CH 166

I tried making quills while waiting for it to turn black.

By the way, quill pens are usually associated with elegance, right? But did you know, an overwhelming majority of folks here get really annoyed because the feather gets in the way while they write, so it can be quite tricky to use.

Goose feathers are mainly used, but the rich folks opt for monster plumes. Monsters are bigger, so of course their rachis — that hard, spine thingy in the middle of the feather — are bigger. The feather shaft has beautiful nice patterns on it. It’s also sturdy and wear-resistant, and although it’s still a dip pen, it’s definitely easier to use than ordinary quills.

Anyway, quills made from monster feathers are indispensable for drawing magical circles. And so, thinking that I’d be able to draw a powerful magic circle because, you know, with powerful monsters comes powerful left-over mana, so ta-dah, I hunted a strong monster bird! Quill pen, attack! Ack, the paper ripped! RIP, parchment!

…ehem, so that’s why they say moderation is key, huh. But hey, I did smooth the nib point, and I didn’t even put any strength on writing, but the paper went riiiiip just like that. Maybe I should make the parchment from the monster hide too? Nah, that’ll be a pain in the neck.

Wait, it’s not even my plan to write on a parchment paper in the first place. Maybe ‘that’ will do?

I experimented with the quill I made using regular ink first, with a marble tile for my canvas. Ack, it’s getting shaved off! But I don’t mind! It’ll last longer if the magic circle was engraved.

Alright, this quill pen will do as it is. It’s fine, I’ll just have to pretend that this is my goal from the start, they won’t know it’s a flop — haha, that’s a lie, I also made a normal one.

Okay, with that, Riche’s chilly chilly marble plate was finally successfully done. Since it’s portable, I can just move it away if it gets too cold, and since it’s constantly activated with a magic stone, it’s cold even when Riche is sleeping.

I installed one beside my bed, and one in the living room. I’ll put the one I experimented on in the attic room of the Canum house. Is Daifuku the cold-loving type, or the hot-loving type? I imagine cats to be afraid of the cold, but we found him inside a tunnel, so I wonder which one is he?

Well, it’s just an ordinary marble plate if not activated.

「Riche, try getting on it. 」

I tapped the plate with my forefinger and called Riche. He immediately trotted towards me, sniffed it, before getting on it.

「How is it? 」

「Just use it if it gets too hot, okay? Ah, and this one gets chilly if you put mana in it. Be careful, it can get colder than the plate one. 」

I showed him the scarlet bandana with a belt that I made. There are two charms attached on that belt, one was coin-shaped with a magic circle engraved on it, and the other was a spherical charm that can hold a magic stone. It looks like a bell.

Riche’s mana can activate it, but I made it so that the magic stone will supply mana after a fixed time. I don’t want Riche to push himself.

「Nice, looking good, it suits you. 」

He let me put it on him, not even resisting one bit. Ahhh, cuteness level up! I’ll be washing it later when it gets dirty, so maybe I should make more in different colors?

Riche must’ve activated it right away; his fur was so cold when I patted him. Atta boy, smart boy.

I still have some ice, snow, chilly breeze manastones. I got them back after defeating many monsters when I was making blankets and that time when I got X-Stick. Oh, and when I hunted monitor lizards, too. The ones I got from monitor lizards were jade, so I just carved a cabbage on one with a suitable green color.

The prettier the color and the rounder the manastone is, the more expensive it is. Manastones are filled with the mana of the monsters, and those who harbor wholehearted hatred towards human produce near perfect spheres. If anger, fear and all sorts of other emotions get mixed in, it’ll end up looking closer to an ore. Misshapen orbs are far more numerous than the perfect spheres.

Spirits love gems, especially the sphere ones, like they do flowers and water. They frequently go into the gems, but they won’t be able to get out until the mana from the manastone runs out. Maybe it has something to do with monsters, or should I say black spirits absorbing normal spirits?

Well, they treat the gems as their sleeping places, so many of them don’t mind getting trapped in them.

They prefer those with the same attributes as they have, and the rounder the stone, the more comfortable it is to sleep in, apparently. With that, you get an even more powerful manastone. The huge ones are also called orbs.

I recalled what I learned back at the library and from what I heard from Retze as I sketched a chilly chilly magic circle on my pillowcase. I also added some charms engraved with a magic circle for supplying mana to the hem of the pillowcase, and the job’s done. If it gets too hot, I can set the manastones and enjoy a chilly chilly~ sleep.

I’m going to draw one on the sheets too if the heat becomes unbearable, but for now, I’ll just enjoy the season.

… The coolness is less with the cloth compared to the marble plate, huh. Alright, I’ll sketch on the cloth lining of Riche’s basket.

By the way, the official name of the chilly chilly magic circle is actually『Ice House Circle』, used to make ice rooms in the desert kingdom by drawing it on a special sort of stone and installing it on the floor, walls and even in the ceiling. It’s a relic from an era before the wind and tree spirits ran rampant, when the fire was deemed supreme. It’s said that it would be less effective if the special stone wasn’t used.

「Riche, don’t get your belly too cold, okay. 」

Okay, time to wrap up today’s work. Tonight’s dinner is steak and veggie soup, then I’ll bake some pastries for Gold and Silver.

I’ll check the price of manastones in Nalluahdid then check the progress on the island tomorrow. The house in the woods is currently in the drying stage, and I can continue working on it the day after tomorrow.

I finished working on the walls, but it’ll be a pain in the neck doing the second floor and roof by myself. Maybe I can just find a chance to grab Retze when he’s alone and invite him over?

Dinosso’s with his family, and Butler’s with Ash, plus it’s work that doesn’t suit that guy.

Well, I’ll definitely get scolded, so I won’t do it.