《The Power of the Saint is All Around》 Volume 1 - Prologue One day I was suddenly summoned to a different world by a ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. It happened when I arrived home late from work, while I was removing my shoes at the entrance of my apartment. A white light suddenly appeared from under my feet. It was so dazzling that I had to close my eyes. When I next opened my eyes, what I saw in front of me was no longer my familiar apartment kitchen, it was a room of about 30.6m21surrounded by stone walls. ¡°It was a success!¡± ¡°¡°¡°Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!¡±¡±¡± It was noisy but I ignored it and looked around. In front of me, there were knights in surcoats and people wearing ankle-length robes. They all looked pleased. The knights were hitting each other¡¯s shoulders while laughing. The people in robes were slumped on the floor, they had faint smiles on their faces and their bodies showed that they had accomplished their task. When I looked at the floor, I could see that there were lines drawn on it. The lines were black and it had subtlety fused with the floor. I wouldn¡¯t have noticed the lines if I didn¡¯t concentrate. The lines looked like a magic circle. On my right there was a wall. On my left there was a girl who wore the same clothes as me. Although I said that she was wearing the same clothes as me, it wasn¡¯t a suit. She was wearing a casual knitted skirt, in other words she was wearing modern fashion. Yes, apart from me and her, the surrounding people were wearing armours and robes. Is this inside of a game? I wanted to tsukkomi them. The only appearances familiar to me were just me and her. The girl appeared to be in her mid-late teens. She was still sitting on the ground dumbfounded. Like me, she was suddenly thrown into this situation. Honestly, I also wanted to shout because I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but I desperately tried to keep calm in an effort to grasp the situation. After roughly understanding was happening around me, a door further away from the girl opened and several people entered the room. The person at the front was a handsome man with red hair, dressed in rococo style clothing without the wig, like the so called aristocrats. There were three people behind him; a handsome knight with black hair, a boy with red hair and another handsome young man with dark blue hair wearing simple aristocrat clothes . Judging from their appearance; the boy with the red hair was the prince, the knight was his guard, the young man could be a scholar with a high position. Even so red hair¡­¡­ If he kept dying his hair in such a gaudy colour, he¡¯ll be bald in the future. While I was escaping reality, the guy with the red hair walked up to the girl sitting on the ground and kneeled in front of her. Then he said with a really nice smile, ¡°Are you the ¡¾Saint¡¿?¡± ¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Yes? Volume 1 - CH ss1 A little while ago. In the Slantania Kingdom a gloomy atmosphere engulfed a room at the Royal Palace. ¡°Well then shall we hear the report?¡± The Prime Minister, Dominique Goltz said with a perplexed expression. There were eight people sitting on the left and right of the conference table: the Defence Minister, the Interior Ministers, all Knight Order¡¯s Captains, the Court Mage Division¡¯s Head Magician and lastly, the King sat at the far end of the table. It was Joseph Hawk, the Defence Minister who spoke next. His low heavy voice echoed, ¡°The situation has not changed, it is still unfavourable. Each of the Knight Orders have been sequentially subjugating and we have somehow managed to withstand it. But at this rate, the demons will eventually flood the forest.¡± Demons are born when a certain concentration of miasma gathered. The stronger the miasma was, the stronger the demon was. Miasma occurred relatively close to humans and it was still unknown as to why miasma occurred. Miasma easily accumulates in dark places where people do not live: such as forests and caves. It wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if it only accumulated but demons were born from it. Those demons migrated near villages and towns, causing harm to humans. The miasma in the surrounding area became thinner when a demon was defeated. The thickening of miasma could be prevented by continuously defeating demons. In peaceful times, it was possible to prevent the demons from flooding villages and towns thanks to the Knight Order¡¯s periodic subjugations. However in Slantania, once every few generations there was a period when the speed of the miasma thickening exceeded the speed at which the demons were defeated. This was what was happening at the current time. The Knight Orders coped with it by raising the frequency of their subjugations. However since the number of subjugation increased year by year according to the miasma, the Defence Minister and the knights agreed that they could only endure it for another year or two. If they couldn¡¯t withstand it, then the demons would flood out from places that easily accumulated miasma and attack the surrounding villages and towns. The Interior Minister, Alphonse Hummel, spoke after the Defence Minister, ¡°Various aristocrats have also reported that it has become increasingly difficult to cope with the miasma.¡± The Knight Orders subjugated the demons in the outskirts of the Royal Capital but feudal lords appointed people in their fiefs for subjugation. Those appointed people were not farmers but mercenaries from various places. The mercenaries gathered together to form mercenary groups. The feudal lords commissioned the mercenary groups to subjugate demons in exchange for a reward. That was how they maintained the safety of their fiefs. But the rewards that the feudal lord gave out couldn¡¯t match up with the amount of demons and coping with them became difficult. Mercenary groups were also putting their lives on the line. If the reward was too low, they wouldn¡¯t work, even if it was for somewhere they lived. If the mercenary groups didn¡¯t work for some reason or if one mercenary group, alone, was not enough, sometimes the Knight Orders at the Royal Palace would lend a hand. However, they had their hands full with the situation around the Royal Capital and weren¡¯t in any position to help out the other fiefs. The Prime Minister further deepened the crease between his eyebrows at the response given by the Defence Minister and Interior Minister. Next Michael Huber, the Special Division¡¯s Captain, was asked a question. ¡°How is the search for Saint-sama?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I am sorry to say but we have yet to find her.¡± Huber¡¯s voice was also gloomy and heavy. In times when the miasma thickened, a maiden called the¡¾Saint¡¿would appear somewhere in the kingdom. The purifying magic used by the ¡¾Saint¡¿was powerful and made it possible to defeat the demons one after another. Because of the¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿appearance, they could overcome the period by suppressing the flooding demons. From that continuous history, at that time, they anticipated the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿appearance somewhere in Slantania and so the Special Division searched in various places. They believed that they would immediately find the ¡¾Saint¡¿but contrary to their expectations, three years had passed since they¡¯d began their search and they still haven¡¯t found her yet. The Special Division earnestly searched the kingdom around every nook and cranny before the steadily approaching time of destruction. But they never found her, they¡¯d thought she wasn¡¯t born yet and visited the same places many times. But still they couldn¡¯t find the ¡¾Saint¡¿. A heavy silence fell upon the room. ¡°Would you like to rely on a legend?¡± Yuuri Dreves, the Court Mage Division¡¯s Head Magician, quietly grumbled. His whisper resounded throughout the quiet room and everyone sitting at the table turned to look at Dreves. Dreves glanced at the surroundings and slowly lifted the documents placed in front of him. ¡°There is a ceremony called the¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­ That certainly is a famous story but isn¡¯t it just a fairy-tale?¡± ¡°No, it is a true story. The contents of the ceremony are written in here.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°There was a grimoire detailing the ceremony performed at that time amongst the books stored in the prohibited section.¡± ¡°Are the contents reliable?¡± ¡°I do not know. The method is written in here but the procedure is quite complex. A number of mages will also be needed to perform the ceremony. There¡¯s a 50% chance of success or failure.¡± ¡°Something like that¡­¡­¡± ¡°But I think that it is better to try it out rather than wait and do nothing as the demons overflow.¡± The¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿was a ceremony constructed in ancient times when the ¡¾Saint¡¿did not appear no matter how thick the miasma got; just like the situation they were encountering. The sages in the past used all their knowledge to construct this ceremony in order to summon a maiden who would become the ¡¾Saint¡¿from far away. It sounded like this ceremony was exactly what they needed, but the ceremony had only been performed once, at the time of its creation and had since been dormant until it was needed again. Therefore, even if they performed the ceremony, they were uncertain about whether or not it would succeed. Many mages and tools were needed for the ceremony so even just performing it was costly. It wasn¡¯t worth it to perform the ceremony in peaceful times, but since they were already approaching their limits, such trifle matters weren¡¯t a problem. The King, who sat silently while listening to the conversations around him, spoke. ¡°We will perform the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. Court Mage Division, start the preparations immediately. Everyone else, continue with your duties.¡± Thus for the first time in hundreds of years, Slantania Kingdom performed the¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. ??????? The¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿succeeded. A maiden from a different world was summoned by the ceremony. However a problem occurred. Two maidens were summoned. According to the documents, up until they did the ceremony again, only one ¡¾Saint¡¿has ever appeared at a time. Was one of them the¡¾Saint¡¿? Or were they both the¡¾Saints¡¿? Or was none of them the ¡¾Saint¡¿? The only person who could judge this was the Court Mage Division¡¯s Head Magician, who¡¯d collapsed due to the backlash of the ceremony, and was currently in a coma. More problems occurred. The leaders of Slantania only learnt about the existence of the two saint candidates on the following day after the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿was performed. The success of the ceremony was immediately reported to the King by the Crown Prince, who had desired to supervise the ceremony, himself. The Crown Prince had only reported that the ¡¾Saint¡¿had been safely summoned, he made no mentions of the number of people summoned. At that moment, the leaders of the kingdom thought that things were finally going to settle down, but they were at their wits end when they were notified the next day. They were notified that for some reason the Crown Prince only greeted one of the saint candidates and that he¡¯d left the other candidate behind in the room. Furthermore, the other saint candidate tried to leave the castle because she was angry at the Crown Prince for ignoring her and leaving her there. Fortunately because of the knights who were stationed there took action, they were somehow able to stop her from leaving immediately, but the leaders could guess that her impression of the kingdom was considerably bad. ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s doing now¡­¡­¡± The King¡¯s tired and exhausted voice resounded throughout the place. ??????? A month had passed since the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. On this occassion, the day had long faded and darkness enveloped outside of the room. Two men were relaxing and drinking wine at Earl Waldeck¡¯s detached house in the Royal Capital. One of them lived here and was the second son of the owner of the house, Earl Waldeck: Johan Waldeck, the Director of the Medicinal Herb Research Institute. The other was Johan¡¯s childhood friend, Alberto Hawk, the 3rd son of a Margrave family and also the captain of the 3rd Knight Order. Although they often drank together at the Waldeck estate, Alberto had been busy subjugating demons and couldn¡¯t make time for it lately. So it had been a month and a half since they¡¯ve met up at the Waldeck estate. ¡°Come to think of it, I heard that a new person recently joined the research institute.¡± It had been a month and a half since they met and exchanged information. So Alberto asked about the new researcher who¡¯d recently joined the research institute. ¡°Mm? Ah¡­¡­¡± Johan smiled bitterly as he remembered something upon Alberto¡¯s question. Johan had guessed that this was the reason why Alberto had made time out of his busy schedule to visit the Waldeck estate as if it was nothing. ¡°What¡¯s she like?¡± ¡°Extremely normal.¡± ¡°Normal?¡± ¡°She acts the same as the other researchers.¡± Johan replied to Alberto¡¯s question in a in a roundabout way, so as not to stray far from the question. Although Johan knew what Alberto wanted to know, he answered in a vague way like he usually did. Just like this, Johan always made fun of the serious Alberto. Since Alberto also knew this, he replied to Johan¡¯s answer with a bitter smile and with his eyes, he urged him to continue. Johan was satisfied upon seeing that and gave the answer that Alberto wanted to hear, ¡°At present, she¡¯s had no complaints towards the Royal Palace and she¡¯s working earnestly.¡± ¡°Is that so? I heard that she was angered promptly after being summoned. Since she was extremely furious, they say that the interior affair¡¯s official who communicated with Saint-sama went deadly pale upon angering her.¡± ¡°Yeah. Because of that, those guys who are always putting on airs are acting really humble this time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± On the day that the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿was performed Alberto had left the Royal Capital to go subjugate demons so he¡¯d only heard about what had happened afterwards from rumours. He¡¯d heard various rumours upon his return and that was how he¡¯d learnt that one of the saint candidates was working at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute, where Johan was the director. So he¡¯d thought that it would be faster to ask Johan directly instead of listening to rumours and made time out of his busy schedule to visit the Waldeck estate. Johan explained how he came to look after the saint candidate, Sei, at the Research Institute. Two weeks ago, a black haired, black eyed woman suddenly started coming to the Research Institute every day. At first one of the researchers, Jude, kept her company. However since the Research Institute was an all-male place and there was a woman who was interested in medicinal herbs, in no time at all most of the researchers had kept her company. Johan remembered that he¡¯d felt uneasy looking at Sei, who had unusual coloured hair and eyes. A few days before that, Johan talked with his older brother, who he¡¯d met by chance at the Royal Palace and heard about the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿being performed. He¡¯d heard that two women had been summoned, one with dyed brown hair and black eyes, the other with black hair and black eyes. When Johan remembered this he immediately contacted his older brother. The next day, after he told his brother about the black haired, black eyed woman who often visited the research institute; he was urgently summoned to the Royal Palace. There was a high-ranking officer in the designated room at the Royal Palace, besides his older brother. Johan sat on the lounge suite sofa and listened to their story. The woman who came to the Research Institute was indeed one of the summoned woman. If possible, they wanted him to look after her at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute. Why did he have to look after her at the research institute? Although she was just a candidate, the ¡¾Saint¡¿was just as important as the King in Slantania. No, since the Saint held the fate of Slantania in her hands, she was more important than the King. What was the reason for keeping someone like her, who might be the ¡¾Saint¡¿at the research institute located at the corner of the Royal Palace? When Johan pointed that out, the high official wiped sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief and awkwardly replied. Sei didn¡¯t have a very good impression of Slantania because of the Crown Prince¡¯s actions after the summoning. Actually she also tried to leave after the Crown Prince had. Not from the room but from Slantania. The people in the room had somehow managed to stop her and guided her to another room. After that thanks to the high official¡¯s desperate persuasion, they¡¯d somehow managed to persuade her into staying at the Royal Palace. There has been no instances of two ¡¾Saints¡¿being summoned in the past. Since there has been no case of two ¡¾Saints¡¿being summoned by the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿, the people at the Royal Palace currently didn¡¯t know which one was the ¡¾Saint¡¿. However since there has been no case of this happening, both of them could also be the ¡¾Saint¡¿so it was dangerous to let them go therefore both were being kept at the Royal Palace. Meanwhile Sei liked the herb garden at the Royal Palace and had recently been visiting it every day. The high official thought that if she deepened her relationship with the researchers then her impression of Slantania would improve. ¡°The point is that we¡¯re cleaning up His Highness, Kyle¡¯s mess.¡± ¡°We originally planned to have her learn about Slantania from a teacher. Incidentally it seems that the saint candidate under His Highness, Kyle¡¯s protection is attending the Royal Academy.¡± ¡°Perhaps, since you have made her angry you plan to curry her favour by letting her do as she pleases?¡± ¡°I guess so. We¡¯re not in a situation where we could take things slowly¡­¡­ In any case, you¡¯ve provoked the interior affairs many times right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Johan broadly laughed and raised the glass in his hand. As an aristocrat, Johan understood what the people at the Royal Palace was thinking, having heard the high official¡¯s story. There seemed to be no problem in watching over Sei at the Research Institute. But Johan didn¡¯t like the high official¡¯s attitude since he was completely entrusting everything to him. So Johan looked displeased and gave many reasons for refusing. Even if she came to the Research Institute during the day, there was quite a bit of distance between the Royal Palace and the Research Institute so it would be difficult to commute daily. Some of the researchers were staying at the research institute for that exact reason so what will happen if she asked to stay as well? Even if she said she would like to stay at the Research Institute, wouldn¡¯t it be a problem to make her stay at such a scruffy place? They didn¡¯t have the budget to reconstruct the rooms at the Research Institute, and so on. Johan also gave other various reasons for why he couldn¡¯t do it and finally things went the way he wanted. After agreeing to support the saint candidate, Johan casually looked over at the resources to plan for the improvement of the Research Institute. His brother, who was sitting next to him, stiffened but he ignored him. Afterwards the renovations for the room that Sei would live in was given top priority. One week was an exceptionally short period of time but they had managed to finish the renovations by the time she had moved. ¡°But it¡¯s strange, no matter how much they wanted to gain the favour of the saint candidate, didn¡¯t the guys from interior affairs just leave her in her room?¡± ¡°Leave her?¡± ¡°According to one of researchers, she was complaining about it. She was summoned then guided to her room, but after that they just left her alone so she had a lot of free time.¡± ¡°What do you mean? That¡¯s different from what I heard.¡± Johan raised an eyebrow upon Alberto¡¯s words. Alberto had heard at the Royal Palace that she had poor health after she was summoned and retired to her room. As a matter of fact, there was a time difference between Japan and Slantania Kingdom. When she was summoned, it was late at night in Japan but in Slantania Kingdom it was still morning. Because of that, Sei was summoned after she¡¯d returned home from work and was tired. Therefore after being guided to her room she immediately passed out on the sofa. Because of that, people didn¡¯t have a very good impression of her. She looked like someone with poor health. Her skin was pale from working late day by day and she had eye bags under her eyes from many years of sleepless nights. The court lady, who had saw Sei passed out on the sofa sleeping like a dead person, rushed to inform the high official. The high official had panicked because he¡¯d thought that the summoning had a bad effect on her body, which was so different from her angered state a few hours ago. The high official decided to give Sei time to rest and that was what had happened. In addition due to these series of events, the information about two saint candidates was reported to the King a day late. One of the reasons that the report was late was because even if just slightly, the high official had been a little conflicted over the fact that he had to report their carelessness. ¡°I see. Her complexion was certainly bad when she first came to the Research Institute.¡± ¡°What about now?¡± ¡°Now? Well¡­¡­ Her complexion is considerably better now.¡± When Sei had first arrived at the Research Institute it was just like Alberto had said. Johan recalled that he¡¯d concluded that she looked like she was prone to poor health. Time had passed since then and although her skin remained white because she secluded herself at the Research Institute, the bags under her eyes had slightly improved. If people saw her again, they wouldn¡¯t think that she had poor health. ¡°I see. Is she eating properly¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Eating? You sound somewhat like a father.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Shut up. It seems that recently the candidate at His Highness, Kyle¡¯s place hasn¡¯t been eating and it¡¯s becoming problematic.¡± ¡°Hoh.¡± ¡°The chefs are trying everything they can but since she¡¯s lost her appetite, His Highness is worried that she¡¯ll collapse someday.¡± ¡°The candidate at my place also doesn¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡± ¡°Is it normally for people not to eat much in their country?¡± ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ll ask about it next time.¡± The food seasoning used in Slantania Kingdom was too simple for the two who had been summoned from Japan. Little seasoning was used and many dishes didn¡¯t use any seasoning at all so it didn¡¯t suit their tastes. Therefore it was only naturally that they didn¡¯t eat much. The Crown Prince was worried about the other saint candidate and ordered people left and right to solve the problem. However, nothing worked. ¡°His Highness is very enthusiastic this time.¡± ¡°Well, in many ways¡­¡­¡± Alberto said evasively but Johan understood what he was implying. There are three princes in Slantania Kingdom. For generations the eldest son become the King so the first-born was treated as the Crown Prince. But the Second Prince was more brilliant and factions had appeared backing him as the Crown Prince. It didn¡¯t pose much of a problem since the Second Prince wasn¡¯t interested and the King negated it but the Crown Prince, who¡¯d always been aware that he was inferior to his younger brother, was concerned about the factions. It was evident that he¡¯d aimed to appeal to those aristocrats by offering to supervise the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. Unfortunately at that time, the Crown Prince had angered Sei and his plan backfired on him which added extra pressure on him. ¡°Is His Highness still in charge of the ¡¾Saint¡¿?¡± ¡°Ah. His Majesty is still concerned about His Highness¡¯s blunder but if he left it to other people the Crown Prince might become anxious so he¡¯s just going to wait and see for a while. Fortunately the candidate at your place considered staying, His Majesty is probably hoping that¡¯ll help His Highness recover.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a dispute over succession then the kingdom will lapse into chaos.¡± Johan sighed. If dispute over the crown happened on top of the miasma problem, he expected that the kingdom would definitely fall into chaos. Although the Crown Prince was a bit prejudiced, he was straightforward and deeply passionate which many people found favourable. In addition, he had the support of his close aides and the Second Prince. So for the time being, he¡¯d have no problems succeeding the King. The Crown Prince¡¯s evaluation from the aristocrats had dropped because of what had happened this time, but he avoided making the fatal blunder of losing the saint candidate and the King seemed to think that the Crown Prince could still recover. ¡°Even so there¡¯s two people¡­¡­ Did the ceremony really succeed? Given the history, it¡¯s weird for there to be more than one ¡¾Saint¡¿.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that the ceremony was a success.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your basis for saying that?¡± ¡°The appearance of demons have decreased lately.¡± Since the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿the knights who periodically subjugate demons realized that the demons were decreasing bit by bit. The demons that had already formed didn¡¯t disappear, but the outbreak speed was getting slower. The knights felt that the number of demons have decreased compared to before. Because of that, the knights knew that the ceremony succeeded and they were certain that the ¡¾Saint¡¿was at the Royal Palace. Of course, this was also reported to the leaders. The Court Mage Division¡¯s Head Magician, who could tell them who the ¡¾Saint¡¿was, was still unconscious and they couldn¡¯t tell which one was the ¡¾Saint¡¿or if they both were. But the tragic atmosphere had been casted aside. ¡°Is that so? It¡¯ll be good if your place settles down.¡± ¡°Yeah. As expected, everyone¡¯s feeling fatigued.¡± ¡°Your next subjugation is at the West Forest?¡± ¡°No we¡¯re going to the East Forest first, then I can take a long holiday after we¡¯re done with the West Forest. It¡¯s more troublesome than the East and South, but the demons aren¡¯t that strong so we should be able to finish the subjugation with ease.¡± ¡°Well, should be simple for you but do be careful.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± At the time, some kind of flag had risen but none of them knew about it. Translator: Blushy Editor: Razogul Volume 1 - CH ss2 ¡°Good morning.¡± In the King¡¯s office deep within the Royal Palace, Airhart Hawk the Court Mage Division¡¯s Deputy Head Magician, presented the King with a black velvet tray. On the tray was a diamond about 1cm big. The other day, Sei had enchanted it with abnormal status nullification, magic resistance and attack resistance. When the magic enchanted core was placed in front of him, the Prime Minister standing next to the King, who was usually emotionless, gulped. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable for the Prime Minister, who excelled in Machiavellianism, to inadvertently reveal his true feelings. The core that Sei had made, was only found by excavating deep within ancient ruins or by subjugating demons. Sometimes enchanted items dropped when demons were killed. The quality of the enchanted item depended on the strength of the demon. To get an item with the same enchantment as the one Sei made, the entire Knight Order would have needed to subjugate the demon or else it wouldn¡¯t drop. It was indeed a legendary item. Items with similar effects became national treasures. Those treasures weren¡¯t gathered within the past several decades, no, they were gathered over hundreds of years. It took months and years to find just one of those treasures, so they only held a few. The core that was placed in front of the King and the Prime Minister was one such treasure. It was the first time they had seen such a treasure in front of them outside of the treasury. ¡°Indeed. I can see why you wanted to clear the room.¡± The King sighed after a moment of silence. The King had received a report that Airhart and Johan, the director of the Medicinal Herb Research Institute, had confidential information that they wanted to share with him. Therefore only the King and the Prime Minister were present at the meeting place. Sei had already enchanted magic in front of the Court Mage Division. Airhart had also issued a gag order on the mages, but he couldn¡¯t deny that there was a possibility that it would leak out from the mages. It was, however, still better to clear people out of the room while reporting to the King. The content reported by the two was about why they had wanted the room cleared; Sei had produced a legendary rank enchanted item. It was inevitable that the two, who held up the country, were dumbfounded. A legendary ranked item was exactly as stated. The core that Sei had produced was extremely useful to the military and it could be sold at astronomical prices. Sei, who could make such tools, was definitely a goose that laid golden eggs. If this story were to ever get out, people would certainly target her. At the time, Sei was interested in magic. Airhart, who Johan had contacted, took the opportunity to examine her magic abilities so that he could report it to the King. The only person who could appraise a person¡¯s status, the Court Mage Division¡¯s Head Magician, was still in a coma after the¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿; so they didn¡¯t know whether Sei or Aira, who were both summoned by the ceremony, was the ¡¾Saint¡¿. However, it had already been more than half a year since the ceremony and they didn¡¯t know when the Head Magician would awaken. So the Cabinet Ministers talked about examining Sei and Aira¡¯s abilities. Aira was attending the Royal Academy, so they screened her in class and her ability was being examined in various ways. Sei, on the other hand, was placed at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute and was performing the same work as the other researchers, so the investigation into her abilities was proceeding slowly. There was also that matter that happened immediately after she was summoned, so she didn¡¯t appear at the Royal Palace often. Therefore, her spontaneous request was a godsend. The King accepted Airhart¡¯s report and a few days later, magic enchantment was conducted at the Court Mage Division. He¡¯d decided to use this opportunity to investigate Sei¡¯s abilities. Sei¡¯s astonishing abilities were revealed in the investigation. The Court Mage Division already knew how they would investigate Sei¡¯s abilities and made preparations beforehand. The effects of the enchantments differed depending on a person¡¯s: magic skill attribute, level and how much magic power they channelled into the item. Trying to enchant an item with high effects required a higher level of magic skill and more magic power needed to be channelled. The relationship between the enchantments, the level of magic skill and the amount of magic power required had been researched extensively so they understood it to a certain degree. They used that information to investigate Sei¡¯s magic skill. They would measure Sei¡¯s magic skill level by gradually increasing the difficulty of the enchantments. If possible, they wanted her to exhaust her MP so that they could calculate the max value of it by the amount of MP Potions she consumed. Of course, since Sei had been summoned here by the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿, there was a high chance that she possessed holy attribute magic, so the mage initially asked her to enchant support magic. Something unexpected happened midway and Airhart took over, but the plan still proceeded as planned. The difficulty of enchantment was increased as such: reduction, resistance and then nullification. Level 10 magic skills were generally regarded as the highest level, but throughout history, there had only been one or two people who had reached that level. Even the mages who worked at the Court Mage Division were mostly at level 3. Reduction could be enchanted with the lowest level holy magic skill; resistance required level 3 holy magic skill, and nullification required at least level 5 holy magic skill. The effect that Sei wanted to enchant first was magic nullification which was the most difficult. Instead, the mage supporting her recommended that she try reduction, which was the easiest to enchant. The first one failed and broke because Sei changed the enchantment beforehand. That had been completely unexpected, but she succeeded in enchanting magic resistance the second time. Since effects like resistance and defence fell under the resistance group, they decided that Sei¡¯s magic skill at that time was level 3 or higher. Half a year had passed since they had been summoned and even Aira, the other candidate, was at level 4. Her holy magic skill had already surpassed those from the Court Mage Division. When she had started at the Royal Academy, however, her holy magic skill was only at level 1. It was easy to imagine how surprised the mages were, since Sei, who had never attended a magic lecture, was suddenly at level 3. In order to investigate further, Airhart instructed Sei to enchant various effects. The surrounding Mages wondered how long it would take for Sei to blow a fuse at Airhart¡¯s extremely business-like instructs and grew fearful. Fortunately for them, she followed his instructs and enchanted magic quietly without losing it. Enchanting reduction group magic required at least level 1, but a higher level may be required depending on the effect of the reduction. For example, poison reduction could be enchanted at level 1, but paralysis reduction could not be enchanted unless the caster had a holy magic skill level of 2 or higher. Airhart tried to examine Sei¡¯s magic skill level in detail using that premise. In order to enchant various effects, he gradually increased the difficulty level. But in the end, Sei succeeded in enchanting nullification which required level 5 or over. Therefore, as a magic researcher, Airhart got a little greedy. The next instruction that he gave her was to enchant more than one effect onto a single gem. No one had ever succeeded in doing that before. Still, he felt that it was impossible and he asked her half-heartedly. Even if the effects were from the easiest reduction group, Sei easily succeeded. Since it came to that, everyone wanted to see how far she could go. The mages who were secretly watching her at that time all concentrated on what she was doing. When she took a break, Sei asked how long she would continue enchanting effects, so Airhart gave her the final order. He had told her to do the impossible. Abnormal status nullification, magic nullification and attack nullification. It was the highest difficulty nullification and he didn¡¯t just instruct her to enchant two nullification, he had asked her to enchant three. No one had ever been able to do something like that before. Even if an item like this could exist in this world, he had instructed her to enchant something dodgy. As he¡¯d expected, it was impossible even for Sei. She, however, suggested that she could enchant the core with abnormal status nullification, magic resistance and attack resistance; which was something legendary. She had succeeded, just as she declared. Thus Sei¡¯s holy magic skill level was probably at the highest level; level 10. Her holy magic wasn¡¯t actually at that level, but it would be a while longer before Airhart and the people at the Royal Palace found out. ¡°Her holy magic skill level is most likely at level 10. Her level, itself, is over level 40.¡± The King and Prime Minister¡¯s eyes widened when they heard him report that in a quiet voice. Apart from combat skills and production skills, Status also showed one¡¯s basic level. Basic level affected things like HP, MP, attack and magic. The average levels of an ordinary person were between level 5 ~ 10, for those who graduated from the Royal Academy, 15 ~ 20, and for knights and mages that worked at the royal palace, 30 ~ 35. The Knight Order Captains and the Head Magician were the only ones who had passed level 40. This time, they estimated that Sei¡¯s max MP was around 5000 from the amount of MP Potions she had drank while enchanting. The only person with the highest max MP at the Royal Palace was the Court Mage Division¡¯s Head Magician, whose level was 45. Because of that, Airhart speculated that Sei¡¯s level was 40 or over. ¡°It¡¯s really high¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t surprising that the Prime Minister grumbled. The Crown Prince was investigating Aira, who was summoned alongside with Sei, and was making regular reports under the King. According to his personal statements, when Aira first entered the Royal Academy, her level and magic skill were at 1 and through taking classes at the Royal Academy, her level had rose to 16 in the last six months. Aira¡¯s level rose extremely fast considering that it took the other students three years to reach level 15 ~ 20. It wasn¡¯t just her level that rose fast, but her magic skill as well. Her magic skill rose just by using it, so she has been proactively making use of potions to raise her magic skill. Thus her holy magic skill was now comparable with the Court Mages and was now at level 4. Nevertheless, her level and magic skills were no match for Sei¡¯s. ¡°Her high level is because she¡¯s the¡¾Saint¡¿, is it not?¡± ¡°We still do not know that yet. We have people searching for documents describing the details of the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿ status but we still haven¡¯t found anything yet.¡± ¡°If only we had some kind of information on her status¡­¡­¡± ¡°Details about the status are not important. The important thing is information on purifying miasma and annihilating the demons. There are a lot of documents detailing those things.¡± There were many books detailing the ¡¾Saint¡¿successors and demon annihilation at the Royal Palace library, but books detailing the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿ status were yet to be found. The stories leftover about their private lives were love stories involving the royal family or knights, etc. There were, however, no stories about making potions or enchanting magic like Sei. There was a reason why the stories on the ¡¾Saint¡¿were bias in this way. There were ¡¾Saints¡¿in the past who enchanted magic like Sei. They didn¡¯t produce legendary cores like Sei did, but they were still able to make quality cores that couldn¡¯t be produced normally. Wisely, the upper stratum of that time, were anxious that the¡¾Saint¡¿would be used by others for something other than her original purpose and forbade people from recording anything other than demon annihilation which led them to the current situation. The ideas of the upper stratum of that time and the current King roughly matched. This can be seen from the expression of the King which gradually darkened since the beginning of the discussion. He was delighted that there was a high possibly that the ¡¾Saint¡¿existed, but regardless of whether she was the ¡¾Saint¡¿or not, Sei¡¯s ability had a great influence on the kingdom¡¯s tactics. If her abilities were known to the public, it was easy to predict that people who wanted to use her would appear from near and far. It also wasn¡¯t hard to predict that their actions would cause disarray in the kingdom. As King, he had to think of ways to protect Sei from those people. It was inexcusable for him to only just be pleased with what was happening. ¡°We need to increase her guard.¡± Everyone at the King¡¯s office agreed with what the King ended the discussion with. The Medicinal Herb Research Institute where Sei was located was far from the Royal Palace. Recently people, who weren¡¯t researchers, came in and out of the Research Institute. But, the number of unauthorized people entering the Research Institute was still low. There were people guarding Sei, a saint candidate, in secret ever since she moved to the Research Institute. It was, however, easy to find when suspicious people entered a building depending on the location, so there weren¡¯t many people assigned to guard Sei since she mostly stayed at the Research Institute. However, they felt uneasy at the number of guards she had considering that there was a leak this time. Considering that Sei¡¯s abilities were already well known amongst the mages, they concluded that it was important to increase the number of guards Sei had. However, it would also become a problem if they increased it too much. The King had received a report from Johan stating that Sei wanted to live life as an ordinary person. Therefore, unlike Aira, they didn¡¯t assign a guard at her side. Instead, they had the guards protect her in secret. They concluded that they would assign guards to the Research Institute to pose as researchers and chefs, that way they could place people close to Sei. Translator: Blushy Editor: Razogul Volume 1 - CH 1 A month has passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. The season is fully heading towards spring, I am sowing medicinal herbs in the medicinal herb garden at the royal palace. Why am I sowing seeds at the medicinal herb garden? That¡¯s because right now, I am a member of the Medicinal Herb Research Institute located next to the medicinal herb garden. Furthermore I¡¯m also living at the research institute. Yes¡­¡­ I¡¯m not living at the royal palace. I live at the research institute. ??????? On that day, I¡ª¡ªTakanashi Sei was summoned to a different world by a ceremony called ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. This ceremony has been handed down since ancient times in Slantania Kingdom. It seems that something called miasma occurs everywhere in this kingdom. It was bad for miasma to occur close to humans. Although a detailed theory has not been created, it seems that when the miasma density reached a certain degree it would become a demon. Moreover if the miasma was dense, the strength of the demon would be in proportion to the density. The miasma in the surrounding area became thinner when a demon was defeated. The thickening of miasma could be prevented by continuously defeating demons. However once every few generations, there is a period when the speed of the miasma thickening exceeded the speed at which the demons were defeated. Since long ago, during such times, it seems that a maiden who would become the ¡¾Saint¡¿would appear in the Kingdom. The magic used by the ¡¾Saint¡¿was considerably powerful and it seemed that the demons were quickly annihilated. Thanks to that magic, the speeds in which the miasma thickened and the demons were defeated, were balanced. According to one theory, there seemed to be a report that, in the area where the ¡¾Saint¡¿was, the miasma did not thicken. It was so unbelievable. It was natural for the¡¾Saint¡¿ to always appear. But just once, there was a time when no matter how dense the miasma was, the saint did not appear. It was said that the sages of that time inspected all possible methods and constructed this ceremony to summon the maiden who would become the¡¾Saint¡¿. What a nuisance, to be summoned by such a ceremony. Because this ceremony had only been performed once, a long time ago, no one was sure if the ¡¾Saint¡¿would really be summoned until they tried it. However the sages of that time were magnificent, the summoning worked. Furthermore it summoned two people. It seems that up until now, only one ¡¾Saint¡¿ appeared at a time. Compared to the past, the situation this time seems rather severe, so has the number of people increased in proportion to that? It¡¯s a mystery. During the past month, this is what I learnt about the¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. From here on, I would like to talk about why I decided to live at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute. The red haired guy who entered the room after the ceremony was undeniably the first Prince of this kingdom. The first Prince-sama didn¡¯t even look at me, he saw nothing but the other girl, Misono Aira-chan, with whom he spoke with and it was only Aira-chan that he left the room with. Well. I am in my twenties. On the other hand Aira-chan is in her late teens. As for which one was closer to the Prince in age, of course it¡¯s Aira-chan. Moreover she has fluffy brown hair, translucent white skin, rosy cheeks and droopy eyes, the type that made others want to protect her. She is an adorable girl. Since I was always busy, I never fussed over my appearance. It was ridiculous to compare her to me, a glasses wearing woman with dark circles under her eyes. My unkempt hair was tied up in a bundle and my white skin looked unhealthy. I couldn¡¯t not understand why he only had eyes for Aira-chan. But I thought that it was bold of him to ignore the existence of someone he forcefully summoned. The knights and robed people in the surrounding area were also dumbfounded by the Prince¡¯s ability to ignore. I was awfully confused when I noticed that I had been left behind. You know, I didn¡¯t know how to deal with being splendidly ignored. As things were, I couldn¡¯t help becoming befuddled so I grabbed the nape of the robed person nearby and started questioning them with a sweet smile. ¡°Hey, I have something that I¡¯d like to ask.