Volume 6 Chapter 17 Moving Magic
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Day after day, I kept making rings. When I got tired, I drank the Water of Life from Exceneca, rested with my wives, then went back to making rings again.
Once I got used to it, it was just the same task over and over. If I found ways to do it better, I fixed them and kept working hard.
Because of those small improvements, the rings I made got more stable than the ones I started with. At one point, I thought about melting the old rings and making new ones, but I knew that would trap me in an endless loop.
Leaving those sloppy rings behind bothered me, but for now, I chose to focus on finishing the needed amount.
I still hadn’t made the 36,000 rings required for one year. For a hundred years, that’s a hundred times more. Just thinking about it made my head spin, but if I kept going, it would end eventually. Luckily, I had plenty of time here, so no rush.
”Hey, I’m the one who asked you to do this, but is it really fun to keep doing the same thing again and again?”
”It’s not about fun. Once I started this job, I have to finish it right.”
It wasn’t really duty, but it felt natural. There was work, so I did it. Doing the same thing wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t terrible either. Stress built up, but I believed the feeling after finishing the quota would be worth it.
”Sorry, I was too greedy. Please, just stop.”
For some reason, Uno made me stop. She’s bad at math, so she probably didn’t realize how huge making a hundred years’ worth of rings would be.
It felt unfinished, but I was honestly relieved to be free from the quota. Starting tomorrow, no more rings.
”You almost got cursed by that work.”
”Cursed?”
”Yeah, cursed. You looked obsessed. Seriously, what matters more to you—us or that pointless job?”
Pointless job? Who does she think I’m working for? That annoyed me a little.
”You’re so silly.”
Then, out of nowhere, Uno kissed me. What the heck. I couldn’t get mad. I didn’t get it, but maybe I was wrong.
”See, the curse is gone.”
Now that I think about it, it’s just a prize ring, no need to rush so much. It’s just bait to lure adventurers to the dungeon. Many want the dungeon-clear title, and it’s a training spot. Even if the ring disappears, visitors won’t. Even a weed is a precious item to Uno, like Dragon God’s Herb to a sick patient.
More than anything, Uno says it’s fine, so it’s fine. She’s run this dungeon long before I was born, even if she’s bad with numbers.
With the quota gone, the weight lifted. I feel lighter, so I’ll work with a light heart. I’ll make as many rings as I want, at least for the materials I’ve got.
Yeah, it’s kinda fun without a quota. Is this the difference between work and hobby, even if it’s the same task? I feel like my work is better somehow.
I totally forgot why I came here because of the ring fuss. I wanted to say hi to Uno and the others before the move and think slowly about the new village.
At first, I thought leaving it all to Mr. Mauro would be fine. I just wanted the title of Hero, so I figured I’d be a nominal lord.
Many lords leave everything to deputies and only collect taxes. Some have never even visited their lands for generations.
By the world’s values, having good deputies is talent. Among nobles, working yourself is seen as uncultured. That attitude isn’t just nobles—some deputies pass work to subcontractors.
In Toyata Village’s case, the king put Baron Toyata in charge, but the real lord seems different. It’s like there are layers—subcontractors or great-grandchild subcontractors. Miss Floria says even Baron Toyata probably doesn’t understand everything.
Originally, it’s not my problem how Baron Toyata runs his domain. But there’s a troublesome deputy trying to keep villagers from leaving Toyata Village. Maybe Mr. Laken told on me, but I hope it won’t cause trouble through gossip.
Nobles see villagers as livestock. They think losing villagers means losing property. The fastest way is to talk to Baron and me, but Miss Floria says Baron Toyata is dumb and won’t get complicated stuff.
It’s crazy, but stupid nobles are really, really stupid. They don’t go to school, can’t read, and just live by what their subordinates say. I kinda pity them, but they seem happy with food and women.
If I can’t talk to Baron, I’ll have to bribe deputies. But they’ll look down on me and ask for too much. Once you start paying, you have to keep paying.
So, what to do? Miss Floria’s plan is to do nothing—ignore it. Our plan follows the kingdom’s laws, so even if Baron Toyata gets mad, it doesn’t matter. Actually, making him mad is the goal.
If deputies see I won’t act how they want, they’ll tell Baron lies to anger him. What then? If I’m not guilty, they’ll make fake charges, but that suits Miss Floria. She’s already claimed someone is falsely accusing me, so without strong proof, I won’t lose.
