel guilty when things are cleaned up this well… Why should I feel guilty about coming to an inn and getting worked up about it?”
For the old man, it would have been fine if it was just a cheap inn, but for some reason, DelSasis had arranged for a luxury inn that was way beyond his league. He could feel his frustration building, particularly with the Guildmaster of the mercenary guild.
He hadn’t stayed in such a high-class inn alone in more than ten years. The ossan was no longer accustomed to it.
――― Kon! Kon!
Just when he was confused about what to do, he heard a knock on the door from outside, and the ossan turned his head.
It’s obvious that Iris and the others are still in the guild, because he ran away as fast as he could, and it’s impossible they arrived at the inn so quickly. The ossan is far superior in terms of stats, there is no way they can catch up to him as he ran much faster than them.
There is no point in thinking about it, so he decides to open the door.
If it was a robbery and a knife was suddenly thrust out, the ossan now has the power to easily deal with it. He decides that there is no need to hesitate as long as he can handle it.
“Yes, who is…… Oh?”
He opened the door and saw a familiar face.
It was Misuka, a maid with dark blue hair and glasses, who was also Celestina’s personal maid.
“It’s been a while. Zeros-dono.”
“It’s been a while since we met, Misuka-san. I thought it would take a few more hours before we met, but you are faster than I thought.”
“I knew that Zeros-dono would be at the academy by the end of the day, so I timed my visit to the inn accordingly. That shouldn’t be so surprising.”
“No, it does surprise me. I just arrived at the inn a few minutes ago…… Are there secret agents all over the place?”
“It’s a trade secret. With all due respect, Zeros-dono, I’m not allowed to say.”
With that statement, he realized that there were quite a few secret agents inside the academy city.
It was, after all, DelSasis. Understandably, he would at least take steps to protect his own children, but if he acts this fast, it is more than just a few people.
The thought of how many people he has under his command sends chills down his spine.
“Unfortunately, Zweit-sama and Ojousama are unable to come to see you. It is not schoolwork…… but they had an appointment. Instead, Kreuz-sama is here.”
“Kreuz…… A~a! The report Zweit-kun’s brother wrote the other day was well written. It looks like he’s been doing a lot of detailed research on magic medium rings…… So where is he?”
There was no sign of Kreuz behind Misuka, and for some reason, there was just a strange object with a roughly coiled rope lying in the corridor. But if you look closely, you can see that the object is wriggling like a caterpillar.
“……No way, I don’t think so, but that thing wrapped in a rough rope is……
“It’s Kreuz-sama. If you let him out of your sight, he’ll go to a shady street vendor, and you’ll have no choice but to……. I “Really” had no choice but to tie him up and drag him here.”
Misuka’s glasses were glinting faintly.
The word “Really” was unusually forceful, but as far as he could see, she was happy to have tied him up. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised because she was enjoying it.
The ossan thought, ‘She’s definitely enjoying herself,’ but he didn’t say it
because she was stomping on Kreuz, who was in a caterpillar form. The old man was terrified by her behavior, which was merciless even to the son of her employer.
“But, how did he end up like this again……?”
“Even though it was time to pick up Zeros-dono, Kreuz-sama hadn’t come out of his room for some time, so I forced my way in and found him carrying a large amount of bags on his back, unable to move under the weight. I advised him to reduce his stuff, but this time he started wondering which magic tools to take with him, so I tied him up like this because it became so troublesome.”
“Long, long……. But still, magic tools? I think he wanted me to appraise them?”
For some reason, Zeros could tell what Kreuz was going to do.
At the same time, his mouth was gaping at the excessive actions of Misuka. He had no mercy at all, even for the second son of a duke.
“W, well,…… I can’t leave you standing there forever, so please come inside.”
“If you’ll excuse me.”
Misuka bows coolly and gently, and comes into the room, dragging Kreuz by the rope.
The old man wonders inwardly, ‘You didn’t just drag him in here, did you?’
As if to see through the old man’s mind, the cool maid raised her glasses and muttered a few words to him.
“Don’t worry. We took a horse-drawn carriage to get there. Although I had to drag him along……”
“You are going to kill him! That’s really dangerous, isn’t it?”
“It’s okay. I calculated the distance and made the ropes thick enough to prevent death even if I dragged him. I’ve tried to make it a comfortable thrill for Kreuz-sama.”
“That doesn’t sound safe at all!? How can you be safe if you’re doing it that way!?”