¡± Robed: ¡°Wh¡­¡­ What is it?¡± The Robed person, who was confused by me, responded timidly while sounding as if he was squeezing out his words. He were taller than me and yet, his shoulders contracted and his eyes wandered about uneasily. Doesn¡¯t it almost seem like I¡¯m bullying him? I would usually feel guilty about something like this but not this time. I asked what was on my mind without caring. ¡°Where is this?¡± Robed: ¡°This is the royal palace in Slantania Kingdom.¡± ¡°Slantania Kingdom?¡± I¡¯ve never heard of this country. Since there are various countries in the world, I thought that maybe it was just a country I didn¡¯t know. But at the corner of my mind, I knew that I was just trying to escape reality. ¡°I see. So? Why am I here?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­ That¡­¡­¡± The robed person said hesitantly but when I immediately narrowed my eyes, he quickly began explaining. ¡°Yo-you were summoned here by the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿!¡± ¡°¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿?¡± From there the explanation of the¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿began, but you¡¯ve already heard about that earlier. ¡°As I thought, this world is different from the world I was in, right?¡± Robed: ¡°Perhaps, I think so¡­¡­¡± I have never heard of miasma or demons occurring in my original world. Perhaps, just perhaps, there was miasma and demons in my original world and I was the only who didn¡¯t know about it. I clung onto such little hopes. But what the Robed person had said seemed to be widely known in Sultania Kingdom. Up till now I didn¡¯t want to accept it, but now I understand that I was summoned to a different world. ¡°So, I know what the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿is, but how do I get back to my original world?¡± The¡¾Saint¡¿appeared when the density of the miasma needed regulating. So if the speed in which the miasma thickened returned to normal, there would be no need for the ¡¾Saint¡¿. Perhaps it may be possible for me to return to my original world. I asked the question with such thoughts in mind. But the Robed person said in a small voice, ¡°No¡±, and with that my hope was easily shattered. In the first place, this is only the second time that the ¡¾Saint¡¿had been summoned. It was said that the ¡¾Saint¡¿, whom was summoned the last time, spent the rest of her lifetime in this kingdom. There was currently no way for summoned people to return to their original world. I was shocked when I heard that I wasn¡¯t able to return. After listening to that, the previous attitude of the first Prince came to my mind. So after I finished listening to the necessary information, I thought that I should leave this kingdom. First I¡¯ll leave of this room, then from this room I¡¯ll leave the Royal Palace, then from the Royal Palace I¡¯ll leave the capital, and finally I¡¯ll try to go to the neighbouring kingdom. Looking back, I was extremely thoughtless. But at any rate I didn¡¯t want to be here. I let go of the Robed person¡¯s nape after I heard what I needed to. As I was leaving the room, a panicked Knight chased after me. Knight: ¡°Saint-sama! Where are you going?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Knight: ¡°Please wait!¡± I thought about getting out of here in a hurry, but as expected of the Royal Palace. It was too wide, I didn¡¯t know exactly where I should leave from. Blood had rushed to my head and I made rapid progress but the Knight chasing after me had eventually caught up and was standing before me. I was stopped. I was irritated that he had blocked off my path so I glared at him. The Knight¡¯s shoulders contracted, just like the Robed person from before. Knight: ¡°Please, please wait for a little while longer.¡± ¡°I took time to talk to you earlier, and I think that I was in that room for a considerable amount of time?¡± Knight: ¡°Well that is true¡­¡­ But, please.¡± The Knight hunched up his big body, it looked as if he was going to somehow stop me and my head chilled a little. Then I reluctantly nodded. When the Knight saw that, he honestly looked relieved and while saying, ¡°Please follow me¡±, he led me to a room somewhere in the Royal Palace. ¡°The person in charge will be coming, so please wait in here.¡± The Knight said before leaving. A maid passed him on her way into the room, she was pushing a serving cart and on top of that serving cart was a tea set. As expected, the tea that the maid brewed was very delicious. The warm tea calmed my irritated feelings. Once I had calmed down, I began organising the information in my head. The maid did not talk to me after she finished brewing the tea and so I had time on my hands. She may have done this so that I would have time to think about my situation. She was looking at me but she stood quietly against the wall. And then I waited for an hour. If you made an angry client wait an hour in Japan, without a doubt they would cut the contract. Again, I was getting angry and then finally, there was a knock on the door. In return to the knock I said, ¡°Come in¡±. The person who entered seemed to be a high official in this kingdom. He wore clothes far plainer than the first Prince but his mannerism were the same. The tea that the maid had brewed was very delicious and I was grateful that I had the time to organise my thoughts but as one would expect, it was hard to wait for an hour. So I think it was inevitable that I unintentionally glared at the High Official. The High Official of this Kingdom trembled under my gaze and while he was wiping the sweat off his forehead; he began explaining about this Kingdom in detail and about why I was left behind. From what I heard about the circumstances at that time, I was very grateful to the Knight who had stopped me. No matter how you look at it, once you leave the capital, the grassland is filled with demons swaggering around. It takes one week to travel to the neighbouring kingdom by carriage and thieves may appear along the way. To be honest, for me who doesn¡¯t understand much about this world to reach the neighbouring kingdom, was clearly, impossible. High Official: ¡°I was told that you said you wanted to leave, but it is not realistic for you to immediately leave and live outside of the royal palace.¡± When I listened to the story of the gentle high official, I certainly thought that was true. It was quite haphazard of me to live in the capital, I had thought that I would somehow manage but at the same time if I acted the same way as I did in Japan, I might not want to return. When you travel overseas, you had to be cautious about the same things. Even if I live in this kingdom, I would be staying at the palace for a while so it might not be too late for me to get used to this world. While thinking that, I decided to live at the palace in accordance to the high official¡¯s words. ??????? After the meeting with the high official, the maid who had brewed me tea guided me to the room that I would be staying in. The room that I was guided to was bigger than the studio apartment that I lived at, in Japan. Moreover the living room and bedroom were connected just like a hotel suite. The interior was also rococo-themed, it was very luxurious. It looked like the luxury hotels in Europe that I often saw on the internet. I had wanted to go and see it someday. When I passed through the room and sat on the sofa, I got tired. The light shining in through the window told me that it was daytime but when I was summoned, after I returned home from work, it was late at night in Japan. It seems that there is a time difference between Slantania Kingdom and Japan. It was probably due to fact that I was tired from working late every day and night and the sudden change in environment when I was summoned but I don¡¯t remember a thing after sitting on the sofa. I think I probably fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, someone had carried me to my bedroom. The coat and suit that I had worn were removed and I now wore a white negligee. What the heck, did someone change me? The maid who guided me here probably changed my clothes but I still felt a bit uneasy. I thought about changing my clothes for now, but I wondered if it was alright for me to look around the room as I pleased. I moved around the room while thinking that someone was in the living room. When I opened the door to the living room, the maid who guided me to this room the other day, was standing there, waiting. When I told her that I wanted to change clothes, she led me to the bedroom and brought out various dresses. But the dresses were all decorative and fancy, they all seemed terribly expensive. There were only dresses that I was afraid of dirtying and they looked hard to move in. Since I didn¡¯t plan on going out, I asked for a dress with little decoration which was easy to move in. I changed into a dress that was only somewhat extravagant. While I was changing, I heard that she was the one who changed me into the negligee. She returned my thanks with, ¡°Not at all.¡± I had a feeling that she was disturbed but it was becoming increasingly shameful to point it out, so I stopped worrying about it. This was my personal experience of changing clothes while saying thanks. Like that, I spent two weeks at the palace. I had time to spare. The first three days were still good. I was nervous at the thought of having to become accustomed to this world. But I gradually became unable to endure the spare time. Certainly my living essentials were guaranteed but other than that, it was neglect play. Since the first time I met the High Official, he had not met with me once and I haven¡¯t received any news either. I thought that he would contact me so I waited. Since there was a maid in the room I was able to make some idle chat but it was difficult to continue talking for the whole day. In addition, she seemed to be working somewhere else as well, so it wasn¡¯t like she was always in the room. At those times, I would be in the room by myself but it was hard to spend time doing nothing when there was no TV or smartphones. As expected I became unable to withstand the free time. It wasn¡¯t good for me to confine1 myself so I decided to take a walk. When I told the maid, she said she would accompany me. However she had work as well, so I felt bad if she kept me company while I was killing time. Since I was only taking a little walk to the garden in front of the room, I forced myself to walk alone. I was really hesitant. At first, I only walked around the garden in front of the room. But day by day I walked further and further. While I was wondering around, I found a medicinal herb garden. In Japan, I used herbs and aromatherapy as a way to relieve stress from work, so the medicinal herb garden was very interesting. The planted medicinal herbs had the same appearance as the ones in Japan. While I was wondering whether the plants were different from the ones on Earth, a voice called out to me. When I turned around, there stood a friendly, handsome man with dark green hair and striking eyes. The voice that had called out to me belonged to a researcher from the Medicinal Herb Research Institute, located next to the medicinal herb garden. ¡°Do you have business with the research institute?¡± ¡°No, I am just taking a walk. I thought it was interesting, so I came to take a look.¡± Was he interested in me because I said the medicinal herbs were interesting? Just like that, the researcher explained the medicinal herbs in the vicinity. Lavender, rosemary, angelica, etc. The medicinal herbs had the same names as the ones in Japan, they also had similar effects. ¡°HP potions can be made with this medicinal herb.¡± ¡°HP potion?!¡± I wanted to retort when a word like HP potion, which was used in games, was said. While I was surprised, the researcher smiled sweetly and began explaining about potions. ¡°When this medicinal herb is dried, it can used to make potions. The herb is effective even if you decoct and drink it. But the effects are further enhanced by making it into a potion.¡± ¡°Eh, is that so?¡± The Medicinal Herb Research Institute that the researcher was a member of, also conducts research on medicinal herbs. However, it seems that he mainly researched potions. After that he told me various things about potions. I listened to the explanation of medicinal herbs used in various potions. In my former world, the salves and medicinal herbs used in the past were used as raw materials for HP potions here; the effects of the potion and medicinal herbs were connected, it was very interesting. When I received the explanation of the medicinal herbs, time passed in the blink of an eye. I returned to the royal palace because evening was approaching. ¡°I had fun listening to your stories. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°It was my pleasure. Please come again.¡± I made use of the researcher¡¯s generosity and came back to the medicinal herb garden the next day. As I tottered around the medicinal herb garden the researcher called out to me again, just like he¡¯d done the previous day. He accompanied me on my walk as he told me about the effects of the nearby planted medicinal herbs and the effects of the potions made from those herbs. We talked for three days in the medicinal herb garden but on the fourth day he showed me around the research institute. There, the other researchers also talked to me about various things. The stories I heard from the researchers were very interesting. They mainly talked about medicinal herbs and potions. But they also told me things like; who was popular in the kingdom, who was working in the royal palace, etc. I started going to the research institute every day and gradually it became troublesome to commute from the royal palace to the medicinal herb garden. It takes 30 minutes to walk to the royal palace to the medicinal herb garden, you know? Because it¡¯s the royal palace, the garden is endlessly large. When I asked the maid, she told me that everything I could see is the royal palace. It took an hour to commute to the research institute. But I thought that if I had that extra hour, I would be able to hear even more stories from the researchers. ¡°I really want to live here.¡± ¡°I think that is fine. Actually, some researchers including myself, live in the research institute.¡± When I said what was on my mind, Jude, the research who I¡¯ve been getting along with these past few days, approved. He is the researcher who first called out to me in the medicinal herb garden. ¡°Really?¡± Jude: ¡°Yes, although there are some people who have residences in the capital. This place is on the opposite side of the capital and across from the royal palace. Moreover, there¡¯s some distance between here and the royal palace. In the past, there were also researchers who thought like you, so they decided to live here. Since then, the number of people living here has increased.¡± Jude had family living in the capital so at the beginning he commuted here. But when he¡¯d heard that there were researchers living at the research institute, he quickly moved in. As I thought, it was troublesome to commute from the capital. I mutter in my mind that everyone must be thinking the same thing as me and then a voice called out from behind me. ¡°What are you talking about today?¡± Jude and two others looked back and there stood Johan Waldeck, the director of this Medicinal Herb Research Institute. ¡°Right now, we are talking about how difficult it is to commute from the royal palace. So it would be good if I could live here.¡± Johan: ¡°Live here?¡± ¡°Yes. There are many researchers living here, isn¡¯t there?¡± Johan: ¡°Well, yes there is. So you want to become a researcher as well?¡± The Director grinned as he said something unexpected. Me, work here? Certainly the people who lived in the research institute were researchers who were working there. You wouldn¡¯t normally think that someone from outside of the institute would want to live here. Even if I moved out of the royal palace and into the capital later, it was evident that it would be better if I did so while employed. Above all, it would be far more meaningful to work than spend my time idling at the royal palace. Yeah, working at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute was a really good idea. While thinking that far, I smiled sweetly and turned to face the Director. ¡°That is correct. I want to become a researcher.¡± Johan: ¡°Oh, is that so? Then, I¡¯ll start the procedure.¡± The Director had said it so foolishly, that I couldn¡¯t tell if he was joking or not. After he had said that, he headed towards the director¡¯s room. It seems that Jude, who was also listening close by, thought that the Director was joking. When I was giving my greetings at the research institute, a surprising thing was said to me. I must strike while the iron¡¯s still hot. After I returned to the royal palace, I immediately asked the maid to convey to the High Official, whom I¡¯d first met, that I would like to meet him. Since it was already late in the evening at that time, it was decided that I would meet the High Official on the next day. The next day, I finished my breakfast and as I was taking a break while sipping on tea, the High Official came into the room. ¡°I was told that you wished to talk with me?¡± ¡°Yes, to be honest I am interested in medicinal herbs, so I would like to work at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute¡­¡­¡± ¡°That is fine.¡± ¡°Eh? Is it alright?¡± The high official had readily consented. I heard that the Director of the institute had talked to the High Officer about me moving from the royal palace to the research institute. I had thought the Director had been partially joking, but he seems to have properly followed through. Thanks to that, I was able to get the High Official¡¯s consent. You did pretty well, Director. The preparations proceeded from there. My personal effects were the things I had with me when I was summoned; a coat, suit, shoes and my business bag. It wasn¡¯t much. Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t wear the suit, which I had only worn once, to work at the research institute. Of course I need a change of clothes but daily necessities were important as well. Since the High Official had told me that he¡¯ll prepare those things, I left it to him. He had prepared me; clothes that wouldn¡¯t look strange even if a researcher wore them, western-style dresses, plain shirts and skirts. He also prepared daily necessities such as towels and soap. When I looked at the clothes I received, I noticed that the dresses and accessories that I had worn during my short stay at the royal palace was also in the pile. The new clothes I received all had similar designs to the ones I wore. They must have taken my preference into consideration. Perhaps, the furniture in this room will also be arranged as part of my daily necessities. After moving, I checked out the inside of the room and saw that it was furnished. The bright colours of the furniture, matched well. It looked like a very cosy room. So much so, that you wouldn¡¯t think that this was the research institute. ¡°Thank you for everything.¡± ¡°No. If there are any problems, please don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± On the day I left the royal palace, I thanked the High Official, who had prepared me a carriage to go to the research institute and as always he returned it with his usual smile. I didn¡¯t plan on returning to the royal palace. So from now on, I shouldn¡¯t have to rely on the High Official. I thanked him for the second time and got into the carriage. And that was how I acquired my room at the research institute and also how I become a medicinal herb researcher. Volume 1 - CH 2 Those who do not work do not eat. It has been a while since I¡¯ve moved. I started working at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute without a hitch. It felt uncomfortable to turn my hobby into a job, but after thinking things over, I think this was the best choice. It seems that only a limited number of people knew that I was going to be working at the research institute. So the researchers at the institute only found out on my first day of work when the Director took me along to greet everyone. ¡°I have been assigned to work here. My name is Sei. I look forward to working with you.¡± The Director urged me to give my greetings, but for some reason everyone is in shock. I already knew most of the researchers here, but it seems that having me work here comes as a great surprise to them. It was so sudden that they were all surprised. Because of that, they didn¡¯t react to my greeting at first but after a while they begin to create a commotion. Director: ¡°Well then, the person who will be looking after Sei is¡­ Jude, you do it.¡± Jude: ¡°Eh? Me?¡± The Director had spoken in a loud voice to calm down the commotion. I was surprised at suddenly being told that Jude would be the one looking after me. But I feel reassured knowing that Jude would be the one in charge of me, since he is the one I am closest to amongst the researchers. It was very common in Japan to work with people you don¡¯t know so I think I could manage even if someone I didn¡¯t know was in charge of me, however it was still better to work under someone I knew. Furthermore, it was even better that it¡¯s someone I¡¯m close with. The Director probably thought of the same thing and put Jude in charge of me. ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± Jude: ¡°Me too.¡± I was surprised and greeted Jude again and Jude replied with a smile. Jude taught me various things about the research institute; the main research topics, medicinal herbs that were called the same in the research institute, the names of medicinal herbs and potions. The effects of the medicinal herbs were also the same as my original world. In between Jude¡¯s explanation, I talk about what I had learnt in Japan and he said in surprise, ¡°You know it well.¡± In Japan, you can learn about medicinal herbs as a hobby, but here, there is a specialised course for learning about medicinal herbs at the Royal Academy. Incidentally, the Royal Academy is a school where the children of aristocrats attend. They generally attend this school from 13 till 15 years old, which is when they come of age. The specialised course was made for people to attend until they were 18. Jude had studied pharmaceutics in that specialised course and he also learnt about herbs. You could also study natural science in my original world and as I thought, the research there was more advanced. Jude¡¯s specialised research was potions. That¡¯s right, potions. Potions. It¡¯s the type of thing that appears in RPG games. Because you can drink it or apply it onto the affected area, I thought it would be similar to medicine in Japan. But it¡¯s somewhat different, potions have an immediate effect, right? How far can the effects go? The cut that I carelessly made was instantly healed when I applied the potion on it. That surprised me. In order to know the effects of the potions, I grabbed a knife and cut my fingertip with it. Jude was surprised to see me do this. I wanted to test it out no matter what so I only made a tiny cut on my finger, but it had bleed terribly. After that, Jude was angry. My first day ended with an explanation of the research institute¡¯s equipment and the contents of my job. The next day I was taught how to make potions. Jude mainly researched potions and since I thought it would be more fun to touch things that didn¡¯t exist in my original world, I wanted to research together. Jude: ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get started.¡± Jude looked experienced and started making the potion. I¡¯ve never made a potion before and since we will be working together from now on, so Jude had to show me how to make it. Potions are made by putting medicinal herbs and water into a pot, then simmering it while pouring magic in. Potions are divided into ranks such as: low grade, intermediate grade and advanced grade. The rank seems to be determined by the medicinal herb that are used. However, high-ranking potions can¡¯t be made just by putting in the prescribed medicinal herb. A delicate control of magic was needed in order to make high-ranking potions, the possible rank of production depended on the skills of the creator. The medicinal herbs that are used as ingredients are expensive but the number of people who can make such potions are scarce, so high-ranking potions are sold at a price that can¡¯t be readily used. In the first place, no one other than royalty and aristocrats can buy potions and it doesn¡¯t seem to be stocked at apothecaries. Well, let¡¯s return to the story. To make a potion, it is necessary to channel magic in while simmering. Yup, magic. Jude: ¡°After putting in the ingredients, you simmer it while channelling magic power in.¡± ¡°Magic power?¡± When I had first heard that, I thought about how I would go about channelling magic power. I must have misheard him. Because there¡¯s no magic in my original world. ¡°How do you channel it?¡± Jude: ¡°Eh?¡± Jude was surprised when I asked that question. There is magic in this world. Magic power was necessary to use magic. There is something called life magic that everyone can use, so it seems that the people of this world are very familiar with magic power. I think that this was becoming more and more like a game since I¡¯ve heard the word potion and now magic. But no doubt this is reality Jude: ¡°Have you never used magic before, Sei? ¡°I have not.¡± Jude: ¡°Not even life magic?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jude was really surprised that I have never used life magic before, since it was something that even common people used. But I can¡¯t make potions if I can¡¯t control my magic. After he had finished making the potion, Jude decided to lecture me on magic control. Jude: ¡°Now it¡¯s finished.¡± ¡°Wow ~.¡± After Jude had finished simmering the potion, he strained it before pouring it into a long thin vial. In the vial was a clear light red liquid. The potion that Jude had made this time was the easiest low grade HP potion. He had made it because the ingredients used were grown in the herb garden and were easily obtainable. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you can make something like this ~.¡± Jude: ¡°It¡¯s a low grade HP potion, so it¡¯s relatively easy to make.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t make it if you can¡¯t control your magic, right?¡± Jude: ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. But since it¡¯s only a low grade potion it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡± ¡°Really? But, as I thought it¡¯s amazing.¡± Jude: ¡°I-is that so?¡± I was excited at seeing fantasy items in front of my eyes and kept saying that it was amazing. Jude was bashful. Jude is slightly blushing, he¡¯s a honeycomb hunk. [TN: Blushing while being bashful] It was a sight for sore eyes. After the potion was finished, Jude began his lecture on magic control. Jude taught me in great detail, the same way he was taught at the Royal Academy. Yes, he literally held my hand. It seems that I start off by feeling the magic power in my body, but that is extremely difficult. Why? Because I lived in a world with no magic. If the people of this world only used life magic, it seems that there were no problems for them even if they weren¡¯t aware of the magic power in their bodies. Most of the life magic can be invoked by chanting. However, to make potions or use magic other than life magic, it was important to be aware of the magic in your body. Jude explained the various ways to feel magic power but since I couldn¡¯t do it, Jude assisted me by using the Royal Academy method. Jude: ¡°Well, put your hands on top of mine.¡± As explained earlier, Jude raised his hands until they were up to his chest and I put my palm on top of his. Since he worked in the herb garden as part of his job, Jude¡¯s hands were a little rough. His hands are bigger than mine, it was definitely a man¡¯s hand. I could feel Jude¡¯s slightly higher temperature on my palm. I was a little embarrassed because I had never held a man¡¯s hand like this before. No, no, you¡¯ll lose if you start to notice it. Work, work. When I was trying to change my feelings like that, Jude calls out to me. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start.¡± Jude sent magic power from his right palm, and then I feel something gradually flowing into mine. It is similar to heat being transferred, it was a hard feeling to describe. When Jude¡¯s magic power enters my right hand, it moves inside my body as if it is sweeping something away. It seems that this is my magic power. It wasn¡¯t as if the magic power was moving from my right hand and out from my left, instead it feels like it was flowing through my body like blood. It seems that my body has stopped being that of an Earthling when I was summoned. Because my body has now become able to feel magic power which was something that never existed on Earth. ¡°I feel something flowing through my body.¡± Jude: ¡°Oh? Already? That¡¯s magic power.¡± Jude was a bit surprised when I told him I felt it, but he still taught me while smiling. It was a training method at the Royal Academy, but even so it generally took people about one week to feel the magic power in their bodies. Jude said while laughing, ¡°You¡¯re talented¡±, since I was able to feel it quickly even though Jude had only sent a little bit of magic power to me. The magic power still flowed through me even when Jude had stopped sending me magic power. The practice of magic control continues further from there, Jude is surprise that things were proceeding smoothly. Jude: ¡°Awesome, I didn¡¯t think that the explanation would finish so soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because you¡¯re good at teaching. Thank you.¡± When I smiled sweetly and thanked him, he blushes and becomes bashful again. Indeed, Jude¡¯s teaching method was very easy to understand. Jude, who had became happy, taught me various life magic afterwards. He told me that it was inconvenient for me if I didn¡¯t know how to use life magic. ??????? A little time has passed since I¡¯ve been summoned and Jude has opened up to me. To the point that he stopped using honorifics. Since Jude had started working at the research institute first, I treated him as if he was a company sempai, but since we were close in age, Jude told me that he wanted me to stop being so formal. After having been taught by Jude, I earnestly made low grade HP potion. Everything was for the sake of levelling up my production skill so that I could make high ranking potions. It was also simply fun to level up while making potions. Back in the days, I liked playing games that had a speedrun [TN] component, so I really got into it. Of course, I didn¡¯t want to waste the low grade HP potions that I made, so it was decided that it would be used for research at the research institute. The first unusual thing I noticed was the researcher who was researching potions, was not Jude. ¡°Sei.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± When I look back at the voice that is a little far away, I see the researcher beckoning at me. I approach him while wondering what it was about. He points at the low grade HP potion on the work desk. ¡°Is that a potion that Sei made?¡± ¡°Mhmmm¡­ Yes. I made that.¡± The potions made inside of the research institute were marked, so that people can tell who made it. It was marked so that if something happened, investigations into the cause could be carried out. The potion that the researcher pointed at was marked with a mark that indicates that I made it. ¡°Did you do anything different when you made it?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t do anything different. Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Well, the effects of the potions are changed when you make the potion.¡± This researcher is developing new recipes for potions. Right now he is trying to make a new potion with higher effects by using the raw ingredients of an already existing potion. It seems that during one of his experiments, he noticed that the effects of the potion made in the laboratory were different from the ones being sold. While he was doing a detailed investigation, he noticed that amongst the potions made in the research institute there were some that had the same effects as the potions sold and some which had different effects. As a result, he discovered that only the potions made by me had a higher effect. The researcher tilts his head and wondered if I really didn¡¯t do anything different. I made the potions with the same ingredients and procedure that Jude first taught me. I didn¡¯t change the procedure nor the ingredients. ¡°This is really a low grade potion, right?¡± ¡°I think so. I made it exactly like Jude taught me.¡± ¡°I see. I guess I¡¯ll go ask Jude.¡± This time, the researcher calls Jude and asks him about what he taught me. I was listening next to them, but the contents were exactly the same as I remembered. ¡°It¡¯s the typical method for making low grade potions.¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know any other methods for making potions.¡± ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s appraise the potion that Sei made.¡± ¡°That might be too soon.¡± In the end, because I didn¡¯t know the cause, it was decided that the potion I made would be sent for appraisal. Then the researcher went out somewhere and I got the appraisal result for the potion I made. Don¡¯t be surprised. The potion I made was a simple one, but it was established that for some reason it was better than the potions circulating in the markets. It seems that it¡¯s 50% better than those potions. ¡°Still, it¡¯s weirdly effective.¡± Jude mutter while holding the potion I made with one hand. The potions I made seems effective. It seems that several vials of potion were submitted for appraisal, but all of them were more effective that the market goods. ¡°I¡¯m making it just like you taught me.¡± Jude: ¡°The colour is definitely that of a low grade HP potion, but I wonder why?¡± ¡°Who knows, maybe because I¡¯m skilled?¡± Jude: ¡°Let¡¯s see, I don¡¯t think it matters, but how high is your pharmacy skill now?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. ¡ºStatus¡».¡± When ¡ºStatus¡»is recited, a semi-transparent window, which could only be seen by the user, appears in front of me. My status is displayed there. This was one of the life magic that Jude taught me. This was also one of the reasons why I¡¯m so engrossed in raising the level of my production skill. I think that seeing the level of my skills in numerical value was also one of the components of speedrun games. Seeing the skills represented by numerical value made me want to carelessly aim for counterstop. [TN: Japanese game term ¨C max value] HP: 4,867/4,867 MP: 6,057/6,067 Combat Skill: Holy attribute magic: Lv. ¡Þ Production Skill: Pharmacy: Lv. 8 ¡°It¡¯s currently level 8.¡± After confirming my status, I told him the level of my pharmacy skill, Jude tilts his head while humming, ¡°Hmm.¡± Jude: ¡°If you¡¯re at level 8, you still can¡¯t make intermediate grade potions yet.¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it fine? It¡¯s not like the effects are low.¡± Jude: ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s not at a marginal level where we can let it slide. It¡¯s our job to clarify things like this!¡± I thought that it was fine as long as the effectiveness is high, but Jude was angry because studying such mysterious phenomenon and investigating the cause was also part of a researcher¡¯s job. There¡¯s no choice, I¡¯ll go along with Jude¡¯s inquires. ¡°Even compared with other people, the type and amount of ingredients used are the same, the procedure is the same, and the only thing that¡¯s different is the person who made it.¡± Jude: ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°The only other thing I could think of is the amount of magic power that¡¯s being channelled in but¡­¡± Jude: ¡°Do you channel in a large amount of magic power when you make potions?¡± ¡°I wonder? I don¡¯t think that I use that much magic power though.¡± Jude: ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t feel anything like that when I watched next to you¡­¡± If you increase the amount of medicinal herbs, channel more magic power or alter the raw ingredients used in a potion, it will more or less increase the effectiveness of the potion made. But it doesn¡¯t increase by 50%, it would only increase by a few percent. The procedure is so simple, even if you change it, it would only be to the extent of how much magic power I channel into the hot water at first and how much medicinal herbs are put in to simmer. It seems that the currently established procedure is the most effective, and the effects didn¡¯t rise any further. I made various potion experiments together with Jude while saying ¡°Not this¡±, ¡°Not that either.¡± ¡°Is there a magic attribute that could influence potion making?¡± Jude: ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about that.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jude: ¡°There¡¯s not much difference in effect between the potions made by those who possess magic skill and those who don¡¯t.¡± There are magic skills with various attributes amongst combat skills. These magic skills don¡¯t include life magic and generally speaking those who can have magic skills are those who can use magic. I thought that those who have magic skills would possess an attribute that effected the potion but according to Jude, it didn¡¯t seem relevant. Jude: ¡°Aren¡¯t you putting something other than magic in, Sei?¡± ¡°What¡¯s something?¡± ¡°Mm, I don¡¯t really know.¡± Jude said and laughs while taking a long hard look at my hands. His expression showed that he was joking. Since he¡¯s opened up to me, the times Jude would joke like this during the middle of discussions has increased. ¡°What the heck is it?¡± The discussion once again returns to the beginning. ¡°There¡¯s no choice, we¡¯ll have to find the case by trying various things. It¡¯s also part of our job to unravel this, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hahaa, yup.¡± Thence, I make potions with Jude under various conditions. Thus, my days pass by while making potions. ??????? It¡¯s been 3 months since I¡¯ve been summoned. ¡°¡ºStatus¡».¡± HP: 4,867/4,867 MP: 5,867/6,067 Combat Skill: Holy attribute magic: Lv. ¡Þ Production Skill: Pharmacy: Lv. 21 Just by doing nothing but making potions at the research institute, my pharmacy skill has risen to 21. Since the rank of the potion made, increased for every 10 levels, I can now make advanced HP potions. However, I still fail a lot¡­¡­ Because numerous valuable medicinal herbs are used to make advanced potions, I can¡¯t easily make many at this level since I fail a lot. The number of high rank potions I¡¯ve made since reaching level 20 are still only 3. Nevertheless, since the number of people who can make advanced potions were few to begin with, it was quite a feat for a researcher like me to be able to make advanced potions. It seems that up until now there hasn¡¯t been a single person in this research institute that can make advanced potions. When advanced potions were needed for research, it was ordered from outside, so when I was able to make them, everyone was happy since the time and cost decreased. It was necessary to make potions in order to raise the level of the pharmacy skill, however magic power generally runs out. Therefore there is a limit to how many potions can be made in a day. It seems that the levels cannot be easily raised. Me? ¡°As always, you¡¯ve made an unusual amount.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Because making no less than 10 intermediate potions per day is pretty strange.¡± The intermediate HP potions were lined up in a row in front of my eyes. The efficiency of these potions are of course, 50% more than normal. According to the Director of the research institute, even if the potion was poorly made, it may still be more effective than general advanced HP potions. Even now Jude and 2 others are inspecting my potions day and night, in order to find the cause of the strange efficiency. As usual, they can¡¯t understand the cause at all, Jude and I must have overlooked something, so other researchers have also recently joined the investigation. The potion is inspected from various angles; there are those who inspect the production process, those who inspect the potion itself, etc. Meanwhile, I keep on earnestly making potions. Throughout the day. When was it? It was on the day that I made 150 vials of low grade HP potions. Jude asked, ¡°Can you still make it?¡± My reply to that was, ¡°Make what?¡± Thereupon I finally learnt about the general amount of potions that a person can make in a day. The magic power channelled into the potion increases as the rank get higher. It seems that the average number a person can make per day was a 100 vials of low grade potions or 10 vials of intermediate grade potions. This case applies to pharmacists who specialise in making potions. It is even less for those who are working at the research institute. MP certainly decreased when making potions but because it was insignificant, I didn¡¯t care at all. Therefore Jude said that I wasn¡¯t channelling magic power in while I made potions, but my MP is steadily decreasing, and in the first place if you don¡¯t channel any magic power in, you can only make juice from the infused medicinal herbs. In the end the Director said, ¡°Let¡¯s prioritize the research on improving efficiency¡±, so I¡¯m back to making potions every day, but it seems I got a bit carried away. I made more potions than needed for research, so they became leftovers. Although they can be sold at a good wholesale price, regrettably the performance was 1.5 times greater than normal, which would be a problem when sold. So now there was a superb amount of potions at the research institute. ¡°You¡¯ve made a lot again. The Director¡¯s going to scold you.¡± ¡°I forgot to count the number of potions I made because I was concentrating, you know?¡± I lied. I want to quickly be able to make advanced HP potions without complaints, so I was only levelling up. Because the medicinal herbs I used were from the herb garden, recently there have been people complaining to the Director about the decrease in medicinal herbs at the herb garden. Because getting scolded was unpleasant, I¡¯m thinking about hiding the potions I made today in my room. I take the potions I made today out of the cabinet when the laboratory door opened with a slam. When I turned around, I saw a solider with distraught breath. He shouts, ¡°Where¡¯s the Director?¡± as he darted into the laboratory. When I point at the door leading to the director¡¯s room, he heads there in a rush. What on earth is happening? After a while the soldier and Director come out from the director¡¯s room. Director: ¡°It¡¯s an emergency, collect all of the recovery potions now.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The 3rd Knight Order has returned from Ghosh forest, but a Salamander appeared. Many were injured and it seems there aren¡¯t enough potions.¡± I understand the situation from asking a researcher near the Director. This week the 3rd Knight Order subjugated demons in the Ghosh forest, located west of the capital. But they apparently suffered enormous damage there. The easy-going Director, who was always pleasantly smiling, is giving instructions with a dreadful face. Instantly the researchers noisily started collecting potions from desk drawers and shelves and gathering it onto the desk near the entrance of the laboratory. Together with Jude, I also take potions out of the cabinet and carry it to the desk. The soldier is surprise at the amount of potions gathered on the desk and says, ¡°This much!?¡± Yes, because they were recently amassed. After we finish taking out all the potions from the cabinet, I remembered I had placed some advanced HP potions in my room so I go to retrieve it. When I return from my room, everyone had finished gathering the potions in the laboratory and were loading it onto the wagon parked outside of the door. Director: ¡°Some of you come with me.¡± As instructed by the Director, the researchers near the entrance board the wagon. The wagon begins moving when I got on it. ¡°Hey, does something like a dragon appear in the Ghost forest?¡± Jude: ¡°Dragon? No, they don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t a Salamander a firedrake?¡± Jude: ¡°Hm? Salamanders are just lizards that breathes fire.