Chapter 36 Testing the Skill for Future Harem Life
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The day after I’d spent a solitary night—my first in a while—in this other world, the work hadn’t changed. I started the morning, just like the previous one, in the Great Phantasmal Soulstone room, sorting information and continuing the domain remodeling.
I figured the house and the toilet were good enough for now. Next up was clearing out the planned section for a farm, and I picked a spot close to the house.
”If I could somehow bring seeds from Japan, I’d turn this whole area into a giant agricultural zone, no doubt.”
Sure, if more people joined me, I’d probably need to organize the residential and farm areas better. But for now, it was just me and Cleonora, and even if her sister showed up, our living situation wouldn’t change much. With the clothing and housing somewhat handled, my mind naturally drifted to food. Living mostly on meat and fruit still had me worried about my nutritional balance.
”I really wish I could make a fishing rod and catch some fish from the lake, you know?”
I didn’t know how to make one, though. I half-considered asking the maids to fetch some fish, but even if they did, I couldn’t season it. No condiments. What a problem to have…
”Well, since I can’t make them here, it looks like I’ll just have to bring them back from Japan… again.”
And those round trips to Japan guzzled a massive amount of my Ego Points. I knew I could stockpile Ego Points by getting intimate with Cleonora, but now that her sister was coming to become a Magic Girl too, I could definitely gather them more efficiently.
”Cleonora’s sister, huh… What kind of girl is she going to be?”
Was she going to be a beauty just like her older sister? Damn, I was seriously getting excited. I needed to hit Affection Level 100 as fast as possible. I wanted to be loved by multiple gorgeous women. I wanted to be a ladies’ man.
”Oh-ho-ho? I think I just caught a turbid desire floating around, Shou-kun!” Ami-chan chirped as she materialized right in front of me. Maybe it was a result of our contract, but she was ultra-sensitive to the murkiness in my heart.
”You were totally thinking about how you’re gonna have Cleonora’s sister, or how you’re going to play with them both at the same time, weren’t you?” she teased.
”W-Well… yeah…” I admitted sheepishly. Wait a minute. That’s right! A three-way with sisters was a real possibility now! This was huge. It was something I could never have experienced back in Japan. After just recently losing my virginity, things were escalating unbelievably fast.
”I just hope Cleonora’s okay…”
”She’s fine! She should be back tonight, or maybe early tomorrow morning at the latest!” Ami-chan reassured me. Cleonora must have made it to the Royal Capital yesterday. She would probably spend today recovering her Magic Power and then make her move to rescue her sister, likely starting tonight. The rescue timeline depended on the situation in the Capital, but I wanted her back tonight or tomorrow, no question.
”Come on, Shou! You’ve got more Magic Girls coming! It’s time to practice your positions and hip-thrusting!” she declared.
”N-Not now! I’ll do that after lunch. I actually have somewhere I need to go right now,” I said, heading for the exit.
”Huh? Where are you going?”
”The lake.”
I stepped out onto the surface world with Ami-chan following right behind me.
”What for? What are you going to do there?”
”Well, I can use my Treasure Trove skill now, right? I figured I’d try stuffing a massive amount of water into it, just to see what happens.”
I had already performed some tests on my Dominator skill, the Treasure Trove. I had stashed small stones and wooden branches into the ring shape I made with my index finger and thumb. When I activated the skill, they vanished right into the ring, and I could take them out and put them back in. The interesting part was how varied the retrieval methods were. If I tipped the ring downward, the wooden branch would just fall out. But if I angled the ring sideways, I could pinch the branch out with my right hand. Also, the Treasure Trove only worked with the ring I made using my left hand. Even with the size limit, it was handy. I could also check the inventory by visiting the Great Phantasmal Soulstone room. I felt I’d mastered the basics. Now I wanted to see how much of an immaterial substance—like water—I could store. That was today’s goal at the lake.
”I see! But watch out, those demon monsters still wander around there… We should take Scara, the Fighter-class maid, with us!” Ami-chan suggested.
”Oh, right… Now that the lake area is inside the Dominion, we can afford to sustain Scara and the others with Resource Points.”
”Exactly! But since Scara and the others can’t actually defeat those demon monsters, she’s just there to buy you time in case something happens!”
”If a demon monster shows up, I’ll use Water Splendor Flash and call the test off. We’ll only rely on Scara for time-wasting if a second one appears on the way back.” Honestly, I wanted to use Water Splendor Flash more to get used to it, but each use cost a non-trivial amount of Ego Points. Our finances didn’t allow practice shots.
