When I returned to the Centaurs camp, Marl was already there.
[Taichi-san, welcome back—–]
Marl hugged me as soon as she saw my face. She buried and rubbed her face in my chest. Hey, I'm fine, but will your makeup be alright after this?
As I looked at Marl with that in mind, she suddenly raised her face and began to knead my cheeks with both hands. What is this series of actions?
[Everyone can see how you are feeling with that kind of look on your face. Please do not push yourself too much, Taichi-san]
[Nn…ah, got it. Sorry.]
I may not think that I care, but I guess it's still written all over my face. Am I not used to it yet by now? Guess it can't be helped.
[Taichi-san.]
[Nn?]
[Next time, please say how you feel. I, Fram, Tina, Kusuha, Deborah, Karen, Sherry, Shitan… even Melchina wishes to support Taichi-san.]
[What's with the pause when mentioning Melchina?]
[Because I have a feeling that she will just end up spoiling you instead of giving support. I need to be vigilant.]
Marl giggled as she said so.
Yeah, she's right. I may not feel it now, but the burden will pile up eventually. Un, let's talk about this with my brides once I get home. It's not good to accumulate stress too much. And I don't think I've shared about myself to others that much before. Let's start with Marl, then the others.
Alright, no point in wasting time. We needed to evacuate the Centaurs immediately. Reluctantly, I left Marl to address the Centaurs who were busy preparing stuff.
[Is it done already?]
[Yes, we will be done shortly]
[Then, we will give priority to girls and children, the elderly, and the sick and injured when moving. Is the load packed?]
[Without delay. After that, livestocks will follow, and the warriors will be last to go]
[Let's do just that. Marl, please accompany the first group. For the time being, locate them in the northeast vacant lot.]
[Got it.]
[Alright, I'm putting out the transfer gate now.]
I operated the menu to specify target location, then generated the transfer gate. The menu usage eliminated the need of concentration to cast the magic, it simply sucked out my magic power appropriately. Though the feeling of my magic power being sucked out all of sudden wasn't exactly comfortable, it had its convenience. For instance, I won't have to continue focusing in order to maintain the gate.
I dove through the gate to check first. On the other side was right next to my lord's residence, and the unfinished canal could be seen when I turned the other way. Yep, no problem.
[I've confirmed the destination. Marl, please lead the way.]
[Alright. Everyone, please follow me! We are moving out!]
Marl clapped her hands as she urged the Centaurs to start moving. Since the transfer gate's size could fit a carriage, even large centaurs would fit enough to walk in side by side. First, Marl went down the transfer gate, then the centaur girl and child followed after with a look of amazement in their faces. Some were afraid to enter the transfer gate, but they finally moved with the encouragement of the other centaurs around them.
I would collect things like luggage and rugs that were put together while the centaurs were moving. Some of them were brand new clothes and fresh food that I thought I bought at Gandil. Probably the money I gave them the other day was enough to buy more.
With the girls and children finished moving, next came the livestocks.
It was actually quite difficult. No, I really mean it.
The horses were relatively obedient. The problem was the cows and sheeps. They were afraid of the transfer gate and refused to get close to it. Even when we managed to urge them closer, making them enter was a different matter. I finally had enough and decided to tie them all together and pull them into the gate forcefully. One cow accidentally broke its leg in the process, causing much chaos.
The warriors had to mobilize to pacify and manage the cattles. And the last to go were the healthy men and warriors, who simply rushed toward the gate. After confirming that everyone had already crossed over, I made a quick trip to confirm the location of Geppel kingdom's army. There's still no sign of their army coming in. And this camp could not be easily seen from Gandil's gate. Not that anyone was on top of the rampart.
Well, it's not like the camp cannot be seen from on top of the rampart, so I have a feeling someone might've seen the exodus at some point. But given the distance, it would be hard to make out anything in detail.
After confirming things, I entered the gate myself.
=====
[The population has increased exponentially once again.]
[I know I know, sorry.]
[No, there's no need to apologize, Taichi-san. We should feel happy that our city is seeing a growth in population.]
Having said that, the young woman with similar brown hair as Marl, Tinava Blanc Mischronia smiled at me. Behind her were the sights of the Centaurs starting to populate the tents that were no longer in use as residences ever since the construction of wooden residences.