¡± I received an unexpected reply when I asked Jude, who came with, about the Salamander. Salamanders weren¡¯t dragons¡­¡­ Although I had imaged it to be a firedrake¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s able to cause this much damage despite only being a lizard¡­¡­¡± Jude: ¡°Even though it¡¯s a lizard, it¡¯s big and agile. Nonetheless, it¡¯s not of the dragon species, it¡¯s a high ranking demon.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Salamander¡¯s image in my head has now become a 10 metre long Komodo dragon. It breathes fire while moving at high speeds. The moment it confronts me, I¡¯m confident that I won¡¯t be able to move and give up on life. While I was thinking about how hard it must have been for the Knight Order to face such a high ranking demon, the wagon stops at a corner of the royal palace. As soon as I enter the building, the inside is like a battlefield. ¡°This is terrible¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Many injured people were sleeping in the room that was normally used as a hall, and people who looked like doctors and nurses are running around in the spaces between them. In the room, the groans of the wounded and burnt victims of the Salamander¡¯s fire, overflow, and the voices of the doctors screaming, ¡°Are the potions here yet?¡± resound throughout the room. My carefree mind from a while ago, chills. I stand frozen on the spot, dumbfounded. The Director, who stood up first, clapped his hands. Director: ¡°Distribute the potions that we brought! You two are over there, Jude and Sei, please take care of the other side.¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°Yes!¡±¡±¡±¡± I take several of the potions and distribute it to the doctors here and there. The doctors are mostly standing near those who are seriously injured and give the potion to the patients as soon as they are received. Due to the shortage of HP potions, low grade HP potions were also given to the severely injured, even though they would normally require an intermediate potion for complete recovery. The doctors probably feel that it was better to give them something instead of giving up. Especially for patients who were on the border of life and death. Because by giving them the potion, they might survive. ¡°This is!¡± The doctor who gave a patient the potion, which was handed to him by the researcher, was surprised. After giving the potion to the patient who was breathing heavily, his skin which had been greatly torn by the demon¡¯s claw, was completely healed. The patient, who had his eyes closed, opens them when he feels the pain suddenly disappear. He timidly confirms his body. All his wounds had disappeared, even the small scratches that he had everywhere and his pale complexion is also improving. ¡°It was a low grade potion, right?¡± The doctor, with the dubiousness look on his face, holds up the empty vial in his hand but since he¡¯d given everything to the patient, it was difficult to determine the rank of the potion. The doctor was surely given a low grade HP potion, but it wasn¡¯t just any low grade HP potion. It was the 50% increase potion that I made, in other words the effectiveness of it was the same as an intermediate potion. I leave before the doctor could ask me anything and distributed the point one after another. I can hear the bewildered voices of doctors and nurses from here and there, but I ignore it. For now distributing potions had priority. ¡°Are there any advanced HP potions?¡± I hear someone¡¯s voice at the back of the hall. There are many doctors and knights gathering at the place where the voice came from. Is that where the voice came from? Because I have an intermediate HP potion on hand, I head over there and as I approach, I could hear people discussing something. ¡°This could be difficult even with an advanced potion. Is there anyone who could use recovery magic?¡± ¡°Even if they could use recovery magic, if it¡¯s not level 4 or over¡­¡± ¡°What about Saint-sama? That person can use level 4 recovery magic, right?¡± ¡°His Highness, Kyle did not want to show such a brutal scene like this to Saint-sama¡­¡­¡± ¡°What!¡± Kyle is certainly the first Prince¡¯s name, that red-head that looked like he¡¯ll go bald in the future. It is certainly difficult to see seriously wounded parts of patients without censorship. Even I, who prides herself in having some tolerance towards splatter, give out potions while looking as little as possible. That easy-going Aira-chan will faint the moment she sees something like this. The knight who is listening to the civil official-like person¡¯s explanation, is he the patient¡¯s friend? Since I couldn¡¯t see the patient due to the crowd of people, I couldn¡¯t judge his condition. But it seems that the injury was so serious that it was difficult to heal even with an advanced HP potion. When I look around the crowd, I see the Director and walk over to him. He calls out to me when he notices me approaching. Director: ¡°Sei! Are there any advanced HP potions left?¡± ¡°Ah, then, ¡¸Captain!¡¹.¡± When I turn towards the voice, the doctors and nurses quickly begin to move. The patient¡¯s condition seems to have taken a sudden turn for the worse. I also push my way through the crowd of people and go to the patient¡¯s side. Looking closely the right upper half of the patient¡¯s body was burnt and he had various wounds all over his body. It¡¯s a miracle that he¡¯s alive. His rough breathing gradually becomes quiet. ¡°Hey, move aside!¡± I push the doctor away and look at the patient, it looks like he¡¯ll die soon. I take out the advanced HP potion from my apron pocket in a hurry, open the lid and bring it to his mouth. When I say, ¡°Please drink!¡± in a loud voice, he was somehow able to drink the potion, little by little. The surrounding people swallow their saliva as they attentively watch him slowly drink the potion. After a period of time passes I look at the patient, who had finished drinking all the potion. His charred skin had peeled and beautiful skin appears from underneath it. His rough breathing settles down but it didn¡¯t stop, it is the calm breathing of a sleeping person. When I ascertain it with my own eyes, I breathe out at a job well done. The surrounding people shout out in joy, ¡°Oooouuuuuuuuuuuu!¡± Volume 1 - CH 3 Four months have passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. On that day because the potions from the research institute saved many people from the 3rd Knight Order, a special reward was bestowed from the royal palace. In particular the person who I made drink the advanced HP potion was the captain of the 3rd Knight Order and also the 3rd son the Margrave family. So a reward was also sent from the Margrave. In addition because of the efficiency, the 3rd Knight Order purchased my potions, which couldn¡¯t be sold to wholesalers. Thanks to that, the research institute budget is abundant lately. ¡°So, is there anything you want?¡± One day, when I bring tea to the director¡¯s room, I am asked if there was anything I want. It was so abrupt that I have to think a little before answering. ¡°Well¡­ I want a bath and a kitchen.¡± ¡°A bath and a kitchen?¡± ¡°Well ~, I like cooking.¡± The reason that I answered with is true, but that¡¯s not all. After all the cooking level of this world is low. Or should I say, there are many dishes cooked without seasoning. There are times when it¡¯s seasoned with salt or vinegar but it doesn¡¯t suit my tastes. Although I went to the employee¡¯s dining hall at the royal palace to eat, it was really horrible. Because the food was unappetising, I unexpectedly went on a diet. I¡¯ve never worried about it before but since coming to this world, I was strongly aware that I¡¯m a Japanese person who is picky about food. Although I¡¯m crazy about food, I¡¯m not very good at cooking. But based on the idea that what I make would surely be better, I requested a kitchen. ¡°Cook? Will Sei be the one cooking?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When I said that I would be that one cooking, the Director opens his eyes as if he is surprise. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something to be surprise about though. Or do I look like I can¡¯t cook? When I tilt my head the Director tells me why he was surprised. As I thought, he didn¡¯t think I could cook. It seems that rich people like aristocrats and wealthy merchants hire cooks so the woman and children of those households don¡¯t cook. Of course the wife in common households will cook¡­¡­ ¡°Director, I¡¯m also a commoner, you know?¡± ¡°Ah, now that you mention it, that¡¯s true.¡± The Director smiles wryly, he completely forgot about it. The Director knows that I was summoned to this kingdom. When I was assigned to this research institute, he had asked the High Official about me. But he¡¯d also wanted to know more personal things, he asked me directly. Questions like: my social status in Japan, what kind of life I was living, etc. At that time I talked about being a commoner and working at a company. ¡°When I look at Sei, I don¡¯t think you look like a commoner at all.¡± ¡°I think that no matter how you look at me, I look like a commoner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. There are only a few commoners in this kingdom who have acquired high education like Sei.¡± According to the Director there are no schools for commoners in this kingdom. The Royal Academy that Jude had told me about before is a school where aristocrat children attend. It seems that only those with exceptional magic skills among commoners can attend as a scholarship student. It¡¯s no wonder the Director is surprise when I told him that education was compulsory in Japan and even commoners have to attend. While we were talking about such things, the Director finishes his tea and the conversation ends. Two days later the craftsman come to the research institute. To be honest when I was asked what I wanted, I half-jokingly said bath and kitchen. I didn¡¯t actually think that the Director would get things ready in order to build it. I was na?ve. Didn¡¯t he already make arrangements beforehand? Things proceeded at a frightening pace and just like that the bath and kitchen were built. The pace in which it was completed was fast enough that I thought it was comparable to that of Japan. Thus the Medicinal Herb Research Institute was expanded. The kitchen was like a large kitchen and next to it is the dining hall which can fit all of the researchers. Moreover it came with a chef. In short it is a dining hall exclusively made for the researchers but it¡¯s popular with everyone. Up until now I went to eat at the dining hall exclusive for employees at the royal palace but it¡¯s far. The shut-in researchers were overjoyed. ¡°What¡¯re you making today?¡± ¡°Today is herb grilled chicken and salad.¡± While I¡¯m cutting lettuce in a corner of the new kitchen the Director called out to me from behind. I went through great pains to get the chef to agree with me and now I was allowed to make my own share of food when it¡¯s not busy. Because this kingdom¡¯s food didn¡¯t suit my tastes from the start, I requested it. When I said that I wanted to make my own food, I was worried that the chef, who had finally came all the way here, would be offended. But fortunately this chef was a kind person and without any disgruntle he let me use a section of the kitchen. However while I was in the middle of cooking he gave me a frightening glare. Apparently he is a very ambitious person. Because he wanted to have a taste, I told him, ¡°Please help yourself¡±, he ended up eating the whole serving. After eating a mouthful he became so engrossed in it that he remained silent while eating. Since he wanted me to teach him by all means, since then every time I make a new dish I teach him the recipe. As a result the food at the research institute¡¯s dining hall became delicious and the employee¡¯s dining hall at the royal palace was no match. If the food has become delicious to this extent, it¡¯s fine even if I don¡¯t make it myself but since the chef bowed his head asking me to teach him new recipes; recently I cook for myself once a week and the chef behaves himself. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± I ask the Director, who was standing behind me, while grilling the chicken. From some time ago, not only just the chef but the Director is also standing behind me, gazing at my hands. I wonder if a hole will open up in the chicken if he keeps staring like that. I guess it won¡¯t open. Since I¡¯ve started cooking in the kitchen, whenever the Director was in the research institute he would always come to see me. Director: ¡°I was just thinking that it looks tasty.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What flavours are you using this time?¡± ¡°I only grilled it with salt. Afterwards I used medicinal herbs for fragrance.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That was the extent of our conversation. When I look behind me again, the Director¡¯s eyes are still pinned on the chicken. ¡°Director, perhaps you want to eat this? I have a feeling I saw you eating lunch earlier.¡± ¡°Uogh¡­¡­ Well, I did but¡­¡­¡± When I glance behind me again, the Director has a shameful look on his face. Even though he¡¯s looking like that he still won¡¯t leave. It seems that he really wants to eat it. Usually when he¡¯s eating in the dining hall, he eats the same amount as everyone else so I can¡¯t see him being a big eater. Was he lured in by the smell of the medicinal herbs smeared over the chicken? Well the basil and rosemary were freshly taken from the herb garden so it¡¯s really fragrant. Even the salad was freshly made. I place the grilled chicken onto the plate and on the side is the salad I made, accompanied by a homemade dressing. The two dishes set up for plating was for the chef and I. But I prepared another small dish and arrange a little bit of chicken and salad from my plate onto it. When I finish arranging the food the chef cheerfully picks up the plate and carries it to the dining hall and put it down on the table closest to the kitchen. I too follow after him with a basket of bread in one hand. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, please eat.¡± I say to the Director, who was following behind me, and pointed to the spot where the small dish was placed. He gladly sits down. Director: ¡°It¡¯s tasty as ever.¡± Even without that comment, I smile at the Director who looks as if he¡¯s going to melt. Above all else, it seems to suit his tastes. The Director had already eaten lunch so I only served him a little bit of food but it seems that it wasn¡¯t enough. He neatly cleaned his plate, even going as far as to spread the chicken fat and medicinal herbs onto the bread. ¡°But I was surprised that you used the medicinal herbs for cooking.¡± ¡°In my hometown, we use various medicinal herbs for cooking.¡± It¡¯s called medicinal herbs in this kingdom but it¡¯s actually the so-called herbs. Herbs itself meant medicinal herbs. The herbs I used today, basil and rosemary, were common herbs used for cooking in my original world. But in this world medicinal herbs were used as remedies and it seems that it¡¯s not used for cooking. ¡°By using medicinal herbs in cooking, you can prevent food poisoning and help accelerate digestion.¡± ¡°Hoh.¡± ¡°There are also medicinal cooking methods aimed at preventing illness.¡± Medicinal cooking was a method in the neighbouring kingdom and since the chef is also with us, I blurred out that I was from a different world and talk about it as my hometown. Although the chef might know that I came from another world. Or he might not know, so just to be sure. The Director is interested in cooking and medicinal herbs so he asks me questions, one after another. Seeing him like this, it really makes me think that the Director is also a researcher. He¡¯s usually in the director¡¯s office doing nothing but administrative work so he didn¡¯t feel much like a researcher. I didn¡¯t know some of the answers to the questions that the Director asked me, in such cases he told me to take a guess and he also talked about what he¡¯d thought. The conversation got lively but because we were only talking medicinal herbs the chef couldn¡¯t join in and I feel that we did something bad. ??????? ¡°Sei.¡± Today in order to teach the chef a new recipe, we are making sandwiches in the kitchen when Jude comes in. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a message from the Director, he wants you to go deliver this document to the 3rd Knight Order barracks.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of something right now, so can¡¯t you go instead, Jude?¡± ¡°Nah, he said he wanted you to deliver it, Sei.¡± ¡°I wonder why? Do I have to go now?? Since I¡¯m nearly finished with this, can¡¯t I do it afterwards?¡± Jude: ¡°If it¡¯s just a little while longer, isn¡¯t it fine?¡± ¡°Got it. I just need to go to the 3rd Knight Order¡¯s barracks, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s in the captain¡¯s office so bring it there.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I arrive at the captain¡¯s office in the 3rd Knight Order¡¯s barracks and when I ask a knight standing next to the door to announce that I was here, he immediately leads me inside. Apparently the Director had let him know in advance that I was coming. As I enter I see the Director and another person sitting on a lounge suite set in front of a splendid office desk. He¡¯s the captain, right? ¡°I am sorry to keep you waiting.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re very helpful. Thanks.¡± ¡°Then, I will return now.¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± When I pass the documents to the Director, he smiles while thanking me. I turn to leave the room once my task was done but the Director stops me. I look at the Director wondering what it could be and he urges me to sit down next to him. Why? When I glimpse at the other person, who is probably the owner of this room, he also urges me to sit down. When I reluctantly sit down next to the Director, he speaks to the other person. ¡°She¡¯s Sei.¡± ¡°I see, so it¡¯s you. I¡¯m the captain of the 3rd Knight Order, Alberto Hawk.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Sei.¡± I don¡¯t say my family name. In this world only aristocrats have family names and I¡¯m not an aristocrat. When I was assigned to the research institute, the Director taught me this when I introduced myself. In this kingdom if an unfamiliar family name is untactfully given, an enquiry will pursue and that¡¯ll become troublesome so since then, I¡¯ve decided not to give out my family name. The other person is the captain after all. I sit across from him and look at him again. He¡¯s a quirky man with blonde hair and blue grey eyes that give out a cold feeling. Is he the same age as the Director? His physique is better than the Director¡¯s but only because he¡¯s a knight. No, the Director is pretty tall and sturdily. How can I say it, their muscle thickness is different. Out of all the people I¡¯ve met since coming to this kingdom, he might be my favourite type. ¡°Do you remember the things that happened during the 3rd Knight Order expedition?¡± ¡°Expedition?¡± ¡°You know about the Salamander.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I suddenly received an introduction, while I was thinking that it was odd for them to have business with me, the Director abruptly began to speak. I was told that it was about the expedition and at first, I didn¡¯t know what he was going on about, but when the Salamander was mentioned, I understood. The other day the Knight Order who went to Ghosh Forest, located to the west of the capital, returned with a large number of casualties. Since then I haven¡¯t heard anything about it so I completely forgot. Was it the 3rd Knight Order? ¡°At that time, you made a guy drink an advanced HP potion, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± The Director says. Now that he mentions it, I do remember that there was such a person. At that time, I only made the most injured person drink the advanced HP potion. The burn was terrible. It was hard to look at so I tried not to look too much and because of that I didn¡¯t remember anything about the person¡¯s features. I certainly remember the knight who was next to me call the person, Captain. I see, so he¡¯s the person who nearly died at that time. Immediately after he drank the potion I saw his charred skin peel off and new skin regenerated from underneath but I didn¡¯t see him when he was completely healed. Since after that I went to distribute potions. When I look at the Captain again, there was no burn wounds from that time, only beautiful skin. I think the potions from a different world are really excellent to be able to heal to this extent. If it was like this then wounds other than burns might completely heal as well. Although I want to see the effectiveness of the potion, it was still impossible for me to ask him to take off his clothes so that I could see. ¡°Thanks, I was saved by you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡­¡± Crap. Because I wanted to see the progress, I stared at him for too long and now the Captain is slightly blushing. The figure of a handsome bashful guy has such destructive power. My heart throbbed while I give a neutral answer and I hear the sound of light laughter next to me. When I turn to my side thinking, what is it? I saw the Director put a hand over his mouth and trying not to laugh. ¡°Director?¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Although he says it¡¯s nothing, he still seems to be holding in his laughter, but what¡¯s funny? The Director was acting so suspiciously that it wasn¡¯t just me but also the Captain who had a dubiousness look on his face. No rather than dubiousness, he looks sullen or embarrassed. Do you feel embarrassed? I look at the Director doubtfully and crease my eyebrows. ¡°Oh yeah, you wanted the ingredients for the advanced HP potions, right?¡± ¡°Yes. But they cannot be gathered without going to the forest, right?¡± How vague. At the moment when the Captain tries to speak, the Director loses his urge to laugh and speaks while changing the topic. I feel it was abrupt but I¡¯m glad it happened before the Captain got angry. I quietly stroke my chest. About the advanced HP potion ingredients that the Director brought up, I certainly remember talking about it to the Director. The meagre amount of medicinal herbs cultivated in the herb garden for advanced HP potions had considerably decreased recently due to overharvesting. I want to rapidly make more potions to level up my pharmacy skill but unfortunately those medicinal herbs are difficult to cultivate and I was prohibited from using them any further by the Director. Therefore I consulted with the Director about purchasing it from the outside but since cultivation was difficult, it was sold at a very high price. Although recently the budget is abundanty, it is still difficult to purchase a large quality of high-grade ingredients from the outside. It grows naturally in the forest outside of the royal palace but it takes time and effort to go there to collect it, although it saves on cost. It is difficult for researchers to go gathering alone since there are demons in the forest. ¡°Right. If it¡¯s nearby then they grow in the forest to the south. Why don¡¯t you go and gather them for a while?¡± ¡°Director, I want you to spare me from being attacked by demons.¡± ¡°About that, it seems that the guys from the 3rd Knight Order will protect you.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Apparently it¡¯s a reward for the potion the other day.¡± I unintentionally turn to face the Captain upon the Director¡¯s words. He looks calm, completely different from earlier. As the Director said, as reward for the potion it seems that they¡¯ll guard me when I go to gather the medicinal herbs. But¡­¡­ ¡°But I have already received a reward¡­¡­¡± I received a special reward from the royal palace and one from the Margrave household too. Any more than that just feels too much. ¡°Captain-dono wanted to give you something personally.¡± ¡°Oi!¡± The Director says while grinning and the Captain stops him in a panic. But it was too late. Is it fine to mobilise the Knight Order for personal gratitude? ¡°Personally?¡± I glance at the Captain and as if he knew what I was implying, he clears his throat and awkwardly explains. ¡°We¡¯d originally planned to go to the south forest for subjugation. So we talked about it in passing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± It was originally planned. If so, it won¡¯t be any problem, right?¡± I certainly want medicinal herbs for advanced HP potions. ¡°If it is not a nuisance then please take me with you.¡± I bow my head and the Captain nods as if saying not a problem. After that we talk about practical business such as when the expedition will start, etc, and it was evening before I realised. ??????? Today I¡¯ve come to Saul forest located to the south of the capital. The 3rd Knight Order has been regularly killing demons around the kingdom and after the Ghosh forest to the west, they planned to expedite Saul forest. It wasn¡¯t normal for the Knight Order to go on subjugation expeditions so frequently but the situation has been so bad in recent years, that the normal subjugation frequency couldn¡¯t keep up and as a result they now constantly go out on expeditions. Well because of the ¡¾Saint¡¿summoned by the¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿the situation is deemed to have gradually improved. Do your best, Aira-chan. This time the researchers from the Medicinal Herb Research Institute have joined the expedition. The main purpose of this expedition was to subjugate demons but the researchers have never came to this forest with the Knights before so everyone wanted to go, for the chance to gather a variety of medicinal herbs not available at the herb garden. There were some researchers who wanted to survey the plants and not just gather medicinal herbs but the Director firmly rejected their proposal because it would get in the way of the main purpose. It was normally unthinkable for researchers who are good for nothing burdens, to partake in a Knight Order¡¯s subjugation but this was the Knight Order¡¯s way of repaying the favour. Because there are researchers willing to participate in the harvesting, I thought that I could leisurely make potions at the research institute but the Director sadly obliged me to participate since I was the one who mostly used up the herbs. ¡°Oi ~, don¡¯t separate too far.¡± I find a medicinal herb I want in a place slightly away from the road and when I go over and try to take it, Jude warns me from behind. I quickly harvest the herb and when I return to where Jude is, he scolds me some more. ¡°Just because this forest is calmer than the west forest, doesn¡¯t mean that demons don¡¯t appear. If you plan to separate, then say something before you do.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± The demons that appear in the south forest is weaker than the ones in the west forest but that didn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t appear at all. I know I have to be careful but I can¡¯t shake off my Japanese mentality. When I find something that interests me, I unintentionally totter towards it. ¡°I¡¯m keeping a proper watch out so you should be fine if you don¡¯t stray too far.¡± The Captain calls out from behind us while abruptly laughing. The Knight Order and researchers are currently separated and acting in 3 group. This is because it¡¯s most efficient this way. Jude and I are a part of the Captain¡¯s team. The demons that appear in the south forest are not that strong so the Captain doesn¡¯t normally partake in expeditions to the south forest. However according to a knight in the same team, the Captain made a special exception for us. Although it¡¯s a reward, I¡¯m feeling somewhat apologetic. ¡°Thank you. Even so, I having a feeling that we have gone considerably deep into the forest, but no demons have appeared.¡± That¡¯s right. I think it¡¯s already been two hours since we¡¯ve entered the forest but we haven¡¯t encountered a single demon. Is this normal? While thinking so, I question the Captain and this doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡°No, it¡¯s usually not strange to encounter several demons already, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Ah, it is unusual to make it this far without encountering any.¡± As he says this the Captain creases his eyebrows together and thinks a little before talking to the other knights. Yes ~, I wonder what¡¯s up?¡± It¡¯s not the calm before the storm but it would be nice if a strong demon like the Salamander doesn¡¯t just suddenly pop up. While thinking such things, I pick up the medicinal herbs growing on the roadside and head towards the meeting point. There is a little opening a short distance from where I¡¯m walking. We¡¯re joining up with the other groups there and have lunch. ¡°Tasty!¡± At the lunch meeting place where everyone has joined. Listening to the voices from here and there, it was worthwhile for me to help out. There was chatter about the lunch preparations being done by the Knight Order but for me who grieves over this world¡¯s cooking situation, I had to help out. The soup I made by using herbs, which aren¡¯t usually used, seems to be popular. ¡°I heard that the food at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute¡¯s dining hall is delicious but¡­¡­ Are you perhaps the one who makes it all the time?¡± The one who says this is the Captain while looking at the soup that is scooped in his spoon. After all it was unusual to use medicinal herbs while cooking. Even while I was making it I was asked various questions like: what kind of medicinal herb is that? Why are you putting it in? That behaviour was exactly like some Director who always looked at me from behind. The Captain and Director have been friends since childhood. I¡¯ve heard from the researchers that they¡¯re really close but does being close mean that even their behaviours are similar? ¡°No, I just provide the recipe. The chef is the one who always makes it.¡± ¡°To always be able to eat something this delicious, I¡¯m envious.¡± I saw him narrow his eyes and deliciously eats the soup, which delights me. But it was a bit nerve wrecking to be in the middle of this group. The knights and researchers seem to have opened up to each other as a result of this morning¡¯s subjugation. While everyone sat down where they liked, the Captain sat next to me. The Vice-Captain sat on my other side. I¡¯m the only researcher who has been thrown into this group of executives. Jude? When I tried to drag him along with me, he escaped. I¡¯ll remember this. ¡°I was told that various medicinal herbs were used in this soup, but my body is warmer than usual. Are there medicinal herbs with this kind of effect?¡± ¡°Well, that is right. Today¡¯s soup is¡­¡­¡± I mainly speak with the Captain but at odd times the knights would also call out to me, or rather many ask me about the herbs used in the dish. It¡¯s exciting. The talk about herbs used in drinking side-dishes was especially interesting. It¡¯ll be delicious if you put it in sausage. Just like that, there¡¯s a heated discussion about food. We continue subjugating in the afternoon and return to the royal palace in the evening. The people who went out to subjugate is supposed to gather at the 3rd Knight Order¡¯s training ground upon returning to the royal palace. Despite being tired and maybe because the subjugation ended without any casualties, the researchers in the training ground were gathering in groups of 3 or 5, talking as if they¡¯d just returned from an outing. They didn¡¯t just talk about the medicinal herbs they¡¯d gathered, they also talk about the demons they¡¯d encountered and how the knights were at the time of subjugation. Demons still didn¡¯t appear in the afternoon on the road that my group took and the knight who was with me said, ¡°They¡¯re probably not coming because they fear the Captain¡¯s strength.¡± As the Captain of this Knight Order, his strength can compare with 1 or 2 people amongst his Order, right? The knight had said it as a joke, although he did say that this kind of thing has never happened once, ever. Actually it seems that the other group encountered demons several times in the afternoon. The researchers joined in with the knight¡¯s subjugation. The researchers at the research institute all have magic skills. They supported the knights by casting magic from behind. They haven¡¯t subjugated demons since they¡¯d left the Royal Academy so everyone had a bit of fun. ¡°I prepared myself since I was told that it was a subjugation, but we finished it so easily, I¡¯m disappointed.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been awhile since I¡¯ve fought against demons, but considering all that, my condition¡¯s good.¡± ¡°You too? I have a hunch that my condition¡¯s better than when I was at the Academy.¡± ¡°All the same, isn¡¯t that saying too much?¡± Just like that everyone was talking noisily and the nearby knight joins in when he heard it was about the subjugation. ¡°You guys as well?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Well, we were talking about how strange it was that we were able to move better than usual.¡± According to the knight, at first everyone thought it was just them but when they saw that the movements of the other knights were also better than usual, they started talking and concluded that their physical abilities seemed to have risen. ¡°What¡¯s the cause?¡± A researcher mutters as if speaking to himself and everyone starts expressing their opinions. Well, they quickly realise what the cause was¡­¡­ ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the lunch?¡± ¡°¡±¡±That¡¯s it!¡±¡±¡± When they think about what they did differently than usual, everyone comes up with the soup that they ate for lunch. It was certainly the first time the knights ate soup with herbs but the researchers should be used to eating it at the dining hall. So was the herb the cause? The researchers immediately become lively. I manage to stop the enthusiastic researchers from returning to the research institute for investigation before they receive the break up signal. When we return to the research there was a big uproar. Even though everyone should have been tired. Then one week later. In order to investigate the cause I made dishes with various conditions at the research institute then we eat and examine. Breakfast, lunch and dinner we had a midnight snack on top of that as well. We eat all day long. As one would expect it was too much for the researchers alone so we also ask for the cooperation of the 3rdKnight Order, who we¡¯d become friends with during the subjugation. The knights gladly cooperate since they could eat at the rumoured Medicinal Herb Research Institute¡¯s dining hall. It¡¯s a great help. The result is, when one eats a specific dish made by someone who had the cooking skill, their physical ability improves. When using this cooking skill the magic power of the creator will decrease, just like with potion making. All chefs working at dining halls have this skill. Of course our chef at the research institute also has this skill. And before I knew it I also acquired it. This was the reason why everyone¡¯s physical abilities was improved during the subjugation. Even though the researchers eat this food every day, they rarely move their bodies so they didn¡¯t notice. It was a knight¡¯s job to move their body so they noticed straight away. Actually I think that¡¯s not the only reason they noticed. The accursed 50% increase that appears when I make potions also occurs when I cook and the dishes I make are more effective than those made by the dining hall chefs. Perhaps because of that the effects of the food became remarkably visible and it got noticed. When the Director heard about it he was incredibly shocked and forbade me from cooking in public. Volume 1 - CH 4 Five months have passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. ¡°What are you making?¡± While I¡¯m making essential oil from the lavender I harvested at the herb garden, Jude spoke to me. ¡°Is that potion ingredients?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re ingredients for skin toner.¡± What I want is floral water, the by-product of making essential oil. Since coming to this world I¡¯m now able to make cosmetics. I was always interested in handmade cosmetics and it has also become essential. Of course there are cosmetics in this world but many are aimed for aristocrats, so it¡¯s expensive. Luckily this is the Medicinal Herb Research Institute. I can use the equipment and facilities to make cosmetics. As a bonus I can use as much ingredients as I want. ¡°Eh ~, so you can also make it from medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°You can also make it from flowers called roses too.¡± There are cosmetics in this world but unlike potions there are many mysterious recipes. Is it really okay to apply that on your face? There are so many things I want to ask. If you apply something like that on your face, isn¡¯t it better to apply potions instead? However the purpose of potions was to heal wounds, it didn¡¯t have any moisturising or whitening effects like cosmetic products did so it¡¯s tricky to use it as a cosmetic product. I tried to use it before but it was really tricky. ¡°You¡¯ve made it before. Did you use Lavender at that time too?¡± ¡°I used it but I didn¡¯t use it to make skin toner.¡± ¡°I see. Does it have different effects?¡± ¡°Well, the basic effects are the same.¡± ¡°Really? Well, cosmetics made by Sei seem like they¡¯ll have a high effect.¡± I smile bitterly at what Jude said. The cosmetic products I make are highly effective. Come to think of it, it turned out well when I tried to concentrate magic power into it while stirring. There was a big difference in effect when I concentrate magic power in and when I don¡¯t. Moreover my pharmacy skill influenced my cosmetics and my accursed 50% increase is applied. When I noticed that my pharmacy skill influenced it, I thought perhaps, the other researchers would ask me to make cosmetics in the same way. Then as feared, there was a difference in effect between the cosmetics I made and the ones I didn¡¯t. It seems that the relationship between cosmetics and pharmacy skill is not evident and the researchers were surprised when they noticed. Unlike potions only a limited number of people used cosmetics. The researchers weren¡¯t interested because they¡¯re all men so they didn¡¯t notice. When my accursed 50% increase was reported to the Director, he laughed as if implying it happened again? It was a very worn-out laugh. ¡°Did you start making cosmetics after coming to the research institute, Sei?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°I thought so.¡± He thought so? When I tilt my head, Jude laughs bashfully. ¡°You¡¯ve become really beautiful since coming here.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± So sudden, what¡¯s he say, this kid. Before I know it, I¡¯m befuddled but I understand what he was implying and I can feel my face heating up bit by bit. It was the first time a man had ever said anything like that to me and it was extremely embarrassing. ¡°Wh-what are you saying all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Mhm? I just said what I felt.¡± He hastily plays it off but he seems to notice that I¡¯m feeling embarrassed. Naturally, Jude laughed. Certainly there was no late-night overtime in this world and thanks to living a regular lifestyle, the bags under my eyes have disappeared, it had completely disappeared. My hair and skin have also become radiant. When I was in Japan, I worked late every day so it was unrealistic for me to be beautiful and stylish, I was a splendid unpopular woman. But the first time I looked in the mirror after coming here, I saw the change in my appearance and thought it was a bit fun. Thanks to the cream that I applied around my eyes, my eyesight got better and I no longer need glasses. But an unpopular woman is an unpopular woman. Even if my appearance has changed, the inside is still the same. I am very distressed by this. ¡°Stop teasing me.¡± I said but Jude just lowers his eyebrows and smiles as if he was troubled. ??????? I wake up early in the morning, brush my teeth, wash my face and apply cosmetics. The same routine I had when I was in Japan. I think the cosmetics I made are slowly showing their effects and my appearance has become quite healthy. I look at my reflection in the small hand-mirror (it was in the bag that was summoned together with me), I see the effects and smile, complacently. Nonetheless having no makeup on, I look the same as ever. I could make basic cosmetic products but I couldn¡¯t remember how to make make-up so I couldn¡¯t make any. I didn¡¯t like heavy make-up so it was fine. I looked at my reflection for a while and when I felt satisfied, I change my clothes. Today is a day off and it will be quite good if I relax a little. Well, what shall I do? ¡°¡ºStatus¡»¡± For the time being, let¡¯s check my current status. My pharmacy and cooking skills have both increased. If I continue cooking the skill will likely raise but recently it has become difficult to raise my pharmacy skill even when I¡¯m making advanced HP potions. What can I make that¡¯s higher than an advanced HP potion? There are books on medicinal herbs and medicines at the research institute but I¡¯ve never seen a book about potions with higher effects than advanced HP potions. If I go to the royal palace library, will there be books like that there? It¡¯s finally my long-awaited holiday but I¡¯m going to be spending it doing work-related things, I¡¯m still a workaholic. But I have nothing else I want to do. Although I want to go into town to do some shopping, I¡¯ve never been out of the royal palace before and I feel a bit uneasy. It would be a different story if someone came with me¡­¡­ Well, whatever. Today I¡¯ll seclude myself in the royal palace library and read books. ¡°Huh? Sei, are you going out?¡± While I was descending from the third floor to the first, Jude called out to me. Today¡¯s not his day off so he¡¯s working. It seems that he¡¯d just entered the research institute after getting medicinal herbs from the warehouse. The box he¡¯s holding with both hands contained a lot of medicinal herbs. ¡°Yup, I was thinking about going to the royal palace library.¡± ¡°I see, isn¡¯t it your day off today?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°See you later.¡± Jude saw me off as I leave the research institute and walk towards the royal palace. It¡¯ll take 30 minutes but this is also good exercise. I don¡¯t exercise enough because I confineI) myself in the research institute everyday so I have to go on walks like this sometimes. But it¡¯s troublesome¡­¡­ After walking for a short while, I arrive at the royal palace and went inside. I¡¯ve been to the royal palace library many times for work-related things so I didn¡¯t get lost. Along the way I look at the vases and paintings decorating the royal palace corridor and in no time at all, I arrive at the library. Because it¡¯s the royal palace, I think that they¡¯re all first-class items. It is fun to look at the delicate patterns on the vases and elegant sceneries in the paintings. In my original world, some places turned former palaces into art museums, so it feels like I¡¯m walking through an art museum. When I arrive at the library, I open the door and enter. Due to the flow of air, I see dust floating in the light that shone through the window. There are only a few windows in this room to protect the books so it was dim. Using the faint light, I look at the books on the bookshelf and search for a book I want. I pick a few books before sitting down on a nearby table and opening one of the books. Of course, the letters aren¡¯t written in Japanese but I can understand what¡¯s written, probably due to the effects of being summoned. In my mind it¡¯s written in Japanese so it was a very strange feeling. I don¡¯t know how much time passed but when I made a roundtrip to the bookshelf and back again, the door creaked open. It was not unusual for people to come here since it was available to everyone working at the royal palace. I look up expecting the usual civil servants but instead I see a stunning beautiful girl wearing an extravagant dress. She had blonde hair which was half tied up and blue almond-shaped eyes. No matter how I look at her, she¡¯s a young lady from an aristocrat family. In addition to that her family ranking is high. It wasn¡¯t strange to see a young lady at the royal palace but I have a feeling that this is the first time I¡¯ve met one at the library. Because she was a sight for sore eyes I keep staring at her and she noticed me. Because I¡¯m Japanese, I quickly bow my head on reflex and she returns it with a lovely smile. It would be impolite of me to stare at her any further so I return my gaze back onto the book in my hand. After a little while a book was placed in the seat in front of me. I raise my face and it was the young lady from before, this time she¡¯s reading her book without looking at me. I did wonder why she was sitting here even though there were other seats but I continue to read the book in my hand without caring. When I finished reading all the books I had, I heard the bell telling me it was three o¡¯clock. I have a feeling that I was in the library for quite a long time. I get up thinking I should return soon and the young lady calls out to me, ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°About that book over there¡­¡­¡± Apparently she wants to read one of the books that I was going to put away. I was already finished with it so I hand it to her and she was surprised to see the other books in my hand. ¡°You read difficult books. Are you a researcher?