So, with Scara in tow, we made our way to the lake. Thanks to the maids’ hard work, the bushes and weeds were more cleared out than the last time I’d passed through. Even so, the terrain was rough. I felt like I had more stamina thanks to my recent daily exercise, but unpaved ground still wore me out.
”All right! We’re here!” I announced.
”Let’s try out that Treasure Trove skill right away!” Ami-chan urged.
I moved toward the lake’s edge while Scara stood guard. I realized I had never actually stepped into the lake when I first met Cleonora. This was the closest I’d been.
”Wow, the water is super clear…”
”You can see fish swimming around! But I wonder if there are any aquatic demon monsters?”
”D-Don’t say scary things like that…” I muttered. It made me hesitant to stick my left arm in the water. Still, the lake was so clear that unless a demon monster had a transparent body, I should see it coming. Heart pounding, I dipped my left arm into the water. It was pleasantly cool.
”Now… Skill, activate!”
Nothing happened.
”So? Are you storing the water up? Is it sucking it right in?” Ami-chan pressed.
”N-No… The skill didn’t activate…” I pulled my arm out. The ring on my fingers didn’t glow. I activated the skill again while my arm was dry.
”Huh… it worked this time…” I lowered my arm back into the water while the skill was active. But the moment my arm touched the lake, the skill forcibly shut off.
”This is… no way…”
After several attempts, the conclusion was clear.
”It looks like the Treasure Trove skill won’t activate underwater.”
”Seriously?!” Ami-chan yelped. I never expected a limitation like that. At least I found out early. I could store water I scooped with my right hand, so storing immaterial substances was possible.
”Bummer. So infinite water storage isn’t happening. BUT! Couldn’t you use the faucet in your room to get a massive amount of water anyway?!”
”You say that like it’s a great idea, but the water bill isn’t free!” I retorted. I could hold the ring under the faucet and drain the apartment dry, but that would burn through my already thin finances. Plus, what would I even do with that much water? …Though, considering Japan’s disaster risks, a huge reserve wouldn’t be the worst idea.
”I’m glad I got to deepen my understanding of this skill. …Hey, I wonder if those Heroes who were summoned that day are doing okay?”
”Huh? That’s unusual. You, Shou, caring about other people?”
”Don’t make me sound heartless…” I grumbled. I knew what she meant—normally I wouldn’t give them a second thought. But after recently returning to Japan, thoughts of home came to mind more easily. Were “The Handsome” group still working hard to get back? Or were they enjoying cheat powers so much they’d forgotten about going home?
”…Ah, whatever. Let’s just head back for today.”
”Ooh! Is it finally time for that hip-thrusting practice?” Ami-chan sparkled.
”After I eat, yes.”
Cleonora… I hope she’s safe… Please come back soon…
Holding onto that emptiness and longing, I spent the afternoon training with Aion-san, and just like yesterday, I passed another night all by myself.
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Summary:
Shou continues to build his labyrinth domain and test his new skills, but his main focus is the return of his Magic Girl, Cleonora, and the arrival of her beautiful sister. He gets sidetracked testing his Treasure Trove skill on the lake water, where he discovers a limitation: it won’t work underwater. He’s itching for the upcoming harem life and the ‘efficiency’ it promises for his Ego Point collection.
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Character Insight:
Shou’s character is driven almost entirely by self-interest and his lust for the women in his life, which Ami-chan constantly teases him about. His domain work and skill testing are directly linked to his fantasy of an ideal, comfortable, and sexually satisfying life. He views the women as both partners and resources.
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Behind the Scene:
The chapter sets up the eagerly anticipated return of Cleonora and the introduction of her sister, which will lead to the next phase of Shou’s harem-building. The mundane tasks of setting up a farm and testing skill mechanics serve only as a distraction from his main, lecherous goal, which is why his thoughts constantly drift back to the Magic Girls.
Notes:
• Cleonora – The second princess. Have a yellow blonde hair. Usually styled as hairbun.
• Ami – A palm-sized fairy-like being from a world separate from both Earth and the isekai realm. She has light blue hair tied in a ponytail, mischievous blue eyes, and tiny wings that flutter behind her. Her outfit consists of a provocative high-cut leotard and a short jacket that looks like a miniskirt from the back, leaving her legs bare. Despite her playful appearance, she is actively searching for a contractor who can protect her from dangerous pursuers in exchange for the powers she offers.
• Scara – A monster summoned by Shou via the Great Phantasmal Soulstone, taking the form of a maid. Her class is ‘Fighter,’ and her current duty is to serve as a bodyguard within the newly established Dominion boundary.
• Aion – The maid golem. She has chestnut-brown hair and and a well-featured, but utterly expressionless, face. Looks like Karakuri from certain series.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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