Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, I made various electric circuits when I was a Uni student, although I didn’t do it anymore when I was a working adult--I didn’t think that I would begin making them again in a fantasy world--”

I don’t know if the fake hero really exists, or if the Tax Collector was lying, but I regularly check the map of the Baron’s castle, and have found the most suspicious candidate.

My target’s name is Hauto--which sounds similar to the real hero’s, Hayato--he’s level 7, a young man who has the One-Handed Sword, and Shield Skills. There are also other people, who seem to be his companions: a level 10 Swordsman, a level 8 Mage, and level 9 Priest--it’s a party with good balance, they would’ve been quite successful if they went into a labyrinth.

The Demon is very likely involved--it’s often near Hauto.

However, something is puzzling me, the Demon slips out of the castle at night and goes to the neighbouring forest where the thieves are.

“Master, the replenishment is complete.” Nana’s voice pulls me back, and I remember that right now, in front of me is a good view--in my hand a soft and pleasant feeling--I am disappointed that I was too distracted to fully appreciate it.

With a sigh, I stop pouring in Magic Power and release Nana’s breast.

She has a happy look in her eyes as she puts her shirt on.

“Wow, never thought I’d see that--A man too distracted to appreciate a beautiful woman’s body.” Arisa laughs, a smirk on her full lips as she looks at me.

“Master?” Nana looks back at us.

“It probably won’t be too important for now, don’t worry.” I smile reassuringly at her.

Nana nods and leaves the wagon.

“You didn’t tell her?” Arisa sits down next to me, leaning against my shoulder and grabbing my hand, drawing random shapes on the back of it with her free hand--she almost seems to be trying to comfort me.

“Not yet. I still haven’t decided if I really want to interfere or just pass through, though I am leaning more towards the first option--I will see what happens.”

“Uh huh--” Arisa looks up at me with a grin.

I get up, pulling Arisa to her feet alongside me, and we climb out of the Wagon.

***

Today, I decided to make wooden swords while sitting in the shaking wagon.

I don’t have much experience with real combat, but something about Tama and Pochi’s stances seem to have become sloppy lately, probably because they have only been fighting low level thieves--so I am preparing these so they can practice; I don’t want to see them suffer because of letting down their guards.

After completing the wooden swords, I roll several layers of leather, packed with goat fur, around them so that the girls don’t get too badly hurt--which is probably more than a little overprotective--

 

“Is it okay to have this?”

“Pochi also wants to have that.”

 

Pochi and Tama ask, while holding Nana’s rapier--their command over the Shiga Language seems to be getting better; the sword is engraved with cute patterns from the guard to the grip. It seems that they want their swords to have the same kind of patterns as the rose engraving there.

The two’s eyes are full of expectations.

 

“Is it alright if the design is a bit simpler?”

 

“This one no good?”

“No good?”

 

Uhh, now it’s upturned eyes, huh?

“I understand, I’ll try.”

 

“Yay.”

“It’s going to be okay since it’s master.”

 

“Work hard, master” Arisa cheered me on, since I had irresponsibly promised them--she looks quite amused.

Since it’s impossible to engrave the design on the completed swords without compromising their integrity--so I decide to make new ones.

The two are finally satisfied with the engraving, after nine tries. Since I’ve only shaved from the guard to the base of the grip, the blade is still rod shaped--I should be able to finish the blades before the next rest, if it’s only for two.

 

>>Skill: Engraving Acquired.

***

“There’s no prey.”

“I picked nuts.”

 

After we entered this territory, the girls only manage to succeed in a few hunts--it was rare to be able to hunt birds and beasts near to the road--but even like this, Tama still shrewdly gathers fruit and acorns; while Pochi and the others come back empty-handed.

But since we’re not in a food shortage ourselves, I don’t use Tama’s harvest, but store it.

It’s time for the lunch preparations, and Lulu is standing beside Liza while wearing clothes that are slightly different than usual; she has her hair tied with the usual blue braid, but her apron now has frills on it--I don’t know why, but is massively increases her cuteness.

At a place a slight distance from the camp, Pochi and Tama and training using their wooden swords--without their usual goofy attitudes, they look very serious; like little soldiers.