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°As excepted. This book is written in the ancient language so even I have difficulty reading it.¡± I could read it regardless of the written language because of some kind of ability, so I didn¡¯t notice it at all but it seems that one of the books I have is written in the ancient language. Even if she told me it was difficult, I can¡¯t understand her feelings so I smile vaguely in order to deceive her. ¡°Are you also interested in medicinal herbs, Miss?¡± ¡°Yes I am.¡± I ask her while using horrible honorifics and she vaguely smiles. Hmm, was my use of honorifics bad or did I ask something bad? Although I couldn¡¯t come to a conclusion, I thought that it would be bad to bother her any further and decided to end the conversation properly. ¡°If you are interested, please come to the Medicinal Herb Research Institute. There are many herbs at the herb garden. My name is Sei, I am a researcher there.¡± ¡°Thank you. This is a bit late but my name is Elizabeth Ashley.¡± ¡°Well then, I should return to the research institute soon.¡± ¡°Farewell.¡± I return the book to the bookshelf. When I leave the library, I feel the suffocating heat from outside. It¡¯s already summer. The temperature was somehow adjusted inside of the library and was lower than the temperature in the corridor. As I walk back to the research institute while fanning myself, I hear a horse running from behind. I turn around to look and there is a group of horses heading my way. The people riding the horses looked like knights and I feel like I know the person in front from somewhere. ¡°Sei!¡± ¡°Ah, good afternoon.¡± The person in front is the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order. So does that mean that everyone behind him is from the 3rd Knight Order? I see a few familiar faces so it seems that they are. ¡°Are you going to the research institute?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, would you like a lift?¡± ¡°Thank you for your offer but I do not know how to ride a horse¡­¡­¡± There is still some distance till the research institute. I appreciate his offer but I don¡¯t know how to ride a horse. When I look up at him, troubled, he holds out his hands and said, ¡°Hold on.¡± I nervously held the Captain¡¯s hands and he quickly lifts me up onto the horse. I was now sitting in front of the Captain. No matter how thin I am, what kind of strength does he have to be able to lift up a woman? Are all the knights this strong? ¡°Well then, shall we go?¡± While I was surprised, the Captain lifts the reins and the horse slowly moves. My line of sight was really high on a horse, it was a bit scary. When I timidly grab onto the saddle, I hear a quiet laughing sound behind me. The Captain puts his hand around my waist. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve got you.¡± ¡°So-sorry.¡± What¡¯s with this closeness? This might be the first time I¡¯ve ever felt someone¡¯s body heat on my back. He¡¯s not my boyfriend and I¡¯m an old unpopular woman, being this close is intense. It may be inevitable but I feel as if I¡¯m being hugged from behind. It¡¯s embarrassing, my ears are getting hot. ¡°What did you do at the royal palace?¡± ¡°Well today is my day off so I thought I would go to the library to read.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s your day off. What kind of books did you read?¡± ¡°It was a medicinal herbs book. There was something I wanted to find¡­¡­¡± While my heart was throbbing the Captain spoke to me. Every time he spoke, his voice rang out from behind me. While I was thinking, ¡°Wow!¡± over and over in my mind, I reply and gradually calm down. ¡°You spend your day-off investigating medicinal herbs? Isn¡¯t that work?¡± ¡°No, learning about medicinal herbs is also my hobby.¡± To be honest it¡¯s shocking for me to work on a day-off so I keep insisting that it¡¯s a hobby. ¡°Do you not have any other hobbies?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± He asked me in wonder but I couldn¡¯t come up with anything else. I¡¯ve always worked so I don¡¯t have any hobbies. While we were idling chatting like that, we reached the crossroad between the research institute and the barracks. The Captain told the knights at the back that he¡¯d escort me to the research institute, so we split up with them at the crossroad. When I told him that it was okay to let me down here, he replied with, ¡°It¡¯s close so I¡¯ll escort you¡±. In the end he took me to the entrance of the research institute. ??????? ¡°Sei, this part is a little difficult. Can you explain it to me please?¡± ¡°Well, this is¡­¡­¡± I talk to Liz about the book. She¡¯s also known as Elizabeth-sama, the person I met at the library. Although we talk, it¡¯s only when I have business at the library so it¡¯s not for very long. The contents of the books are written in foreign languages or the ancient language. Liz asks me about the parts she doesn¡¯t understand. Liz seems to be studying languages. I explain the parts that are difficult to understand to her. At first, she asked me about grammar but I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand grammar at all. I only understand the contents. ¡°I see, so that is what it means. Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I always interfere with your work, I am sorry.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s a good breather.¡± Why are you talking to an aristocrat in an extremely familiar tone? At first I properly used honorifics. But somewhere along the way, Liz told me, you know? I also call her Liz now instead of Elizabeth-sama. She asked me to talk normally with her. I can¡¯t refuse when a beautiful young lady asks me that. ¡°Sei¡¯s skin is very beautiful.¡± In order to explain the contents of the book, our faces were very close to each other and she suddenly said such a thing. I wasn¡¯t accustomed to compliments so I didn¡¯t know how to answer when a beautiful girl, who looked like a bisque doll with perfect skin and no pores, compliments me. ¡°Really?¡± I answer humbly while tilting my head. Liz nods in return and smiles. ¡°Even if I am being careful in this season, I still get sunburnt in the daytime. I heard that Sei also works in the herb garden but you are not sunburnt at all. I feel that you get whiter by the day and your skin is getting more translucent.¡± ¡°Really? Liz doesn¡¯t seem sunburnt at all.¡± ¡°Of course I am being careful. I take care of my skin every day, but even so I will never reach Sei¡¯s level of translucency. Which products are you using?¡± Of course Liz is a girl so she also seems interested in beauty and she talked about it very enthusiastically. Moreover is it because she¡¯s an aristocrat? She¡¯s talking about things that adults talk about. In Japan, I can¡¯t imagine girls in intermediate school talking about this kind of thing. When I was the same age as Liz the most I ever did was put on sunscreen. Do you call something like this ¡®high girl power¡¯? ¡°I make the cosmetic products myself.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± When I said I made it myself, Liz¡¯s eyes shine. Since Liz was an aristocrat she¡¯s never made cosmetics products herself so it¡¯s unusual. However since Liz is studying medicinal herbs she asked me questions like: what kind of ingredients are used? What kind of effects do those ingredients have? She seemed more enthusiastic than when she asked about the book contents. I thought Liz was also a girl. When she finally calmed down, she said something unexpected. ¡°It is not only the cosmetics making you beautiful, is it Sei?¡± ¡°Mhm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You have fallen in love recently, haven¡¯t you?¡± Huh?! Liz covers her mouth with her fan and laughs while looking at my face. Wait, hold on, why¡¯re we suddenly talking about this? Love is in an awfully far away world for me. ¡°It is something I overheard, there is a rumour that Captain Hawk is often seen together with a woman.¡± ¡°Captain Hawk?¡± I tilt my head when she suddenly said an unfamiliar name. Liz thought it was strange so she closed her fan and knitted her eyebrows. ¡°Does Sei not know Hawk-sama?¡± The only person that comes to my mind is the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order. Was his name Hawk? I always call him Captain-sama so I don¡¯t know what his name is. The Director always calls him Al so I don¡¯t know his family name either¡­¡­ ¡°Is Captain Hawk the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order?¡± ¡°So you do know him after all.¡± ¡°If so, the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order is good friends with our Director.¡± It seems that she was talking about the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order. But if you say he was seen with a woman, there¡¯s a high possibility that it isn¡¯t me. What I thought was negated by what she said next. ¡°It seems that someone saw him riding a horse with a woman¡­¡­¡± Sorry, that¡¯s definitely me. Lately whenever he sees me returning from the library, he always escorts me back to the research institute. And as sighted, there were two people riding on a horse. It¡¯s really embarrassing so I refused him the second time but then he made this terribly sad face and I just couldn¡¯t refuse anymore. Moreover at the beginning he took me straight back to the research institute, but recently we detour around the royal palace. We were probably sighted then. ¡°I think that was me.¡± ¡°As I thought, it was Sei, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I honestly confessed and Liz looked relived while smiling. I¡¯m a bit concerned about her expression so I ask. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°No, you just seem relieved so I wonder if it¡¯s no good if it¡¯s not me.¡± I said and she says with a beautiful countenance, ¡°I was worried¡±. I wonder if I shouldn¡¯t have retorted. When I tried to tell her that she didn¡¯t have to tell me if it was difficult to say, Liz sighs and confesses. ¡°When I heard the rumour, I was convinced it was Sei. But everyone at the academy kept saying that it was a different woman.¡± ¡°A different woman?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± According to Liz, it is speculated that the woman who was with the Captain was her classmate. Liz¡¯s classmate. That probably means a 15 year old girl, right? If I remember correctly the seniors at the Academy are supposed to be 15 years old. Eh, a 15 years old girl and the Captain¡­¡­ That reeks of crime. Are age differences okay in this world? ¡°I feel that your classmate and Hawk-sama are separated by a number of years. Is that the problem?¡± ¡°No, it is rare but it is not a problem.¡± I unexpectedly asked her since I was concerned but it seems that age differences were okay. If so, what the heck is the problem? When I brood over it, Liz speaks, hesitantly. ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the classmate.¡± ¡°Problem?¡± ¡°At the Academy, she is very intimate with men who have fianc¨¦es. It has become a bit of a problem.¡± Fianc¨¦e! It was an unfamiliar word so it totally slipped my mind. It would normally become problematic if there was a rumour about someone with a fianc¨¦e. Children of aristocrats that attend the Academy have prearrange marriages early on. You became an adult at 15 years old here and when you become an adult it seems that you can get married as well. If you think about it like that then it¡¯s not that early, is it? But there¡¯s something that is bothering me. ¡°Hey, does Hawk-sama have a fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°Hawk-sama? He shouldn¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°Oh. With the way the conversation was going, I was sure he had one.¡± ¡°If Hawk-sama had a fianc¨¦e then this would be problematic, even if it the other person is Sei.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Fufufu, I am sure that Hawk-sama can discern so there should not be any problems.¡± I was shocked for a moment thinking that the Captain also had a fianc¨¦e but I¡¯m relieved to hear that he doesn¡¯t. Even in this world, it¡¯s problematic if there¡¯s rumours about an engaged person. Firstly, even if the Captain doesn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e it would be troublesome for him to have rumours floating around about someone like me being his lover. Unlike me, the Captain has many people he can choose from. He simply escorts me back to the research institute out of kindness. It would be inexcusable if this snatched away his chance at love. For the Captain¡¯s sake I better deny it properly. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem or anything. In the first place Hawk-sama and I don¡¯t have that kind of relationship.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Anyway, let¡¯s back up a bit.¡± ¡°Yes, right. So at the Academy they were saying that she would go as far as to lay her hands on the Ice Knight-sama too.¡± ¡°Ice Knight-sama?¡± ¡°Ah, that is Hawk-sama.¡± The Captain seems to be called the Ice Knight-sama because he uses ice attribute magic and he¡¯s always expressionless. He doesn¡¯t let his emotions show. Expressionless? My impression of the Captain is that he¡¯s always smiling. ¡°Since Hawk-sama is also popular, various people have been saying things like, his followers have increased again.¡± ¡°So that means, at the Academy she only gets intimate with popular men, right?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± Liz lamented as she put a hand on her cheek and sigh. In short there¡¯s a misunderstanding stirring about that Liz¡¯s classmate at the Academy, who makes popular guys wait on her, also laid a hand on the Captain. But that¡¯s just something the girl said, I don¡¯t think it has anything to do with Liz. So why does she seem so gloomy? ¡°It sounds really gloomy. Listening to the story, it doesn¡¯t seem like Liz is involved in that classmate¡¯s problem. So is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Well the fianc¨¦es of the men around her told me to say something about it, so I am very troubled.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something they have to say themselves, not Liz, right?¡± ¡°They have already warned her but the situation still has not improved.¡± ¡°Well then even if Liz says something, isn¡¯t it impossible?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Seeing Liz looking down and gloomy, I want to help her somehow. However I¡¯ve never had luck with love so I can¡¯t think of any advice to give her. While I was thinking about what could be done, Liz speaks. ¡°A few days ago someone finally stopped coming to the Academy.¡± According to Liz, the fianc¨¦ of the young lady who stopped coming to the Academy was also one of the followers of the problematic classmate. Because of her age, the young lady had a lot of acne on her face and she seems to have been troubled by her appearance for a long time. She¡¯d tried many ways to improve her acne but nothing worked. She had acne all year around, so she couldn¡¯t enjoy being fashionable. She was plain compared to the other young ladies around her. It seems that one day the young lady heard her own fianc¨¦ compliment that classmate. Liz was also with her at that time so she remembered what the guy had said: the classmate¡¯s skin is smooth so he wanted to touch it, she always looks cute, etc. Well anyway, it seems that he complimented her appearance. They happen to pass by when only the guy was talking and accidently overheard. Then the young lady and Liz left before they were noticed. The young lady had never been complimented by her fianc¨¦ before. She was probably dissatisfied with her appearance because he never complimented her. She became anxious over it and is now bedridden. She was shocked by the incident and she was feeling sad over her acne not healing no matter how hard she tried. It became too much for her. ¡°I thought that she would cheer up if her acne was healed at least¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± I think a little about what Liz said. I can¡¯t advise her on things relating to love but I can give her advice on acne treatment. ¡°I can probably help you with acne treatment.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Liz suddenly smiles upon my words. I smile while nodding my head. For an hour, I explain about the acne treatment I heard of when I was in Japan, in detail. After parting with Liz, I return to the laboratory. After finishing work, I begin preparing to make cosmetics. Of course these cosmetic products are for the young lady who is suffering from acne. While I was preparing the ingredients Jude passes by. ¡°You¡¯re making cosmetic products again?¡± Jude seemed to have noticed that I wasn¡¯t making potions from the ingredients placed on the work desk. I nod in return to Jude¡¯s question. ¡°Yeah, someone requested it.¡± To successfully make the cosmetic product, I also checked with Liz about which cosmetic products and treatments the young lady had tried so far. Sure enough, the products use outrageous ingredients. Discussions about those dubious treatments being like sorcery also popped up. That was this world¡¯s standards and there maybe proper treatments but while she¡¯s trying my treatment, I made her promise not to use those cosmetic products and treatment. I don¡¯t know what it will affect. I told Liz important points like: face washing techniques, diet, sleeping time and so on. But just to be safe I decided to get her to use the products I make. I put the ingredients that would affect acne into a glass container, stir and concentrated magic power into it. While concentrating my magic power, I didn¡¯t forget to pray ¡ªgo away acne¡ª and ¡ªbecome pretty¡ª. I don¡¯t do this when making my own cosmetics but this time it¡¯s a gift. When I pray really hard, the glass container gently shimmers white. This has never happened before, it¡¯s strange but I couldn¡¯t find anything odd in the completed product. I take a little and spread it onto the back of my hand but I didn¡¯t feel any stimulus. Just to be sure I did a patch test and confirm that there are no problems. Should I pass it onto Liz? I thought and move onto making the next cosmetic product. Two weeks after giving the cosmetic products to Liz. Liz was excitingly waiting for me to come to the library. ¡°Sei! That cosmetic product is amazing!¡± Was the first thing she said. She restrained her voice because we were in the library but I walk closer to her since she couldn¡¯t suppress her excitement. Anyway, it seems that Liz went to see the young lady on the day I handed her the cosmetic products. Then she told her about the acne treatment she¡¯d heard from me, gave her the products and returned home. The young lady had already given up on treatment and she wasn¡¯t interested in it at first. But then it seems that she properly tried the treatment and products properly. The day after she tried it, the effects appeared and I heard that there was an uproar at her house. She came to the Academy a week after Liz passed her the products. Her before and after was so dramatic that the other young ladies also caused an uproar when they saw her. ¡°Then something troublesome happened again.¡± ¡°Something troublesome?¡± She said it was something troublesome but Liz looks calmer than before. I tilt my head and she told me the reason. I regretted it after listening to her. It was indeed something troublesome. ¡°There are many girls who want the cosmetic products that I gave to her.¡± The young lady whose acne had completely disappeared, leaving behind only smooth skin, ignited the beauty spiritsII) of the other young ladies. They found out it was Liz who gave it to her when they talked about where the cosmetics were obtained and then everyone rushed to Liz. Since the products were made by an individual, I heard that Liz hid who the supplier was. But they kept hounding her so it has become troublesome. ¡°Still I can¡¯t prepare that many.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Of course the amount is troublesome but it is also impossible for me to keep making cosmetics products to give out. I told Liz that I want some time to think and return to the laboratory. However I couldn¡¯t come up with a plan by myself. In times like this the best thing to do is consult with other people. Yes, I depend on the Director when I¡¯m in trouble. ¡°It is like that. So is there a good approach we can use?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so abrupt again.¡± The Director who is smiling bitterly while thinking of a plan, is such a good person, isn¡¯t he? Then as a result of thinking together, we decided to hand the cosmetic product recipes over to a shop that the Director is acquainted with and had them sell the products at the shop. The products made at the shop aren¡¯t the same as mine but it still seems to be effective. Liz told people that it was going to be sold at the shop. The young ladies who knew about the result of my cosmetic products told their families and the products were so popular that it sold out on the first day of sale. Of course the Director signed a contract stating that a percentage of the process will go to the research institute. So it goes without saying that the research institute¡¯s budget was abundantIII) once again. Volume 1 - CH 5.1 Six months have passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I knock on the director¡¯s office door and wait for a reply before entering. I placed the tea set, plated sandwiches and sweets on the serving cart. The Director and Captain were sitting on the lounge suite sofas, waiting for me. ¡°It looks delicious.¡± The Director and Captain laugh happily when they look at the dishes arranged on the table. Today is my day off but when I heard that the Captain had business with the Director and came to the Medicinal Herb Research Institute, I decided to prepare some finger food. The image is afternoon tea. The research institute didn¡¯t have any tiered trays so it was served on an ordinary dish. However when there is a tea party at the royal palace, it seems that the sweets are plated on a standing bowl. The source of this information is Liz. I pour tea into the tea cups and place it in front of the Director and Captain. Last, I hold onto the tea cup I prepared for myself and sat next to the Director. I have a feeling that the Captain slightly lowered his eyebrows but I ignore it. Sitting next to the Captain is too nerve wracking, yup. ¡°I¡¯m sorry even though it¡¯s your day off.¡± ¡°No it is not a problem, I did it because I wanted to.¡± The Captain apologised but I wished he didn¡¯t care so much about it. Even though it¡¯s my day off, I do the same things that I usually do. Besides the Captain brought some sweets with him today so I¡¯m happy that I can have a tea party like this. Even so this sweet is very beautiful and colourful. I think these sweets are made from fruits. Because it¡¯s covered in sugar, it¡¯s really sweet. But since coming here, I¡¯ve hardly had any sweets so I was kind of looking forward to it. The Director and Captain have already finished their business so right now the three of us are talking about various things. ¡°But you work really well.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Even on your days off you never go out. You¡¯re always doing something at the research institute, right?¡± ¡°Because I live here. I also want to do housework on my days off.¡± It¡¯s no different from when I did housework on my days off in Japan. There are a lot of things I need to do on my days off like laundry and tidying up my room. Even so I finish everything in the morning. Laundry the most time-consuming thing is usually done by servants. Most of the researchers living here are aristocrats and it seems that there are a lot of people who don¡¯t know how to do their own laundry. So servants are hired to do housework such as laundry and cleaning. I don¡¯t like it when other people enter my room while I¡¯m not there so I clean it myself. Most people seem to have other people do their cleaning for them. Well, if they didn¡¯t then it¡¯ll be like SyvashI), surely. ¡°Other than housework, you also research or go to the library, right? Isn¡¯t that the same as working?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t work as much as I did in Japan.¡± Both the Director and the Captain have a proper position within the royal palace so they know that I was summoned by the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. They¡¯re probably worried about me so they don¡¯t ask about Japan much but I do speak about it from time to time. Therefore they know that the country that I¡¯m from is called ¡¾Japan¡¿. ¡°Before I worked every day from three bells in the morning until the midnight bell.¡± ¡°Hah?¡± The Director raised a rare voice in confusion and his eyes bulge open. The Captain didn¡¯t say anything but he stopped moving the teacup that he was holding to his mouth and stared at me wide-eyed. It was inevitable. Three bells in the morning is 9 am and the midnight bell is the bell that indicates that it is midnight. If I add the time I take to get ready and commute, I wake up at 6 am every morning and sleep at 2 am. Although I have two days off on the weekends, I went to work every Saturday¡­¡­ I wanted to do housework on Sunday but since I had physical health problems all I did was rest. People in this world basically live when the sun sets and rises. I think it varies between occupations but the working hours of the research institute are also based on that. Since coming here I¡¯ve been working from 7 am until 5 pm every day. Moreover the people from the research institute and 3rd Knight Order sometimes casually drink tea. No one got angry when they drink tea. Other people may be different but I feel that my lifestyle here is a lot looser than when I was in Japan. If you look at the basics of my loose lifestyle then no matter how you look at it I overworked before. ¡°That¡­¡­ Did you attend evening parties at work¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No. I was a commoner.¡± Yes, like the Director and Captain, there are also jobs where aristocrats attend evening parties. Those parties may have been held in Japan but I was in no position to attend such celebrity gatherings. ¡°That kind of commoner is as busy as our Prime Minister.¡± ¡°Everyone around me was like that?¡± ¡°The civil officials are like that.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Ah ~, that¡¯s right.¡± Even here, the civil officials working at the royal palace seem to be very busy. However most of the civil officials are aristocrats, not commoners. ¡°Huh, what is it?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve became more beautiful compared to the time you arrived here.¡± ¡°Hah? What are you saying so suddenly?¡± ¡°When you first came here I thought that you looked like the guys from Interior when they¡¯re busy.¡± The Director placed his hands on my cheeks while saying, ¡°Your eye bags have completely disappeared¡±, and stroke his thumb under my eyes. No one other than my family has ever touched me like this and my heart was thumping in my chest. Perhaps, my face is also red. And the Director amused himself with my reactions. The Director¡¯s facial expression doesn¡¯t change while he¡¯s looking at me but his eyes are mixed with joy, so I¡¯m sure of it. He seems to have noticed that I¡¯m not accustomed to such skin ship so he¡¯s been messing with me like this recently. Ah ~, enough. I want to escape from the Director¡¯s hands but it is hard to move from the sofa I¡¯m sitting on, so I couldn¡¯t distance myself. While I was cursing in my mind I heard someone clearing their throat in front of me. When I glance up, the Captain is glaring at the Director in displeasure. The Director also noticed him clearing his throating and glaring at him so he released his hands from my face. ¡°What?! Do you also want to touch it too, Al?¡± ¡°No!¡± It seems that the Director¡¯s target has changed to the Captain. Anyway I drink my tea and sighed in relief. ??????? It¡¯s hot. It is the peak of summer. This place is the mainland so it¡¯s not as humid as Japan. But, hot weather is hot. Moreover there¡¯s no wind today. If I was allowed, I would like to be in shorts and a camisole. Of course with bare feet. If I were to dress like that here, the guys at the research institute will have nosebleeds and pass out. Even though it¡¯s summer, I¡¯m wearing a long-sleeved shirt and an ankle-length skirt. Camisoles and short pants have less cloth than general underwear here. Still at this rate I would probably collapse due to heat stroke. Although my sleeves are rolled up, it¡¯s still hot. I¡¯m writing a document to submit to the Director but my brush has stopped moving for a while now because of the hot weather. Let¡¯s give up enduring this heat. ¡°Hey, Jude.¡± ¡°What?¡± I move to where Jude was sitting and he also seemed to be annoyed by the heat. There¡¯s openings on the sleeves of his shirt. What the, that¡¯s unfair. I also want to open up my sleeves. If it¡¯s like this then let¡¯s make him work. ¡°I have a little favour to ask you. Can you come with me?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I said and bring Jude to the kitchen. The chef isn¡¯t there when we enter the kitchen since it was already past noon. While looking around I found a bucket used for cleaning on the shelf near the wall. I take the bucket, put it on the floor and turn to face Jude, who was standing behind me. Jude can use water attribute magic. I have a feeling that he told me he could fill a tub full of water with his magic. ¡°Can you fill this bucket with cold water?¡± ¡°I can. But what on earth are you trying to start?¡± ¡°I thought that it¡¯d be refreshing if I fill the bucket with water and put my feet in.¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to say it¡¯s improper, right? It¡¯s okay, nobody¡¯s here.¡± It seems that it isn¡¯t good for woman to show their bare feet to the opposite sex in this world. When I went to the library recently it was hot so I was fanning myself with my skirt and Liz got angry when she saw it. Despite Liz being the same sex as me. When I said that she replied with, ¡°What if someone saw you?¡± She had a nice smile on while she was angry. That was scary. Because there is such values here, Jude hesitates and his face is unusually red. ¡°If Jude also had a bucket you can soak your feet. It feels good, you know?¡± I propose the same thing to the reluctant Jude. It is the whisper of the devil. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry so much. No one comes to the kitchen at this time and it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be soaking my feet for that long. Please!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡£Fine¡­¡­ If you insist. Be careful not to get found out.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Although Jude is reluctant he fills the bucket with water and left the kitchen. He cheekily took a different bucket with him when he left so it seems that he¡¯s going to do the same thing in a different place. Even if he said that, everyone¡¯s the same in hot weather. The kitchen floor is dirt so even if the water spills it¡¯s okay. I put the bucket in front of the chair and sit down on the chair. I raise my skirt up to my knees so that it doesn¡¯t get wet. I took off my shoes and socks and put my feet into the bucket. The cool, cold water covered my feet. Ah ~, as I thought it feels good. Anyhow, no one¡¯s here so I unbutton two buttons from my shirt, opened it and fan myself. There¡¯s no wind but it¡¯s cool when I fan myself. I spent awhile doing this and at the time when the water in the bucket became lukewarm. The doorknob turned with a clink and the door behind me opened. ¡°Sei, here¡­¡­¡± I heard a voice and turn back. The Captain was there. He looked my way, stopped in the middle of his sentence and froze. Ah ~, yup. My appearance is overstimulating, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s very awkward. For the time being I fasten my buttons, pulled my feet out of the bucket, put my shoes on and stand up. ¡°Hello Hawk-sama. What can I do for you?¡± And as if nothing had happened, I called out to the Captain. The Captain, who is frozen, covered his mouth with his palm and averted his eyes. As usual he blushed. ¡°Sorry.¡± He said in a small voice. Please don¡¯t be shy. Please pretend it didn¡¯t happen. I think as I clear my throat. The Captain started speaking awkwardly. ¡°I heard that you have a day off tomorrow.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, yes I do.¡± When he said that I remember that tomorrow¡¯s my day off. But what¡¯s wrong with that? I think and tilt my head. The Captain turns back to face me. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s also my day off so I was wondering if you¡¯d like to go to town together.¡± ¡°To town!?¡± Oh! I can finally go to town!!! I haven¡¯t been to town yet. When I replied joyfully the Captain recovered and smiled. ¡°Johan was worried that you were secluding yourself in the research institute and working on your days off. It is also important to take a breather once in a while, right?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Johan is the Director. It seems that the Director was worried about me. I certainly didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go and because I live in the research institute, I¡¯m also here on my days off so I end up working. But I do spend my mornings leisurely. ¡°Thank you. Please let me join you.¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll pick you up here tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Is that alright?¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem.¡± Yay ~! What kind of place is it? Of course it¡¯ll be like a European townscape, right? I wanted to go to Europe at least once but I didn¡¯t end up going because I was summoned to this place. Like that, there was a time when I was pleased¡­¡­ I was looking forward to going into town that I completely forgot. The person who is going with me is the Ice Knight-sama, who isn¡¯t cold at all. There was a short distance between the royal palace and the town centre so we rode a carriage from the front gate. It wasn¡¯t a luxurious carriage from the Margrave but a normal carriage, it seems that the Captain made arrangements so that it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable. The clothes that the Captain wore also matched with mine. They were clothes that commoners wore around town. I think that the Margrave carriage is better than this one. Because, you know, the normal carriage isn¡¯t spacious. I¡¯m in this cramped carriage with the Captain, who has a good physique. Just the two of us. It¡¯s close! Too close! Right beside me is a sparkling hunk! Moreover, we¡¯re sitting relatively close¡­¡­ A trip in a narrow space while sitting relative close to a hunk¡­¡­ My level¡¯s too low. I can¡¯t do it! Stop it! My life is already zero! ¡°Look! If you look over there you can see Johan¡¯s main residence.¡± ¡°Eh ~.¡± I was screaming inside when the Captain smiled and pointed towards the other side of me. Don¡¯t get any closer! Close. Too close!!! I couldn¡¯t look at the Captain so I look towards where he was pointing and there was a magnificent residence. Since it was the capital the price of the land must be expensive, right? And yet the Director¡¯s house was very big. Is his family rich? ¡°It¡¯s very big.¡± ¡°Yeah. Johan¡¯s family is really influential.¡± I thought that was the case and turned my head back. I really thought my heart was going to stop because the Captain¡¯s face is so close. I was thankful that he moved when he noticed that blood was rushing to my face. But the inside of the carriage was really narrow. Despite it being really taxing on my heart, the carriage carried on and gradually reached the town. ¡°Wow ~~~!¡± It¡¯s amazing! What¡¯s this, it¡¯s so cute! The landscape looks exactly like Europe! The rooftops are red. It looked like something that popped out of fairy-tale. While I was impressed by the townscape the carriage stopped and the door was open. The Captain got off first and lend me a hand. I take his hand and got off. Looking around this seems to be close to the centre of town. There are quite a few people. While I was looking around impressed the Captain said, ¡°The market place is that way, shall we go and see?¡± and took my hand. Eh? Is he not going to let go of my hand?! Wait! No ~~~~~~~~! Volume 1 - CH 5.2 Translator: ¥Î¥ó¤Ö¤êyuu Unedited Feel free to point out any of my mistakes or awkward sentences ^^ Enjoy ~ ??????? ¡°Wow ~~~!¡± I cheerfully shouted at the scene spread out in front of me. There are various multi-coloured vegetables, fruits, meat and fish being sold at the marketplace. There is also a shop that looked like it specialised in mushrooms. Besides ingredients, there are also shops and stalls selling bread. The smell drifting about the place made my stomach grumble. Although there is an abundance of ingredients, their cooking is like that. Things I¡¯ve never seen before are also being sold so it¡¯s interesting. There are also various breads in the bakery and although there was only a small amount they also had white bread. The white bread is small and the price is higher than all the other breads, so is it treated as a luxury good? The market was also called the capital¡¯s kitchen. It was vibrant and crowded with people. The road between the shops was big enough to fit eight people lining up but it was filled with people and it was difficult to walk through. I walk through the road and I¡¯m drawn to the interesting items on the shop displays so I look at them. It seems that I was going to collide with the person walking in front of me. ¡°Thank you.¡± When I smile and thank the Captain who was next to me, he sweetly smiles at me. Even after we arrived at the market, he held my hand as we walked. The market is crowded so I could get lost while looking at the stores. Well, I want to escape from reality in various ways. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that inattentive but if I stagger than I feel like I¡¯ll bump into the person walking in front of me. So he casually released his hand and bring my shoulders closer to him instead¡­¡­ Fufufufufu¡­¡­ What kind of torture is this? I wonder if God is testing the power of my heart? After we avoid all the people will he possibly hold my hands again? Yeah, I¡¯m scared of getting used to it. This went on several times. I may not be red anymore and my face is probably twitching but I grew! I was able to thank him with a smile! I think I tried really hard. Shouldn¡¯t I be concentrating on the shops? If I don¡¯t concentrate on the shops then I¡¯ll concentrate on other things! ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I am okay.¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s still a bit early for lunch but we left early in the morning so I¡¯m a bit hungry. We walked for quite a bit so my feet is also a little tired. The Captain seems to be fine but it¡¯s hard for a shut-in like me. There are food stalls at the market but the Captain is an aristocrat so I¡¯m a little worried. He won¡¯t eat something brought at a food stall, right? Does he feel like entering a nearby coffee shop? ¡°I am a little bit hungry.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t we take a break and buy something from the food stall?¡± Huh? The Captain is an aristocrat, right? I¡¯m happy but is it alright for him to eat something from the food stall? The Captain took me to the place where the wooden boxes were kept near the food stalls. The Captain asks me what I want to eat and when I reply, he left me to go buy food. Isn¡¯t he accustomed to this? After waiting for a while the Captain returns with several skewers and two fruit waters in a cup. After I receive the skewers and fruit water one by one, the Captain sat down next to me. ¡°It seems like you are used to buying things from food stalls.¡± ¡°Because I used to come here with Johan a long time ago.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± To my surprise the Director and Captain came to the markets when they were young. Even the aristocrats of this kingdom come to the markets? When I ask about it in detail, he told me that they came to the market dressed as young rich merchants. I see. ¡°Ah, come to think of it how much was the food?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Eh, but¡­¡­ Thank you for the meal.¡± I feel sorry about something and my words got quieter. He¡¯s laughing like he¡¯s troubled. Well it¡¯ll be fine if I return the favour next time. The skewers were only seasoned with salt but the salt was good so it was delicious. There was a good portion of skewers and I ate the whole thing. I took a sip of the fruit water, it had a gentle fruity smell to it. I was a bit thirsty so it was also delicious. It would be really good cold but ice is a luxury item here. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I stared at the fruit water while thinking that and the Captain made a dubious face. ¡°No, it is nothing.¡± ¡°Really? Does it not suit your taste¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No. I just thought that it would taste better if it was colder.¡± ¡°Fumu.¡± The Captain said and took my fruit water. I watched the cup while thinking about what was happening. The fruit water in the Captain¡¯s started emitting cold air. Huh? What¡¯d he do? He presented the fruit water to me and I took it. There¡¯s ice in the cup. I was surprised. The Captain urged me to drink it with his eyes. I took a sip and as I thought, it¡¯s more delicious cold. I smile in satisfaction and the Captain also smiles. ¡°It is delicious.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Magic.¡± ¡°!!¡± This are no refrigerators in this world, ice could only be left in the ice room in winter or made with magic. There aren¡¯t many people who can produce ice with magic so ice is very precious. I heard that it could be made with ice attribute magic, which was superior to water attribute magic, but I didn¡¯t think that the Captain could use ice magic. I never thought that I could see it being used right before my eyes. ¡°It is very delicious. Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that it pleased you.¡± The cold fruit water is very delicious and I quickly drink all of it. I finish drinking it and say my thanks to the Captain, he laughs. Like this, he didn¡¯t look like someone who would be called the emotionless Ice Knight-sama. He¡¯s always laughing and somewhat sparkly. No, sparkling has nothing to do with this. He¡¯s not wearing his Knight uniform today. He¡¯s wearing normal clothes but his aura is showing so he doesn¡¯t look like a commoner. When I saw him this morning I thought he looked like a commoner but now that I¡¯ve mingled with real commoners, I can see the difference. Is it because they grew up differently? The appearance of the fruit water that I drank was also beautiful. If he dressed as a young rich merchant then he might be able to deceive people but if he dressed up like a commoner then there was no way he could deceive them. He slants his eye when I carelessly stare at him. I shake my head in a panic and say it was nothing before averting my eyes. Please don¡¯t look at me with such gentle eyes. I really want to run away. After we finished eating, we left the market and walked along the street while looking at the shops. There are mainly good quality items lined up inside the shops, they were expensive. I was a little hesitant to enter. That¡¯s why I only looked at the shops but the Captain stopped in front of a certain shop. ¡°Sorry but could we go in here for a bit?¡± ¡°I do not mind.¡± We¡¯ve only been looking at the things that I¡¯ve wanted to look at today so I didn¡¯t mind. Commoners could also enter the shop that the Captain stepped into but it was a somewhat luxurious accessory shop. The inside of the shop was decorated with various accessories for both men and woman. The Captain went into the back alone and I walk around and look at the items for sale. There were hair clips and hair strings lined up near me. The hair strings stored in the boxes have a beautiful nine colour gradation. I was so busy with work before that I didn¡¯t have the time to cut my hair. Even when I was summoned here, I just let my hair grow out and it¡¯s so long now that it¡¯s half-way down my back. It¡¯s a little expensive but I want to tie my hair up in this heat. I wonder if I should buy this hair string before going home? While I was browsing around, I found a hair clip that I really like. It¡¯s an elegant piece made out of silver metal, there were blue gems inlayed in some of the fretwork. The hair clip looks delicate and is very beautiful but it¡¯s also very expensive so I¡¯m a little hesitant to buy it. If there weren¡¯t any gems then it would probably be cheaper. While I¡¯m browsing around the Captain returns. ¡°Sorry for making you wait. Did you find anything you like?¡± ¡°No, I did not.