Volume 1 - CH 6.3

The store I was looking for was located on the main street of the town. It looked no different from any other store, but if you looked closely at the flow of magic power, you would see that it was carefully warded for security. There is no way that the wards are put up by human power, so it must be a store that has magical tools that put up wards and expensive products that are worth using.

When I entered the store, I found that the store's sign was not a fluke, and there were various kinds of magic tools on display. There are huge magical items that can put up wards, and there are even magical items for self-defense that double as accessories.

I wondered how much it would be worth if I sold them all. I was impressed by the variety of items, which made me think that if I were not good enough, I might have more money than a high class aristocrat.

However, the only thing I'm looking for this time is a magic tool that produces hot water, which is too limited, so there are two magic tools, a magic tool that produces water and a magic tool that warms water. I have no use for anything other than those items. I wandered around the store and found what I was looking for.

The price of both items was about the same as my house. This was too expensive. I would have been willing to buy them if they were cheap, but these prices made me wonder if I was being ripped off.

A man who seemed to be a shopkeeper approached me, probably having found me groaning in front of the magic tools.

「Welcome to the store. Is that the magic tool you're looking for?」

「Yeah, how much water can this magic tool produce?」

「That magical tool can produce enough water to fill two barrels of wine in an hour. I don't think you can find anything with such a powerful effect in any other store.」

Two barrels of wine equals about one thousand nine hundred liters. If it can produce that much, a bath of that size should be fine. However, the baths I'm having made at the mansion are not of such a small scale, so I need something that can produce more water.

「I see, is there anything more powerful than this being made?」

「I think it can be made if you can get a good quality spirit stone, but if there is such a spirit stone, it would be used to make more popular magical tools」

A spirit stone is what was called a magic stone in my original world, is a spherical mass produced in a place called a magic reservoir. They are not ores despite the word "stone" in the name, but rather crystals of highly concentrated magical power.

Almost without exception, magic stones have the property of absorbing magic power from the air. This makes them a semi-permanent source of magic power. They are indispensable in the production of magical tools.

A good quality magic stone is one that absorbs magic power at a high rate. A good quality magic stone is one that has a diameter of three centimeters or more, as the magic absorption rate varies depending on its size. These magic stones are usually used for high-powered magic tools, but they are rare and precious.

As I thought about it, something this man said suddenly caught my attention.

「Hmm? Are you the one making this magic tool?」

「Yes. I'm sorry for the delay, but my name is Robert, the owner of this store.」

He was not a shopkeeper, but the owner. I thought someone else was making them, but it seems that this store was privately owned by this man.

I think it's a bit cautious for a shopkeeper who can make magic tools to approach a suspicious customer he's never seen before, but this is a good chance. If I could see his memories, I should be able to figure out how to make a magic tool. I immediately performed a <Memory Reading> on the shopkeeper.

However, I heard a cracking sound as the magics interfered with each other, and my magic was blocked. It was the first time I had ever seen such a thing in this world, but for the first time, my magic was completely blocked by a magic resistance.

Not even a military magicians had been able to resist my magic, and I hadn't expected an ordinary magician to be able to prevent my magic.

The shopkeeper who had been hit by my magic backed away from me and held his staff out of his pocket as if to check me. It's very easy to see that he's used to fighting from the way he moves without a moment's hesitation after blocking the magic formula.

「What on earth are you imitating? I've been attacked by robbers a few times when I was just starting out, but I never thought I'd be attacked by a hero. I won't forgive you, depending on how things go.」

I thought he was a careless guy, but it seems that my face had been known. I didn't want to cause too much trouble, but I had no choice. I'm going to have to play hardball.

I'm trying to look relaxed, but I was actually quite surprised on the inside. It was my fault for being so careless, but I wouldn't normally think that anyone would be able to prevent my magic from working. It seems that this shopkeeper was quite a skilled magician.

I wondered why this country had relied on outside forces first, when they could have increased the strength of the army by conscripting people like him. Does this mean that this country doesn't want its commoners to be that active?

No, I don't care about that right now. I have to eliminate the threat in front of me.