The tents used by the beastkins seemed to be a little small for the centaurs to use, but it seemed to be just right for children and small women to use. I wasn't too worried, but it seemed that the work was proceeding in a harmonious atmosphere.
While I was watching the scene with Tina, a bipedal horse came running toward us. It's the can-do-horse Yamato. Unlike the Centaurs, whose upper body is human while the lower body is that of a horse, Yamato the horse beastkin is pretty much a near 2 meter tall human with horse head, muscular body, and fine mane-like hair. He looks like a muscle brain at glance due to his big and rugged body, but he's actually more of a civil officer. Not that his kick was any less dangerous. He's pretty much a horse who could do both literary and military duties.
[Taichi-sama, the number of tents seems to be sufficient. For the time being, we can cover their food and clothing with what we have. However, even if the stockpile in the territory is in a state where we can afford covering for them, we can't maintain it forever. But it shouldn't be a problem for a while. What will happen to their way of working?]
[Centaurs have good mobility and stamina. For the time being, I think it's possible to let them work as couriers to deliver materials and food to the road construction site, or let them help with the field work. They can also serve as warrior escort for the back and forth journey to the construction sites. Also, send in some people to tell them about the use of water and the rules of this territory. If anything else, you can ask Kusuha for help. Inform me immediately if something bad happened. But then, they might be tired… if they're willing to work, let them be. But let them have a few days of rest.]
[Yes, I understand!]
Yamato, upon finishing with writing my instructions in his notes, immediately left. Leaving a hoof echoing sound as he ran. The guy had five fingers for each hand, but had hooves as feet. Back in the former beastkin village, there's no problem since he's basically walking on the ground. Here though, there are cobblestone roads. It might not be good for his hooves, especially with how Yamato tends to run around busily.
So I crafted him a horseshoe made of the godsilver metal. He was grateful that I bothered to go out of my way by creating things for him. That should raise his loyalty to me. By the way, the sheep-eared girl Karen also had hooves, but she chose to wear shoes instead. There are a sizable number of beastkin in Miscronia, so it's possible to get shoes that match beastkin's feet from there. Karen's shoes were specially ordered of course.
Imported beastkin shoes were not cheap, but they were some of the best-selling items at Palmiano general stores.
[Yosh, Tina, I'm sorry, but can you gather everyone?]
[Yes, of course. What is going on?]
[Family meeting.]
Tina tilted her head in response to my reply.
=====
[Alright then, with this, I'm starting the Mitsuba family meeting.]
[Ooou—–!]
Karen cheered on my lap. On my left and right were Sherry and Shitan, clapping their hands to make the occasion more lively. Marl and Melchina looked excited. Tina, Fram, Kusuha, and Deborah each had various expressions ranging from smiling to pale.
[This is a nice tea. So what are we gathering here for today?]
Kusuha said after taking a sip on her tea. Her lower body was pretty huge, so I took that into consideration when picking this mansion. Doors, corridors, restrooms, and baths had been specifically redecorated to make it easier for her to move around. And that's also why this living room, where the meeting was held, is very spacious.
Kusuha sat in the corner, where she sat on top of cushions she made herself from her threads. The cushions and clothes made from Kusuha's thread are exceptionally smooth and very nice to touch. Not only myself, but my other brides had also been captivated by Kusuha's threads.
[Un, I'm thinking of letting out various things to you all. Like regarding my origin, and what I'm going to do from now on.]
[Hmm…? Well, lord master-dono's origin is certainly something we've been interested about.]
Kusuha said so while giving everyone a look, and everyone else seemed to agree with her. Whether it's because of her big sister vibe, or the way she talked, or probably just because she's pretty much the oldest among us here, Kusuha seemed to be cementing her position as the administrator for my brides.
[Okay, so where should I begin…]
Thus I started talking. Regarding how I came to this world, about the voice in my head that claims itself to be god, the world I originally came from, my level and skill system, how I met Marl, how I met Fram and my feud with Karendil kingdom, how the voice inside my head predicted the coming of the great flooding, how I mastered blacksmithing using the system, making powerful weapons, how I stopped the flooding in Karendil, and how I came across the beastkin village, basically everything up until now. I told them everything without hiding anything.
