Volume 6 Chapter 19 Skull Mask
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Under the cover of night, I raced across the canal on Hover Shield Model Three.
Unlike Models One and Two, which were made in one piece from recycled mithril, Model Three — specially crafted by Mr. Zenom — had separate frame and cover parts. These parts were pinned together and tightly wrapped with coiled copper wire for strength.
The outside was carefully covered with thin brass plating. At first glance, you would not know it was made from mithril. This design avoided the flashiness of full mithril but added some extra weight.
In dwarven stories, brass is sometimes called oreichalkos or orichalcum. I was excited at first, thinking “orichalcum” meant a better kind of mithril — but I soon found out it was almost the same as the metal in a 5-yen coin.
Strictly speaking, true orichalcum is different from brass in how it is made, like how tamahagane differs from carbon steel. Mr. Zenom has powerful magic tools made from this old orichalcum. My master says their power comes from old craftsmanship: when mana flows through this ancient brass, it becomes a cheat-like metal that cuts steel easily.
”Train until you can hear brass’s voice,” I was told when I asked about orichalcum. And honestly, even normal brass shines. It is easy to work with: it shaves cleanly, solders well, and acid etches easily. It does not rust and can resist water. When polished, it glows gold and gains character with age.
In small workshops in the capital, craftsmen make household items from brass scraps. Their skill is not close to dwarves, which annoys me. But I envy their freedom — making lamps, kettles, anything, and selling them cheaply without showing off.
I still cannot hear the voices of metals. But thanks to my master, I think my skills have improved a lot recently. Since I don’t make money from my work, I can’t call myself a professional. Guilds and merchants keep out newcomers. I want to change that in the new village. Like Nobunaga, I believe a free market and loose guild rules are important.
I know Mr. Zenom made the hover shield look cheap on purpose, so it would not stand out. But if you look close, you can see the brilliance of great skill. Just like a great painter cannot perfectly fake a child’s drawing, making something look bad on purpose is hard.
Because the parts are split up, this model weighs almost twice as much as Unit 2. I wanted it lighter by even a gram, so I thought that was bad. I don’t say this out loud. But Zenom-sensei made it for me, so I took care of it and went for a test ride. Surprisingly, Unit 3 is the best performing so far.
Compared to Unit 2, it keeps a high speed more steadily and is much quieter. I don’t know why, but I accept it because it’s made by a dwarf. Master Zenom says a bit of playfulness in everything makes things work well. It’s so vague I don’t know if I understand.
He also told me to enjoy life sometimes. When Ms. Nina wakes up, I plan to relax and have fun. I’m lazy by nature anyway.
Still, I want to be a man who works hard when needed. I want to build a great new village and surprise Ms. Nina. Since she seems to think less of me than I hoped, I have a secret goal to earn her respect.
Because Ms. Joa is missing, Ms. Nina might scold me. Also, now that I married Ms. Shirakaba and others, I will definitely hear about that. Thinking about it, I lose more points than I gain. I wait eagerly for Ms. Nina’s return, but my heart feels heavy.
Sometimes, it’s good to forget everything and just zoom on the hover shield.
* * *
The hover shield’s speed is not as fast as Ms. Claire’s, but it’s about the speed of a bicycle. It can fly over the canal, making a good shortcut to the royal capital. At full speed, it would take less than an hour.
Right now, boats are banned from the canal, but flying is not forbidden. It’s a weak excuse, but as long as we don’t get caught, it should be okay.
Now, it is the dead of night. Even plants seem to be sleeping, and no people are around. Speaking of which, is Yakou keeping up? She must be following by some method I can’t imagine.
A branch sticks out over the water. I ignore it to keep balance. It snaps against my face, stinging more than I expected. I underestimated a simple branch. It hurts — probably a welt. That shows the limits of level 4 armor.
Seeing a barrier ahead, I slow down carefully. There is an invisible wall crossing the canal. Stakes are driven into the water, some just above the surface. They probably block ships, but even the hover shield might trip if I’m not careful.
Maybe I should land on the canal path.
The hover shield can move on land because it is like a hovercraft, but obstacles make it slower than on water. The dirt path has big rocks, and tree branches hang over it. If I’m careless, I get hit in the face. I never noticed before, but Ms. Claire must be very skilled to avoid these.
Because I am inexperienced, the hover shield can’t stop quickly. After crashing into obstacles a few times, I decide to walk instead. I put the hover shield back in the magic bag.
The hover shield still needs work, but it’s not a problem as long as I have my magic bag. Magic bags are the most useful thing in daily life. If I had one in Japan, I could have stored my bicycle easily. Maybe even a small car. If I return to Japan someday, I will buy a kei car.
This is where I found water chestnuts before. Even walking slowly, we will reach the royal capital gates by dawn. No need to come too early — they won’t let us in anyway.
They say getting caught sneaking past the capital’s walls is serious trouble. The big walls have many magic barriers, so breaking through is hard.
Toyata Village’s walls also had magic circles like barriers, but they stopped maintaining them to save magic stones. They look old and probably don’t work now. I heard they need yearly care.
Walking on solid ground feels good — so steady. I rub my sore cheek. Healing Touch dulls the pain, but there is no instant cure. The injury will heal in days. If I boost healing power, maybe today? Probably not. Miss Floria and Shea-Shea would scold me for trying.
