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[Many of the contents recorded here steps into the areas that this mistress couldn’t enter… Therefore, this is probably an experiment based on a Hero’s inherent abilities…]
From Erika’s point of view, the contents seemed to be fairly amazing.
That’s as far as I can deduce from the way she said it though…
At that time, these must have looked like a rather over-technological knowledge.
It’s no wonder that the Great Sage would use the term “Forbidden Arts”.
These things were still too early for humanity.
Well, what he’s probably most afraid of—– is that these knowledge would get into the hands of that goddess.
Erika, who had been mumbling to herself for a while, stretched out neck and looked towards the bed.
[By the way, what are all those stuff lying about over there?]
I also looked towards the things on top of the bed.
[These are the materials used to make forbidden tools. I’ve already finished making the Gem of Voice Amplification and Gem of Voice Alteration. I have some materials that I have some duplicate pieces to spare but… At the moment, my first priority would be making Pigimaru’s Monster Enhancer…]
[Fuuuunnnnn…]
Erika stood up and sat down on the edge of the bed.
She then crossed her legs and bent closer to observing the spread out materials.
Standing up from my seat, I stand next to her.
[We’re just one more material short of what we need for the Monster Enhancer’s second experiment.]
[Say, Touka.]
Erika raised her upper body and leaned closer towards me.
She then opened the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” in her hand and pointed to a simple illustration with her finger.
[That one final ingredient you’re lacking, is it this one?]
[Yes… Do you have something in mind?]
This feels like…
She may know the habitat of the monster where I needed that material.
[I do have it, you know?]
[?]
[No, what I mean is—–]
“Tap tap”
Erika lightly taps the illustration on the paper with her fingertips.
[If it’s this material, I’d have it here in my home.]
Chapter 171
The Next Enhancer
The Witch’s home has a door that we haven’t opened before.
It’s a door that the landlord herself told us not to open.
I had just come towards that door with Erika beside me.
[Can I come in?]
[Well, I suppose you have earned enough trust from this mistress.]
[Or so she says, Pigimaru.]
[Pinyyuuu.]
Pigimaru is also together with us.
[Come, let’s go in.]
Beyond the door was a hole leading downwards.
It seems that there’s still a place even further underground.
Taking the ladder installed nearby, we began heading downwards.
When she finally reaches the bottom, Erika nonchalantly steps on the ground.
I also got off the ladder too.
What we found on the end of the ladder is——
[This place should be the Witch’s Laboratory huh…]
I guess you could call this something like Erika’s workplace.
This place is about the size of a school’s Science Laboratory.
Equipment that looks like they were used for experiments are lined up on desks and shelves.
I could also see that standard mysterious liquid that had those bubbles frothing out of its conical flask.
…The room temperature in this place is higher than normal.
It’s not that unbearable, but it does make people sweat a bit.
I could also see some doors leading to other rooms.
Then, Erika pointed to a door on the right hand side of the room.
[This way.]
Erika opens up that door.
When I entered the room, I came upon shelves that were lined up in a row.
It looks like these were handmade shelves.
Each step in those shelves were lined up with vials.
The vialed parts that were supposed to belong to monsters were sorted out together.
It kind of reminds me of that so-called formalinization…
[It looks like you went to a lot of trouble to preserve them.]
[It’s a little too hot in this room though.]
[Normally though, I had an image that you would lower down the room’s temperature though.]
[The things inside this room must be kept within temperature. Fuuuuu… It’s really hot in here.]
Erika wiped her jaws.
The clothing she’s wearing looks like it would be quite refreshing, but her tanned skin is dripping in sweat.
I see.
Perhaps, the reason why she’s wearing outfits like that was because she’s working in a hot room like this.
[Puyuriii~…]
Pigimaru also looks like he’s getting a little sluggish from the heat.
It looks like he turned into a lifeless mochi.
[Hold on a second~…]
Standing on her tiptoes, Erika checked the shelves one after another.
It appears that she doesn’t remember everything about where things go and where she kept certain stuff.
[The fact that you’ve gone to such great lengths to preserve them… That means that they’re quite valuable, aren’t they?]
[Of course, they are.]
[Then, what’s your conditions for supplying me with this?]
[Nothing really? I don’t really have any conditions for this.]
[…You’re just going to give me without any sort of conditions?]
[You can just say it’s my thanks for the whiskey.]
[…………]
So it’s thanks to that huh.
It seems to have done more for me than I ever expected.
…But well, she may have been willing to give it to us unconditionally from the start.
Erika stopped in front of one of the shelves.
Then, she started looking around nearby.
It seems like she’s searching for something.