Then the only legal way for Baron Toyata is to duel me or start war with my village.
I don’t think duels and wars should be legal, but in noble fights, the winner is justice. Even if you lose in court, if you’re equal status, you can win by power. Baron Toyata’s family is poor, so war is unlikely—probably a duel.
Baron Toyata can’t fight well, so he’ll pick an agent. If I beat that agent, no complaints, maybe even rewards. Power equals justice—pretty good deal.
If the agent is too strong, I’ll pass to Ms. Ant, and if someone even better comes, I can legally ask Uno or Schulz. But I don’t want to trouble the dragon.
That’s when Hero Sir Escalion comes in. If that old man fights, opponents run scared just hearing his name.
Anyway, the start is important. If I crush Baron Toyata, other nobles won’t mess with me. Losing face over a small village isn’t worth it for them.
Temple relations might be harder than nobles. If they learn God Keras purified old Toyata village, I can’t guess their reaction.
After the move, once the king recognizes me as lord, talk about me becoming king will stop. Things should calm down.
Giving up king chance feels like a waste, but greed gets nothing good. A village-sized country can be destroyed fast. Standing up to a baron is good, but making a country enemy means no chance to win.
Instead of power, maybe I can get the country on my side with profit. Sell the idea that a small independent country is useful to the king.
Hong Kong, Singapore, Monaco, or medieval Venice? If I fit there, I might manage things.
Old Toyata village ruins are near the canal, close to the royal capital if I rebuild the old road. Most important, if the dwarf teleport gate is still there, you can go everywhere fast.
Independence plan might be fun. I’ll go back to the royal capital and ask Miss Floria again.
Because of secrets, I have to carefully choose who to tell what.
Villagers probably tell everything openly. They don’t know secrets, so even without meaning to, they spill everything. They might not even know.
Dwarves and elves are trustworthy. Miss Floria is safe too. Summoned Hero friends might fit well with villagers. They said this must be a secret and talked about many things.
Spirits are trickier. They keep promises but love to talk and share knowledge. If I don’t silence them, they could spread everything worldwide fast.
Gods can’t hide secrets. This god seems like a human-smelling god from Greek myths. Sometimes he reveals enemy secrets to people he likes. I hope he’s on our side, but if he sides with enemies, he’s terrifying. They say don’t touch gods to avoid curses. I want to respect gods but not depend on them.
The fact that world-ending ancient knowledge is unknown makes me think these gods are good. If I misuse dangerous knowledge, I might be wiped out. Of course, I won’t do that… but I wonder how much cheating is allowed?
* * *
Anyway, the big plan is set. Return to royal capital, ask Miss Floria again, and do groundwork if needed. Most important people are there, so it fits.
If it goes well, I might avoid conflict with Baron Toyata. He likes food, so if I let him try curry, maybe we’ll get along. Curry is addictive. Somehow, I’m one of the best cooks here, at least by skill points.
I don’t know how much stats or ranks help. My blacksmith skills should beat Mr. Zenom’s by points, but in reality, I’m nowhere near him. I need training like my master.
With nobles, I’ll travel back and forth between royal capital and Toyata village a lot. Ms. Claire knows the routes and can do day trips, which helps. I wish there was a teleport gate in royal capital, but Ms. Hóa said it’s a special land. You have to leave the city walls to teleport, maybe because of a defensive barrier. Maybe it’s related to hero summoning or a gateway to another world.
For Toyata village, I need to move luggage fast. To avoid interference, it’s best to move just before wall barley ripens.
Old Toyata village site is straight ahead, but there’s a river and marsh between. Going around town is a big detour, almost like going to royal capital.
If people see a group with big luggage on the street, deputies will interfere. Luckily, my cheat magic bag can carry small wagon-sized stuff safely. I want to hide my power, but I can’t now. Maybe I’ll say it’s a miracle from God Keras.
Pretending to have god-like power is a sin, but the Goddess’s Purification is real. If I don’t explain my magic bag, people might think it’s a goddess miracle and misunderstand.
The problem is how big things I can put in the bag. With mana, the number is unlimited, but size is limited. If I could store bigger things, I could move all villagers’ houses.
Trying big things now needs too much mana. If I had tons of mana, maybe. But that’s not realistic.
About Mr. Zenom’s workshop, the plan is to tear it down and rebuild it. But if everyone knows, they’ll want the same. More than one or two houses would be half the village. Impossible.
I wish I had magic to teleport whole houses. I think that might be possible.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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