[And that's all. I've told Marl a little bit before, but this is the first time I tell everything to someone else. It felt awkward, to tell the truth.]
After listening to my confession, it was Tina who first spoke up.
[Is it really possible to learn skills freely?]
[That's right. Kusuha, you have appraisal eye, so you should be able to see my skill list]
[Nn… Un, yes I can.]
[Good, then take a look.]
After saying so, I called the skill menu.
=====
[Skill Point]１８９pts（Reset Available）
[Name]Taichi Mitsuba [Level]７３
[HP]932 [MP]4967
[STR]1880 [VIT]1915 [AGI]1778
[DEX]519 [POW]1034
[Skill]Sword mastery５ Martial Arts５ Polearms Mastery５ Throwing５ Shooting１ Magecraft３
Fire magic５ Water Magic５ Wind Magic５ Earth magic５ Light magic５ Pure Magic５ Recovery Magic５
Ancient Magic２ Barrier magic５ Space Magic５ Life Magic Body Strengthening５ Magic Strengthening５
Magic power recovery５ Negotiation２ Cooking１ Equestrian５ Blacksmithing５ Magic Tool Creation５ Detection５
Danger Detection５ Stealth５ Appraisal Eye Magic Eye Poison Resistance３
=====
So, what should I raise?
Well, it might be convenient to have it in the future, so how about a few levels in agriculture? No, should we leave that to the right person instead? Then, why don't I try mental magic or dark magic? I'm afraid of getting apprehended if something goes wrong. But then, who would dare to arrest me who has become an aristocrat and a landlord?
Uーn, it's also beneficial to take life skills. Should I just take skills such as unequaled sexual skills that I have been worried about for a long time but vowed not to touch? How about that?
Uーn… right, let's get engraving skill. It sounds like the skill will help me in making magic tools or when I need to carve magic engraving on weapons.
[Alright, let's get the engraving skill.]
=====
[Skill Point]１７４pts（Reset Available）
[Name]Taichi Mitsuba [Level]７３
[HP]932 [MP]4967
[STR]1880 [VIT]1915 [AGI]1778
[DEX]519 [POW]1034
[Skill]Sword mastery５ Martial Arts５ Polearms Mastery５ Throwing５ Shooting１ Magecraft３
Fire magic５ Water Magic５ Wind Magic５ Earth magic５ Light magic５ Pure Magic５ Recovery Magic５
Ancient Magic２ Barrier magic５ Space Magic５ Life Magic Body Strengthening５ Magic Strengthening５
Magic power recovery５ Negotiation２ Cooking１ Equestrian５ Blacksmithing５ Engraving５ Magic Tool Creation５
Detection５ Danger Detection５ Appraisal Eye Magic Eye Poison Resistance３
=====
Kusuha gave me a second look. After rubbing her eyes, she took a look at me again. There are wrinkles over your eyebrows, Kusuha-san.
[Engraving skill appeared all of a sudden…and mastered in a blink of an eye.]
[Yeah, I can do that by using the system. I just took that particular skill because it seems to be useful for magic tools creation.]
[How unbelievable…that means lord master-dono can obtain the essence of all martial arts, artisanry, and magic that require years if not decades to obtain, in but a moment, and at any time and place?]
[There are restrictions, though. Some like magecraft and ancient magic cannot be obtained or raised through the system. And I need points to acquire skills. These points can be obtained by killing monsters or levelling up. Simply put, I need to fight and gain experience as normal. Moreover, it's not like I can immediately use the skill properly upon acquisition. I still need to accustom myself with the skill.]
[What is this "Levelling up"?]
[Ah, it's like climbing up a stairs. Everytime I go up a staircase, I get something like a currency to acquire skills called skill points.]
I tried to explain to Shitan, who asked me while tilting her head. But it seemed that she still didn't understand.
[You don't know because there's no measuring device in the beastkin village. I know because I saw one a long time ago.]
Sherry nodded to Karen's words. I don't know where they saw the device in the past, but from what they said it was before they started living in that Beastkin's village.
It seems that she had a spectacular experience in her childhood, and even though she recalled things from time to time, I never asked too deeply… Should I ask next time? It's not my hobby to dig up someone else's past.
For the time being, would you like to order one measuring instrument next time? If I dismantle it and figure out the mechanism, I should be able to make a better one.