“If you live a peaceful life, you will eventually rot away. I think sometimes we need a thrill.”
“I don’t want it! I don’t need that kind of thrill!”
The ossan shuddered at the maid whose personality had changed so much in the two months since he had seen her.
“Well, I’m only half-joking……”
“Isn’t half of it true! How much of it is a lie and how much is fact!”
“I lied about the part where I dragged him in the carriage. It was a horse, to be exact?”
“So you dragged him here either way!? What kind of punishment is that!”
She was a fearsome maid.
In the Creston mansion, she was a maid with a reputation for her meticulous work, but in fact, she seemed to be a rather dangerous person. He felt that if he was fooled by her cool appearance, he wouldn’t be injured.
“Well, as long as he’s alive. Please untie the rope. I could use a little help with something.”
“You need help? …… It’s troublesome. I think we should just leave it like that.”
“No, you can’t! I’ve got a little trouble to work on, and I need his help. I’d like to change the equipment on my high-speed transport magic tool, but I’m a little short-handed.”
“Magic tools!”
“Whoa!”
Kreuz jumped up and down vigorously in a caterpillar form.
He was far crazier than the average person when it came to magic tools.
The old man was surprised by Kreuz’s action.
“Magic tools, where is it! What kind of magic tool is it, and how does it work? What kind of abilities does it have? Is it a mountable type? Is it a physical attack type like a weapon? What is its duration? What is the range? Please tell me everything, without any hidden details!”
“……You, you’ve never met me before, have you? Do you think you can just skip the greeting and focus on the magic tools?
“That is Kreuz-sama. He is only interested in the study of magic and magical tools, and not in anything else. He’s the second son of the duke’s family, so you understand the hardships we’re going through, don’t you?”
“You’re the type of person who doesn’t care about anything but his interests ……. Also, a family member with a strong personality?”
The previous head of the family was an old geezer, the father of the current head of the family was an enigmatic man with mysterious underworld activities, the older brother was a hot-headed man and the younger brother was a magic maniac. The younger sister, Celestina, seemed to be the most normal one.
“Excuse me, my name is Kreuz von Solisthea. I have long heard rumors of the Great Sage Zeros from my brother and sister. I have been wanting to speak with you for some time now, but have regretted that I have not been blessed with the opportunity. However, I have come here to take this opportunity to ask for your guidance, Zeros-dono.”
“You’ve been dragged……… though. Is your body okay? I heard you were being dragged away by a horse. ……?”
“I really thought I was going to die. Misuka has been merciless lately, and that’s a problem…… What if I did die?”
Misuka brushed aside Kreuz’s scowl with a cool face.
It was a dangerous thing to do that would normally result in death, but the fact that they accepted it as if it were the usual thing showed once again the strangeness of the House of Solisthea.
“More importantly, can you please untie the rope quickly? If I fall again, I won’t be able to get back up……”
“Alright …… Please wait a moment…… The knife is…… not this one…… this one is highly effective in poisoning……”
Going through his inventory, he searched for knives, but all of them had bad additional effects. They were all knives that could trigger dangerous magic just by cutting the rope.
The combat knives had too thick and sharp of a blade to be inserted into the gap between the ropes. The other knives were dangerous weapons that had been modified for fun and were not suitable for such a simple task. The magic contained in them was too powerful and they were all leftovers from failed attempts.
“…… Would you like to try to cut them down to the millimeter? If it fails, you might get injured, but fortunately, I can use recovery magic. What do you think? Even if your fingers are cut off, we can still attach them……?”
“…… Please cut the rope normally. From the sound of it, I’ll absolutely die instantly if you were to swing the knife.”
“I suppose you can’t treat someone if they die instantly～…… What do I do?”
The knots were secured with a skill that could be called mastery, with no gaps. Even a small knife would have a hard time cutting the rope. Moreover, if you look closely, you can see that the rope is embedded with steel wire.
Even if you wanted to cut it with a knife, it would be impossible to untie it without a decent amount of sharpness.
“Zeros-dono? With so many knives in your possession, do you have anything decent?”
“No. Even a relatively decent one will trigger a medium-range attack magic. The only ones left are the ones that were made as a joke to harass people. All the regular decent knives have been sold~ ……”
“It can’t be helped. I’ll lend you my favorite knife, but please return it later, okay?”
“So you had one! Anyway, couldn’t you have just cut the rope, Misuka-san?”