Then…
[Fuuuuu…]
Sighing, Erika crossed her arms.
She’s intensely staring at the top of the shelf.
In the end…
[Touka.]
[Hmm?]
[Lend me your shoulders.]
She requested to ride on my shoulders, and I’m someone who complies with her demands.
[Is this alright?]
[Thank you.]
The thing she was probably looking for earlier was a ladder.
[………]
She’s lighter than I thought she would be.
[I’m sorry if I’m sweaty, but you’re also sweaty anyway. I’m enduring it myself, so you should also endure it.]
[…It’s fine, I’m already used to enduring.]
Erika placed her hands on the edge of the shelf and peered at the stuff above it.
[Well, it’s not good if you’re always enduring things… You should just always be prepared for the right moment—– oh, found it.]
It appears that she found what we’re looking for.
Dropping down on my knees, Erika gets down from my shoulder.
In her hand was a vial the size of a human’s head.
[Yes, I think this is it.]
I check the contents of the vial that Erika passed towards me.
[Yeah… This really is what I’m looking for.]
* * *
[Why don’t you just make it here? I can lend you my equipment, you know? Erika is also interested in that Enhancer.]
With that comment from Erika, I decided to move on to creating the Enhancer.
This place
certainly is quite filled with various equipment…
I went back to my room once more to get some of my materials.
[Now then, I guess I’ll start.]
Erika also helped out in making it this time, so I quickly finished making the Enhancer before I knew it.
Then, Erika pointed to one of the doors with her thumb.
[If you’re going to administer the Enhancer to Pigimaru, how about we use that room instead? It’s a little hot in here.
According to Erika, it’s a spacious room built with sturdy walls.
It seems that it’s mostly used to test the effects of powerful magic tools.
Well, there’s no reason for me to say no.
I stepped into the room.
[…………]
How refreshing.
It feels similar to that feeling I get when I walk into an air conditioned store on a hot summer day…
[Now then, let’s do this… Are you ready, Pigimaru?]
[Pinyuu~! Pigii! Pigiii! Piggiiiii!]
Pigimaru is extending and retracting his protrusion alternating from left to right.
It kind of looks like he’s doing Seikendzuki…
It may be that Pigimaru is also spirited in his own way.
(T/N: Seikendzuki is something mostly seen in karate. They’re just mostly really fast and strong straight punches. What Pigimaru is doing is that karate practice where they alternately make straight punches with their left and right fists.)
This time too, I used the Monsters Enhancer according to the instructions.
The effect of this experiment towards a slime…
According to the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” I’ve brought with me along with the materials—–
[Pigii…? Pii… Pipii?]
Pigimaru began to faintly glow.
While he’s glowing, he also appears to be increasing in size.
[Pigigii…!? Piiggyyyyyiiiiiiiii————-!]
Bang!
Erika looked at “that thing” that had swelled up and reached the ceiling.
[You’ve developed something really outrageous, Great Sage…]
Yes, Pigimaru—–
—started to turn gigantic.
The ceiling in this room is quite high.
And yet, his size has already reached close towards the ceiling…
You could say that he had turned considerably gigantic.
[Pigimaru.]
[Pii!]
Even as it grew larger, he still had his adorable purr.
[Can you try turning back into your original size?]
[Pimuuu?… Piii! Pimumumu… Pyuuuu~…]
Just like a deflating balloon, he shrank back his size in no time.
In the end, he returned back to his original size as if nothing had happened.
That’s right… To put it simply, the effect of the Enhancer this time is “Gigantification”.
However—– That may just be a simple way to put it.
[Fuuuuunnn…]
Erika looks impressed.
[The idea of making it gigantic by increasing its density…]
[Personally, I think we’ve been able to raise the level of our capabilities by quite a bit with this enhancement. The effect of this enhancement, by itself, may look really like the epitome of simpleness but…]
However, because of its simplicity, it can be used in a variety of ways.
Erika looks like she’s trying to see through me.
[The way to use this ability… It seems that you’ve already assembled it inside your head, huh?]
Bending down, I put my hand in front of Pigimaru.
[Pii?]
[Whether it works the way I want it to, I’d see it after I verify it in the future…]
There are still some things that I need to verify.
Not all data is recorded in the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts”.
What things could be done, and what are things that couldn’t be done…
To what extent could I use this skill…
I would need to make sure of these things first.
But well, for now—–
[Without a doubt, this would definitely broaden our ways to fight.]
Chapter 172
The Wall Obstructing the Path
We decided to leave the verifications for later and climb upstairs for the time being.
Erika looks like she’s fatigued…
[I’m thirsty.]