[I'm curious about Taichi's original world. What kind of world was it?]
Melchina asked about my original world. Her long pointy ears fluttered with excitement.
Un, how should I say it? After some thoughts, I started describing my original world.
[There's no monsters, but there's also no magic. There's no demihumans, only humans living in that world. The country I lived in was situated on a small island, but it's one of the richest countries in the world. It's a country where everyone could live safely without any worry of starvation. In my original world, science—–similar to alchemy here, evolved instead of magic. There are flying vehicles that could carry a lot of people at once, and it's much faster than any horse in the world. With a palm sized tool, I could exchange messages with people from far away, or learn about the events happening around the world.]
[That sounds like a wonderful world. It's hard to imagine it.]
[That would be the case if the story ends there… Sure, there hadn't been any huge war involving the country where I lived for decades. But from the global perspective, the conflicts never really stopped. The conflicts mostly stemmed from religious or resource problems. There were many places that had been embroiled in conflict for years. If I lived in one of those places—-my story would've probably been so much different.]
That said, I shrugged my shoulders.
You can get information from all over the world with just one fingertip. You can see a lot of miserable images, videos, and information just by diving a little deeper into the sea of the Internet. Even in the country where I lived, there would have been a lot of darkness and deep darkness. You just won't see it if you don't bother searching for it.
Even in a peaceful country where the rules of law were fully controlled, bad things still happened. Then what about in conflict zones and areas where tourists were not allowed to visit by law? I'm sure something that I couldn't imagine was happening.
It is the same in this world. In the process of dealing with the aristocrats and royal family, I was shown a lot of bad stuff hidden in the background. I helped as much as I could, but nothing really changed. Ah, recalling all that now, my chest is getting stuffy. Let's just take that aside for now.
[All of you don't look as surprised as I expected though.]
My brides exchanged looks at each other, then replied to me one after another.
[For starters, there have been stories about Heroes from another world dating back from ancient times]
[There are especially many stories about that in Miscronia!]
[There are also similar stories in Karendil.]
[I don't know about Taichi, but my village elder said that she met an otherworlder before.]
[Well, you certainly went through a lot.]
[Taichi is Taichi. That never changed.]
[Well, I don't know how hard it was, but if you feel lonely, I'm here to comfort you.]
My brides each said different things. Only Sherry said nothing, squeezing my arm with a worried look on her face. Is she worried about me? I stroked her head, especially the fluffy fox ears. That managed to make her expression soften a little.
[For now, I have no intention of returning to the original world. The voice told me to look for a way to return to the original world. I think that there is a way to return because it said something like that. But I'm not going to look for it.]
My brides' reactions to my declaration varied. Marl smiles sweetly. Kusuha, Melchina, and Karen had no particular reaction just like Fram. Tina and Deborah look at me caringly, while Shitan and Sherry snuggle up to me without saying anything.
[By the way, about that 'voice'. The one that claimed itself a God…]
Marl's voice lowered down at the end as she turned away, giving herself a mysterious air.
[Since it predicted the coming of the great flooding around the same time as when other seers prophesied the coming, I'd say it does have a connection to God.]
[God, huh… Elves aren't really religious in that notion. We offer honor and gratitude to our ancestors, spirits, and the forest.]
It seems that Kusuha, Deborah, and the three beastkins were not as knowledgeable in religions as Melchina. She seems to know the name of a God who is famous as common sense.
When I came to this world, I also studied a little. So I know the names of famous Gods.
First of all, when it comes to Gods, there was Volt, the God of Order and Judgment. He's the God who gave people the concept of law and judgment, and seems to be the God who controls the punishment system. He is, in a sense, the closest God to humans.
He is said to be watching over people's actions from the eyes of all birds, and has the power to control the sky. He uses lightning as a weapon, and he would personally rain down lightning from the sky to great sinners. After reading various myths and anecdotes, my impression is that he was similar to the Zeus of my old world.
Next, Gaina, the Earth Mother Goddess who controls life and fertility. She is Volt's wife and is said to be the Mother Goddess who gave birth to various other Gods. She seems to be a very popular Goddess among farmers and pregnant women because she controls life and fertility. However, when she gets angry, she seems to spread plague and famine. It's said that the underworld was also her territory, and she also has a side as a fierce underworld Queen. Scary.