¡± I liked the hair clip but it¡¯s a bit over my budget and it¡¯s also bad to make the Captain wait so I¡¯ll give up on it this time and search for it again next time. ¡°Then shall we go?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I follow behind the Captain when he left the store. I came out a little late and the Captain held my hands again like it was the natural thing to do. One way or another, I was able to slowly explore so I had a good time. We find the carriage and return to the royal palace. It¡¯s been awhile since I¡¯ve walked around and I¡¯m mentally exhausted. The carriage was swaying and before I knew it, I feel asleep. I could hear someone calling me so I slowly open my eyes. The carriage had stopped. I faintly look up at the Captain and smile softly. ¡°Have we arrived?¡± ¡°Ah. You seemed tired. You slept really well.¡± No way, did I use the Captain as a pillow? I stare at the Captain and his smile grew wider. Ah, I did it right? I used him as a pillow. I can tell he saw my sleeping face. I feel like I can¡¯t escape from this. I cast my eyes down as I blush and then I heard a puffing sound. Wooow, I think I received the most damage today. I groan and glance sideways, the Captain got out of the carriage first, just like this morning. I couldn¡¯t stay in the carriage forever and when I got ready to get off, the Captain lend me his hand. We walk towards the research institute and talk about the market and my impressions of the shops. Various things happened but today was fun. When we arrive at the research institute, I turn to the Captain and bow. ¡°Thank you for taking me out today.¡± ¡°No, it was fun.¡± He¡¯s called the Ice Knight-sama but today the Captain was in a really good mood. He¡¯s always smiling. Of course today as well. I feel like I dragged him around quite a bit but not once did he complain. He¡¯s such a nice person. ¡°It was also very fun for me. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Ah Sei, here you go.¡± When I try to return to my room the Captain stopped me and gave me a big box. What is it? I couldn¡¯t tell what it was just by looking so for the time being, I receive it with both hands. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Please use it. Wait until you get to your room before opening it. Bye.¡± ¡°Eh? Wait a minute. Hawk-sama!¡± He ignored me when I tried to stop him and left. It¡¯s probably better if I ran after him but I¡¯m tired from today. I don¡¯t have the energy. It can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll open it when I get back to my room. If there¡¯s something wrong with it then I¡¯ll return it to him tomorrow. I soothe my feelings, return to my room and open the box. Inside was the fretwork hair clip that I liked from the shop. ??????? ¡°How was yesterday?¡± The first thing the Director said to me when I entered the room were those words. He has a teasing smile on his handsome face. ¡°It was fun.¡± He bluntly reply with, ¡°That¡¯s good¡±. He looks like he wants to ask something but I ignore him and place the documents from the researchers onto his desk. ¡°These are the reports from the researchers.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I quickly turn my back from the Director and just like I¡¯d thought, he calls out to me. ¡°Where¡¯d you go?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°So yesterday?¡± What do you mean, ¡°So¡±? I turn around to face the Director and I knew it! He has that teasing smile on his face. It wasn¡¯t something for me to be troubled over but it annoys me how he¡¯s amusing himself. That¡¯s why I also grin. ¡°Are you my father, Director?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that?¡± ¡°Well, you asked me where I went on my day off. It¡¯s similar to a father worrying over his daughter.¡± ¡°Hey, hey. I don¡¯t have a daughter.¡± The Director also knew that I was teasing him, right? He¡¯s smiling bitterly. ¡°I went into town. That is all.¡± ¡°Hoh.¡± ¡°Oh right I heard something about you, Director. You use to be very naughty, right?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. What¡¯d you hear?¡± ¡°I wonder?¡± I only heard what the Captain told me while we were eating at the stalls but I said it in a way that could be misinterpreted on purpose. Since he asked with a twitching smile, it seems that he¡¯s guilty of many things. It was interesting a while ago but now I¡¯m irritated. ¡°We went to the market, ate at a stall and then looked at various shops lined up along the streets. We returned when it got dark.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s really robustI).¡± Robust? I only went into town, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s robust about that. I thought and the Director dropped a bomb. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad you had fun on your date.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ Date? I was flabbergasted with the bomb he dropped. The Director had a dubious look on his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Date?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I just went into town.¡± ¡°You went into town with Al, just the two of you. You ate lunch and looked at stores, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a date?¡± I gape while looking at the Director and then he delivers the final blow. ¡°When a man and a woman go out together, it¡¯s called a date.¡± I want him to wait for a bit. Date? No, no, did date mean something like that? I think back upon it. Other than my father, I don¡¯t ever recall going out with a man on my day off. Eh? What? Was yesterday my first date? When I realise that, my face gets hot. ¡°No, I was only accompanying Hawk-sama into town, you know?¡± ¡°Accompanying¡­¡­ Al invited you to go out and you left just the two of you, right?¡± ¡°Yes but Hawk-sama only invited me because he had spare time, right?¡± ¡°Well even if he was free, he wouldn¡¯t invite a woman he didn¡¯t like to go out.¡± ¡°Eh?!¡± ¡°Is that really surprising?¡± ¡°Because he likes me¡­ He likes me¡­¡± My words gradually thinned and I look down. Because isn¡¯t that so? It¡¯s impossible for the Captain to like such an unpopular woman like me. Well I don¡¯t think I dislike the idea but¡­¡­ Heaps of thoughts run through my mind as I look at my feet and the Director calls in a quiet voice, ¡°Sei¡±. ¡°Was Al cold to you?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ He properly escorted me when I got off the carriage¡­¡­ But is that not something aristocrats here do?¡± ¡°Well, it is.¡± ¡°I thought so. He held my hand while we were walking and treated me to lunch.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°When we returned he gave me a present.¡± ¡°Present?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I take the box out of my skirt pocket and pass it to the Director. Inside is the hair clip I received yesterday. When I look at the hair clip I received from the Captain again, the gems embedded in it are different from the ones at the shop. It was light blue. The blue-grey colour matched the Captain¡¯s eye colour so now I¡¯m a bit hesitant to return it. I could buy the clips at the shop if I save up since it was only that expensive but I wonder if it¡¯s okay for me to receive something this expensive. In the end I put the box into my skirt pocket, worrying about whether or not I should return it or not. The Director picks it up, opens the box and looks inside before returning the box to me. ¡°Sei, it¡¯s common for aristocrats to escort woman while they¡¯re getting off the carriage or while walking.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But Al never gives them accessories as souvenirs.¡± He stopped laughing in a teasing manner a while ago. The Director said that in a serious tone. From his attitude I knew that the Captain didn¡¯t just casually give me this hair clip. I look at the box in my hand again and my face heats up. ¡°Is it really okay for me to receive something so expensive?¡± ¡°Just take it if you don¡¯t mind.¡± I grumble and the Director quietly smiled and returned it. I didn¡¯t say anything, I just moved my neck and nodded. ??????? ¡°How do you do, Sei?¡± The next day I went to the library to return the book I¡¯d borrowed. I met Liz in front of the door. She also seemed to have just arrived. It was rare for me to meet her in the corridor. We never arrange to meet. I come to the library for work so the times I come also vary. That¡¯s why even if I go to the library, I¡¯m not always able to meet up with Liz. ¡°Oh? You changed your hairstyle today.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s hot so I decided to do it up.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s a nice hair clip you have.¡± ¡°Th-thanks.¡± The door squeaks open and I let Liz go in first. Liz immediately went to find the book she was looking for. As for me, I hand the book I¡¯d brought with me to the librarian and look for another book to borrow. As expected as soon as we met again, Liz pointed out that I¡¯d changed my hairstyle. Liz is really fashion-conscious, she¡¯d noticed that I had my hair up just by glancing at me. The hair clip was something I received from the Captain and it was somewhat embarrassing so I mumbled. ¡°Hey Sei. That hair clip is really pretty. Would you mind letting me have a closer look at it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind but¡­¡­¡± She called out from behind me when I was standing in front of the medicinal herb books. When I turn around, Liz has a beautiful smile on her face. I don¡¯t mind showing her but it¡¯s a bit troublesome to do my hair up again after I¡¯ve unfastened it. But I don¡¯t mind showing her it if I don¡¯t have to unfasten it so I answered. I couldn¡¯t show her if I stand here so we move to where the desks were. I sat down on a chair and Liz stands behind me. Although she doesn¡¯t touch it, she seems to be looking at it very closely. ¡°This is good workmanship.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°The embedded gems are really nice.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­ Hey, who gave it to you?¡± ¡°Eh? Why?¡± ¡°Well, it seems a bit expensive for everyday use. That¡¯s why I thought someone must have given it to you. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Did Hawk-sama give it to you?¡± ¡°H-how do you know!?¡± ¡°How¡­¡­? I think it is pretty easy to tell.¡± She was right about the Captain giving it to me. I was surprised and turned back, Liz looked shocked. Eh, what¡¯s with that? Easy to tell? When I ask her about it, Liz sighs, stands in front of me and lifts her index finger up. ¡°First, rumour has it that Hawk-sama has someone on his mind.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°I think that person is you.¡± Seriously? I haven¡¯t heard this rumour, you know? And what¡¯s with ¡°that¡±, huh? Liz lifts her middle finger up. ¡°Second, the gems on your hair clip matches Hawk-sama¡¯s eye colour.¡± ¡°You looked at it really closely, huh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, the gems give the hair clip a nice finish.¡± ¡°No, not that I meant at Hawk-sama¡¯s eye colour.¡± ¡°Hawk-sama¡¯s eye colour is the Margrave family¡¯s special trait so it is well known.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I thought it was you because of those two things.¡± ¡°Still can people make a connection so quickly just because the gems match the colour of Hawk-sama¡¯s eyes?¡± ¡°Yes, that is right. It is well known that Hawk-sama favours Sei.¡± ¡°Well known?!¡± ¡°Besides it is common in this kingdom for men to give his colour to the girl he likes.¡± ¡°His colour?¡± ¡°For example, his hair colour or his eye colour. It seems that men generally give gifts that match the colour of their eyes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I didn¡¯t know this. So that means, the Captain likes¡­¡­ No, no. Wait, wait. It¡¯s impossible for me to think further than that! What should I do? Was is really okay for me to receive this? Director, you definitely knew this, right? Why didn¡¯t you tell me!? I hold my head in my arms while sitting and then I hear Liz giggling. ¡°Sei, you¡¯ve become so red.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­ I¡¯m not used to this kind of thing!¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Ah, I can¡¯t believe Liz is lecturing me on love when she¡¯s about 10 years younger than me! Liz watches me warmly when I lift my face. I¡¯m overwhelmed with a feeling that I couldn¡¯t bear with. Ah, seriously I couldn¡¯t bear with it! Volume 1 - CH 6 ¡°Magic bestowal?¡± ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t notice?¡± It began with a single word from Jude early one afternoon. Apparently my hair ornament was bestowed with magic. It was only natural. I¡¯ve never seen things that have been bestowed with magic in Japan, so naturally I didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Can you tell what kind of effect was attached?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know but I can tell that magic was bestowed to it. It¡¯s reacting to Sei¡¯s magic power.¡± ¡°Reacting? You can tell that kind of thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, it takes some practice.¡± ¡°Really?¡± When I ask Jude in detail he told me that you couldn¡¯t find out what magic had been bestowed without using a magic called ¡ºAppraisal¡». There were very few people who could use appraisal magic. There was a big firm in town with some people who could and even within the Court Mage Division there were only a few people who could use it. By the way if the level of appraisal magic was high enough, it seems that it could be used on people as well. However, if the person who casts it doesn¡¯t have the consent of the person they are casting it on, it could repel. It would almost always repel if the person it was casted on was high levelled. And now, magic bestowal. Magic can be bestowed on things like weapons, armour, accessories, etc. The core of things like gems are used as a premise for magic bestowal. The magic is embedded into the core and it becomes a magic bestowed tool. Of course it¡¯s okay to insert the magic embedded core into tools. The effects of the magic bestowed tool manifest themselves by reacting to the magic of the person in possession of it. There aren¡¯t many people who could use magic but magic power itself vary greatly and everyone seems to have it. Therefore those who have trained their magic perception can sense when something has been bestowed with magic. When Jude was at the Royal Academy he trained his magic perception. It seems his training is still essential when helping out with his family business. He¡¯s so diligent. ¡°It sounds interesting, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What does?¡± ¡°Magic bestowal.¡± ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t tell me you want to try it out?¡± ¡°Ara, you understand me well.¡± Jude looked subtly disgusted so I smile sweetly at him. What¡¯s with that face? I couldn¡¯t bestow magic in Japan so it shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that I want to try it. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to bestow an item with magic.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°First of all, the cores are expensive.¡± There are various core materials like gems and rare crystals so it seems that even though they¡¯re small they¡¯re quite expensive. Also since magic is needed to bestow an item with magic, there are only a limited amount of people who can do it. Therefore there was a huge difference in price between items with that have been bestowed with magic and items that haven¡¯t. Yes, there was a huge difference. And this hair ornament was bestowed with magic. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡£ ¡°Why¡¯re you making a racket?¡± The Director spoke to me as he was walking passed when I was thinking about the price of my hair ornament. ¡°We are talking about magic bestowal.¡± ¡°Magic bestowal?¡± ¡°I heard that this hair ornament was bestowed with magic, so I was a little interested in magic bestowal.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Director, this is nonchalant, but did you noticed that the hair ornament was bestowed with magic? Because your eyes shook when I said, ¡°Hair ornament¡±. Neither the Director nor Liz told me how much it was but I wonder if this is one of those things that aren¡¯t expensive to aristocrats. I don¡¯t know if the items at the store front were bestowed with magic but since there¡¯s a huge difference in price they probably weren¡¯t, huh? If I think like that then I dreaded the price of my hair ornament. How do I return his gratitude¡­¡­? When I was about to hold onto my head again, the Director came up with an unexpected proposal. ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Magic bestowal. You¡¯re interested, right?¡± Jude and I were flabbergasted at the Director¡¯s proposal. Eh? Is it that easy to do? I look at Jude who was next to me, he was shaking his head side to side as if he knew my intentions. ¡°I have connections. What do you want to do?¡± ¡°I will do it.¡± It was a great proposal so I went with it. I am interested in it. The place that the Director took me to is the Court Mage Division¡¯s barracks. Err, we¡¯re bestowing magic right? Ah, is it because it¡¯s magic? Since this is the Mage Division, there are a lot of people wearing robes everywhere. The Director and I am a bit out of place. Now that I think about it that robe¡­ The people who summoned me here were also wearing those robes, right? I wonder if they participated in the ceremony? The Court Mage Division¡¯s barracks is quite far from the research institute, so the Director and I rode a carriage here. It was further than the 3rd Knight Order¡¯s barracks so it would be difficult to walk here. Because of the Director¡¯s order, Jude is house-sitting. He said he preferred to work, but was it okay for me to come? The norm of this world is a mystery. ¡°Sei, it¡¯s this way.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I stand at the entrance of the room and look at the Director, who had entered ahead, he beckons at me. The room I am in has a workbench like the one at the research institute. The Director stands in the middle of the room, in front of the workbench. Standing on the other side of the Director at the workbench is a robe wearing man who looks like a Mage. When I bow and say, ¡°I look forward to working with you¡± to the nervous looking Mage, he also bows in a rush. Huh? Is he afraid of something? ¡°Well then, I will explain about bestowal.¡± The Mage smiles a little stiffly and began explaining about bestowal. Why is he stiff? Well, it¡¯s not like I can do anything about it even if I worry. On top of the workbench on the side was a divider box. It seems that there are a variety of small gems and crystals in the box. In order to bestowal magic, you have to hold the small core in your hands, think of the effect you want to give and expose it to your magic power. The magic bestowed depended on the attribute of the person doing the bestowal. For example, if it was someone who used fire attribute magic then it would be bestowed with fire magic; if it was someone who used water attribute magic then it would be bestowed with water magic. For items which raised offensive and defensive power, commonly referred to as support magic, it was necessary to use holy attribute magic. There also seems to be compatible materials for the kind of affects you want to bestow. The Mage told me, ¡°If you use support magic then the gems here are recommended¡±. ¡°What kind of effects will you bestow?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­¡± What should I do? Support magic, support magic¡­¡­ ¡°It is possible to bestow unattributed magic?¡± ¡°Unattributed magic¡­¡­?¡± I think about it and suddenly remember about the Salamander that appeared in the West Forest. It looked like a lizard that blew out fire. I thought it would be impossible to defend against that fire. After the Mage thinks for a while he said, ¡°It might not be possible to do unattributed magic, but I think you can reduce the magic attribute.¡± I see. Then let¡¯s think of a way to reduce the magic attribute. ¡°Well, I will do that.¡± ¡°Then you probably want the gems around here.¡± I receive the core material from the Mage and cover it with both my hands. Even if I said I covered it, the material itself is only about 3mm in diameter so when I join my hands together you can¡¯t see it at all. I imagine the effect I want to bestow and expose my magic to it. If I¡¯m going to do this without fire attribute magic, I wonder if reducing the magic attribute is enough. If I do that, could I raise magic resistance? Yep, I think I can do it. I image it and expose it to my magic power. *Crack* ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ I, it broke?! Yup, it¡¯s broken. It¡¯s broken. The impact runs through my palm and I timidly peak inside. It was just as I had felt, the material had broken in two. While I was worrying about what to do the Mage asks me, ¡°What is wrong?¡± ¡°Mhmmm, it seems that it has broken.¡± It couldn¡¯t be helped even if I keep silent, so I timidly told him the truth and show him the broken material. He has a surprise look on his face while exclaiming, ¡°Eh!?¡± The Mages all simultaneously look this way when they heard his exclamation. Eh, what¡¯s with that, it¡¯s scary. Don¡¯t look over here. The Mages and the Director stiffen. The Mage looks at my palm and mutter in surprise, ¡°It is broken¡±. And while still muttering, the Mage also stiffen. No, anyone¡¯s fine, so someone do something. ¡°Did you try to reduce the magic you were bestowing?¡± A heavenly voice came from behind me and I turn around. There stood an Intelligent Glasses-sama. He had a familiar pair of blue-grey eyes and silky silver hair. I instinctively called him, ¡°Sama¡± because of the cool attitude he had and the heavenly voice that called out to me just now. Intelligent Glasses-sama ignores me and picks up the material in my palm. He closely examines it. ¡°Are you really just reducing the magic attribute?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­¡­¡± He glances at me coldly and I spontaneously straighten my back. The feeling was like that of a student and teacher. ¡°What did you try to bestow?¡± ¡°Mhm, well¡­¡­ I thought that raising the magic resistance would have nothing to do with the magic attribute, so I¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then this material would be insufficient.¡± Intelligent Glasses-sama said as he chooses a different material from the box on top of the table. He chose a black gem around 5 to 6 mm in diameter. It was twice as big as the gem from before. Am I allowed to use materials of this size? A gem this big must be really expensive, right? I look at the Mage, who¡¯s also surprised. The Director was surprised too. ¡°Is it okay?¡± I ask while comparing Intelligent Glasses-sama¡¯s face with the materials. He nods and presents the materials before my eyes. I receive it and just like before, I wrap my hands around it. I pray for the magic resistance to rise and expose it to my magic. The materials instantly heated up before settling. Was it successful? I timidly open up my hands and this time it wasn¡¯t broken. The materials were still in one piece. Since the material looks the same, I¡¯m uncertain if it actually succeeded. I stare at the material and Intelligent Glasses-sama picks up the material in my palm just like before. ¡°¡ºAppraisal¡»¡± The magic that he quietly chanted was one that few people could use, appraisal magic. I heard that only a few people at the Court Mage Division could use it and Intelligent Glasses¡ªsama seems to be one of them. As expected of him. After he spoke with his heavenly voice. Intelligent Glasses-sama¡¯s expressionless face was like a Noh mask and then the corners of his mouth rise a little. His faint smile quickly disappears and his face is like a Noh mask again then he said, ¡°It was successful¡±. Hearing that, the surrounding Mages cheers. That¡¯s good, I was successful this time. I, who was feeling relieved, was presented with another material. The one holding it was of course, Intelligent Glasses-sama. I tilt my head in confusion and he said, ¡°Next is¡­¡­¡± Eh, we¡¯re continuing? For the time being, I receive the material. It¡¯s as big as the first material I used. ¡°Poison resistance.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He said in a voice that I couldn¡¯t refuse so I nod my head. This time I¡¯ll bestow it with the effect that he told me to. Intelligent Glasses-sama¡¯s judgement was correct. The magic bestowal finished without the gem breaking. When I finish bestowing magic, I open my palm and Intelligent Glasses-sama picks up the finished core and uses appraisal magic on it. The bestowment must have been completed without a hitch because he nods in satisfaction and presents the next material to me. I take the gem and he frankly told me what effects he wanted. I obediently bestow it with the effects he wanted. I must have done well because Intelligent Glasses-sama hands me materials one after another in the same way. Thus I continue to bestow magic effects one after another. He casted appraisal magic on the cores I bestowed with magic and confirmed that the effects were all bestowed correctly. We continued this routine work the whole time. Well, magic bestowal didn¡¯t take up that much time, you know. What are you going to do with all these? He initially told me to bestow them with poison resistance and different types of magic resistance and before I knew it he mixed in poison nullification and paralysis nullification. It ended with adding two effects simultaneously. My MP was exhausted while I was bestowing magic and when they had noticed, someone placed an intermediate MP potions in front of me. It seems that the Mage who was watching this series of actions, gave me the MP potions. Five of them¡­¡­ It was a really good amount of MP potions but I drank them all. While taking a break. Well, since potions don¡¯t accumulate in my stomach I can drink as many as I want without worrying. Even so, there was quite a few of them. Yes. There was someone waiting next to me holding the next material while I was drinking. I was chugging it down, you know. I was chugging it down. ¡°How long am I going to continue doing this?¡± After bestowing some gems with magic, I thought I should head back to the research institute and called out to Intelligent Glasses-sama. The magic bestowed cores were carried to him like a conveyor belt and were all beautifully lined up in front of him. Intelligent Glasses-sama looked at the number of cores and nodded his head before moving. He went to a locked shelf by the wall and took out a large material from the shelf. It was a transparent stone over 1 cm in diameter. It¡¯s not a diamond, right? The size of the material presented to me made the surrounding Mages gulp. Director, your mouth is open, you know? ¡°This is the last of it. I want; abnormal status nullification, magic nullification and attack nullification.¡± Eh? Three of them? Moreover they¡¯re all nullification? I was surprised when he told me and all the surrounding Mages were also surprised. I wanted to tell them that if they opened their eyes that big their eyes would fall out, you know? For the time being I think about whether I could do as I¡¯m told, but it¡¯s unlikely that both magic nullification and attack nullification would be compatible. Well, if it was magic and attack resistance I could probably bestowal all three onto the jewel. ¡°It is unlikely that both magic nullification and attack nullification would be compatible. But I could probably raise magic and attack resistance.¡± ¡°I see. Let¡¯s do that.¡± I was told that my proposal was okay so I went ahead and bestow it with abnormal status nullification, magic resistance and attack resistance. The heat in my palms is higher than before and it took a long time to cool but it seems that I was successful. When I gave the completed core to Intelligent Glasses-sama. He cast appraisal onto it and confirm that the magic bestowal was successful. The corners of his mouth raised up a little, so it seems that I was able to bestow it just like he told me to. The Mages who gulped and watched me bestow magic, instantly cause a ruckus. I sigh in relief and said to the Director, ¡°Thank you¡±. Yeah, I was feeling more tensed than usual and I¡¯m a bit tired now. I want to return to the research institute soon to have a cup of tea. ¡°Today¡¯s reward.¡± When the Director and I tried to leave the Mage Division¡¯s noisy barracks, Intelligent Glasses-sama gave me a black stone. It¡¯s the stone that I first bestowed with magic resistance. Reward¡­¡­ If this was for sale then it¡¯ll be really expensive, right? Is it fine? ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. You worked quite a bit today.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He said it was fine so I receive it, gratefully. I have a feeling the gem in my palm momentary flashed. ??????? It has been one week since I performed magic bestowal at the Court Mage Division. I heard from a researcher that the Captain called for me and when I went to the Director¡¯s room an unexpected person was there. It was Intelligent Glasses-sama. ¡°¡­¡­ Excuse me.¡± ¡°Have a seat, Sei.¡± The Director urged me to sit next to him and told me the reason why I was called. It seems that a few days ago someone leaked out that there was a large amount of magic bestowed cores at the Court Mage Division. The knights who heard this asked for the cores. The cores they asked for was of course the magic bestowed cores. Therein lies the problem. They also heard that the current Court Mage Division couldn¡¯t make the cores that the knights wanted. If the mages couldn¡¯t make it then it was okay to refuse but because the real thing was at the Court Mage Division, they couldn¡¯t refuse. Yup, I¡¯m the ones who created the cores at the Court Mage Division. It was one of the many cores I made a week ago. It seems that Intelligent Glasses-sama refused at first. Somehow the knights knew that the real thing was at the Court Mage Division and didn¡¯t believe that the mages couldn¡¯t make it. In this country, the Court Mage Division was a place where the most excellent mages gathered so the cores weren¡¯t purchased from the outside. If the Court Mages couldn¡¯t make the core then there was no way that people working at ordinary shops could. Since things were stalled between the knights and the mages, Intelligent Glasses-sama came to the research institute to ask if I, the creator, could help him. ¡°I know I can¡¯t ask this of you but could you lend me a hand?¡± ¡°I do not mind, but¡­¡­?¡± I was the one who originally wanted to bestow magic at the Court Mage Division, because of that something like this happened so I didn¡¯t mind helping out. But since I¡¯m a member of the research institute it¡¯s important to get the Director¡¯s approval, right? Ah, he might say it¡¯s alright if it¡¯s after work hours? I glance at the Director. Intelligent Glasses-sama notices me doing so, also glances at the Director. ¡°Just this once. Of course we¡¯ll be receiving compensation for it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Intelligent Glasses-sama remained emotionless like usual but unlike the time when we met at the Court Mage Division, I think that he looks really apologetic because he¡¯s looking down casted. After that the Director and Intelligent Glasses-sama talk and it¡¯s decided that starting from tomorrow, I will be working at the Court Mage Division. The next morning when I finish my preparations and left, a carriage from the Court Mage Division arrives. According to the Director, it seems that Intelligent Glasses-sama prepared it. It seems that the carriage will be picking me up and dropping me off every day until I finish production. This is really helpful since the Court Mage Division is very far. When the carriage moved towards the Court Mage Division, Intelligent Glasses-sama waits at the entrance, especially for me. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°You have a lot of luggage with you.¡± He said after our rushed greetings. I look at the box in my hands and proudly point out. ¡°These are MP potions. It is better if I have them, right?¡± It seems that Intelligent Glasses-sama agrees with what I said. He nods and takes the box from me. ¡°Ah, I can carry it by myself?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for a woman to carry heavy things.¡± It wasn¡¯t that heavy. He quickly enters the building after he takes the box from me. I trot after him. Then when I enter the same room that I performed magic bestowal in, the mages were already bestowing magic inside. ¡°Huh? Does the Court Mage Division start earlier than the research institute?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I was planning to arrive at the Court Mage Division¡¯s barracks before they started work but when I arrive the Mages are already rushing around and working. According to Intelligent Glasses-sama, work starts at the same time for both the research institute and the Court Mage Division but they received a lot of requests from the Knight Order so they¡¯ve been working since early morning. I ask if I should come to work earlier starting from tomorrow, but they were the ones who asked me to do this so they tell me that it¡¯s alright for me to arrive at the same time as today. ¡°Is the deadline soon?¡± ¡°We were told to have it done in time for the next subjugation.¡± When I asked out of concern, I found out that the deadline was too short for the amount of items requested. I was scared when I saw a vein pop out of Intelligent Glasses-sama¡¯s temple so I pretend not to see it. The place where I was working was the inner most part of the room. The preparations had already been prepared by another Mage and the box with the cores is sitting on the work bench. I place the box with the MP potions at my feet and immediately start bestowing magic. At first I wait and see and Intelligent Glasses-sama is standing next to me. ¡°Is the request from the 3rd Knight Order?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ It¡¯s from the 1st Knight Order.¡± I got used to it after a few times since I only had to bestow one type of magic so it wasn¡¯t a problem for me to bestow magic and talk at the same time. I think there are people who work silently because it¡¯s work but there¡¯s a person standing next to me so it¡¯s a little bit awkward. There was something that I was curious about so I thought I¡¯d ask. The Director and Intelligent Glasses-sama only said that it was a request from the Knight Order so I¡¯m a bit curious about who put in the request. I glance sideways at Intelligent Glasses-sama since it was a Knight Order that I had no relations to and he has a sour look on his face. Is he on bad terms with that Knight Order? ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve been ordered to remain silent about this but it might have leaked out somehow.¡± He muttered in a low voice as if he was crawling on the ground and chills run down my back. It seems that I wasn¡¯t the only one. The other Mages also look pale. I feel the temperature dropping but it¡¯s just my imagination, right? ¡°No, it might have also been leaked by someone in the research institute since there are researchers who know that I performed magic bestowal here.¡± ¡°Do they also know what you bestowed?¡± ¡°Ah, no they did not¡­¡­¡± I tried to change the cold atmosphere but it backfired. I only talked about magic bestowal with Jude so I said something like that. The Director forbade me from talking about the kind of bestowal I did, so only the Director and I know about it. In that case there was a high possibility that one of the mages leaked the information about magic bestowal that only I can do. The Director was probably sullen yesterday when Intelligent Glasses-sama came to the research institute because he knew about this. Moreover since the atmosphere was cold, I think it might be better not to talk any further so I decide to silently concentrate on my work. After a while Intelligent Glasses-sama must have thought that it was fine for me to work alone and left. The atmosphere changed at once. However since I was allocated a rather large amount, I continue working one after the other without talking. Because I was concentrating on my work, I didn¡¯t notice that the lunch bell had rang. I finally noticed that it was lunch when Intelligent Glasses-sama called out to me. ¡°Are you not going to the dining hall?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I look around when he called out to me and everyone had already moved to the royal palace. ¡°Is it already lunch time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It¡¯s a bad habit of mine not to notice anything around me while I¡¯m concentrating. When I tell him that I brought a sandwich here from the research institute, we decide to have lunch together. The last time when I did magic bestowal here, Intelligent Glasses-sama only talked to me when necessary so I¡¯m worried that lunch is going to be awkward. He is mindful of it and this time we chat a little. Fortunately Intelligent Glasses-sama and I talk about things related to work so I think it got a bit lively. If we talk about trendy clothes or sweets, I don¡¯t think I would be able to follow it at all. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not like a woman. Then as soon as lunch finishes, I return to work. I work until closing time while taking MP potions in between my breaks. I was able to finish 80% of the requested amount. It seems that I¡¯ll be able to finish this by tomorrow. When I sigh in relief, Intelligent Glasses-sama came to check the current situation. ¡°Have you already finished?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When he sees the amount I had bestowed, his eyes open in surprise. He picks up some of the finished items and use appraisal magic on it. It¡¯s important to check if the magic was bestowed correctly. There didn¡¯t seem to be any problems with the random items he checked and my work ends for the day. ¡°You did really well. I¡¯ll rely on you tomorrow too.¡± His face soften, it wasn¡¯t just his mouth but also his eyes as well. I¡¯m surprise that he didn¡¯t have his usual emotionless expression. The surrounding people are also in shock and a commotion occurs. It¡¯s a bit disappointing that his smile disappeared when the commotion occurred. The next day, I bestowed some more cores and the Court Mage Division was able to successfully complete the 1st Knight Order¡¯s request. ??????? I knock on the director¡¯s office door. As soon as I hear a reply from within I say, ¡°Excuse me¡± and enter. The Director is reading some documents at his desk. ¡°Excuse me. I want to discuss something with you, do you have any time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, what is it?¡± The Director turns away from the documents and looks at me. There is something that I want so I want to discuss if we are able to order it. ¡°It is about this. Would you be able to order it?¡± I said as I pass the memo to the Director. The Director reads it and looks dubious. I thought so. The things written on the memo have nothing to do with work. ¡°Honey, sugar and lemon. What on earth are you using it for?¡± ¡°I thought about making some sweets.¡± ¡°Sweets?¡± Yes, the ingredients written on the memo are for making sweets. Honestly, I was worried about whether or not this world had the ingredients I wanted but I confirmed it with Jude so I thought I should finally make it. When I was a student I always made sweets at home. After becoming a working adult, I stopped making them. ¡°I was thinking about making it for myself so I am planning to pay for it. I thought that I could purchase it together with the food for the dining hall.¡± ¡°For yourself? So you¡¯ll be the only one eating it?¡± The things I plan to make this time are for myself so I planned on properly paying for the expenses but that wasn¡¯t the part that the Director caught onto. No, I didn¡¯t plan on eating it by myself, you know? Do you also want to eat it, Director? I see. Well then should I ask the Chef to help me out and make some for the researchers as well? ¡°If it is like that then the ingredients written on the memo are not enough.¡± ¡°Then add the necessary ingredients to the dining hall ordering form and bring it to me.¡± ¡°Is that alright? I thought that honey and sugar is expensive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I will only pay for myself, you know?¡± ¡°Who said that you¡¯d pay?¡± ¡°No way, are you taking it from¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll do that.¡± The Director sighs in amazement. But Jude told me that sweet ingredients like honey and sugar is precious in this world so it¡¯s really expensive. I think it¡¯d be quite expensive if we purchased such high-quality food for the researchers as well, you know? The dining hall has a food budget, right? So it¡¯s impossible to include those ingredients in the budget, right? Therefore it wasn¡¯t strange for me to think that it¡¯d be taken from the research funds. Ha! Will the Director personally pay for it? ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± The Director saw that I¡¯m worrying over who was paying for the ingredients, smiles wryly and waves his hands as if telling me to leave. The ingredients that I asked the Director for arrives a few days later. Early in the morning on my day off, I go to the corner of the kitchen and begin preparing the ingredients. Of course it¡¯s difficult for me to make everything for the researchers as well so I cook with the Chef. Previously when I told him about making sweets he asked me to tell him the recipe so this is perfectly. Oh yeah at the beginning there was only one Chef at the dining hall but now there are five. They work in a rotation of three so not all five Chefs are here at once. The rumour that the research institute¡¯s dining hall has delicious food seems to have spread to the royal palace and they dispatched people here to learn. In addition to that, since this morning I put in a lot of effort to make sweets with the Chef. I made simple cookies and pound cakes with honey and lemon. I only vaguely remember the recipe but it seems that it came together nicely. I¡¯m glad. That¡¯s good. The pound cakes that I take out from the oven are nicely baked. The other Chefs who were preparing lunch also sample it with me. It tastes good. A nice smell drifted from the oven so the chefs who were preparing lunch kept glancing over here. They seemed curious so I decided to invite them to sample it with me. The cake sample tasted perfect so I cool the rest down and cut it up before putting it in a basket. Now it¡¯s ready. I¡¯ll entrust the rest to the Chef to give to the Director and researchers. My goal today is to go to the 3rd Knight Order barracks. Let¡¯s go! Yup, is my spirit too high? If it wasn¡¯t this high then I can¡¯t go! Today I¡¯m going to the 3rd Knight Order barracks for a certain reason. I thought about giving my thanks to the Captain. I¡¯ve been worrying over it ever since Jude told me about the price. I thought it was too much. Even if the other party favours me, it¡¯s still too much. Then I got a core from magic bestowal so I used it to make an accessory for him. I was troubled over various things but I made a necklace. Since he wields a sword, I thought a ring would be troublesome and I have a feeling that he didn¡¯t have piercings so he couldn¡¯t wear earrings. I thought that necklaces wouldn¡¯t get in the way of anything. I don¡¯t know which designs were common in this world but I made it into a dog tag so that men can wear it. I engraved a cross in the middle and embed the core into the middle of that. I think that it¡¯s an acceptable design. Still I couldn¡¯t make it by myself so I outsourced it. The shop was introduced to me by the Director. He had a frightful smirk on his face though. It was a little embarrassing just to take the necklace with me so I also brought cookies and the pound cake. I think that it¡¯s fine just to give him the basket. I arrive at the Captain¡¯s office. The Knight standing at the door smiles at me and announces my presence. He didn¡¯t mistake me for a suspicious person. What does it mean when I haven¡¯t even introduced myself yet and he¡¯s already announced my presence? I don¡¯t remember sending a messenger from the research institute to tell them I was coming. It¡¯s probably that, right? I shouldn¡¯t always go horse riding with the Captain. I know it isn¡¯t good to do so since rumours float about, but it¡¯s hard to refuse him when he invites me so I continue to go horse riding with him. Uoh¡­¡­ ¡°Excuse me.¡± Soon after bracing myself at the entrance, the Knight opened the door and I enter. The Captain is doing paper work at his desk like usual. Even if they¡¯re a Knight Order they don¡¯t always train and go on monster subjugations. The people at the top have a lot of paper work to do. ¡°What¡¯s wrong today?¡± ¡°I made some sweets so I came to share them with you.¡± As I said the words I prepared in advance, the Captain¡¯s face softens. Yup, sorry, I can¡¯t look at you directly. Why? Please don¡¯t ask me! When I give the Captain the basket, he takes off the cloth and looks inside. At first glance it looks like there are only cookies and pound cake inside. Actually the box containing the necklace is thrusted into the corner. It¡¯s hidden by the cookie so he can¡¯t see it. ¡°It looks delicious. Let¡¯s hurry up and eat it.