Pochi attacks in a straight line, and Tama avoids it while moving in a relatively more erratic manner. Using the chance when Pochi stops moving, Tama successfully hits her with a weaker, but faster, attack.

Sometimes Tama fails to avoid Pochi’s heavy blow, so their ‘damage’ is comparable.

It’s good--even though they know that this is training, they still attack and dodge seriously, as though their lives are on the line.

Liza, who had been washing the dishes volunteered to be the umpire, since she was worried about the two; even though I taught them how to stop a blow just before it hit, it looks like they completely forget about it--which is probably good, since these weapons can’t do a large amount of damage and they can learn properly--But I hate seeing the girls hurt, even if it is for their own good--I would probably make a bad parent.

***

Since lunch is over, and I have free time, I have decided to experiment with the creation of Magic Tools--at the moment, I am only making the preliminary preparations.

Roughly speaking, Magic Tools are tools that can recreate the effects of specific Magic Spells, without the required chanting. Magic Circuits are embedded in the Magic Tools as a substitute for the normal chants--they seem to be more permanent forms of Magic Circles, but require more effort and usually more expensive materials.

Simple circuits could be made basically anywhere, as long as you had the time and materials--but for more complex circuits, you’d need an exclusive workshop; or specialized tools and a large, safe area to use incredibly amounts of time and MP.

However, that said, the difference between simple and complex circuits can be explained using the example of the differences between a wire linking a battery and miniature lightbulb--at the electronic circuitry found in a semiconductor.

In order to create the Magic Circuit, you need to use a specific ‘Circuit Liquid’ to draw specific patterns. Depending on the purpose, you could also need ‘Circuit Liquids’ with differing MP Resistance--but for now, let’s just go with a simple one for the first time.

I draw a simple circle on a wooden place with ink.

Next, I take a dagger out of storage and carefully carve out the circle--only a few millimeters deep--My Daggers Skill comes in handy here.

Now, I just need to pour the Circuit Liquid in, and it’s be complete.

The book describing how to make Circuit Liquid was written in Elven, probably by Trazayuya--since it was found in the bundle of papers being sold.

To make the simplest Circuit Liquid, the one I will be using this time, all I needed to do was mix melted copper with powdered Magic Core and stabilizer.

First, I melt some coppers--to do this, I use the Magic Tool that I bought from the Metalworking shop; it’s a burner that allows for a controllable flame, which is changed depending on how much MP is poured into it.

 

>>Skill: Metal Carving Acquired.

 

Since it looks like I will probably need this from now on, I put the maximum points into it and activate it.

I mix some powdered Magic Cores and stabilizers inside the pot which holds the melted copper--with a light ‘pssh’ sound, thin red smoke starts to rise from the pot; strangely, it has no smell.

The Circuit Liquid is complete after I stir the powder into the liquefied copper, so I pour the Circuit Liquid into the carved groove in the wood--it gives off a slight smell of burning wood.

Maybe, I should have waited until it was a bit cooler.

 

>>Skill: Magic Tool Creation Acquired.

 

Of course, I max it out, and activate it.

So, Imbuing was from a different category.

“So--What are you making?” Arisa calls out from behind me, it seems that she has finished washing the dishes.

 

“A Magic Tool.”

 

“Eh? Is that something you could make?” I can hear surprise, and a little excitement in Arisa’s voice.

That girl does seem to love Magic Tools.

“Seems so, do you want to try it?” I hold the plank of wood up.

I hear her sit down beside me, leaning forward and draping her arms over my shoulders, her chest pressing into my back. Bracketing my neck, her small hands reach down and grab the wooden plank.

She pours in her Magic Power, the brownish Circuit Liquid begins to glow a vermilion gold.

 

“Okay, it seems to work as it should.”

 

“Works as it should? Hows that?”

 

“When you pour in your Magic Power, it will flow around the circle and cause it to glow.”

 

“Is that all?”

 

“Yeah, don’t expect something too complex or grand--it’s my first time.”

 

“Well, my first time was grand and complex.” Arisa whispers into my ear with a amused tone, then she releases the plank and just leans against me, going quiet.

We stayed like this for a short time, before I got up and we started packing to leave--lunch was over, and it was time to move along.