「To be honest, I was surprised. If you're that skilled, why didn't you think of joining the army and improving your war record or studying magic further, instead of working in a magic tools store?」

「I'm better suited to making magic tools like this. The military doesn't put much stock in commoners, either. And you won't be fooled if I tell you that. You're not going to say that the magic you just did was a mistake, are you?」

「I have no intention of making excuses. I just wanted to tell you that it's a shame that you're letting such a great ability rot away.」

「Well, if you're satisfied with that, then let's have you caught quietly. If it was outside, you would have had little chance of winning, but this is inside my store. It's not unusual for a wizard to lose in his own domain.」

「......I'm glad you're so tough, but do you really think you can beat me with your level of skill? I never thought I'd hear you talk like that. In light of your bravery, I'll give you a piece of advice. If you're planning to use any kind of magic on me, you'd better not. If you think that the magic I just used is what I am capable of, let me tell you that you are mistaken.」

「I'll prove to you that I'm not talking nonsense! 『Light of Heaven, in the name of God, be a scorching spear that pierces through evil, and strike down his men!』」

As the shopkeeper held up his staff and chanted the spell, light gathered at the tip of the staff.

I've always wondered why these people try to use only the chant to activate their magic. The chant is a very inefficient element to convert. If you're going to use it in a battle like this, I think a material element would be quicker to activate.

Looking at his magic configuration, it seems to be a laser-based magic. How daring of him, even though we were in a store. He must be confident in his control of the magic, though, because if he's not careful, he could start a fire. I can see that he has the ability to do so. But it was a mistake to ignore my advice, wasn't it?

「...! Guahhh.....!」

The shopkeeper suddenly begins to suffer and drops his cane. Now the shopkeeper must be experiencing unimaginable pain in his head. This is because of the Seventh Type of Telepathy Magic, <Magic Stampede>, which I secretly activated while the shopkeeper was having a useless conversation.

This formula has the effect of replicating and forcing the target to deploy countless copies of the formula when the target tries to activate it. The reason why the shopkeeper is suffering right now is because he is being forced to deploy a magic formula that is far beyond his ability, and the load is causing tremendous pain in his brain. Since the probability of becoming a cripple is not small, it is clear that the load is still quite high.

In addition, since magic power is poured evenly into all the magics, naturally there is not enough magic power to activate them. As a result, the formula that was about to be activated failed, and the magic power of the magician was uprooted and dissipated.

As a result, there will be one orcerer on the verge of becoming a cripple, mentally and physically exhausted from the intense pain and depleted magic power. I warned him about it, but he didn't listen to my advice at all and activated it.

「Gaghh, Gguuhhhhh......!」

I used <Memory Reading> again on the shopkeeper who was writhing around in pain. Since his magic power is gone, the magical defenses from earlier have also disappeared, so I was able to read up on how to create magical tools without any problems.

When I had gathered the information I wanted, I canceled the magic formula. The pain must have receded as the outburst of the magic formula subsided, and he stood up, feeling like he was about to collapse.

「Do you think......you can get away with doing this for free ......? I'll tell the country about this. ......」

「Do what you want. But only if you can beat me and get out of here.」

The people of this world are not cunning enough, or at least they have a strange naivete. You should have at least stood up after I left. Well, I can't just let him honestly go tell them, so it doesn't matter whether he gets up or falls down.

「Kkuhh! You know that margin can be fatal.」

「That's enough.」

「...! Gyaahhhhh!?」

I stunned the shopkeeper with the <Fear>  and used the <Memory Extraction> to extract his memories of this place. Now that I had achieved my goal, I decided to leave quietly.

Later, with the knowledge of magic tools that I had read from the shopkeeper, the example magic tool was completed without any problems. Apparently, it was not a good idea to modify it in order to manipulate the output.

※

A few days later, I was told that the bath I had been waiting for was ready, so I went to see it immediately.

The finished bath was about the size of a small hot spring. I have plenty of land, so this size is perfectly acceptable, but unfortunately, the floor is not sloped, so the drainage seems to be poor. Maybe I'll dig a trench.

By the way, it's not outdoors. I didn't want to have to go outside every time I moved, so I forced myself to add it to the house. I could have made it an open-air bath, but I heard that the winters around here are long and the river gets so cold that it freezes over, so I decided against it.

Finally, I attached some of the magical tools that I had successfully completed. The bath was now complete. When I started it up immediately, hot water came out without any problem. Now I can finally take a bath.

While I was watching the hot water flowing into the bath, Elle arrived. Apparently, the sound of hot water flowing into the bath bothered her. She hadn't seen a bath before either, and was looking around inside with a curious look on her face.

「It's amazing, Master. Did you create a hot spring?」

「No, this is an artificially created bath, not anything like a hot spring.」

Apparently, there is a hot spring.