¡± The Captain confirms that there are cookies and pound cake inside and stands up with the basket. Did I come when he was taking his break? I hope I didn¡¯t disturb him. Well then, I¡¯ve handed over the basket so I suppose I should head back now. As I think that and try to say my farewells he says to me, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, would you like to join me?¡± No, I want to leave before you notice the necklace inside of the basket¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ I couldn¡¯t win against the smiling face of the Captain¡­¡­ I give up and sit on the sofa as advised. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ Mhm, why are you sitting next to me? There are sofas over there too, you know? Was it weird for me to sit on a three seater sofa? The Captain sat next to me. I¡¯m perplexed by the distance between us but I didn¡¯t feel the need to run away like before. Did I get used to the distance while horse riding with him? I¡¯m scared of getting used to it. I don¡¯t know, it feels like the places I can escape to have been steadily decreasing. A while later, the tea was brought out and the gentle smell of tea hangs in the air. The Knight standing at the door seemed to have noticed and requested for a maid. The amber liquid in front of my eyes was a luxury good that I haven¡¯t drank since coming here. I take a sip of my drink. The bitter taste was good and it¡¯s very easy to drink. As expected of tea from the royal palace. They use good tea leaves, huh? For some reason the maid brought some plates so I take out the cookies and pound cake from the basket and hand it to the Captain. Mr. Knight at the entrance, did you notice that I brought sweets with me? Ah, did you notice from the smell? ¡°I¡¯m not really good with sweet food but this is delicious.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The Captain seems to favour the mildly sweet cookies. He took a bite of the cookie and smiled. Of course I¡¯m glad he¡¯s so pleased with it. When I saw that, I was also caught up in the mood and smile. The Captain looks at me and his smile deepens. An ikemen¡¯s smile has high attack power. I feel my face getting a little hot. No, no, looking at him in the eyes is bad. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s been bothering me for a while but¡­¡­¡± The Captain takes the necklace box out of the basket while drinking tea after he finished eating. I choke but I want someone to compliment me because I didn¡¯t spurt out any tea. I hid it so why did he notice?! ¡°It feels that this has been bestowed with magic. What is it?¡± ¡°Mhmmm ~¡­¡­¡± My eyes wonder about as I try to think of an explanation. Uoh ©`©`©`©`©`. This is useless. I can¡¯t think of anything. I glance at the Captain and he looks like he¡¯s happily anticipating something while staring at me. ¡°That is also for you. It is my thanks for the hair ornament.¡± I¡¯m making no progress even if I think about it so I answer honestly. As soon as I told him that, the Captain¡¯s smile becomes wider, he nods and asks, ¡°Can I open it?¡± ¡°I went to the Court Mage Division the other day and did magic bestowal. I made that core but¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s painful for me to wait silently for the Captain to open the box, so I told him that I made the core. As soon as the Captain opens the box and sees what¡¯s inside, his eyes widen. ¡°The core is bestowed to increase magic resistance. I thought that you could use it when you go out on subjugations.¡± I could tell that my face is burning while I¡¯m explaining it to him. It¡¯s embarrassing so I look away from the Captain and because I was thinking about tomorrow I didn¡¯t notice until it was too late. I return my gaze when I feel something touch my right hand. The Captain is about to lift my hand. Even though he didn¡¯t do it in slow motion, I feel as if it was in slow motion. Looking at the Captain¡¯s eyelashes I carelessly think, ¡°It¡¯s long¡±. I¡¯m definitely escaping from reality. I feel it afterwards. A soft feeling touches my fingertips. The Captain¡¯s feverish look as he releases his lips from my fingertips. That¡¯s all I remember. After that I don¡¯t know how I returned to the research institute. Volume 1 - CH 7 Chapter 07: Gossip Six months have passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. ¡°Sei, this part is a little difficult. Can you explain it to me?¡± ¡°We~ll, this is¡­¡­¡± I discussed the book with Elizabeth-sama, otherwise known as Liz. Although I said we were discussing the book, we only see each other when I have business at the library so we don¡¯t talk for very long. The books are written in foreign languages or the ancient language so we only talk about the parts that she didn¡¯t understand. Liz was studying languages but I explained the difficult parts to her. At first she also asked me about grammar but I¡¯m afraid to say, I know nothing about it. I only understand the contents. ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what it means. Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m always interfering with your work.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s a good breather.¡± Why am I talking to an aristocrat in an extremely familiar tone? I properly used honorifics at first. But somewhere along the way, Liz told me to stop, you know? I also called her Liz now instead of Elizabeth-sama. She asked me to talk normally with her. I can¡¯t refuse when a beautiful Ojou-san1) asked me to do that. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something I would like to talk to you about¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mhm? What is it?¡± It was unusual to see Liz looking hesitant to ask something. It was rare for her to stall her words. What is it? It didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to ask about the book. This may be the first time she¡¯s ever asked about something other than books. ¡°Sei, you know Captain Hawk, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Captain Hawk?¡± The only person that came to my mind was the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order. Was his name Hawk? I always called him Captain-sama so I¡¯m not sure what his name is. The Director called him Al so I don¡¯t know his surname¡­¡­ ¡°So you don¡¯t know him after all.¡± ¡°Is Captain Hawk the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order?¡± ¡°Ah, are you two acquainted?¡± ¡°If so, I know who he is because he¡¯s good friends with our Director.¡± It seemed that she was talking about the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order. But, what about him? ¡°Mhm¡­¡­ Can I ask you something rude?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Are you on bad terms with Hawk-sama, Sei?¡± ¡°Nope ~, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Terms? I don¡¯t think we¡¯re on bad terms. Whenever I met him on my way back from the library, he always escorts me back to the research institute. Riding on a horse together. That was pretty embarrassing so I tried to refuse him the second time but he looked extremely sad so I couldn¡¯t refuse him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Hawk-sama?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say this but recently there¡¯s been rumours going around about him riding his horse with a woman.¡± Liz¡¯s beautiful face twisted as if she was going to say, ¡°I¡¯m stumped¡±. Sorry, there¡¯s no doubt about it. I have a feeling that it was me. At the beginning he took me straight back to the research institute but recently we detour around the royal palace. We were probably sighted then. ¡°I think that was me.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± When I confessed honestly, Liz¡¯s face changed from a troubled one to a relieved one. Huh? Why? ¡°As I thought, riding a horse with a member of the opposite sex doesn¡¯t leave a good impression, does it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s no good for people who are engaged or have spouses to ride with other people of the opposite sex.¡± ¡°If both are single then it¡¯s fine?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. It¡¯s harder for it to become a problem than with those who are engaged.¡± ¡°So that means, it¡¯s inappropriate¡­¡­¡± She indirectly told me not to mind it but it seemed that inappropriate things were the same in this world. Indeed, let¡¯s refuse from now on. Liz was troubled and followed up because I looked disheartened. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any problem if Hawk-sama was the one who invited you. He can discern right from wrong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way it is?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± Somehow, when I look at Liz¡¯s unchanged trouble expression, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fine at all¡­¡­ Well, whatever. It¡¯s fine if I just refuse him. ¡°So, what about that rumour?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°No, you look relieved so I wondered what the heck is going on.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­¡± Ah, she looked troubled again. Should I not have asked? She sighed and confessed just as I was about to tell her that it was fine not to say anything if it was difficult. ¡°I thought that my classmate might have been the one in the rumour with Hawk-sama.¡± ¡°Classmate? Does that person have a fianc¨¦?¡± Liz¡¯s classmate. That probably meant that she was 15 years old, right? If I¡¯m not mistaken, seniors at the Academy are supposed to be 15 years old. Eh ~, a 15 years old girl and the Captain¡­¡­ That reeks of a crime. Is that kind of an age difference okay in this world? ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t have one but¡­¡± ¡°Mh~m. Then is their age difference the problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s, well, it¡¯s rare but it¡¯s not a problem.¡± If the age difference was okay¡­¡­ Then, what¡¯s the problem? ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the classmate.¡± ¡°Problem?¡± ¡°She¡¯s very intimate with men who have fianc¨¦es at the Academy. It¡¯s become quite the problem.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°And so, at the academy, they¡¯ve been saying that she would go as far as lay her hands on the Ice Knight-sama too.¡± ¡°Ice Knight-sama?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s Hawk-sama. People call him that because he never lets his emotions show, or rather he¡¯s always emotionless¡­¡­¡± Emotionless? My impression of the Captain was that he¡¯s always smiling¡­¡­ ¡°But, your classmate? She doesn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦ so wouldn¡¯t it be fine if she rides with Hawk-sama?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. Since Hawk-sama is also popular, people have been saying things like; his followers have increased again.¡± ¡°So that means, the men that she¡¯s close to at school are all popular, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Liz lamented as she put a hand on her cheek and sighed. In short, there was a misunderstanding stirring about that Liz¡¯s classmate, who made popular guys wait on her, also laid a hand on the popular Captain. But just because she was told so didn¡¯t mean that Liz had anything to do with it, so why was she so gloomy? ¡°It sounds really depressing. Listening to the story, it seems that it¡¯s your classmate¡¯s problem, this has nothing to do with you. So what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Well, the fianc¨¦es of those men told me to do something about it, so I¡¯m stumped.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something the fianc¨¦es should say, not Liz, right?¡¯ ¡°They¡¯ve already warned her but the situation still hasn¡¯t improved.¡± ¡°Well then even if Liz says something, isn¡¯t it impossible?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry for complaining. I¡¯ll be happy if you could forget about this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind listening to you complain. Also once I leave, I¡¯ll forget all about it.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled at Liz who was smiling sadly. It was a good time so we finished our conversation and parted ways. I returned to the research institute. I didn¡¯t see the Captain today. Was it because I really wanted to refuse him? Act 07: Magic Seven months have passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. The sunlight that blazed down during the daytime was still the same but it felt like the days were getting shorter. Every morning while I was watering the medicinal herbs, I felt that the sun was rising later. I think that it¡¯s almost autumn soon. ¡°Good morning, Sei.¡± Jude had woken up and was adjusting his outfit. He came out when I was watering the medicinal herbs with a watering can. Although I was watering the medicinal herbs, it didn¡¯t mean that I was watering all of them. To begin with, the medicinal herb garden had expanded a bit, so it was impossible for me to manage the whole place by myself. I was only taking care of the herbs I personally used, in a corner of the Research Institute¡¯s medicinal herb garden. There were many other researchers who had their own personal fields as well. They were all managed individually. ¡°If you had asked me, I would have helped out.¡± Jude looked at the watering can I was holding and frowned. Jude could use water attribute magic so he could water all the herbs without having to use a watering can. When he knew that I was watering the herbs every morning, Jude told me that he could water the herbs by using his water magic and had been helping me out. But, he didn¡¯t help out every day. I felt guilty about asking him to do it every day, so I only asked him to help out if I met him before I went out to water the herbs. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll just accept your feelings.¡± I smiled and said my thanks. Jude laughed with a feeling of resignation. I had just finished watering the herbs, so Jude accompanied me back to the Research Institute. Jude didn¡¯t have his own field, so it seemed that he came out just to help me water my herbs. ¡°By the way, were the medicinal herbs arriving from the shop today?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s more herbs than usual, so Director-san said that the researchers also have to help move it to the warehouse.¡± I confirmed today¡¯s schedule with Jude on our way back home. Since we sold the potions to the 3rd Knight Order at wholesale price lately, the medicinal herbs were not enough to cover the amount of potions sold, so we started to stock herbs from the shop. By the way, the shop we stocked from was Jude¡¯s home. Because of that, we were able to purchase the herbs at a cheaper price, so Director-san was happy. According to Jude, his home was the biggest store in the Royal Capital and he handled various things at the shop. He was always the first to know what ingredients were being purchased for the dining hall. I thought that I asked for unreasonable ingredients for the dining hall, so I was feeling a little apologetic. ¡°What time will the goods arrive?¡± ¡°Around the 3rd morning bell, right?¡± ¡°Then, I wonder if it¡¯s alright for me to arrive around that time?¡± There were clocks in this world, but they were very expensive. There were only a limited number of people who had them. Therefore, commoners knew the time from when the bell, ringing from places like the church, chimed. The bell at the Royal Palace also rang at pre-set times. The 3rd morning bell was about 9am. I¡¯d still make it on time even if I left when I heard the bell ring since the warehouse was next to the Research Institute. I went to the warehouse when I heard the 3rd morning bell, but there was nothing for me to do. The large number of boxes containing medicinal herbs piled up on the wagon was being carried into the warehouse by the other researchers and assistants. The majority of the herbs were used by me, so I told them that I would help out, but everyone declined. No, well, I got to see everyone¡¯s strong point. I don¡¯t usually get to see that so it was good eye candy for me. I wonder if it¡¯s okay if I¡¯m the only one who thinks it¡¯s good? I¡¯m feeling somewhat guilty so I decided to stop watching them and went to go deliver the potions to the 3rd Knight Order in place of the assigned person. The potions were delivered on a wagon pulled by a donkey, so it wasn¡¯t hard work. The assistants would do the loading and unloading. Oh yeah, we have coachman for the wagon now. I was worried about whether I could control the donkey well at the beginning, but it was pretty easy. This is probably a really excellent donkey. The donkey was a good boy who obediently listened to what I said. This was probably something I wouldn¡¯t experience in Japan just like making potions. ¡°Huh? Sei?¡± I encountered the knights who just finished training while the assistants were unloading the potions from the wagon at the side entrance. Since they were training, they weren¡¯t wearing their usual knight uniforms. Their clothes are slightly rough. I sometimes went on subjugations with them and they would sometimes help me investigate food effects, so I was on good terms with the 3rd Knight Order. To the extent that they would call out to me like this. The knights who called out to me, were headed my way. They saw that the wagon next to me was piled up with potions, so they could guess that I¡¯d brought it here. ¡°Did you bring the potions here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The Research Institute¡¯s potions are really effective. They really help us out during subjugations.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After training, the knights shuffled in a circle around me. Most of the knights were taller than me and they had good physique, so it felt like I was being surrounded by walls. This is a real meat wall, just kidding! ¡°You¡¯re always making a fair amount, isn¡¯t it hard? Next time would be double this amount, right?¡± ¡°Eh? Is it increasing?¡± ¡°Huh? Haven¡¯t you heard anything?¡± I heard from a knight that the amount of potions would double next time, but I never heard anything from Director-san. To be honest, I can make triple this amount by myself so there¡¯s no problem even if it¡¯s doubled. When I asked about it in detail, he told me that the next scheduled subjugation would be conducted by the 2nd and 3rd Knight Order. So it wasn¡¯t just the 3rd Knight Order that was ordering potions but also the 2nd Knight Order. Director-san and Captain-san decided to do so because it would cause problems if only one party had effective potions. Indeed, the amount of medicinal herbs delivered today was larger than usual. ¡°Are the Knight Orders joining up because a powerful monster had appeared?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. We¡¯re going to the Ghosh Forest next, so just to be safe, the two Knight Orders are joining hands.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The Ghosh Forest is where the Salamander appeared and although time had passed since it appeared, there could still be another one out there. So they were going on a massive subjugation mission. ¡°Is the 1st Knight Order not going?¡± Since the 2nd and 3rd Knight Orders were going, I thought that the 1st Knight order would also join in, so I innocently asked. But, as soon as I did, the expression of the knights around me grimed. I might¡¯ve asked something bad, so I was confused and the knights around me began talking bitterly, ¡°The 1st Knight Order will be protecting His Highness.¡± ¡°His Highness?¡± ¡°Ah, His Highness Kyle and his aides will be going to the East Forest to level up, so the 1st Knight Order will be guarding them. They won¡¯t be joining the subjugation this time.¡± Kyle, Kyle¡­¡­ Ah, that red-haired prince? I didn¡¯t know who he was for a moment there when they told me his name, I certainly remember that Crown Prince had that kind of name. ¡°His Highness and his aides have already passed level 15. So even if they go to the East Forest, it would be pretty hard for them to level up¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. If they¡¯re going, then it¡¯ll probably be better for them to head to the South Forest.¡± ¡°If they have guards escorting them, it¡¯s probably better for them to go to the South Forest, huh.¡± What the Knights were trying to say was that the East Forest was for beginners, so students up to level 12 would level up well there. Therefore, the Crown Prince and his aides who were already at level 15 would find it hard to level up at the East Forest. The South Forest had stronger monsters than the East Forest and it was easier for people to level up from level 12 ~ 20. After that, I asked about it and I heard that the Crown Prince used to go to the South Forest. I wonder why he¡¯s going to the East Forest now. ¡°It¡¯s because of her right? The Saint-sama¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s mostly because of her.¡± ¡°Saint-sama?¡± ¡°A girl being protected by His Highness. They call her that.¡± When I inadvertently responded to the word¡¾Saint¡¿, the knights told me various things about Saint-sama. I could guess who it was when they told me she was being protected by the Crown Prince and yup, it was about Aira-chan. To summarise the Knight¡¯s stories, Aira-chan was attending the Royal Academy and the Crown Prince and his close aides were looking after her. The Crown Prince reasoned that because she was the ¡¾Saint¡¿, it was better for the kingdom if she levelled up faster. She had entered the Royal Academy later than her classmates, so in order for her to level up faster, it was better for them to head to the forest with the 1st Knight Order, who¡¯re higher level than her. This way they could level her up faster than usual. Of course, the Crown Prince was royalty and his close aides were all sons of aristocrats, so the 1st Knight Order were accompanying them for safety reasons. Since they were power-levelling her, it was better for them to do so at the South Forest. But the Crown Prince strongly opposed, saying that it was dangerous, so they were heading to the East Forest instead. The other reason was that there was no longer a need for Aira-chan to level up and catch up to her classmates. ¡°He is really treating her like she¡¯s glass.¡± As a person summoned together with Aira-chan, I¡¯m a little relieved that she didn¡¯t have any bad experiences. She is younger than me, I¡¯m a little worried after all. I thought I looked relieved, but the knights looked at me with a strange expression on their faces. Eh? What is it? ¡°Sei feels more like a Saint-sama than that Saint-sama.¡± ¡°His Highness doesn¡¯t have a discerning eye.¡± ¡°If something happens, tell us. If it¡¯s something we can do then we¡¯ll do it!¡± They were trying to comfort me while looking at me with eyes of pity. Even if you don¡¯t worry so much, I¡¯m okay, you know? I do what I want. I¡¯m having fun living my ordinary peaceful life, you know? ¡°Ahaha, Thank you. I will let you know if anything happens.¡± Everyone says that I¡¯m like a ¡¾Saint¡¿. I¡¯m really like a ¡¾Saint¡¿when something bad happens, huh? According to my Status anyway. But I will not confirm it, nor do I intend to publicise it. I don¡¯t intend to deny it either because it might be found out some day. I¡¯m still a little bit peeved at what had happened on the day I was summoned, so I¡¯m not going to obediently admit it. So I want to spend my life as an ordinary person until the day someone finds out. ??????? I recalled the story I¡¯d heard from the 3rd Knight Order the other day. Yeah, it¡¯s about the girl who was summoned together with me. She was taken by the Crown Prince and now attended the Royal Academy. I thought she was still around that age to be a student, so that in itself didn¡¯t matter. What I was concerned about was that her level was lower than her classmates at the time of admittance. After parting with the knights, I returned to the Research Institute and confirmed it with Jude. I talked to him about whether there were a lot of people around level 7 or 8 in their first year at school. The knights said that there were many third graders who were level 12 ~16; the Crown Prince and his aides were excellent students, so they exceeded that and were at level 15. Because she was being accompanied by her classmates, Aira-chan¡¯s highest level would have been the same as the Prince and his aides, level 15. I remember my level. Or rather, I just checked it a while back. I didn¡¯t raise my level and my level hasn¡¯t risen since I¡¯ve been summoned. It remained at level 55. Yes, level 55. Comparing it now, Aira-chan is level 15 and I¡¯m level 55¡­¡­ Even if Aira-chan level is higher than 15, it¡¯s probably lower than mine, right? I was somewhat concerned and asked. Jude was level 20 and even most of the knights were around level 30. I don¡¯t think her level is higher than theirs. What on earth is with this level difference? I had a really unpleasant idea, but I didn¡¯t want to think about it too much. I didn¡¯t want to think that it was because of our age difference, but I would hate it even more if I was the ¡¾Saint¡¿and Aira-chan wasn¡¯t. If it was like that, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to live my normal peaceful life. Aira-chan would also hate it, right? She was summoned by the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿, but she¡¯s not the¡¾Saint¡¿.¡­¡­ ¡°Hey, you put a lot of energy into making it, huh.¡± When I turned around to the person calling out to me, I saw Director-san. He looked stunned. I silently made potions while deep in thought, so I made more than what was originally planned. The Research Institute recently started selling potions to the 3rd Knight Order at wholesale price, so I aimed to increase the efficiency by making a lot of potions at once. I was mixing 1~5 times more potions than what a normal pharmacist would make. ¡°I am sorry. I made too much while in deep thought.¡± ¡°It still looks like you have room for more, so could you double this amount by the end of today?¡± ¡°Well, if it is just that much, then I can make it.¡± I said to Director-san with a wry smile and his cheeks twitched. When I first came to the Research Institute and he saw that I was making a lot of Basic HP Potions, he was worried about my MP getting depleted. Compared to back then, he was not worried anymore. Instead, he worried about the herbs in the medicinal herb garden decreasing day by day. Since they are used in Advanced HP Potions, he couldn¡¯t allow it to decrease any further, so there was a current ban on using them. It didn¡¯t seem like my pharmacy skill level would rise any further. So lately, whenever I needed to make Advanced HP Potions for the 3rd Knight Order, the materials were purchased from the store, so I only made a small amount. Advanced HP Potions were both effective and very expensive, so in the recent subjugations at the East and South Forest, the Knight Order didn¡¯t use them unless they had to. So even if I made a lot of it, it would just accumulate. This time, however, they were going to the West Forest for the first time in a long time, so it was better for them to use the Advanced HP Potions that they normally didn¡¯t use. Therefore, I increased the production rate a little. The only thing I could do as an ordinary person, was to make potions. So I made them enthusiastically, but the look on Director-san¡¯s face told me that I overdid it a little. I had planned on using the whole day to finish my work, but I finished everything in the morning, so I decided to go to the Royal Palace library. I went to search for books on medicinal herbs that could be made into potions which were more effective than Advanced HP Potions. I have been researching medicinal plants for a long time, but I still couldn¡¯t find anything yet. When I asked Liz about this previously, she told me that there might be books containing that information in the prohibited section, but ordinary people couldn¡¯t enter that section. I read all the books related to medicinal herbs since I didn¡¯t have any other choices. There¡¯s still a long way to go. Even now to kill time, I was searching for a book that seemed like it would be related to medicinal herbs, but then I found a book that interested me so I took it. The title of the book included the words ¡¸Holy Magic Attribute¡¹. My level is odd but what¡¯s weirder is the level of my holy magic in my status. What is ¡Þ? Levels that aren¡¯t even represented by numbers might be related to the ¡¾Saint¡¿. Since I came across the subject by chance, I was able to ask about basic levels. But, I haven¡¯t heard anything about attribute magic levels, so I didn¡¯t know what the average level was. They¡¯d ask questions if I¡¯m too persistent, so I couldn¡¯t ask any more than that. I had timidly asked about basic levels, but thankfully no one asked me about my level. Now let¡¯s return to the main subject. Although the book was about holy magic, I didn¡¯t think that my level would rise any higher than this, so I didn¡¯t have anything in particular I wanted to study. Also, my pharmacy and cooking skills were still levelling up, so it was way more fun. But after coming here, I thought a little about what I¡¯d heard about Aira-chan. She was summoned at the same time as me, but her level was lower than mine. Because of this, the possibility of her holy attribute magic being lower than mine was also high. Of course, it was fine if she was the same level as me. I hoped that she was the same level as me. That way, I could remain an ordinary person forever. Because as soon as I become a ¡¾Saint¡¿, the chances that I¡¯d have to be together with that Crown Prince would increase, you know. I really want to avoid that. Ah, I strayed again. Hearing about Aira-chan and the subjugation to the West Forest made me think that it was better for me to learn a little magic. The subjugation would commence where that Salamander appeared. I heard from the knights that the demons had decreased recently, but I was still a little worried after all. A lot of people may get injured like that time. There may even be cases where potions just weren¡¯t enough and magic was needed. I remembered someone saying at that time that potions might not be enough and that they would need magic to heal the wounds. If something like that were to happen, then I felt that it¡¯d be better to have some knowledge of magic rather than have none at all. That was why I was interested in the books about holy attribute magic. ¡°Are you interested in magic?¡± I turned to face the person who had abruptly called out to me and I was surprised to see a man standing close to me. The book I took was certainly about holy attribute magic so it was quite difficult. In other words, my eyes were dancing on the pages. I was so immersed in reading that I didn¡¯t notice that someone had approached me until they had called out to me. ¡°That book is extremely difficult¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I was just thinking that it would be nice if I had something simpler.¡± ¡°Then how about this one?¡± He took a book from the opposite bookshelf and handed it to me. I flipped through the pages. It was much simpler than the book I was reading earlier. Even a beginner like me could understand it. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± We only talked to that extent but he was staring at me. Yup, it feels uncomfortable. Because he is very similar to him. The man looked a bit older than me and I had a feeling that he didn¡¯t suddenly just age. The man was also a lot taller than me, but he was probably shorter than Captain-san. When I looked up a little, I could see bright copper hair on his head. His lips were drawn in an arc, he had gentle narrow eyes and a straight nose. His features were well-balanced and really resembled that person. Although their features were similar, his face deviation value was also very high. Since he was older, I felt that he had more destructive powers than him. What can I say, there¡¯s a wide difference. ¡°It¡¯s a bit late but I am Seigfried Slantania.¡± I was sure that I looked doubtful. His face changed from a laughing one to a serious one as he introduced himself and he bowed beautifully. From his sophisticated graceful movements and his name, he¡¯s definitely a loyalty of this kingdom, right? Or rather, he is royalty right? ¡°Can I call you Sei?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± Dammit, I was supposed to give my greetings. I forgot to introduce myself because I was so surprised and dumbfounded. By the time I¡¯d noticed, he¡¯d already introduced himself and confirmed my name. I should return his greeting now, right? ¡°My name is Sei.¡± I pinched my skirt like an aristocrat woman, bent my knees and bowed. It¡¯s called curtsy. The other person seems to be from royalty, so I think that politeness is important. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. There are times I might meet aristocrats without knowing anything since I¡¯m in the Royal Palace so it was good that I learnt a bit about mannerism from Liz. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be that formal. I¡¯m the one who should be apologising to you.¡± Seigfried-sama touched my arm, flustered and snapped me out of my thoughts. Even if he said so, I didn¡¯t think that there was anything that he needed to apologise for. . ¡°I heard that my son has been very disrespectful to you. I apologise for his foolishness.¡± ¡°Your son?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Mhm ~, your son is Kyle¡­¡­ Is it about His Highness?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When the man in front of me said son, it reminded me of the Crown Prince. I¡¯m sure his name was Kyle. Looks like I was right. ¡°Ah, please raise your head!¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± ¡°I did not mind.¡± It was a lie when I said I didn¡¯t mind, but I think that having a King lower his head was a problem. I wanted him to stop, it was really bad for my heart. ¡°I originally wanted to apologise much faster in a proper place but¡­¡­ I apologise that I¡¯m doing it in such a place.¡± ¡°No, please do not worry about it. I would rather it be here.¡± According to King-sama, there were various political problems and an official apology would take place later. He, however, thought that doing nothing would also be a problem. King-sama heard that I often came to the library alone, so he went to the library often to meet me. It seemed that we kept missing each other so he wasn¡¯t able to meet me. Well I didn¡¯t need such an overwhelming apology in an official or informal place. He politely told me in a roundabout way¡­¡­ ¡°I wanted to apologise. You¡¯ve also made various achievements since coming to this Kingdom. I would like to award you, is there anything you want? For example, territory or rank¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± ¡°I see. Then how about a mansion in the Royal Capital¡­¡­¡± ¡°I would also like to refuse that. I would not be able to manage it.¡± ¡°Then how about I prepare some servants there as well?¡± ¡°Servants!?¡± After that, he offered me various things as reward, but each and every one of them was too much for me so I refused them. He also offered me dresses and accessories. I was interested in it, but I refused politely because I couldn¡¯t take care of them. Then he said, ¡°It¡¯s just like what Johan said¡±, while smiling bitterly. I heard that conversations about giving me a reward had been brought up before, but Director-san put an end to those conversations. He said I would probably refused. Good job, Director-san. ¡°Oh well. I¡¯ll give up for today, but if you can think of anything you want, please let me know. If it¡¯s within my powers then I¡¯ll prepare it for you.¡± King-sama smiled bitterly and ended the conversation there. It was time for him to return and my sudden audience with King-sama was over. Yup, it was bad for my heart in various ways. ??????? ¡°Ouch.¡± Today wasn¡¯t my usual cooking class day, but I felt somewhat humoured so I was helping out at the dining hall. The menu was already decided, so I was just cutting up the ingredients. I carelessly cut my fingers while cutting the vegetables. It didn¡¯t look like I cut it too deeply, but blood was oozing out bit by bit. I secretly glanced around and the chefs were all busy preparing for lunch, so no one was looking my way. ¡°¡ºHEAL¡».¡± I casted recovery magic in a small voice so that no one else could hear me. The cut on my finger healed in no time. Magic is amazing. I read the books I borrowed from the Royal Palace library the other day and learnt how to use magic. Classroom learning just wasn¡¯t enough if I really needed to use recovery magic, so I was actively using it when the opportunity arose. It¡¯s called practicing. It seemed that I made the right decision to practice magic. At first, I couldn¡¯t invoke it very well. I tried different things with a book in hand and I was able to use magic, so I decided that it was good to practice. Now it would be no problem if magic was needed for treatment when the Knight Orders returned from the Ghosh Forest. The potion deliveries were finished and the 2nd and 3rd Knight Orders headed to the Ghosh Forest in the West just as planned. After the knights departed, I prayed for their safe return. Then the subjugation mission at Ghosh Forest to the West of the Royal Capital finished and the 2nd and 3rdKnight Orders returned. It was further away from the Royal Capital than the East and South Forest and it took them about two weeks to get back after they had left. The potions seemed to be useful. When I heard that no one had died in the subjugation, I sighed in relief. That was a week ago. Although no one died, there were still a few people who were injured. There were also people who needed to go to the hospital upon their return. Immediately after coming home from the subjugation, there were various proceedings. I heard from Captain-san that he was busy, so I decided to visit the hospital after a few days had passed. Because I heard that some of the knights from the 3rd Knight Order, who I had become friends with, were hospitalised. I brought the cookies I always baked when I went to visit them in the hospital. ¡°Hello ~.¡± ¡°Oh ~, isn¡¯t that Sei?¡± ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Just fine, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you saying? You looked like you were at death¡¯s door when you came back.¡± ¡°Shut up ~.¡± The building that I entered to visit everyone certainly felt like a hospital. The room that the knights were in was big enough to fit 10 people. There were many people still suffering from lacerations and puncture wounds in the first room I found the knights in. I listened to their story. It seemed that a lot of demons had accumulated in the West Forest because no one had subjugated there for a while, so there were a lot of casualties this time. They used potions as much as they could so luckily no one died. The people in the room used the potions to stop the bleeding and returned to the Royal Capital. It had been a week and they looked healthy, but there were still a lot of people who needed to rest. They were taking a break from subjugation since a reasonable amount of people were hospitalised, but the people who could work had already left the hospital and returned to the Knight Order. They said that it took them twice as long to catch up on training if they skipped. It was normal for me, but I had a hunch that the knights were also workaholics. ¡°It must have been tough.¡± ¡°Even so, I¡¯m glad I could return alive.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all thanks to Sei¡¯s potions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad the potions were useful.¡± I felt a little shy since everyone was thanking me. I¡¯m glad that no one died. We talked about various things and I found out that there were knights from the 3rd Knight Order were in the other rooms as well. So I said my goodbyes to the people in this room and moved onto the next one. All the rooms I went to felt the same. Everyone was thanking me, so I was glad I worked hard on mixing potions. I wondered how many rooms I¡¯d visited leisurely like this. I found a knight I knew in one of the rooms and lost my voice. ¡°Oh, did you come to visit me?¡± He greeted me with his usual grin but his left arm wasn¡¯t there. I nodded in reply, but when he saw how different my attitude was from normal, he put his right hand on his head. I never thought that I¡¯d be so shock to not see something that was always there. What can I say? My words aren¡¯t coming out. ¡°That arm¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I made a blunder.¡± He smiled and told me it was taken by a demon. When I asked him if he could heal it with potions and he told me that the most potions could do was heal lost fingertips. Healing a lost arm was impossible. He laughed and said that Captain-san got lucky that time with the Salamander. ¡°If you couldn¡¯t heal it with potions, then what¡¯s left is healing it with recovery magic?¡± ¡°Yup, well yeah but.¡± I heard before that recovery magic was more effective than potions, but when I talked about it, he had a strange expression on his face and he hesitated. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to heal the lost limbs even with recovery magic.¡± According to him, level 8 holy magic was needed in order to cast recovery magic that could heal lost limbs. The problem was that no one at the Royal Palace was higher than level 6, so no one could heal lost limbs. ¡°Is there no one?¡± ¡°There are only a few people who could use holy attribute magic within the Mage Division.¡± There were only a few mages in the Mage Division in the first place and their magic attributes varied. Recovery magic couldn¡¯t be used with most magic attributes, so only those who had an aptitude for holy attribute magic could cast recovery magic high enough to heal lost limbs. If magic attributes were equally distributed amongst the mages, then just how few could use recovery magic? ¡°I¡¯m just glad that I could use the potions to stop the bleeding. If not, then I probably wouldn¡¯t have made it.¡± It¡¯s painful to listen to this. ¡°Thanks for coming today. I¡¯m glad I could see you in the end.¡± ¡°Eh? In the end?¡± ¡°When I¡¯m able to move again, I decided that I would quit the Knight Order and go back to my hometown. It¡¯s hard to be a knight with this arm.¡± I agreed with what he was saying. But I didn¡¯t want to agree with it. I stared at his arm that disappeared halfway down his upper arm. Is it because the potion stopped his bleeding? Flesh covered beautifully over the open wound and I couldn¡¯t see his bones. I couldn¡¯t agree with what he had said, just because his arm was gone. He must had been a former commoner who entered the Knight Order after he graduated from the Royal Academy. If he quits the Knight Order, then he would be a commoner once again, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to come to the Royal Palace anymore. When I thought about that, I got really lonely. I softly touched his arm and his body shook in response. ¡°If¡­¡­ If you can heal your arm, would you?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­¡± His smiling face up until now scrunched up at my question. Well yeah. No one likes to lose their arm. Level 8 holy magic was needed to heal a lost limb. I fulfilled that condition perfectly. I thought that it would be difficult to insist that I was an ordinary person if I healed him here. If he was a stranger then I could just pretend that I didn¡¯t see anything and walk away. No¡­¡­¡­¡­ Perhaps even if he was a strange, I¡¯d end up healing him anyway because I¡¯d already seen him. Even if I pretended that I didn¡¯t see anything and left, I¡¯d probably worry about it so much that I¡¯d return. I¡¯d feel gloomy. I¡¯m quite the coward. I channelled magic power into the palm that was touching him. I could adjust how well he healed, depending on how much magic power I channelled. This time, I was healing his lost arm, so I channelled more magic power than usual. Please heal. I prayed as I casted my magic, ¡°¡ºHEAL¡».¡± A pale white light covered the knight¡¯s body. Something that looked like a white dense mist gathered around his missing left arm and gradually shaped itself into an arm. The haze dimly radiated white. It was the same light that was covering his body, although the shades were different. Gold particles intertwined like a lam¨¦ inside of the white haze and it sparkled. The knight shone for just a few minutes and when the light settled down, his left arm was back. The knight looked at his left arm for a while, dumbfounded and then gradually opened and closed his fist. ¡°Is there any discomfort?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ None.¡± He continued to open and close his fist so I got a little worried and asked, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any problems. I¡¯m glad. I did it properly. That somewhat made me happy and I smiled. The knight stopped gripping his fist and stared at it, absentmindedly. ¡°Sei.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He called out to me in a quiet voice, so I wondered what was wrong. He grabbed my hands which were placed on my lap. It happened so suddenly that I inadvertently cried out in surprise, but the knight didn¡¯t let go of my hand. ¡°¡­¡­ Thank you.