“You want me to destroy one of my own creations in this artistic packaging? Zeros-dono is cruel……”
She seemed to have some kind of obsession with tying things up with ropes.
He had no choice but to borrow the knife and cut the knot, little by little around the edges.
There were no gaps at all, and the rope itself was much sturdier than the braided steel wire.
“Someday I will tie Ojousama up with a tortoiseshell…… ahem! Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“…… Now, didn’t you just casually say something outrageous? More importantly, the shape of this knife is rather odd, but what is it used for? And before that, why do you always have a knife on hand?”
“That’s, a woman’s secret.”
The knife that he borrowed was, how should it be described……It had a strange physical shape to it.
The blade is distorted and barely recognizable as a knife, but it gives off a bizarrely evil and eerie vibe, like the kind of thing that is used in rituals by a certain tribe.
It is obviously stained with blood and rust and decorated with skulls, snakes, and other creepy decorations. It definitely looks like it is cursed.
It is a mystery what it is really used for.
“…… Please cut the rope as soon as you can, I don’t care what you do. This is a painful situation indeed, isn’t it?”
“This…… where did you get it from? It looks like the kind of thing that would be used to kill a sacrifice offered to the demons……”
The ossan was baffled in many ways, holding a hideous knife in his hand.
It would then take fifteen minutes for Kreuz to be freed.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
The old man was adjusting the equipment on his motorcycle with Kreuz, who had been freed from the ropes.
Fortunately, the room was on the first floor, so he was able to take the motorcycle out of the inventory. However, no doubt the floor was screeching out.
In fact, the room floor is still creaking. It seems that the modification process will take some time.
“There, leave the rear wheel frame horizontal. Now, install the cover and then attach the pins……”
“I have a quick question, why does the rear wheel’s frame move from side to side?”
“When you install a sidecar, you can actually only drive in a straight line~. And to turn on a curved road, you really need to be able to shift your center of gravity~……
As the rear wheel frame is operated, the wheels of the sidecar are also operated in the direction of the turn. Without this, this magic tool …… or maybe a magic machine? I, I guess it can’t turn.”
Due to the design of the motorcycle, it is not possible to turn by shifting the center of gravity if there are sidecars on both sides.
However, this magic motorcycle has an independent rear wheel suspension that can be moved to the left or right to some extent by removing the brackets and the cover.
By putting a sidecar cover on the rear frame and fixing it with bolts, it will look like a long and thin three-wheeled baby carriage. But it’s actually a four-wheeled one……
The sidecar stabilizes the balance and prevents the car from tipping over, but the movable fixed frame of the sidecar glides up and down in corners, so the vehicle should be able to make stable turns without swaying.
However, the front wheels were also equipped with motors and the shape of the car was not well balanced, so the sidecar often lifted off the ground in corners.
The motorcycle was originally designed to be ridden by a single person, and the seat was not designed to carry a person behind it. This is why a separate seat cushion had to be changed.
It was not designed to carry a large number of people, and the additional functions made the work more complicated.
Moreover, the sidecar and the two-person seat are connected to each other by a docking chain and can be removed and stored in the inventory.
This was a hassle to take out separately, so it was combined into one beforehand, but due to its size, it was a meaningless consideration. They would need to be pulled out of the inventory.
It was lighter, but the large equipment was nothing more than a burden.
“…… This, what are these parts that look like shields or swords? I think it looks like a weapon……”
“This is a secret I’ll keep to myself. I don’t know where anyone’s ears are, and I have no intention of mass-producing this motorcycle. If you’d like to, you can try doing it yourself. At least, I’m not going to.”
“…… A weapon. It’s probably built into it…… I’m curious as to what kind of weapon it is…… Can I take it apart and see?”
“No……. If you disassemble it, it’s going to be troublesome to reassemble it～…. It’s just that so much effort is put into the equipment that the rest is cut out……. However, the design is simple, yet strong.
It’s not finished yet, so I’m embarrassed to show it to anyone, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t look into it so deeply.”
“Is this incomplete? …… It’s an amazing technology.”
From the ossan’s point of view, it was just a larger version of a toy, but from Kreuz’s point of view, it was an unknown technology.
His curiosity was piqued, and Kreuz had the expression of a young child.
“It was made by magic alchemy, so other than the appearance and the casing, it’s not too shabby, and because of the amount of effort put into the external armament, it doesn’t have stable performance.”