「Anyway, how do you get such a large amount of water out? Could it be that they are transferring it from the river?」

「I thought about that method at one time, but the purification of the water is troublesome. This is a direct purification of the water.」

「Master, I think that method would consume more magic power than the transfer and purification. ......」

「It's unavoidable in order to ensure the safety of the bath. But still, there are hot springs, aren't there? So why doesn't anyone want to build a bath?」

「Master, ordinary people don't have access to magical tools that use such a large amount of water. If you sold the magic stone attached to this, an ordinary person would not only be able to live for the rest of his life, he could even start his life over again a couple of times.」

「If so, then I can simply use the money from the sale of the magic stone to buy ....... No, that's not going to work, they're going to ask you where I got the magic stone .......」

Next to me, Elle was reaching in and out of the hot water, wondering if she could sell the magical stone. She seemed to think that the temperature was about the same as the hot spring in her memory, and was wondering whether she should stick her hand in or not.

At first, Elle was afraid to put her hand in, and was surprised to find that it wasn't as hot as she thought it would be, but after a while, she started enjoy herself as if she were playing in the river.

「Master, I understand that this is a bath. But what is this used for?」

「After you wash your body, you soak in it to relieve your daily fatigue.」

「How can you use such a large amount of water to wipe your body? I feel like it's a waste. ......」

「It's not for wiping, it's for getting in.」

「Eh?　But if you go inside with dirt, the water will get dirty, right?」

「I told you to wash the body first. The water still get dirty, but that's why I keep running fresh water.」

Elle doesn't seem to understand the idea of taking a bath very well.

「It can't be helped. Try it once. Then you'll understand.」

「I understand.」

Hearing my words, she suddenly started undressing on the spot.

「Take your clothes off in the changing room. It was there before you came in here, wasn't it?」

「Oh, I was wondering why there were so many shelves, but I guess that's where you put your clothes?」

After she undressing in the changing room, I let her take a bath again. By the way, I was outside while Elle was taking a bath. Of course, I didn't peek.

A distracted voice came from inside the bath, and after a while, Elle, who had finished changing, came out.

「That was amazing, Master! That felt kind of good!」

「Right, washing myself in here would keep me cleaner than wiping myself with a cloth. Basically, I made it for me to enter, but I'm thinking of releasing it to the servants at certain times.」

「That's a good idea. I'm sure they'll all like it.」

By the way, I've already told the servants that Elle is not from the enemy country. I don't know how they feel about it in their hearts, but on the surface they seem to treat her as one of their own.

The fact that the servants are not actually fighting against the Demon Empire may be a factor, but the reason they don't care about Elle more than that is because there is someone who hates more than she does. Yes, I'm talking about Lucia.

Lucia was currently the most hated person in this house. She is despised by the rest of the servants because it seems that the magical markings on her face look like tattoos to other people, and also because she was originally thought to have come to work here through connections.

The only ones who don't dislike her are me and Elle, who know what's going on. Tia dislikes her poor housekeeping skills, and there is no one else who will stand up for her.

I guess she thought it was better than being bullied by the servants, but it's funny to see her relying on me and Elle, the cause of her dislike.

I'm not going to give up on her because she's so valuable to me, but I'm also not going to try to improve her situation. It's more convenient for me if she hates me.

The fact that she was hired by me in the first place, I can only say that her prospects are disappointing. If she had behaved like that when we first met, she would have turned into a prostitute before long.

「Master, dinner is ready.」

As we were talking, Lucia came to call me. She was trying to hide it with her hair, but the mark on her cheek was hard to disguise. It would be impossible for her to regain her old life.

「Dinner is served. Master, let's go.」

「Oh, yes. I'm sorry you had to come and get me too, Lucia.」

I patted her on the head, and she gave me a look that was both happy and frustrated. She hates me, but I guess she's hungry for kindness because my servants hate her. She must have been pampered by the people around her as the Duke's concubine.

Well, no matter what her situation is, it doesn't matter as long as she doesn't run away from me. After all, she's the chicken that lays the golden eggs now.

In addition, she is pretty as long as she stays quiet. She has the beauty to be in the Duke's concubine.I don't want to be cajoled, but I don't feel bad about being relied on.

Tia is still the best, but I'm going to give Elle and Lucia preferential treatment over the others.

I'm sure she'll continue to do her best in this adversity, as she can't shake off my hand and remains quiet.

By the way, later, when I told the other heroes that I had made a bath, Sagami said he would love to take a bath, so I invited him. It seems that there was a culture of bathing in his world too.