I still have the Dragon God’s Herb Uno gave me. I take it out from the magic bag, hold one leaf, and put the rest back. I should have stored them separately.
Despite its name, the Dragon God’s Herb looks like fake mugwort. But Uno forced mana into it, so the leaves glow faintly.
When I put the herb on my wound, it broke into shining dust, wrapping me in light like a game effect. It’s okay to swallow, right? Actually, swallowing might work better.
Yeah, it feels good — strength comes back. Like full HP and MP recovery in a game. Even swelling heals instantly.
The herb can even regrow lost limbs, so this is normal. Uno told me to use it freely, but maybe this was wasteful.
The Dragon God’s Herb fades fast, like a weak elixir, but fresh ones are stronger than elixirs. For those with magic bags that ignore time, it’s the best healing medicine.
If I use it on Ms. Nina, she might heal instantly. But if it fails, she could become just a lump of flesh. Too risky.
Ms. Mahal checks Ms. Nina every day. She uses magic to stop bad tumors. Homunculi have many possibilities, but if left alone, they usually turn into tumors.
Malignant tumors mean cancer, right? The Dragon God’s Herb can’t cure cancer. But I can cut out tumors with surgery and then heal fully with the herb.
By the way, Mr. Raoh was scared doctors here cut out parts without mercy. But with potions and healing magic, this method might work.
As I walked, the eastern sky brightened. The sunrise will make a beautiful show of light and shadow. Editing scenes like movies would be fun. Emera, the Advanced Spirit of Light, would love that. Spirits expect a lot — I need to make something new.
At the royal capital gate, I saw the gates opening. Merchant carriages started moving. Business is good. Nobles spend a lot, so the economy is strong.
I believe in cutting waste, but we want a lively economy. I should talk about this with the Professor and Mr. Raoh.
Anyway, the town was waking up, but I had many tasks. Ms. Mahal’s shop, Miss Floria’s mansion, Professor’s apartment, botanical garden — I want to visit all. I remembered the capital map and planned my route. This is called the traveling salesman problem, right?
Meeting Miss Floria is top priority.
* * *
The mansion was in a dead-end alley in the capital’s slums. Though called a mansion, it was a single-story like nearby houses but took up a large space. The old building was weathered but built with good stone, like rich district mansions.
The garden was full of seasonal flowers, a strange sight in the rough district. The locals called it “The Lady’s Mansion.”
A girl dug in the garden with a shovel. A small white hen ran around, looking for worms.
When the girl saw footsteps, she looked up. A woman dressed like an adventurer walked close, carrying a big backpack.
”Oh, Lady Io. It’s been a while.”
”Hello, Sari-Sari. Are you planting flowers?”
”I’m planting greens. If I feed Yasmin lots of vegetables, she will lay eggs again.”
Yasmin was the white hen. The adventurer looked closely at the old hen. It was well cared for but clearly old.
”That’s… No, is Lady Laara home?”
”Yes. Mother is drying herbs in the backyard.”
”I’ll go in then.”
The door was unlocked. Io entered like an old friend. She put down her pack in the wide workshop. A woman came out. Her clothes were worn but she had noble grace.
”Dear me, Lady Io. How kind of you to visit.”
”It’s been too long, Lady Laara. The journey was eventful. Ah, the herbs you asked for.”
”Thank you. These will help many in town.”
The pack was full of dried herbs. The women sorted them quickly.
”Sari-Sari has grown. Soon she will be beautiful — not surprising as the daughter of the realm’s great lady.”
”Must she bear our family’s curse too?”
”That is important. The prophesied one will come soon — today or tomorrow.”
Laara put down herbs, caught her breath, and bowed deeply to Io.
”So the prophecy nears. As the fifth heir after the disinheritance… Does Viscount Toyata’s restoration need noble help?”
”I cannot say more. The gods set the stage, but luck’s final hand is mortal choice. Do your best.”
”No, Lady Io has protected us for generations. We are very thankful.”
Laara began to prepare for the arrival of the chosen one with her last savings. She called helpers from nearby houses. Cleaning, baths, and feast preparation caused chaos.
”Mother, what’s happening? Is there a festival?”
”Saria, listen. Our house’s restoration day is here. They’re preparing a bath, so wash up and dress quickly. We still have one chicken. We’ll serve it for our noble guest.”
”We can’t cook Yasmin! She’s the last hen who gave our house eggs for generations!”
”All this — even Yasmin — is for this day. She would want to bless your moment.”
Saria ran to the garden, grabbed the hen, and fled.
Yasmin had been with Saria since she was a chick. The hen was calm in her arms. Feeling the hen’s warmth, Saria promised to protect it. She headed toward the forbidden palace moat.
The old tenant said feeding blue grass to old hens could make them lay eggs again. Blue grass grew near the moat where guards watched.
If Yasmin laid eggs, Mother would stop the feast plans. Saria had to feed her blue grass. This desperate plan led to trouble.
Three men suddenly surrounded her. They had black hair, yellowish skin, and flat faces — summoned Heroes from another world.
Saria knew summoned Heroes were mostly scoundrels. Some had been kind…
”Whoa, this little thing looks tasty.”
”Which one? The girl? Or the chicken?”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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