“Now, did you just say armament? And still, you’ve managed to build something like this…… Wait! Now, you said magic alchemy, right? You can use it? That’s one of the things that mages are aiming for!”
“Eh? You can learn ‘Magic Alchemy’ and ‘Magic Manipulation’, as well as other occupational and creative skills such as blacksmithing and engraving, by increasing your rating level to a specific stage, you know?
I think it’s more of a problem when you start learning how to do it…… You can make a lot of defective or faulty products, and how many materials and minerals you have to use up to make a product that will give you the performance and effect you want……”
“Isn’t Magic Alchemy one of the highest levels a mage can reach? That’s what I have heard……”
“It’s not easy to learn, but it’s possible. To master it, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of materials. In order to collect materials, I also acquired the skills of ‘Mining’, ‘Foraging’, and ‘Alchemist’, and these skills were integrated and developed into occupational skills. Recently, there was also a profession skill called ‘Divine Sage’, though I have no idea what that means.”
The Ossan, who had originally acquired a large number of skills and developed them into profession skills, would now acquire profession skills with the slightest thing. When Zeros found out about this fact, he stopped looking at his status.
The things he could do and the abilities he could use came up in his mind by themselves. It became a hassle to check each and every one of them, and he decided that he didn’t need to worry about it since he didn’t usually use them much.
In other words, he has become a jack of all trades.
“A ‘Divine Sage’, It is difficult to understand whether you are a god or a hermit…… You’re a mage from the East, right?”
“I have no idea what kind of logic this world is using. I think it’s because I’ve mastered martial arts and magic-related profession skills, but I don’t really need those skills anymore. I don’t even know the profession.”
The Ossan and Kreuz were having a lively conversation while they worked on the wiring.
Misuka was relaxing on the sofa, leisurely enjoying an elegant cup of tea.
The motorcycle continued to be re-equipped, and it was transformed into a form with huge blade-like parts (or maybe shields) connected to both sides.
The parts on the blade are fixed with a retractable mech arm, and the motorcycle’s appearance has changed to something that looks like something a dark hero would use.
Is it his imagination, or does the shape of the motorcycle look rather hostile?
After finishing their work, the two of them plunged into a magic discussion across the table.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“……So, here’s the spell I’ve deciphered and reconstructed on my own……”
“The magic itself is fairly average, but it’s stable…… If you can make it this far on your own, you’re doing pretty well, the magic formula is constructed very carefully, and the shape of the magic circle is not bad either……. If I had to give it a score it would be 85 points.”
“85 points? Where are the remaining 15 points that are lacking?”
“First of all, the magic circle itself is too big, isn’t it? If we can shrink it as little as possible, it will greatly reduce the magic we need to use. The magic letters themselves are fine, but two lines get in the way. If it wasn’t for this, I would have been happy to accept you as a full-fledged mage.
Also, there are a few weak points in the magic formula that bugs me. Well, it’s your first time creating a magic circle, so let’s not worry about the details.”
Kreuz had restructured the existing magic on his own and was showing the old man how well it worked.
The composition of the magic formula itself was still a bit lacking, but it was verified that it still produced a stable effect, which showed that Kreuz was also blessed with a talent in a production field. He could probably make a good fortune by selling magic scrolls.
Kreuz seems to be very happy to have received a good grade from the Great Sage.
“I’d like to make a magic tool if I could. I know how to carve a magic formula into a magic stone, but I’ve never actually made one before. Are there any tricks to it?”
“If you want to carve a magic formula into a magic stone, it is better to have the ‘Magic Control’ skill. If you can’t control the magic formula when you carve it, it will form a distorted magic circle inside the magic stone.
If this happens, I’m not sure if it will have a strange effect, or if the magic will leak out and have no significant effect.”
“I see…… That’s why Celestina and my brother were training [Magic Control]…… By training your skills to a higher level, you will be able to apply them in a variety of fields.”
“Well, it’s up to the two of them to decide what kind of mage they want to become. I’m not going to say anything about it, though.”
Perhaps because Kreuz was a researcher, he asked questions about things he didn’t know without hesitation.
The Ossan sometimes had some difficulty in answering the questions, but it was really a fun time. It was like having a conversation with a friend from the game days.
“By the way, this bundle of magic formulas……. Where did you keep it? You were all wrapped up, right?”
