Volume 11 Chapter 11 According to Magic Engineer Lydia
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Soyuz, I need to talk to you,” Lydia said.
It was a mild afternoon. I had been savoring tea after a meal when Lydia appeared, her expression unusually serious. Lately, the playful air she often carried had been absent.
”Hello, Lydia. What’s the matter?” I asked, motioning for her to sit.
She lowered herself onto the sofa, restless, staring at the ceiling, sipping from her cup, sighing before she finally spoke.
”It might be good news for you, but honestly… for me, it’s not something I’m eager about,” she admitted.
I waited.
”I’ve found them. Strange magic tools—and the people selling them.”
”Wait, Lydia, you mean…”
”Yes. They might be the same ones your Adventurers’ Guild has been chasing.”
* * *
Her story went like this:
As a dealer in magic tools, she had caught wind of a certain merchant making waves among the wealthy in a town not far away. This merchant produced tools unlike anything ever seen before—devices so innovative they seemed to rewrite entire concepts. These were sold only to nobles and wealthy merchants, at exorbitant prices.
”Rewriting concepts… like what?” I asked.
”Well, I’ve only heard secondhand, but—things like a box of metal with a spirit sealed inside that chills food, keeping it fresh for long periods. Or a stove fueled by a fire spirit that cooks without wood. Strange devices like that,” she explained.
”Spirits sealed into tools… I see.”
The logic was beyond me, but it sounded exactly like the sort of things those people had been using.
”Thank you, Lydia. That’s exactly the lead I’ve been waiting for. Allow me to thank you on behalf of the Branch Manager,” I said, rising and taking her hand.
”You’re going to pursue it, aren’t you? I know it’s your job, but… honestly, I’m scared,” she admitted. Her hand tightened around mine. For once, her face looked fragile, almost like that of a timid girl.
I stared, and she quickly puffed her cheeks, glaring up at me in embarrassment.
”…I know it’s not like me. But, this is the first time. Not being commanded or bound—just… actually being in a relationship with someone.”
The gap between her usual poised, playful self and this vulnerable honesty tugged at me, and I pulled her into a tight embrace.
”Thank you for worrying about me, Lydia. But don’t. I’ve been an adventurer for over ten years. I won’t die that easily. And when I come back, I’ll make sure to leave you breathless again.”
I made the joke deliberately, sliding my hand across her rear.
”Idiot… I’ll be waiting,” she murmured.
And so, with Lydia’s information in hand, we set out once more.
* * *
We explained everything to the Branch Manager—grudgingly nicknamed “the bald bastard”—and wasted no time. With our travel gear prepared, we left Verdaine.
After ten days’ march, we approached the gates of Tortesia, a border town. The guards eyed us suspiciously.
”The party’s led by a child, with members who are also children. Only one adult, and she’s a beastkin. Are you really adventurers?” one guard asked.
”Can’t you read this?” I snapped, flashing my guild-issued adventurer’s card. “Or do you think it’s forged?”
The guard blinked. “Wait—forty-eight years old? What?!” He gawked at me, then at the card again.
”And those kids you mocked? Every one of them’s stronger than you. Want proof?”
At my glance, Lena drew her blade with lightning speed, Vera summoned flames into the air, and Georgia sank into a stance that radiated killing intent. The pressure made the guard squeak in fear.
”F-fine. Go ahead. Just don’t cause trouble inside the town,” he muttered.
”They’re unusually strict here,” Lena whispered as she sheathed her sword. “I’ve never seen suspicion this heavy before.”
”Tortesia borders the Empire and sits on a major trade route. Money, goods, and crime flow here. The guards are always tense,” I explained, patting the girls’ heads in turn to lighten their moods.
Beside me, I turned to Mor. “And you? Are you holding up after the long trip?”
”Yes, Master. Thanks to your care, I’ve recovered completely. You needn’t worry,” she said, smiling gently. Her face, once hollow and shadowed, now glowed with health—and a mature allure.
I had thought to leave her behind again, but Georgia had insisted:
”Mom’s nose is sharper than mine. She’ll be more useful to Master!”
And it was true. She had once tracked me down across the city by scent alone, half-dead though she’d been. A mother’s devotion was formidable. Her ability to follow scents could prove invaluable in this vague investigation.
”Just don’t overdo it. You’re no adventurer. Leave the fighting to us and focus on keeping yourself safe,” I reminded her.
”Yes. The life you granted me will not be wasted,” she vowed.
”Good girl,” I said, pulling her close and stroking her head. She whimpered softly, like a pup, then pressed herself against me, grinding her hips suggestively against my body.
”Mor…” I breathed.
”Master…” she whispered, eyes smoldering as she lifted her face toward mine for a kiss—
”Both of you. This is a public street, in broad daylight,” Lena cut in sharply.
”Soyuz and Mor, enough already,” Vera scolded.
”Mom, Master… please,” Georgia added.
Their cold stares made me flinch back.
”A-ah. Sorry,” I muttered.
Mor whimpered softly, disappointed. Once again, I had fallen into her rhythm too easily. That beastkin woman always managed to wrap me around her finger.
Pressed down by the girls’ withering glares, we made for an inn. As usual, the innkeeper gave us a strange look when I asked for a single room for the five of us. Once he spotted the slave collars on their necks, his gaze turned to open contempt. He tossed us the key with a muttered, “Don’t make a mess.”
But by now, I was used to that.
I realized again just how adaptable humans could be, even as a part of me felt I was stepping into a place I shouldn’t, one foot already over the line. Still, I pressed on with the strength of my own resolve.
Even though we kept leaving fresh, unnecessary scars on our hearts every time we set up a temporary base, we had nothing planned for what came next. Lydia’s tip had been as vague as ever—somewhere in this town or street, a merchant was selling suspicious Magic Tools. It was the usual kind of lead, and by now I was almost used to it.
”So… what do you think we should do next?” I asked.
I looked at Lena, Vera, and Georgia, hoping they might have ideas for our next move. Having gone on countless searches with me, especially Lena and Vera, I expected them to offer something. I nudged them, waiting.
”As expected, Sir Soyuz, wouldn’t baiting be the quickest approach?” Lena said.
She slipped a chain through our collars and then, for some reason, offered it to me with a shy, pleased grin that made her both embarrassed and teasing at once.
…Ah. Well, yes. Surely this was the fastest and most certain way.
But still, I couldn’t help thinking—Lena, why do you look so happy being chained? Her cheeks were pink, her body trembling lightly. Could it really be that this alone was enough to affect her so? I felt a mix of amusement and disbelief, unable to hide my curiosity.
Notes:
• Lydia – Sara’s master, a gentle and commanding figure possessing both male and female traits.
• Verdaine – The largest local city in the region, ruled by the Margrave of Verdaine. It houses a branch of the Adventurers Guild and is the protagonist’s temporary base. Located within walking distance from the unnamed village where Lena was found.
• Lena – Female. A young slave girl in her early teens. Her appearance is emaciated with brown skin, long black hair, and grotesque scars across her face, including one that blinds her left eye. She wears a black collar and tattered clothing. Her relationship to the protagonist is that of a rescued victim. She is silent and appears to have endured severe physical and emotional abuse.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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