Heigel, the God of death and darkness, is said to be both a girl and a boy. His/her duty is to manage the inhabitants of the Netherworld. He/she is not an Evil God despite that he/she is a God of Death and Darkness, but rather a mild God that brings rest in the darkness. And he/she would never forgive the undead, or the necromancers in that regard.
It is said that he/she wanders the land as a hawk, putting undeads to a rest, judging those undead who carried malice, and brought pain, despair, and ruin to necromancers. That's a good guy! I wonder if there is an immortal priest who wields a knife while saying something like that.
There was a story about an old man who met Heigel due to dying from overworking.
There are various other things such as Melonel, the God of Liquor that seems to appear in the human world and serve sake. Krone, the God of Water and Drift. And Zephyr, the God of Wind. It seems that there are many others at a level where not much is known about them.
[I do not have any connection to the churches or temple, so no idea]
[Both me and Tina are princesses, so it is not that we do not have influence within the church. It is just that I am not a devout believer.]
[It might be a good idea to contact the temples in Mischronia to find out who this 'God' is.]
[I don't feel like going home for now, so scratch that out. But if we still want to find out later, maybe we can contact them now to let them consider building a church or temple in the territory.]
I don't think I need it myself, but I'm sure we'll need a place like that as more people come in.
[Also, I'm just a little worried now.]
[Regarding what?]
[I mean, I haven't met any particularly difficult opponents up until now. But that wouldn't always be the case in the future, so I'm thinking of making a strong weapon. What do you think?]
[Strong weapon… stronger than the bonded sword?]
[Yep.]
Everyone on the spot smiled at my words as if they had a cramp.
Un, I kinda get why they reacted like that. That's because on one hand, there is already a sword that could cause environmental destruction just by swinging it with magical power, then I said that I will make something even more dangerous than that.
The bonded sword is sharp, but part of the blade is made of crystal, so it may break when hit with Orichalcum, well-forged black steel, or an indestructible weapon.
[Just what kind of creature that Master is going to fight…]
[I don't know if it exists, but maybe something that my current weapon couldn't defeat, I guess?]
[There's always a higher mountain. I don't think it's bad to prepare now… what's wrong with that?]
[Nothing. I'm just scared that my power will grow to an excessive extent.]
[…..is it now?]
[Well, from our point of view now, it won't be bad. Is there anyone out there who could give you trouble other than the non-standard ones? Making a slightly stronger weapon won't make any difference now.]
Fram tilted her head, while Deborah simply shrugged in agreement.
That being said, there's a saying that power corrupts. Having excessive power may lead me to become more greedy for control, sex, or so on. No, should I think about it the other way around? It's okay to be excessive! Hyahahah!
No, it wouldn't work. Having freedom and acting as you like was similar yet different at the same time.
[Why not just make it anyway? If it's too strong or dangerous, we could always seal or dispose of it.]
[The Great Sea of Trees was also full of strong monsters. It can be quite useful either way.]
[Uーn… should I? I'm just worried that I'll grow in a weird direction.]
=====
With the new addition of the Centaurs, our territory once again saw rapid development.
The beastmen, who were originally physically strong, worked diligently to build a castle wall that steadily solidified the surroundings, and the centaurs, with their excellent stamina and speed, greatly contributed to the development of farmland and the development of roads extending from east to west.
The Arachneans fully demonstrated their excellent weaving techniques, the riverkins energetically developed the canals, and the Antillians demonstrated their power not only in the maintenance of water and sewage, but also in all civil engineering works.
The fairy lived by playing around and playing pranks. No, it seems that they're very useful for helping people when there is a danger at the construction site, arbitrating fights, and giving the residents a relaxing effect. But that's just what I hear. At least in my eyes all I could see was them playing, pranking, eating, and sleeping.
Why do I care, you ask? One time they replaced the body soap Marl made with mint oil. I ended up sliding and careening inside the bath. Thankfully I could clean it up with purification.
It's been a week since we invited the centaurs to the territory. Although some troubles occurred due to differences in lifestyle, the territory was running smoothly without any major problems.