¡± His usual light hearted personality was nowhere to be found. His brows were creased and he cried while thanking me. ¡°Mm, you¡¯re welcome?¡± ¡°Why are you saying it like a question?¡± ¡°No, nothing¡­¡­¡± It was somewhat embarrassing being thanked so I inadvertently phrased it like a question. The Knight dropped his shoulders, crestfallen and returned to his usual self. I¡¯m a bit relieved. It was sort of nerve wracking to not see him act like his normal self. People usually touched each other casually, but when it was done seriously, it was too much. It was the same for the knight. When we smiled wryly at each other, I unexpectedly felt eyes on me. I was bothered by it so I looked around. All the patients in this room were staring at me. Ah, yup, that¡¯s right. I suddenly grew his arm back. I felt it when I first entered the room too, but all the patients in this room were suffering from the same type of injuries; they had all lost some part of their body, whether it be arms or legs. It depended what they had lost, but the people in this room would probably quit the Knight Order after they were discharged from the hospital. They were probably thinking that I¡¯d heal them as well since I had already healed someone in the same room as them. Well, the ship has already sailed so why don¡¯t I heal them all? I exhaled and asked the knight to bring me MP Potions from the Research Institute, regardless of rank. Even though he¡¯s injured, his arm is healed so it¡¯s fine if I ask him to run an errand for me, right? Although I have a lot of MP, if I heal everyone then I might run out half-way through. He happily undertook the errand and I sent him off with, ¡°Well then, see you¡±. When the knight got off the bed and took a few steps he raised his voice, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I thought something was wrong and called out to him but the Knight didn¡¯t reply. For some reason he was stomping and stretching on the spot. ¡°It even healed my old wounds.¡± ¡°What?¡± What the Knight was saying was, that it wasn¡¯t just his arm, but also his previous injured knee that was healed. He said that the discomfort was completely gone. When I said that magic was awesome because it could even heal old wounds, he told me that magic did not normally heal old wounds. Eh? Is this also because of my accursed 50% increase? Or did I just use too much magic? But I would hate it if people didn¡¯t recover because I used my magic half-heartedly, so I didn¡¯t think too deeply about it. Let¡¯s think about the fact that I healed old wounds later. For now, I decided to concentrate on treating these people. I healed everyone in the room, one by one. Regardless of the wound: big or small, external or internal, magic healed everything. If that¡¯s the case then magic¡¯s really handy, huh? All the people who were treated were all surprised at what had healed and they were all tearing up while saying thanks. No, some people were actually crying. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a man cry so I¡¯m pretty impatient. I finished healing everyone and turned around to go home when I saw a crowd of people by the entrance of the room. They had noticed that I was finished because they started entering the room. They were listening to the people in the room. I called out to one of them and talked to him. He said he¡¯d heard a racket and came to check it out. Well yeah. Some people who were healed were screaming loudly with joy. The people who¡¯d entered this room all knew the people in this room. So of course, they also knew how serious their injuries were. Well, most of the hospitalised people were all injured from the subjugation, so they were all colleagues. Anyone would be happy to see that their colleagues had recovered and shouts of joy were coming from here and there. They tangled with the people who I¡¯d treated and thanked me. Well ~, ah, I did some good, I thought in self-satisfaction. I left the hospital room thinking that I should head back to the Research Institute and encountered the knight carrying MP Potions. Oh yeah, I asked him to go fetch me some potions just in case I ran out of MP half-way through. Surprisingly, I had enough MP to heal everyone in that room. I¡¯d intended on using a lot of magic power to heal the people with lost limbs but it seemed that ¡ºHEAL¡»didn¡¯t use that much MP. However, I felt bad if I don¡¯t use it because he went to fetch it for me. Well, I¡¯ve already practiced so should I heal the other people as well? Yup, let¡¯s do that. At any rate, I felt that I was at a level where I couldn¡¯t keep insisting that I was an ordinary person anyways. I became defiant and decided to the treat the patients in the other rooms. I tried to carry the MP Potions myself, but the knight and the other people around me stopped me and carried it for me. I headed to the next room. There was a line of curious onlookers behind the knight who was carrying the MP Potions. I felt like a doctor making her rounds in certain dramas. It was extremely embarrassing to be observed, but it wasn¡¯t like I could do anything about it, so I gave up. Thus, I treated each person one by one while drinking MP Potions. But there were a lot of people in this hospital. I got tired of just using ¡ºHEAL¡»and then I remembered that I read about AOE magic before in a book. I want to try it out. I already finished healing the people with lost limbs and the only patients with relatively lighter wounds remained. I could always use ¡ºHEAL¡»again if the wounds were lighter, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t activate. In the next room, I walked all the way to the middle and stopped. This time, instead of channelling magic into my palm, I released my magic so that it filled the entire room. Even if I said I released it, I had never done it before so I concentrated and imagined that magic was being pushed out of my body. ¡°¡ºAREA HEAL¡»¡± While casting the magic, I felt magic power flowing out of my body. Something that looked like a magic circle appeared on the floor with me at the centre. The lines of the magic circle were drawn in a white light. The area enclosed by the magic circle was covered in a white haze filled with golden lam¨¦, just like when ¡ºHEAL¡»was casted. It was very magical. The scene that I thought was indeed fantasy, disappeared within seconds. I looked around to see if it¡¯d worked and everyone who was in the magic circle, all seemed to have healed. Everyone checked the conditions of their injuries and smiled when they saw that it¡¯d all healed. Alright! I decided to make a triumphant pose in my mind when a voice called out to me from behind. ¡°Today you¡¯re casting¡­¡­ Area of effect magic?¡± When I turned around to face the owner of the familiar voice, I saw Director-san and Captain-san. ¡°Yes. Why are you here, Director-san?¡± ¡°For crying out loud! You were late in returning and the guy from the 3rd Knight Order came to take the MP Potions. I was worried so I came.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡± He told me seemingly shocked. I didn¡¯t want to receive punishment so I apologised and he smiled, wryly. ¡°Even so, you¡¯ve really went wild.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I saw people who¡¯d lost their arms and legs regain them a while ago. I was surprised,¡± Captain-san said after Director-san, pressing for answers. Yup, even I think I overdid it a bit, but it couldn¡¯t be helped, you know! They were expecting it. I had to respond to their expectations. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡£ I¡¯m sorry. I also wanted to try out magic. ¡°Well, but you did well,¡± Captain-san said that when I hung my head down in shame while reflecting on my actions. Director-san and Captain both tapped me on the shoulders in appreciation. ??????? ¡°Sei,¡± A voice called out to me while I was walking through the Royal Palace. I turned to face the voice and it was a knight I knew from the 3rd Knight Order. I saw him smiling and waving so I waved back. Since we were both working, we passed each other with a simple greeting. Since I was summoned, only the researchers, who worked at the same place as me, called out to me like this, but recently the knights also started to call out to me. I knew more knights now because of what had happened at the hospital the other day. So lately, people have been calling out to me when I walked around the Royal Palace. Despite the fact that I only walked back and forth from the Research Institute to the Royal Palace library, like today. I thought my world suddenly got wider because of that incident, even though I confined myself in the Research Institute. I entered the library and returned the book I¡¯d borrowed to the librarian and this time, I heard a small, ¡°Ah¡±. The person who said that was someone wearing a robe. When I turned around, I accidentally met his eyes. Judging by his appearance, he looked like a court mage but I didn¡¯t know him. I smiled ambiguously while tilting my head in confusion and he returned it with a similar smile. The librarian had just finished confirming the book that I¡¯d returned, so I could finally leave. I noticed his voice this time, but I had a feeling that the random times when I raised my face and met the gaze of the person near me have increased. I just feel that way for some reason. I felt that I was being too self-conscious, so I quietly kept it in my mind without telling anyone. After returning the book, I walked over to the bookshelf to find another book to borrow. Since I¡¯ve been to the library numerous times, I knew where the books I wanted were located. I took the books I wanted one after another and when I found the last book I wanted in the top row of the bookshelf, I stretched out my hand. But, a stretched hand next to mine took the book first. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Was this person who was smiling while handing me the book, a civil official? He probably was one since he wasn¡¯t wearing the knight¡¯s armour nor was he wearing robes. It¡¯s not like I couldn¡¯t reach it or anything, but the book was a little bulky so he really helped me out by getting the book for me. I said my thanks and once again returned to where the librarian was. Come to think of it, more people have been coming here recently. The image I had when I was here by myself was that only a few people visited the library. The only people I met here were Liz and the civil officers, but lately people I¡¯ve never seen before were coming here. No matter when I came, there was always someone here. It was nice that people were making use of the library, but I also liked to read books in peace. That part is just a little too bad. ¡°Sei-sama!¡± When I stepped out of the library with the new books I borrowed, someone called out to me again. This time it was a Knight from the 2nd Knight Order. I didn¡¯t have to see his face to know that. Only people from that 2nd Knight Order call me with ¨Csama. There were times where I¡¯ve been called that by shop assistants in Japan but it was always with my surname, never my first. That was why being called that by people from the 2nd Knight Order was embarrassing. I asked them to stop attaching ¨Csama to my name but they didn¡¯t show any signs of stopping. ¡°I will carry your books for you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No, no. Please leave this much to me.¡± A pleasant smile appeared on his face and he easily took the books that I was barely able to carry. This was also a recent event. At the beginning, I felt really bad and tried my hardest to refuse them, but they wouldn¡¯t back down so I gave up and just let them carry it. The people from the 2nd Knight Order seemed to worship me a lot. They added ¨Csama to my name and when I head home from the library, they walked with me and helped me carry my books. It was certainly helpful since it was hard to walk from the Royal Palace to the Research Institute while carrying heavy books. But every time I go to the library there was always someone there. It was always a different knight so it wasn¡¯t like they were stalkers, but it was really unnatural for me to meet people from the 2nd Knight Order every time I go to the library. They can¡¯t be on standby duty near the library, right? I want to believe that it wasn¡¯t like that. I chatted with the knight while walking and before I knew it, we¡¯d reached the Research Institute. Like always, I said my thanks and entered the Research Institute. One of the books I borrowed today was something that Director-san wanted. I handed the other books to one of the researchers and headed to the Director¡¯s Office. ¡°Director, I have brought the book you wanted.¡± ¡°Thanks, just put it over there.¡± I knocked on Director-san¡¯s office door and waited for a reply before entering. Director-san was in the middle of writing up documents so I put the book I brought with me onto the place he¡¯d pointed at. ¡°Did they escort you again today?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Did he finish writing the documents? Director-san raised his face and grinned. I returned it with a completely exhausted look. Director-san once saw a knight from the 2nd Knight Order at the entrance, escorting me back to the Research Institute while carrying my books. He asked me what had happened and I told him that they escorted me like this every time. ¡°I refused at the beginning but they wouldn¡¯t give up so I gave up instead.¡± ¡°I see. Well, it¡¯s no use.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use?¡± ¡°The other day you did various things, right? It seems that you¡¯re already the ¡¾Saint¡¿to the guys at the 2nd Knight Order because of that incident. Well it seems that they¡¯re not the only ones who think so.¡± I smiled wryly, replied in my head with, ah! I thought so, and sighed. I was far from being a commoner, in the public¡¯s point of view. That was how much I overdid it. Rumours are called rumours for a reason. It wasn¡¯t just the 2nd and 3rd Knight Orders but also other people from the Royal Palace that talked, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. I expected this to happen, but I thought that it was inevitable at that time. I wanted to sigh. If possible, I wanted to live a quiet and peaceful life. Well whatever, it¡¯s fine. Everyone was really happy. I remember the knights crying, shouting and hugging each other in joy, I¡¯m glad I healed them. I convinced myself and calmed myself down. I was once again shocked by what Director-san said next, ¡°It¡¯ll probably be clear soon whether you¡¯re the ¡¾Saint¡¿or not.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°There was a message from the Court Mage Division a while ago. They want to check your status.¡± The bomb that Director-san dropped was that the Court Mage Division¡¯s Head Magician would finally perform status appraisal on me. To me, that was an extra-large bomb. Translator: Blushy Editor: Razogul Volume 1 - CH 8 Translator: ¥Î¥ó¤Ö¤êyuu It''s hot. It''s the height of summer. This place was a continent so it wasn''t as humid as Japan. But hot weather is hot. Moreover there''s no wind today. If I''m allowed, I want to be in shorts and a camisole. Of course with bare feet. Oh well, it''s impossible. If I were to dress like that here, the guys will have nosebleeds and pass out. Even though it''s summer, I''m wearing a long-sleeved shirt and an ankle-length skirt. Camisoles and shorts have less cloth than general underwear. Still at this rate, I would probably end up collapsing due to heat stroke. Although my sleeves are rolled up, it''s still hot. I''m writing a document to submit to the Director but my brush has stopped moving for a while now because it''s so hot. Let''s give up enduring this heat. "Hey, Jude." "What?" I moved to where Jude was sitting and he was also suffering from the heat. His buttons are undone. What the, that''s unfair, I want to unbutton my top too. If it''s like this then let''s make him work. "I want to ask a favour. Could you come with me?" "Okay." I said and brought Jude to the kitchen. The chef wasn''t here when we entered the kitchen since it was already past noon. While looking around, I found a bucket used for cleaning on the shelf near the wall. I slowly took out the bucket and placed it on the floor. Then I turned to face Jude, who was standing behind me. Jude can use water attribute magic. I have a feeling that he had told me before that he could fill a tub full of water with his magic. "Can you fill this bucket with cold water?" "I can, but what on earth are you trying to do?" "I thought that it''d be refreshing to fill a bucket with water and put my feet in." "Wait, that''s¡­¡­" "You''re going to say it''s improper, aren''t you? It''s okay, no one is around at this time." It wasn''t good for woman to show their bare feet to the opposite sex in this world. When I went to the library recently, it was so hot that I lifted up my skirt and Liz got angry when she saw me doing that. Despite the fact that she was the same sex as me. When I said that she replied with, "What if someone saw you?" She smiled nicely while being angry. That was scary. Because there are such values here, Jude hesitated and his face was unusually red. "Jude how about you get a bucket and soak your feet too? It feels good, you know?" I proposed the same thing to the reluctant Jude. It was the whisper of the devil. "You don''t have to worry that much. No one comes to the kitchen at this time and it''s not like I''ll be soaking my feet for that long. Please!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£Fine¡­¡­ It can''t be helped. Be careful not to get caught." "Thanks!" Although Jude is reluctant he filled the bucket with water and left the kitchen. He cheekily took a different bucket with him when he left so it seemed that he was going to do the same thing in a different place. The kitchen floor was dirt so it was alright even if the water spilt. I put the bucket in front of me and sat down on the chair. I raised my skirt so that it wouldn''t get wet. I took off my shoes and socks and put my feet into the bucket. The cool, cold water covered my feet. Ah ~, as I thought, it felt good. Anyway, no one was here so I unbutton two buttons from my shirt, opened it up and fanned myself. There''s no wind but it''s cool when I fan myself. I continued doing so in a daze and when the water in the bucket became lukewarm¡­ There was a knock on the door and I could hear the sound of the doorknob turning. The door behind me opened. "Sei, here you¡­¡­" I turned back because someone called out to me, it was the Captain. He looked my way, stopped in the middle of his sentence and froze. Ah ~, yup. My appearance was a little overstimulating, wasn''t it? It''s very awkward. For the time being, I fasten my buttons, pulled my feet out of the bucket and put my shoes on before standing up. "Hello, Hawk-sama. What can I do for you?" I called out to the Captain as if nothing had happened. The Captain, who was frozen, covered his mouth with his palm and averted his eyes. He blushed like usual. "Sorry", he said in a small voice. Please don''t be shy. Pretend it didn''t happen. I thought and cleared my throat. The Captain started speaking awkwardly. "I heard you have a day off tomorrow." "Ah~, come to think of it, yes I do." When he said that, I remembered that I have a day off tomorrow. But, what''s wrong with that? I thought and tilted my head and the Captain turned to face me. "Tomorrow''s also my day off. I was wondering if you''d like to go to town together." "To town!?" Oh! I can finally go to town!!! I haven''t been to town yet. When I replied cheerfully, the Captain recovered and smiled. "I heard from Johan that you were secluding yourself in the research institute even on your days off. It''s also important to take a breather once in a while, isn''t it?" "Is that so?" Johan is the Director. It seemed that the Director was worried about me. I didn''t have anywhere I particularly wanted to go and because I live in the research institute, I''m also here on my days off so I end up working anyway. But I do spend my mornings leisurely. "Thank you. Please let me join you." "Well then, I''ll pick you up tomorrow morning." "Is that alright?" "Yeah, no problem." Yay ~! What kind of place is it? Of course, it''ll be like a European townscape, right? I wanted to visit Europe at least once, but I didn''t end up going because I was summoned to this place. Like that, there was a time when I was pleased¡­¡­ I was looking forward to going into town that I completely forgot. The person who''s going with me is the Ice Knight-sama, who isn''t cold at all. There was a short distance between the palace and the town centre so we rode a carriage from the front gate. It wasn''t a luxurious carriage from the Margrave, but a normal carriage. It seemed that the Captain made arrangements so that it wouldn''t be too noticeable. The clothes the Captain wore matched mine. They were clothes that commoners wore around town. Right now, the Margrave carriage is better than this one. Because you know, the normal carriage isn''t spacious at all. I''m in this cramped carriage with the Captain, who has a good physique. Just the two of us. He''s close! Too close! A sparkling hunk is right beside me! Moreover, we''re sitting relatively close¡­¡­ A trip in a narrow space. Sitting relatively close to a hunk¡­¡­ My level''s too low. I can''t do this! Stop it! My life is already at zero! "Look. If you look over there you can see Johan''s main residence." "Eh ~." I was screaming inside when the Captain smiled and pointed towards the other side of me. Wai-, don''t get any closer! You''re close, too close!!! I couldn''t look at the Captain so I looked towards where he was pointing. Woah, the Director''s residence is big! Since this was the capital, the land price must be expensive, right? And yet, the Director''s residence was very big. Is his family unexpectedly rich? "It''s very big." "Yeah. Johan''s family is really influential." I thought that would be the case and turned my head back. I really thought my heart was going to stop because the Captain''s face was really close. I was thankful that he moved when he noticed the blood rushing to my face. Even so, the inside of the carriage was really narrow. Despite it being taxing on my heart, the carriage continued moving and gradually reached town. "Wow ~~~!" It''s amazing! What is this? So cute! The landscape looked exactly like Europe! The rooftops are red. It looked like something that had popped out of a fairy-tale. While I was impressed by the landscape, the carriage stopped and the door opened. The Captain got off first and lent me a hand. I took his hand and got off. I look around and it looked close to the town centre. There are quite a lot of people. While I was looking around, impressed, the Captain said, "The market place is that way, shall we go?" and took my hand. Eh? Is he not going to let go?! Wait! No ~~~~~~~~! Volume 2 - CH 1.1 I was absentmindedly watching the scenery from inside of the carriage that was heading to the Court Mage Magician Division and sighed many times. The Director, who noticed this, called out to me with a wry smile. ¡°You look extremely displeased. Well, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t understand how you feel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡­¡± I also replied with a wryly smile and the Director shrugged his shoulders. I once again looked at the scenery outside and thought about what had happened yesterday. Yesterday around closing time or something, a message came from the Court Mage Division. They will be appraising so come to the Court Mage Division tomorrow, or rather today. What exactly were they appraising? It seemed that they were appraising me. People have recently been calling me the ¡¾Saint¡¿here and there because of the incident that took place at the hospital. Meanwhile the Head Magician of the Court Mage Division, who was comatose by the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿, had awoken about a week ago. The Head Magician was the only person in this whole kingdom that could appraise people. I haven¡¯t had my appraisal yet because he was in a coma. The Head Magician still wasn¡¯t in top shape but the appraisal of the ¡¾Saint¡¿was the foremost important thing in the kingdom, so he was pushing himself to do the appraisal. It was inevitable when I thought about what had happened at the hospital. I thought that the rumour about me possibly being the ¡¾Saint¡¿would spread if I used recovery magic the way I did. So I prepared myself to some extent but¡­¡­ It was still depressing. Appraisal confirmed one¡¯s status but if that happened then I would be busted. My status clearly showed that I was the ¡¾Saint¡¿. ¡°You really don¡¯t want to?¡± I probably had a naturally perplexed look on my face while pondering. I turned to face the Director and he looked worried. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s depressing.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say this but you did put on quite a show.¡± ¡°They¡¯re wrong, I didn¡¯t go all out. I only just healed people a little, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a little, okay. Definitely not.¡± I tightened my lips at the Director¡¯s words and he looked shocked. Then we smiled wryly at each other. The Director has been really concerned about me. Since the time I had moved into the research institute. He did it in such a casual manner that I didn¡¯t notice it most the time but sometimes I would notice that he was concerned about me. It was probably because I¡¯m his subordinate but I¡¯m extremely thankful because of it. Even by just talking to him like this, I feel my depression fading away a little. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would happen as soon as the appraisal is finished¡­¡­¡± The Director who suddenly became serious, fessed up. The numbers of demons has been gradually decreasing since the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. Which meant that the people at the royal palace could clearly tell that the ¡¾Saint¡¿had been summoned. The capital, however, were only decreasing around the vicinity of the capital. Places far away from the capital were still overflowing with demons. The past ¡¾Saints¡¿travelled to the regions that were overflowing with demons together with the Knight Order. They used a special technique that only they can utilise and purified the land. The people at the palace also expect the ¡¾Saint¡¿to carry on this duty this time as well. ¡°Demon annihilation¡­¡­ Does it mean that there¡¯s fighting involved?¡± ¡°Yes, but the Mages invoke magic behind the Knights so you won¡¯t face anything as dangerous as them.¡± ¡°But what if the demon can use magic? It¡¯ll head towards my way, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well yes. I can¡¯t say that you wouldn¡¯t met with any danger at all.¡± ¡°Even the child who was summoned with me has never been to combat.¡± There were places that were at war in the world. Japan, however, was peaceful. Myself, and probably Aira-chan, who was summoned with me, has never had to fight for our lives or taken a life. Even if someone suddenly told me I had to do subjugations, I don¡¯t think I would be of any use. I have killed many monsters and demons in games. ¡°They¡¯ll probably do practice runs first, wouldn¡¯t they? The person who was summoned with you, was her name Aira? She¡¯s learning how to do things like that at the Royal Academy.¡± ¡°Is she?¡± ¡°The Academy practices by running subjugations at the East Forest. She, too, should have gone by now.¡± Aira-chan¡¯s had already experienced subjugations. I was a little surprised when I heard that. I was worried about whether or not she¡¯d be okay but then I remembered that she had Knights as escorts. I hadn¡¯t heard anything about her being injured so she was probably alright. The East Forest that she went to is also supposed to be full of weak demons. ¡°What¡­¡­ What would you do if the appraisal showed that I wasn¡¯t the ¡¾Saint¡¿?¡± I suddenly thought and asked. The Director¡¯s eyes widened and then he smiled wryly. ¡°The ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿job will probably be done by Aira, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ They would probably request that you support her.¡± ¡°Support?¡± ¡°By using recovery magic.¡± I see. I definitely healed so much at the hospital that the people around me were surprised. So that might happen. ¡°If I accept such a request then I would probably have to move into the Court Mage Division, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I wonder.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to move if I don¡¯t have to.¡± The research institute was an extremely comfortable place. I was fine with giving support but I didn¡¯t want to transfer workplaces. I told the Director my feelings and he was going to handle it. I continued to talk to the Director and we arrived at the Court Mage Division. A Court Mage came to greet us and we walked into the building behind them. While we were walking through the hallway, I felt someone gaze at us from beyond the Mage. It felt the same as when I was walking through the palace recently. Although I was used to it by now, it still bothered me. There wasn¡¯t anything I can do about it even if it bothered me. ¡°I have brought Director Waldeck and Sei-sama from the Medicinal Herb Research Institute.¡± The Mage knocked on the door that appeared to lead to the Head Mage¡¯s room and stated his business, a reply came immediately from within. The Mage urged them to enter and they went inside. Next to Intelligent Glasses-sama was a young man with extremely good features with dark blue hair and eyes. He greeted them while standing. His well featured face looked as if it was artificially made. Picture What¡¯s up with this? Isn¡¯t the beauty level in this room too high?! Mage-san? The Mage-san left the room as soon as he showed us in. The only ones in this room are the Director and I, and then Intelligent Glasses-sama and the young man. Just four of us. ¡°Welcome to the Court Mage Division. I¡¯m the Head Magician, Yuri Dreves.¡± ¡°My name is Sei.¡± The young man smiled gentle while introducing himself to me. I was overwhelmed by his beauty and froze, but I still managed to somehow return his greeting. He¡¯s the Head Magician? He looked younger than Intelligent Glasses-sama, who was standing next to him. It must be because of his good looks and gentle aura. He might even be the same age as Jude. It would probably be rude so I didn¡¯t let it show on my face and sat down on the sofa while thinking. ¡°Ah, and he is the Deputy Head Magician, Airhart Hawk. You have met him before, have you not?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± As soon as I sat on the sofa, the Head Magician introduced Intelligent Glasses-sama as if he had just remembered about him. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know his name since he had never introduced himself nor was I told by anyone. So he was the Deputy Head Magician. I had thought that Intelligent Glasses-sama was a big shot from how the surrounding Mages were looking at him. I got it. I, however, care more about his surname. His surname is Hawk, so does that mean he¡¯s the Captain¡¯s brother? That question must have shown on my face because the Director, who was sitting next to me, told me the answer, ¡°He¡¯s Al¡¯s brother¡±. ¡°Well then, as I¡¯ve told you earlier, I would like to appraise you today.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After the introductions were out of the way, he talked about the main subject at hand, the appraisal. It finally came. He explained appraisal magic in the same way that Jude had earlier. Appraisal magic could be used on people but if that person didn¡¯t approve then there was a chance that it could repel. If that person was higher level than the person casting the appraisal magic then it would definitely repel. So, ¡°Please let me be at ease¡±, the Head Magician said while smiling. I will endeavor to do so¡­¡­ ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡ºAppraisal¡».¡± I didn¡¯t feel like it but I tried my best to think about it not repelling and obediently accepted the appraisal magic. It was probably because of the appraisal magic but I felt nothing for a second and then in the next moment, I felt something repel. The subtle discomfort was gone. Huh? Did it possibly repel? I looked around in my surprise and saw that the others, aside from the Head Magician, was also shocked. When my gaze reached the Director¡¯s, he stared at me with a dubious look. Wait a minute, I was careful so that it wouldn¡¯t repel! ¡°Sei¡­¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t repel it, I thought real hard about it not repelling.¡± The Director looked at me in shock but they were all just false accusations. I don¡¯t recall repelling it so I firmly returned his gaze. The Head Magician, who was looking at our exchange, recovered from his shock and smiled while asking: ¡°You didn¡¯t repel it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± The Head Magician put a hand to his chin and casted his eyes down when I nodded. After thinking for a while, he lifted his head up again. ¡°If you didn¡¯t repel it then that means your level is higher than mine.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but what is your basic level?¡± He arrived at that conclusion. I knew it. There was another reason for the magic repel that had nothing to do with me repelling it myself. Perhaps, it was correct. I think that my basic level is higher than the Head Magician¡¯s. Many of the knights in the 3rd Knight Order were also lower level than me and a lot of them were around level 30. Taking that into consideration, the Captain and Head Mage classes should be around level 40? If so then there would be at least a 6 level difference between us because I was level 55. But that¡¯s only my basic level. When I asked Jude and the knights earlier, they told me what was considered normal. If it¡¯s just this much then it would be alright to tell them, right? I thought and said: ¡°It¡¯s 55.¡± Honestly, the reactions of all three returned. The Head Magician was smiling while frozen; Intelligent Glasses-sama widened his eyes and the Director had his mouth opened widely. Director, your face has become weird you know? ¡°Level¡­¡­ 55¡­¡­?¡± The first person to start moving again was the Head Magician. He muttered in confirmation. When I nodded, he laughed, haha. ¡°It would certainly repel at that level.¡± ¡°Your level was that high¡­¡­?¡± For some reason the Head Magician was laughing happily and the Director was looking at me in shock. It¡¯s troubling even if you look at me with those eyes. It was originally like that. ¡°I see. That¡¯s troublesome.¡± The Head Magician didn¡¯t look troubled at all despite saying that. I tilted my head and he scrunched his eyebrows as if troubled. ¡°If I can¡¯t do ¡ºAppraisal¡»on you then we can only use the classic way to confirm your status¡­..¡± ¡°The classic way?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Intelligent Glasses-sama heard that and got off the sofa. He went to the desk in front of me, got a pen and paper and placed it in front of the Head Magician. The Head Magician began explaining to the Director and I. When a Mage couldn¡¯t perform appraisal on someone then that person would write a self-report of their own status. Of course, even now, the Head Magician couldn¡¯t appraise everyone and most of them used this method of confirmation. Basically everyone who worked at the palace had to fill out the report in advance. Some skills and levels were needed to gain promotions so some people excessively declare too much. Suspicious people like that have surprise examinations and are checked to see if what they declared was true or false. For magic skills, they would have to perform the level or attribute they declared in front of several examiners. The current Head Magician didn¡¯t have to take any exams before becoming the Head because he could use appraisal magic. ¡°Would my status be available to the public?¡± ¡°No. It will be treated as confidential information.¡± I was a little worried so I asked. It was the same as personal information in Japan but seeing Jude and the Knight¡¯s situations, the information doesn¡¯t seem to be kept very confidential. The information would be treated as confidential according to the Head Magician. It is, however, easy to get promoted even if you retain your valuable skills because there is no shortage of people who would gossip at the palace. ¡°Is that so?¡± I replied and looked at the paper once again. Yup, what should I do? It¡¯s probably better to write it down but¡­¡­ The other three people didn¡¯t say a word because I was staring at the paper without moving. The room where conversation had broken, was silent. I talked about various things with the Director on the way here but I was still wavering. If I write my status here then I can only act as a ¡¾Saint¡¿. Then about I write lies? I¡¯ve heard some things about Jude¡¯s status but I don¡¯t know what the average status in this kingdom is. If I write the wrong things then someone can point out the faults. ¡°You don¡¯t feel like doing it?¡± The Head Magician talked to me while I was worried over it. I raised my face and looked at the Head Magician, he was smiling gently. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Intelligent Glasses-sama, who was sitting next to the Head Magician, widened his eyes in surprise at that single sentence. I looked next to me and the Director was the same. ¡°Is it fine?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Head Magician.¡± Intelligent Glasses-sama said in a flustered voice but the Head Magician did not withdraw his statement. According to him, even if they forced me to report my status, they won¡¯t try to confirm my status. That¡¯s true, but is it really fine? Both Intelligent Glasses-sama and the Director have the same looks on their faces so it can¡¯t be good. I thought that it was possible to investigate magic skill to a certain degree, so is it really fine? I didn¡¯t say it out loud but I looked dubiously at the Head Magician and he smiled a little. ¡°Instead can you show me what you look like when you use magic?¡± Ah, so he was going to confirm my magic skill. A lot of people at the hospital had already witnessed my magic so if it¡¯s just that much then it was fine. I nodded and he said, ¡°Well then¡­¡­¡± and explained the procedure. The magic I was using this time was the same one I used at the hospital, ¡ºHeal¡». No one was injured in this room but works on healthy people too. But is ¡ºHeal¡»really fine? This was the first holy magic that I learned. The power increases if the level of holy attribute magic increases, you know? When it was used on a healthy person, it was difficult to determine the effects with either value or result so it was difficult to determine the status level. ¡°Will you confirm my holy attribute magic level with ¡ºHeal¡»?¡± ¡°No, I wanted to confirm something else.¡± It was strange so I asked and the thing he was checking wasn¡¯t my level. Did he want to see the differences when someone summoned from another world used magic and when someone from this world used magic? Was there even any difference? I¡¯ve seen Jude use his magic before but the difference in water magic and holy magic was just too great. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve never seen anyone using holy magic. I wanted to ask if I could see other people of this kingdom using it, but I couldn¡¯t say it myself because they would guess what I was up to. Even without it, I was still reluctant to write my status down. I thought about various things but no answer came to me. Well, in the worst case scenario where there¡¯s a remarkable difference, I could just smooth it over by saying I¡¯m from another world or that my level is high. I thought and obediently used magic. I concentrated on casting magic. They didn¡¯t specify a target so I casted it on myself. Then I activated ¡ºHeal¡»and my whole body was covered in a thin white haze. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± I heard a small muttered, looked up and saw that Intelligent Glasses-sama had his eyes wide open in surprise. Ah, there really is something different, isn¡¯t there? I looked at the other two and the Head Magician¡¯s eyes were shining, the Director¡­¡­ Was the same as he always was. There wasn¡¯t anything to be worried about it so I thought that the Head Magician and Intelligent Glasses=sama¡¯s reactions were strange and stared at them. ¡°Is there a difference?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I asked and the Head Magician nodded in excitement. ¡°Look here.¡± He said, and casted ¡ºHeal¡». He casted it on himself, like I had, and his body glowed white. He asked me after the lights had faded, ¡°Do you understand?¡± But I couldn¡¯t see what was different. I tilted my head and he once again casted ¡ºHeal¡». The Head Magician¡¯s body glowed white again but¡­¡­ Huh? Something suddenly bothered me and I also casted ¡ºHeal¡»on myself. It shone white in the same way but mine had golden particles mixed in. ¡°Do you see it now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± According the Head Magician, a rumour spread about my magic being different from others while I was treating the 2nd and 3rd Knight Orders. When other mages casted heal it only glowed white like it did with the Head Magician¡¯s. No one¡¯s light was intertwined with lame. It seemed that the magic power of an attribute was visible once activated. This white light was the magic power of holy magic, other attribute had other colours representing it. Usually one could not see magic power without training their perception. The Head Magician said that it was unknown how I can see it. It could be because I¡¯m from another world or the reason could be something else altogether. Since I¡¯m hearing about this, has Aira¡¯s status not been confirmed yet? I thought and asked, ¡°Not yet¡±, came the reply. If so, I wanted to know the results of her appraisal once they were over, but it was confidential information so they won¡¯t tell me. The cause of the lame, however, came from me so they told me as soon as they discovered it. Therefore I found out that my magic was different from the magic of those in this kingdom. It was probably because I was summoned and then there was this and that. I finally understood the cause of my accursed 50% increase. Come to think of it, the curse mostly affected things that had to do with my magic¡­¡­ I sighed inside my mind when I realised that. Volume 2 - CH 1.2 ??????? A messenger came from the palace two days after the appraisal at the Court Mage Division. They have come many times before, but this time was different. Everything was normal up until the point when the Director greeted the messenger at the entrance. The Director called me and took me along with him. The Director and the messenger had a formal exchange and then we all moved to the Director¡¯s room. Why was such a pretentious messenger here? He came delivering a letter, addressed to me from His Majesty. The letter went like this: I would like to meet you at the palace tomorrow. Mhmm, is this not an audience with the King? ¡°Director.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have appropriate clothes to wear when meeting His Majesty.¡± I was reminded of the first conversation I had with His Majesty when I looked at the letter. He told me at that time that there would be an official apology, I wonder if this was about that? No, I felt like I refused such an exaggerated apology, did he reject that? Liz taught me a little about the mannerism in this Kingdom but I haven¡¯t learnt enough to have an audience with His Majesty the King. Therefore, I tried to refuse the invitation by using my clothes as an excuse but it failed. ¡°There is no need for you to prepare anything, Sei-sama. All your preparations will be taken care of at the palace.