—-and wanted to return.
So, I suggested that I stay behind to verify its effect but…
[You’re only allowed on this floor if you’re accompanied by Erika.]
She rejected that idea.
Well, I don’t have any reason to be stubborn here.
Silently, I went back upstairs with Erika.
I just went straight towards the terrace of this house.
It’s a space that protrudes outward from a hole in this huge tree.
There’s even handrails placed upon this place, so you could say that it looks like a terrace already.
Placing Pigimaru on my shoulders, I leaned against the railing.
[Hmm? They’re still doing that?]
A bit far from here, I could see Seras and Eve clashing swords against each other.
As for Liz… She seems to be asleep.
She looks like she’s exhausted as she’s leaning against Slei, who’s lying prone on the ground.
[…………]
Even from here, I could see that she looks quite peaceful as she sleeps.
Then, Erika arrived with two silver cups in hand.
[Speaking of which Touka, how’s your injury?]
[Yeah, it’s getting better now. I think that after a few more days, I will be able to fight without this injury hindering me in my battles.]
Erika follows my gaze.
[It looks like Eve and Liz are also getting used to this place.]
[That’s a good thing, especially in Liz’s case. The nervousness and fear that she had before we arrived in this place have considerably eased up.]
Liz had been trying to bravely hide those emotions of her.
However, I knew that she was trying to hide it.
[She’s a really good girl.]
[Yeah.]
Leaning her back to the railings, Erika sighed.
[—–Alright.]
[Hmm?]
[Erika would take the responsibility of taking care of that girl.]
[Thanks.]
All Liz wants is to live quietly in peace.
She’s not supposed to be on this journey for revenge.
I took the silver cup that Erika held out towards me.
[So, since you asked about the state of my injury… You’re probably here to know when we’re going to leave, right?]
Looking amazed, Erika shrugs her shoulders.
[You’re still annoyingly sharp… Well, you’re right.]
Erika stared at my reflection on the surface of her silver cup.
“Say…” She said as she traced the surface of the cup with her finger.
[If Erika doesn’t give you the information on the Forbidden Curses… Then what do you plan to do next, Touka?]
[If that happens—–]
It’s already been decided long ago.
[All I have to do is find a way other than the Forbidden Curses and crush that joke of a goddess.]
[……………]
* * *
Two days have passed since then.
My injuries are much better now.
Seras treatment towards them must have worked too.
It also healed faster than I had expected.
Well, it might have been better if it healed slowly so that I could accomplish my original objective for going towards this place though.
At the dinner table that night, our meal proceeded with an atmosphere that looks like we’ve been f
amiliar with our life here.
And then, after about 80% of the food on the table had been consumed…
[I got this information from my familiar…]
As if she’s talking to herself, Erika abruptly said.
[A little while ago, I heard that the Great Demon Emperor’s army had started a full-fledged march towards the south.]
The Great Demon Emperor huh.
It seems that some stuff had happened while I was here in the Demon Zone.
[I heard that this war is going to be a much tougher battle compared to the previous ones. It looks like the Holy Alliance’s side is also considerably prepared to face against them. The Heroes from Another World summoned by Alion were immediately incorporated to each of their armies.]
The Heroes from Another World.
The Takao Sisters and Kashima Kobato…
The only recent information I have is about those three people Eve has encountered.
Even that information is just something I heard of.
I didn’t meet them face to face.
[It seems that Bakuos, who had been troubled by the loss of the Five Dragon Warriors, has sent in an army led by a new group of generals they named as the “Three Dragon Warriors”. Having lost the main fighting force of the Black Dragon Knights, I think Bakuos would like to show Vysis their usefulness in this war, wouldn’t they? That also means that this war is an opportunity for each country to rack up achievements.]
[…Is that so, Bakuos did that huh…]
Bakuos is the country that invaded the country that Seras was living in.
It’s natural that she would have some thoughts towards them.
[Also… It seems that there are some countries that were using this war to formally reinstate themselves into the Holy Alliance.]
Wiping her mouth with a cloth, Erika said.
[I’ve heard that an army led by Cattleya Stramius, the First Princess of the Holy Kingdom of Neia, will be participating in this war.]
Her back straightening upon hearing that, Seras gently places down her spoon.
There was a smile on her lips.
[It seems that lady also won’t just simply let things fall down that easily…]
Peek
Erika glanced towards Seras.
[Moreover… Depending on their achievements in this war, I heard that they might be able to take her country back from Bakuos.]
Folding her arms, Eve growls.
[Her country…? No matter how weaker Bakuos may be after they lost the Five Dragon Warriors, are they really just going to give that country back to her?]