In the first place, the buildings of the territory were made large so that they can be used without problems even by the Centaurs. There were actually a few centaurs in the Beastkin Village, and there was also the Arachneans with their huge lower body.
For the centaur who used to live in the vast plains, this territory in the great sea of trees may feel cramped, but there is no choice but to get used to it because it is a new world. In the first place, it's pretty much a brand new world for almost all the inhabitants here.
Oh yeah, the name of this territory has been decided in the past week. This was because there were opinions that it is dull to call it "territory" forever. Without having to worry for three days and three nights,『Clover』was picked as the name of our territory.
I got the opinion that it should be derived from my name to some extent, and adopted it in an indirect way. Since I have to make a coat of arms, I ordered a design with a four-leaf clover as a motif.
There was a similar grass in this Erialo. Although the name is completely different. However, it is strange that the four-leaf clover was similarly auspicious. It's such a mystery. Well, I knew that there were many things that resembled animals and plants, so I guess there's that.
By the way, the name of the clover here is Kagosou or Gainagrass. It is said that it is called because wheat will grow in the next year if it grows on a land that is thin and wheat does not grow. I don't remember the details, but I wonder if it was the reason why nitrogen fixation by rhizobia was such a thing. Well, there is no mistake in the blessing of God.
[The prototype is like a young boy so to speak.]
While saying so, I looked at the finished white silver glossy object on the work table.
For the past week, I was working hard on the development of new weapons while doing chores.
Because I thought that making a weapon should have both romance and benefit, I decided to develop a weapon that could handle both close combat and long-range combat.
In other words, it is a fusion of a gun and a melee weapon.
In the original world, it seems that weapons that combined pistols and swords were developed in the early days, but they soon became obsolete. Eventually, the bayonet installed on a long gun lived the longest, but it also became obsolete due to the development of automatic firearms.
No, there was a case where squid guys from a certain country were biting a bayonet in the original world where automatic firearms were already developed. Moreover, it was successful.
Well, that's something else.
What I paid attention to in this world was magic. No, the magical weapon to be exact.
It seems that magical weapons called magic swords are rarely found in ancient ruins scattered around the world. No, I can make it too, you know. That magic sword.
So, it seems that some magic swords have a blade of light that flies when shaken with magical power. I mean, if I have a sample, I can replicate it. Maybe.
Because I don't like losing!
Well, I left the unpleasant loneliness in my brain like this, and I got a flash of inspiration there. I think I can make a beam saber or a beam rifle-like weapon if I make it into a magical weapon. Moreover, I think we can make a new generation of magic swords that fuse the two weapons together.
The sword part could be a real sword, so I tried to create a beam rifle-like part first. The first prototype is a silver object in front of us. Yes.
[What are you making, Taichi-san?]
[It's a prototype weapon made to emulate a certain armament. It's a magic cannon.]
I showed Marl, who appeared in a timely manner, the prototype I've been working on.
It looks like a large silver cylinder. The total length is about 1 meter, and even if it stands vertically, the total length is about one head shorter than the small Marl. It is designed to be carried on the shoulder and held, and has a handle so that the tip of the cylinder can be easily pointed at the attack target.
Yes. no matter how I look at it, it's basically a bazooka.
I used godsilver metal to forge the barrel, and the chamber was engraved with a function to accelerate and converge magic power produced by the generator at the back. The generator is fueled by magic stones processed from the monster cores obtained from the forest. The magic circuit inside would amplify the generated magic power, while the engraving would converge then accelerate it out through the barrel.
It's a prototype『magic gun』that uses the pure magic as a weapon. Later we plan to downsize this mechanism and install it on magic swords and magic spears. No matter how much it was downsized, the weight of the weapon itself will increase. But in this world, the higher the level, the stronger the muscles, so there should be no problem. Rather, the weight is directly linked to the destructive power. It's a drawback, but not a crippling one.
Next, I plan to add attributes to the magical power released from this prototype.
[Why is it lighter than it looked?]
[Cause it's made of godsilver metal, safety first.]
[I don't know… it looks like a weapon made for bludgeoning.]
[That didn't cross my mind]
This is what the scales look like from the eyes. Let's consider the next step so that it can also be used as a blunt instrument. I mean, even in a certain game where a remodeled human equipped with power armor fights fiercely with aliens, it was possible to hit the aliens with a rocket launcher as a melee weapon. Even in a game where robots fight in VR space, the mecha I used to use could strike at an enemy mecha with a bazooka. Why couldn't I come up with that idea?