“Misuka had it with her, didn’t she? I got it from her……”
“No, Misuka-san didn’t have anything on her when I opened the door……”
They turned their gaze to Misuka.
Misuka coolly raised her glasses and muttered a few words.
“Zeros-dono, Kreuz-sama, a maid’s skirt is full of Secrets, you know?”
“In the skirt…… these bundles of papers are quite thick!?”
“How did you fit this bundle into……. It’s as thick as a dictionary, and it will get in the way when you walk around…… It’s a mystery!”
“I think it’s best if you don’t know the maid’s secret, don’t you? If you find out, there will be no turning back.”
‘…… What kind of maid are you! What would happen if I knew…… that there was no turning back?’
A maid is supposed to be a woman who is hired to take care of your personal needs, but Misuka’s description of a maid was somewhat confusing. They both felt like they wanted to ask her about it, but at the same time, they felt a chill.
The two of them felt that there was something sinister about the profession of a maid.
Misuka simply flashed her glasses and smiled quietly at them. Honestly, it is scary.
“……Now, let’s get down to business, shall we? Let me give you this first.”
The ossan took out a ring and an amulet.
All of them were rather ordinary, but if you looked closely at the ring, you could see that it was engraved with intricate patterns and had a small magic stone embedded in it.
The amulets were similarly simple, with strings attached to a plate of magic stones, but it was clear that an incredible amount of magical power was contained within.
Kreuz took each of them in his hand and gasped.
“Thi, this is a …… magic tool? Can I ask what kind of effect it has?”
“The amulet automatically deploys a barrier against attacks, and the ring is linked to my mask to show me where you are. I’ve made it so that if you release your magic when you’re in danger, a special wave will be emitted to warn me.”
“Three……. May I assume that you have prepared each one for us?”
“Yeah……, it’s most likely Zweit who’s being targeted this time, but there’s a chance you two might be targeted as well. I’ve prepared this just in case.”
“The lineageists who control the Weissler faction probably couldn’t help but be bothered by the Duke of Solisthea.”
As long as there are three of them here, including the heir, there is a possibility that they will all be targeted.
It was a magical tool that he had prepared just in case, taking into account the possibility that they might have a stupid idea of making it look like an accident and disposing of it under the guise of an annual event at the academy.
“Well, if they attacked all three of you at the same time, it would be like saying that they did it themselves. However, they seem to act without much thinking, so it’s best to be prepared.”
“This is great…… I would love to research this.”
“……Kreuz-kun. You are, not thinking of keeping it to yourself instead of handing it over to the Zweit’s group, are you?”
“Geez! ……Hey, why would you think like that?”
“If it were me, the first thing I would do would be to put it in my pocket and pretend not to know about it. You have a personality similar to mine, so I can somehow predict your actions……”
“・・・・・・・・・”
He sounded very convincing.
Kreuz had been told for a long time that he and Zeros had similar personalities, but he had never expected the same thing to be said about him. And Kreuz has a low resistance to the temptation of the magical tools in front of him.
He was sure that he would take it back to the dormitory and leave it there without giving it to the two of them.
An unpleasant sweat ran down Kreuz’s back.
“Misuka-san, please give these items to the two of them.”
“Very well, Zeros-dono. I’ll give it to the two of them myself.”
“Please do. This is necessary to protect them, so make sure they have it.”
“Zeros-dono…… am I that untrustworthy? Sure, I’m into magical tools, but……”
“I don’t trust myself, you know. I don’t trust myself, especially when it comes to my hobbies, because there’s a high probability I’ll put them first.”
Kreuz and the ossan were each other’s natural enemies.
Not only can they read each other’s actions, but their personalities are so similar that Kreuz can understand what Zeros is thinking.
They’re like-minded, but they also realize that they cannot be enemies.
“Well, just these two will do. I’d love to try out the effects.”
“You were really going to pocket it…… We are similar after all. Just be careful……”
“I’ve heard that Zeros-dono keeps his affairs in order. Kreuz-sama is the complete opposite.”
“There are some aspects that aren’t the same……. Thank goodness for that.”
He didn’t want to meet anyone who was like himself.
To be honest, he was relieved to find out that even though they had similar personalities, they were only similar in character and there was another side to them.
At any rate, the items he created were now in the hands of Zweit and Celestina, and he was ready to go.
However, there is no guarantee that they will be able to escort Zweit during this actual training, so they will just have to leave the rest to their luck.