[Taichi-san, how do you use this?]
[Hmm? Oh, that's how you carry it on your shoulder. Yes, so your right hand is there, your left hand is holding the handle in front. See there's a trigger where the index finger of your right hand is? If you pull and release the trigger, a magic projectile will be fired from the tip of the cylinder.]
[So it's like a huge magic crossbow—–no, magic ballista?]
The ballista Marl mentioned was not the same as the one who is good at brewing coffee, but instead a large weapon used in siege battles. In this world, it seems that it is also used to deal with flying monsters such as Wyvern, or giant enemies such as Cyclopes and Ogre. There were various types, from small ones that can be loaded on carriages to large ones that are installed on the walls.
(TL note: Ballista and Barista are spelled the same in katakana. The joke unfortunately cannot be applied in proper english.)
[A portable magic cannon, a magic launcher, a magic ballista… well, maybe we can name it something along those lines]
[That's right. Let me try shooting it later.]
[No, it may look complete, but I still don't know how strong it is, and how prone it is to malfunction. You can try it out after I confirm the safety.]
I took away the weapon from Marl as she started to aim the muzzle here and there, then stored it in my inventory. As I stroked Marl's head after she complained to me cutely, another visitor came in.
[Look at you two flirting here…]
[Kusuha needs to be spoiled as well! Come here!]
[Waah! Am not. Lord Master-dono, isn't it the time to visit the Onis? I was worried you forgot so I came here.]
[Ah, I almost forgot. Sorry.]
[I understand and all, but can you please release me…]
Kusuha treated Marl's flirting with a bitter smile. These two are surprisingly pretty close. When they first met, I remember Marl was glaring daggers at Kusuha. But it seems that they were able to completely resolve their problem while interacting with each other.
Marl had loosened down considerably and smiled naturally more often since our private outing. And she seemed to skip work more often lately, needing Tina to come to drag her back to work.
[Look,Lord Master-dono is here too. This, Miss! I would like to let you know that my belly is not a cushion. Don't stroke on it! Don't bury your face in it!]
Marl was hugging the abdomen of Kusuha's spider body.
Yes. At first I thought that the abdomen of Kusuha's spider body was hard, but in fact it was quite soft. The hair is a little harder, but not enough to pierce the skin. The coat was nice, so it feels good to stroke it. By the way, if you stroke it backwards, it seems to cause a tingling sensation. This will eventually anger Kusuha because it's ticklish for her.
[Ah… Nn, Miss, I'll get angry you know?]
[Which belly Kusuha uses to digest food? The human belly or the spider belly?]
[I have no idea myself]
Marl, straddling the spider's body, hugged Kusuha from behind and rubbed the stomach of the latter's human body. Marl, if only you saw the blue streaks on Kusuha's forehead, you'll know it's time to stop.
[I've had enough!]
[Kyaaaa—!?]
Along with a whisper, magical power overflowed from Kusuha's body, and the pressure caused Marl, who straddled her back, to be blown away. A quick move that doesn't catch her eye-though I can see it well-the thread gets entangled in Marl and is pulled back to Kusuha's eyes before hitting the wall. I think I heard Marl's voice, which I shouldn't hear, but let's say she didn't.
Me? This level of magic pressure wouldn't budge me anymore. But my workshop was in tatters. It's as if it was struck by a typhoon.
[I notice that Miss has been ditching work more often lately. A sermon is in order]
[Taichi-san, h-e-l-p-m-e-e-e-]
[We're gonna be leaving now.]
I saw Marl, being dragged around by Kusuha, while tossing all the messy things into my inventory for the time being. It's easier to store it in the inventory and redecorate, rather than putting it away one by one by hand. I can ask for help from Deborah, Shitan, or Sherry later. Karen and Melchina are no good, they're rather scatterbrained. Fulham is not suitable for this kind of cleanup since she's prone to causing unexpected accidents, probably due to her constitution.
[Ahhh—I actually don't wanna go…]
Since we are talking about visiting the Onis, I would have to fetch the handsome lizard Kayjay. And who else should I bring along this time?