¡± That was it. It was inevitable and even if I refused by frankly saying I was worried about my mannerism, he would just say that it wasn¡¯t a problem. I felt a little uneasy at the Messenger¡¯s respectful attitude but it would become troublesome if I kept on hesitating so I accepted. It would have been better for me to refuse but I felt that things would get even more complicated if I do. Even when I had met His Majesty at the library, he tried to gift me with various things such as territories and titles. If I refuse this time, he would be aware that I was angry. I would be extremely troubled if he started preparing things for me. Unmanageable things. Afterwards, I also worried about causing the Director inconvenience if I refused more than I already had. From the viewpoint of the research institute, His Majesty was the equivalent to a head of a superior organisation. At any rate, the head of this Kingdom might have some blame for me being summoned into a different world. Even if no one blamed him, there would be a dilemma between me and my superior, which smelt like trouble. It¡¯s the troubles of middle management. I didn¡¯t want to bother the Director with such things because he always does so much for me. Well, even if I tell the Director that I was worried over this, he would just end it with, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡±. The day after the messenger came. I went to the palace early in the morning and began my preparations for the audience with the King. It seemed that various kinds of preparations was needed in order to meet His Majesty the King. I told the messenger that I didn¡¯t think it was necessary to prepare so early in the morning but he dismissed me. The room where I was getting ready in was a large room that looked like a hotel suite, with a bedroom and living room. As soon as I entered the room, the maids, who were waiting, gathered around. I was ushered into the bathroom, before I had realised what was happening, my clothes were stripped and I took a bath first. I didn¡¯t think I had to take a bath again this early in the morning since I took one every day at the research institute but it was non-negotiable. The maids washed every nook and cranny of my body, from my head to my toes. It was really embarrassing but I¡¯ve already experienced this before. I had a similar experience when I lived at the palace after being summoned here. I¡¯m scared of getting used to it. The maids, who were currently in this room, were the same ones I had with me when I was first summoned, so I was able to bear with my embarrassment. The maids also carefully massaged my body after I got out of the shower. A nice smell spread throughout the room because they were using essential oils such as geranium and bergamot. It felt really nice because the maids were skilled. It was early in the morning so it was inevitable that I began dozing off. They quickly finished my makeup while I was absent-minded after my massage. I came back to my senses when I heard a voice call, Sei-sama. I looked into the mirror and saw how refined I looked and wanted to ask, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± My hair was down like it usually was but after applying the perfumed oil, my hair looked so silky that a ring of angels could be seen. The maids were also satisfied with their work. The work on my body was done so now I needed to change. The dress in the maid¡¯s hand was not the type of dress I thought I would be wear. It was an elegant, shiny white robe, embroidered with gold thread. I wanted to retort, whose high ranking aristocratic young lady is that for? I was a surprised that the maids, however, continued on with the preparations. I thought that I would surely wear a dress that tightens around the waist. The robe was similar to the ones that the Court Mages wore but it was even more extravagant. When I see it, I think of that¡­¡­ It somehow looked like something a saint would wear. My face inadvertently twitched. I don¡¯t remember doing anything during the appraisal that would out me as a ¡¾Saint¡¿. When I think back, however, I did act more on the grey side than the black side. I didn¡¯t write my status after all so they could see that as guilt. Actually there was. The palace may have already decided to treat me like a ¡¾Saint¡¿from observing my various actions. The maids steadily changed my clothes while I was thinking. When everything was finished I looked at my body in a full body mirror and there stood a ¡¾Saint¡¿. Yup. What am I saying? I was surprised myself. There was no halo behind me but there was a pure image of a ¡¾Saint¡¿. I wanted to retort, who is this? ¡°You are very beautiful.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I was praised by someone that seemed to be the leader of the maids. Their skills are quite good so I thanked them. I was proud that my skin had become incredibly nice since coming here but it glowed in the hands of a professional. My skin was even brighter and I was happy so I got a bit excited. How nice, I thought as I looked closer into the mirror and I was told that someone was here. Even if I go out like this I won¡¯t be embarrassed so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I told them to let him in. I was currently in the bedroom so I looked in the mirror once again before going into the living room. ¡°Hawk-sama?¡± The Captain was sitting on the sofa when I entered the living room. Eh? What? My eyes widened. The Captain stood up and walked towards me. ¡°Good morning, Sei.¡± ¡°Good morning. Umm¡­¡­ What are you doing here?¡± I asked in a weird way and the Captain tilted his head for a second, but he immediately got what I wanted to ask. I was going to have an audience with the King and he came here to escort me to the room where the King was at. Escort?! I was just walking through the palace, so there¡¯s no need for an escort, is there? I was surprised and the Captain laughed in a troubled way. ¡°I thought you would feel uneasy by yourself. Did I think too much?¡± ¡°Ah, huh?! That¡¯s not true!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°Um, thank you.¡± I panicked and shook my head. The Captain looked relieved. Even the people of this kingdom would be nervous at their first audience with the King. It was more reassuring to have someone you know close by at times like that, so he came especially for that reason. He said that he heard about the audience from the Director, who was also worried. Their kindness warmed my heart. Thank you. I thanked in my heart and I noticed that the Captain was staring at me. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ You look different from normal. You¡¯re beautiful today too¡­¡­¡± I wondered and asked. For a second, the Captain was speechless, then he smiled softly and dropped a bomb. I¡¯ve recently gotten a little used to the Director¡¯s attack but the Captain¡¯s attack power was very high since he was the Captain. I blushed. Being told something like that in a slightly irresistible voice was argh! I realised my face was getting red the moment I heard a noise. I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m not used to getting compliments! I held down the urge to scream and looked downwards to conceal my face. It was also impossible for me to face the Captain. ¡°Sei¡­¡­¡± The Captain shortened the distance between us by a step. I can see the Captain¡¯s hands rise at the edge of my eye. The Captain¡¯s hands seemed to touch my cheek and I closed my eyes. ¡°I, it¡¯s because the maids worked hard¡­¡­¡± I said, suddenly remembering that the maids were here. W-why am I making causing such a weird aura in public?! I panicked and looked around. I saw the maids, who were standing in wait by the wall, glance this way. When my eyes met theirs, they averted their gaze. They were watching us¡­¡­ Ah! I want to crawl into a hole¡­¡­ I felt perplexed and wanted to crouch down on the spot when a knock sounded at the door. The empty aura in the room disappeared and the maid moved in response to the knock. When I saw the Captain lower his hand, I didn¡¯t know what I was feeling. Was I feeling relieved? Or was I feeling regret? The knock came from the Civil Official, who came because the audience preparations had finished. The maids sent us off and the Civil Official led us to the throne room. The throne room was far from the room we were in and we walked down the long corridor in silence. If I was by myself then I would probably get more nervous as I walk. Thankfully the Captain was behind me so my mind was relatively calm. When we arrived in front of the throne room, the Civil Official explained what would happen when I enter. I was assisted all of a suddenly and not just thrown in¡­¡­ I took a deep breath and the Sentinel, who standing in front of the door, opened it. The space between the throne and the door was narrower than I thought. I was a little surprised because I thought that I would be guided to a spacious hall. I looked around the room that wasn¡¯t really wide and saw around 10 people that looked like aristocrats. The throne was placed in the centre at the back of the room and His Majesty the King was sitting on it. Is that the Prime Minister next to His Majesty? An older man with slick dark blue hair and a stern face stood next to his Majesty. The Captain, who accompanied me from behind, entered the door from the side and went to stand with the other aristocrats. Our eyes met for a moment. His eyes were smiling as if telling me it was okay. For now, I walked up to the centre of the room like the Civil Official had told me to do. When I stopped, I heard the sound of the door closing behind me. From here on there¡¯s no script. The Civil Official only told me what to do until here. I felt nervous from the subtle tense aura. After several minutes, the King stood up from his throne and the tensed aura increased. The King got off the platform, where the throne was placed, and walked towards me until he was a few steps away. ¡°I am Seigfried Slantania, the ruler of this Kingdom.¡± ¡°My name is Sei Tanakashi.¡± I received His Majesty¡¯s name and returned it with my own. I didn¡¯t know what to do but this was courtesy, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°First of all, I would like to apologise for suddenly summoning you from your country and for my son¡¯s rudeness.¡± His Majesty bowed deeply after speaking. The people around me also turned towards me and bowed. Wait a minute. What¡¯s with this setting?! I was breaking out in cold sweat inside and no one moved, not even His Majesty. Let¡¯s leave aside things like forgiving or not forgiving for now. You should raise your head first, shouldn¡¯t you? ¡°Please raise your head.¡± I said, holding back my quivering voice and everyone raised their heads. The tensed aura in the room slightly loosened. I guess this is the formal apology he told me about before but it was intense for common people so I would like him to stop doing this in the future. I thought that it was over with this but it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Sei-dono, you have accomplished various achievements since coming here to this Kingdom. I want to give you a reward on top of the apology. Is there anything you would want?¡± ¡°A reward?¡± Even if he suddenly asked me, I can¡¯t think of something on the spot. I thought it would be over with just the apology. A reward, a reward, huh¡­¡­ Oh yeah, he asked me this before too. But I don¡¯t really need anything. Can I say that I don¡¯t need anything in this kind of place? I glanced at the Captain and I saw him knit his eyebrows a little. It wasn¡¯t just the Captain, the people around him were also doing the same. It felt like they were breathlessly watching me. ¡°You can ask for rank or territory. You can have anything you want as long as we can provide it.¡± ¡°Well, that is a little¡­¡­¡± The Prime Minister (?) suggested, probably due to my silence. I was worried but if I had paid attention, I would have noticed that the relaxed aura had become tensed again. Both the Prime Minister (assumed) and His Majesty looked graved. Things such as rank or territory might be common as rewards here but I don¡¯t need such things. Things beyond my reach would probably restrict my actions. If I had such things then it would make it hard for me to get out of this Kingdom if something happens. I don¡¯t think I could throw it away either if I want to leave the Kingdom. I wonder what would happen if I say that I don¡¯t need anything. I wanted to try saying it out loud but I wavered when I saw how the people around me looked. Judging from His Majesty¡¯s words, the purpose of this audience was the apology. He might be trying to guess my true intentions by seeing if I accept the reward or not. Honestly, so many things were running through my mind when I was first summoned; but six months had passed since then and I¡¯m not as angry as I used to be. Did I feel better from working hard and doing what I liked at the research institute? Or was it the face that being angry took so much energy that it was difficult to continuing doing so? If I had to spend energy on something, I¡¯d rather spend it on consolidating my position. I might have also been moved by the kindness of the researchers, knights and people around me. I wanted to leave this Kingdom at first but I don¡¯t feel the need to do so anymore. If something were to happen then I should just prepare to get out as soon as possible. Yup. I want to tell them that I don¡¯t need anything but if I did, they¡¯ll probably put on this farce again. That¡¯ll be troublesome. I want to receive something and put an end to this. A reward that won¡¯t be troublesome. Is there anything like that? I thought for a little and then it hit me. I told them: ¡°I can have anything I want, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­ Is it alright if I receive permission to read books from the prohibited section?¡± Was my request unexpected? His Majesty slightly widened his eyes. It won¡¯t get in my way, so that¡¯s what I want the most. I¡¯ve been searching for a while now to find if I could make potions that are higher than advanced potions but my search has come up fruitless. I¡¯ve finished reading all the related books in the library and I can¡¯t think of any other way other than to read the prohibited books. A mere researcher, however, does not have the permission to read the prohibited books so I gave up halfway. A reward was suddenly brought up at this place. I should make use of it shouldn¡¯t I? ¡°I also want to learn about magic so could I get a magic instructor?¡± I somehow thought that it would be alright to ask for one more thing, so I added it on. Thanks to my magic skills, I could also use magic. It felt like I was missing out a lot of things just by self-studying from books. Magic didn¡¯t exist in my original world so if possible I wanted the opportunity to learn from a proper instructor. Being able to use magic in this world was advantage for supporting one¡¯s self. ¡°Okay. I will make the preparations.¡± As a result, my request was accepted. It seemed that my request was unexpected. Adjustments needed to be made and I will receive my reward as soon as it¡¯s ready. Volume 2 - CH 2.1 Several days after the audience with the King, a Civil Official contacted me to have a brief discussion about my rewards. And like that, I got permission to browse the forbidden texts. With this, I could browse almost all of the prohibited books. A portion of the records could only be viewed by His Majesty the King and the Prime Minister. So I couldn¡¯t browse through them. The only books I wanted to read were ones about medicinal herbs, so there weren¡¯t any problems in that department. There was more information about my other reward, the magic lecture. The Civil Official told me, ¡°If there¡¯s anything else you want to learn, please don¡¯t hesitate to tell me,¡± while we were talking, so I got carried away and asked him about various things. Can I learn this? Can also take this? As a result of me asking about various things, the Civil Official made the smart move of giving me documents about what lectures I could take. All lectures were briefly explained in the documents he handed me. It was hard for me to decide on what to take on the spot, so we decided that I would take the documents home and choose which lectures I would like to attend, before contacting the Civil Official again. I returned to the Research Institute from the royal palace, and looked over the documents after finishing my work. The lectures weren¡¯t only about magic; there were also lectures on: the history of Slantania Kingdom, the situations in the surrounding areas, the economy, manners and so on. There were a variety of subjects. There were a lot of lectures I wanted to take, after thinking about the things that could happen afterwards. Well, I thought that it would be better to know different things, rather than be ignorant, if I did plan to leave the royal palace in the future. While I was choosing which lectures I would like, with a pen and note in one hand at the corner of the laboratory, the Director came up next to me. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m choosing my lectures.¡± ¡°Lectures?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about my reward. The Civil Official told me that there were other lectures I could take besides magic.¡± ¡°Hoh.¡± He listened until there and took one of the sheets from my hand. ¡°These are like the lectures you could take at the academy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± According to the Director, the lectures on the documents that the Civil Official gave me could all be taken at the Royal Academy. Aside from the compulsory lectures, there were also elective lectures at the academy, and you could pick whichever electives you liked. To test him, I asked him what compulsory lectures were available, and it turned out that most the lectures I wanted to take were compulsory ones. With the memo in one hand, I nodded, and then he softly took the memo from me. ¡°These are the lectures you¡¯re thinking of taking?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hmm. There¡¯s quite a lot of lectures on here,¡± he said, startled. I wrote down the lectures I wanted to take for the time being, but if I took all of them, how many hours a day would I need? Even if I took them on different days, my Japanese intuition told me that most of my week would be filled with lectures. ¡°I can¡¯t take them all, can I?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°If I take all those lectures then I can¡¯t do my work¡­¡­¡± It was impossible to work and take all the lectures I wanted to take unless I had 36 hours per day. There were only 24 hours in a day, even in this world. While I was crestfallen from having to choose from the list I had written, the Director said something unexpected. ¡°Are you talking about your work at the Research Institute?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You can just do it when you¡¯re not working.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± The Director explained to the stupefied me. Originally, everyone at the Research Institute had graduated from the Royal Academy, and therefore held a certain amount of knowledge. On the other hand, I knew more about natural sciences than they did, but because I wasn¡¯t someone from this world, I didn¡¯t know much about things unique to this world. I was currently working as a researcher as a special case, but if I planned to continue working here in the future then it would be better for me to have the same foundation as the Academy graduates. ¡°Either way, your research has come to a halt recently, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­¡­¡± Yes. As the Director said, the results of my research had not been good these days. I was trying to create a potion with higher effects than is available now. At the beginning I created potions with my 50% increase. HP and MP potions had not been improved for a long time. Advanced HP Potions were too expensive, and there was low demand, so research for improvement were on hold. Then a highly effective potion appeared, using the same ingredients and formula as before, which lit the research spirit within the researchers. At that exact time, monster subjugation had risen, and more people were demanding potions with greater effects. All the researchers pulled their heads together and tried to find the reason behind my highly effective potion, but they came up with nothing. They continued to make no progress, and the majority of the researchers returned to their own research. However, some people were still determined to find the method behind developing a highly effective potion, and did not give up. I was a part of that group. The cause had always been a mystery, but finally I got a lead when I was appraised at the Court Mage Division. My magic power seemed different from those of this world¡¯s. When I heard that, I thought that the potions were probably highly effective because of my magic power. I felt my mind clear upon finding the cause, but felt disappointed that my research had returned back to the starting point. My magic being the cause meant that when other people made the potion using the same ingredients and the same method, they would get the same result as they always did. Which meant that in order to make a more effective potion, they would have to use different ingredients and find a different way to make it. While we were researching the cause, our research came to a halt, so we started investigating new ingredients. We collected information on medicinal herbs that were only distributed at a certain area, and drugs that were originally made in that area. We also read old documents. I also went to the royal palace library often, and read books on medicinal herbs. It was to the point that I thought I read all the books related to medicinal herbs, even the ones that the other researchers were reading. Even so, I couldn¡¯t find any hints. No, well, I did find some, but most of them turned out to be false leads. That¡¯s why it¡¯s exactly like the Director said, my research had been halted. This time, I got permission to browse the prohibited books, so I was hoping to find what I¡¯d been looking for. ¡°The new things you learn might give you ideas for research. Isn¡¯t it a good opportunity for you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The Director had a point. The reason he said this was because it turned out that the cause was my magic this time. The researchers had also tried very hard to find the cause of the potions, and they sometimes questioned whether magic power was the cause. However, concentrating magic into potion-making was more difficult for people to wrap their heads around compared to just using magic. Even those who were trained probably didn¡¯t know if it was dependant upon magic power or not. Because of that, they could only confirm a little about magic power, and immediately judged that magic power made no difference. Since this was the Medicinal Herb Research Institute, the researchers here were more interested in medicinal herbs and recipes than magic power. I also didn¡¯t know more about magic than those around me, so if they told me something, I didn¡¯t dig any further. If I had more knowledge, I would have noticed the matter and would probably have gotten to the bottom of it sooner. Knowledge was important, after all. My research has returned to the starting point, but by learning more about this world, I might be able to find something that I overlooked before. If I thought like that, then taking lectures was also a part of my job. ¡°Just take the lectures you want to take; they¡¯re your hard-earned reward after all,¡± the Director said while smiling, and I nodded and smiled back at him. ??????? My lectures began a few days after I submitted the list of lectures I wanted to take to the Civil Official. Some of the lectures didn¡¯t take long to prepare, so I started with the ones that were available. The first lecture was a lecture about magic. My tutors and I would be meeting in a room prepared in the royal palace. When I first heard this, I thought that it would be troublesome to go to the royal palace every morning, but they had prepared a carriage for me to use. I entered the room that the maid guided me to, prepared and waited for my tutor, and after a while, there was a knock on the door. I was surprised at who had entered. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning. Mhm¡­¡­¡± The person who smiled and entered the room was the Court Mage Division¡¯s Head Magician. Today¡¯s lecture was about magic, so I had heard that the tutor was someone from the Court Mage Division, but I wasn¡¯t told that it would the Head Mage himself. ¡°I¡¯m the tutor in charge of the mage lecture, Yuuri Dreves.¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡­ You¡¯re the Court Mage Division¡¯s Head Magician, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I inadvertently confirmed that he was, without a doubt, the Head Magician that I had met the other day. ¡°You¡¯ll be in charge of this lecture, Head Magician? Aren¡¯t you busy with work?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The Head Magician was smiling, but was it really alright? When I was watching the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order work, I got the feeling that there was a lot of paperwork involved. The Captain also said that unlike the other knights, he had more paperwork to fill out so it was hard for him to find time to train. Did that mean that the Court Mage Division had less paperwork than the Knight Order? ¡°Are you not satisfied with me?¡± the Head Magician asked me with a sad look on his face while I was worrying. ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t what I meant¡­¡­¡± No, I wasn¡¯t dissatisfied or anything. Rather, I was feeling apologetic. This lecture was catered to me, who was a complete amateur at magic. The contents of the lecture would be the basics of basics. I didn¡¯t think it was something that the Head Magician should teach me. It was the same content taught to the first years at the academy. If I had to compare it, this was like a university professor teaching a middle school child. That¡¯s why it was better for me to be taught by a normal Court Mage, who had more spare time, than the Head Magician, who was busy. I immediately gave my reply to the Head Magician, who was waiting sadly, and he looked relieved. ¡°If it¡¯s something like that then there¡¯s no problem. And also, this situation isn¡¯t something that I can entrust to someone else.¡± ¡°This situation?¡± ¡°Yes. About that, I have a favour to ask you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I want to examine your magic, Sei-sama.¡± He nodded when I repeated his question back to him, and gave me an explanation. First, my magic power was different from the magic of those in this world, so he wanted to study it in detail at the Court Mage Division. Besides demon subjugation, the Court Mage Division also conducted magic research, and the Head Magician was also involved in this. The Head Magician found my magic to be an extremely interesting thing. The story about my potions having a higher effect than the ones made by others had reached his ears, and he thought that my magic was the cause of this. Therefore, he wanted to investigate whether my magic was the cause, or if it was something else. I also wanted to know if my magic influenced my potion-making, so I didn¡¯t mind that a specialist wanted to study it. Another reason was because the Head Magician was personally interested in my magic, so he didn¡¯t want to leave this matter to other people. According to the Head Magician, everything concerning the abilities of the¡¾Saint¡¿was a national secret, and there were hardly any detailed records on the past Saints. The reason why there was hardly any record of them was also unknown. That meant that the control of information was very strict when it came to the Saint. The same was also true for my magic power. The upper stratums concluded that the fewer people who knew about this investigation, the better. Thus, the Head Magician would personally be investigating my magic. Besides, they concluded that it was only right because in this Kingdom, the Head Magician was the person with the most magic knowledge. There was nothing special about the investigation; he was just going to observe my magic-use during the lecture. If it was just that much then I guess it was fine. He thanked me with a wonderful smile when I consented. After the Head Magician explained the reasons why he was teaching me, the lecture began. The first few days were about the foundations of magic; he taught me what magic power was and how magic power in the body was used. The Head Magician¡¯s lectures were very easy to understand. Him having more knowledge in magic than anyone in the Court Mage Division wasn¡¯t just for show. He understood a lot about magic, but he was probably smart to begin with. Because he¡¯s so good at teaching. ¡°Do you have anything you don¡¯t understand?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± He asked if I had any questions after his explanation, but I didn¡¯t have any. ¡°Now then, you¡¯re probably sick of listening to lectures, so should we practice a little?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Sei-sama, since you can already use magic, I think that you should also be able to feel the magic from within your body. However, understanding the magic inside of your body is the basics of magic, so let¡¯s start from there.¡± The Head Magician continued to explain practical skills. When I heard his explanation, I realised that it was the same method that I had learnt from Jude when I was making potions: sending magic power to someone else. ¡°Um, this¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Is this the skill that allows you to send magic power to someone?¡± ¡°Ah, so you know about it. Yes it is.¡± I was right. When I told him that someone had taught me to do this at the Research Institute, he nodded. ¡°Someone has sent you their magic before, haven¡¯t they? Then have you ever sent magic power to someone?¡± ¡°No. He only helped me feel the magic power.¡± ¡°Really? Then, let¡¯s try sending your magic power today.¡± Jude was the one who did this at the Research Institute, but now I was the one performing it. My partner for this was, of course, the Head Magician. There was only me and him in this room. We faced each other and put our palms together. Huh? Isn¡¯t this a bit close? I felt the distance between us was slightly closer when we faced each other. I was right. When I looked up from our palms, I was surprised that a beautiful face was closer to me than I had expected. The Head Magician also looked up. He¡¯d noticed that I was staring at him. Ah, this is hopeless. Just having his beautiful face there is highly destructive. Needless to say, when it came to the heads of divisions¡­¡­ I was getting nervous and my chest hurt. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The Head Magician smiled and tilted his head. I shook my head and answered. ¡°Nothing¡­¡­¡± Calm down. Let¡¯s only think about sending magic for now. I returned my eyes to our palms and distanced myself a little from the Head Magician while pretending to adjust my posture. I took a deep breath and concentrated my magic power into my right hand. After that, I released magic power from my palm the same way I did while making potions. The magic power should have been flowing to the Head Magician. ¡°Can you feel it?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a little bit weak but it¡¯s flowing to me. Can you send a little more?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± It seemed that the amount I used for making potions wasn¡¯t enough. I imagined pushing magic out of my body, and this time I released more magic power than usual. ¡°Oh.¡± I heard the Head Magician¡¯s mutter and raised my eyes. He had a broad smile on his face, different from his usual gentle smile. ¡°Head Magician?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s a bit interesting.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Your magic is definitely different from ours.¡± When I called out to him in a voice different from my usual one, the Head Magician¡¯s expression returned to normal. Maybe because of his well-featured face and the fact that I saw the smile just now, his smile looked like it was a mask pasted on his face, Was that the cause? I looked at him dubiously, but he responded by explaining magic power to me. Although I also heard this during the lecture, magic was different between individuals. It wasn¡¯t just the attributes. It was hard to describe, but there was something that was intrinsically different. However, the difference was so small that only half the people in the Mage Division could feel it. Of course, the Head Magician could feel it. On the other hand, my magic power was so different that it was obvious. I¡¯d thought so. I had holy magic, but he also felt something different about it. The Head Magician said, ¡°This might be something unique to those who come from a different world.¡± ¡°Is my magic also the reason for higher efficiency in things like potions?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ It¡¯s unclear at this stage.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I¡¯d tried asking the question I wanted to know the most, but it seemed that I wouldn¡¯t get the answer I wanted so easily. That¡¯s too bad. Well, the investigation only started today with the practical lesson, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. It¡¯ll probably become clear sooner or later, so let¡¯s take our time investigating. After that, the Head Magician told me various things, such as how to feel magic power while sending it to other people. Translator: Blushy Editor: Polar Bea Volume 2 - CH 2.2 ??????? From then on, the time for magic practice increased. Of course, the Head Magician was in charge of my lectures and practices. The magic practices were done at the Court Mage Division¡¯s practice grounds. It was a bit of a distance away from the lecture room, but I talked to the Head Magician while we walked, so I didn¡¯t mind the distance that much. I would probably be frustrated if I was by myself, though. The reason wasn¡¯t just because of the distance. At the beginning, I¡¯d thought I was lucky to have the Head Magician teach me magic, but that feeling had since disappeared in these few days. Contrary to being soft, the Head Magician¡¯s teaching style was that of a Spartan¡¯s. ¡°Let¡¯s get started. The procedure is the same as last time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We took a short break after arriving at the exercise grounds, and then practice started. I was being taught magic manipulation right now. If I mastered it, I could shorten the magic activation time. It was necessary to concentrate magic power into one¡¯s palms when using magic, but the concentration time could be shortened. Incidentally, it wasn¡¯t necessary to come to the exercise ground if I was only practicing magic manipulation. You could practice magic manipulation just by concentrating magic into different parts of the body. However, according to the Head Magician, it wasn¡¯t enough for me to just master magic manipulation¡ªhe wanted me to quickly activate magic while manipulating it. I didn¡¯t think it was a problem for me to practice activating magic in the lecture room if I was only using holy magic, but there was another magic user here. There was someone activating magic from another attribute next to me. Who was it? The Head Magician, of course. He was probably the Head Magician because his magic abilities were high. He wasn¡¯t just activating one magic attribute at a time, but three at once. His magic manipulation was also very smooth, wasn¡¯t it? He was accumulating magic at a faster speed than me. He cast magic at twice the speed I could. The goal was for me to be able to cast at the same speed as the Head Magician, but wasn¡¯t that request too demanding? To request this of me, who had just started her magic studies, really was Spartan-like of him. If I stressed speed, then I would neglect magic manipulation and wouldn¡¯t be able to cast magic. To do this simultaneously¡­¡­ ¡°Can¡¯t you cast a little faster?¡± ¡°Any more than this and¡­¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to be able to suddenly cast at the same speed as you, Head Magician.¡± ¡°Even so, I¡¯m going easy on you, you know.¡± The Head Magician, who was laughing when he said this, seemed excessive. Even though I was at my limit. If I manipulated magic as I had learnt in theory, then I could cast magic at the same speed as the Head Magician, but in practice it was harder than it had seemed. Magic manipulation was required for doing magic, so I¡¯d thought that I, who could make high-ranking potions, would be good at it, but I was wrong. When using magic, magic manipulation needed to be handed delicately. I was frustrated that I couldn¡¯t keep up with the level demanded by the Head Magician. Although I was frustrated, the Head Magician was going easy on me. According to the other mages, he was stricter when he was instructing them. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that ever again,¡± that Mage had told me with distant eyes. About this time, the whole division finished a large amount of paperwork. ¡°I need to guide my juniors once in awhile,¡± the Head Magician declared with an unusual smile. At those words, a large number of mages gathered at the exercise grounds, overflowing with eagerness. They wanted to receive guidance from the Court Mage Division¡¯s best. And as a result, a mass grave of zombies was produced at the exercise grounds. The practice at the exercise ground was a little lighter than what the Head Magician usually did. Yes, compared to the practice the talented him did to improve his abilities further. Even within the Court Mage Division, there were elites who were highly capable. They also had high pride. The practice was so intense that even they gave up within a day. It was too intense. Make it easier. Voices stating that were rising up from here and there, but the Head Magician ignored them. The Head Magician nonchalantly performed the same practice as them beside their wounded bodies. In addition, he gave guidance to the mages in between his practices. This continued for a week. Apparently, he had pent-up anger because he couldn¡¯t do his research due to paperwork. I had thought that it was just a burst of anger, but his guidance was precise so no one complained because they could raise their magic power through intense training. However, after this incident, less paperwork was sent to the Head Magician. I thought that they must really have it tough when I saw the lifeless looks on the tutors¡¯ faces. The Mages who were receiving hellish training from the Head Magician said, even so the Head Magician is matching our abilities. That meant that he expected me to be able to do this too. I was frustrated that I couldn¡¯t respond to his expectations. If it¡¯s like this, then all I can do is practice earnestly, I thought. And for a week during lectures, I practiced casting magic. However, I still hadn¡¯t reached my goal. It required a considerable amount of time to reach my goal since I was only practicing during my lectures. I wondered if I should practice outside of lectures as well. Now then, what should I do? It was fine to remain in the exercise grounds after practice and train by myself, but I felt like it was a waste to cast ¡ºHeal¡»on myself. Should I cast it on other people, like I did at the hospital the other time? I could practice and the injured person would be healed. That¡¯d be killing two birds with one stone, wouldn¡¯t it? I came up with a good idea and went to get permission from the Director the next morning. ¡°Excuse me. There¡¯s something I would like to ask of you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± It was still early in the morning. I went to the Director¡¯s office before my lecture and the Director had just started his work. We talked about the lectures, and I told him that I wanted to practice my magic at the hospital. The Director stroked his chin and thought for a while before speaking. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to practice magic outside of class, but the place is a problem.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t practice at the hospital?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve healed most of the patients there last time. There aren¡¯t any more injured people who require recovery magic.¡± Now that he mentioned it, it was true. I had thought it was a good idea¡­¡­ I thought for a moment and then it came to me. ¡°How about at the Knight Order?¡± ¡°The Knight Order?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Knight Order trained even when they didn¡¯t go on subjugations. I saw them practicing when I went to deliver potions to the 3rd Knight Order. They sparred a lot, and their bodies were covered with injuries. I wondered if I could practice on such people. I told the Director and he said, ¡°I see. Isn¡¯t it fine? I¡¯ll tell Al, so go there after you finish with your lecture.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Thus, I headed to the 3rd Knight Order after my lecture. ??????? I headed to the 3rd Knight Order after finishing my lecture like usual. Recently I¡¯d only been taking my lectures, so it¡¯d been awhile since I¡¯d come to the 3rd Knight Order. The Knights I encountered on my way to the Captain¡¯s office told me, ¡°Long time no see,¡± so it wasn¡¯t just my imagination. When I knocked on the door and announced myself, I heard a voice say, ¡°Come in.¡± I entered and the Captain greeted me with a smile. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± It¡¯d been awhile since I¡¯d seen the Captain. Before I started taking lectures, I would meet him when I delivered potions and when I was coming back from the library. However, recently I had only been going to and from the research institute and the lecture room, so we hadn¡¯t met. I walked to the middle of the room, and the Captain got up and approached me. ¡°Did you lose some weight?¡± he said as he touched my cheeks. I was startled at the sudden action, and then blood rushed to my face. ¡°Eh?! Mn!? I don¡¯t think I did.¡± I want you to stop doing things so abruptly. It¡¯s really bad for my heart. I managed to reply without blushing, but the things I came to talk about had all left me. ¡°I heard that Dreves-dono was teaching you magic. He¡¯s pretty strict, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Y-yes. But it¡¯s easy to understand.¡± ¡°I see. Don¡¯t push yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I thought that he would take his hands off my face, but he didn¡¯t and continued to stroke my cheeks while talking. My face was hot. Um, my heart won¡¯t be able to take it if you don¡¯t distance yourself. I returned my gaze to the Captain while thinking is he going to distance himself? and he smiled widely. It felt like he was trying not to laugh. He took my returned gaze as a signal, and the fingers touching my cheeks moved and smoothly passed behind the back of my ear. It tickled and my back trembled. I praised myself for not uttering a thing. I glared at the Captain while crying inside and he suddenly said: ¡°Well then, I heard from Johan that you wanted to practice magic here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I was relieved when he finally got down to the main topic. ¡°I want to cast recovery magic on the people at the practice grounds.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Are you going to start from today?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± I received permission quite easily, and the Captain guided me to the practice grounds. Before that, I wanted to ask him about what kind of mushy greeting that was. Besides the Director, the Captain too was teasing me. I remembered what had just happened while walking through the corridor, and glared at the Captain. He noticed my gaze and stared at me. His eyes met mine and narrowed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± I replied a slightly stern voice, but the Captain didn¡¯t show any kind of reaction. I was sure it was because my face was red. To change the mood while walking, I talked about practicing my recovery magic We exchanged views, and I decided to go with the Head Magician¡¯s plan and practice magic on the 3rd Knight Order while they were fighting. There were many knights practicing when we arrived on the practice grounds. Many of them were imitating actual battles. I saw this scene from afar whenever I came to the barracks, but seeing it up close was so intense. I was amazed while watching the scene, and they must have noticed that the Captain and I were here, because they stopped what they were doing and focused on us. I was acquainted with some of the knights, but I was still nervous when they all looked this way. I took a step backwards and hid behind the Captain. The Captain explained in a loud voice that I would be casting recovery magic on them while they practiced. It was simple. The knights would practice as they usually did. The only thing that was different was that recovery magic would come flying at them while they practiced. I thought about getting the injured people to come to me so I could cast recovery magic on them, but the Captain told me that it would disturb their training, and that it wouldn¡¯t be effective for me to practice my magic while in their way. Since the knights let bruises heal naturally, they wouldn¡¯t ask me to heal those for them. Which meant that I would be healing less often, so I had to use a different method if I wanted to heal more. So the Captain and I both agreed that this was the best way to do it. It was the same thing people did in actual battle: I would cast recovery magic when it looked like I need to. The knights returned to their practice after the Captain finished his explanation. I began my practice as I watched their mock matches. It would be easier if this was like a game and their HP and MP were displayed on top of their heads, but unfortunately the bars weren¡¯t visible there. It was no use. I cast ¡ºHeal¡»on those who were injured and looked like they had low HP. That way, I wouldn¡¯t forget to pay attention to magic manipulation. I recalled my lectures and cast one magic after another at the same speed. The time it took me to accumulate magic felt shorter than it did at the hospital. Perhaps, only a small quantity of HP was healed too. If my magic manipulation improved, then I could accumulate magic power more quickly, and the effects would be the same as the time at the hospital, even if I took a little time to cast it. Time passed in a blink of an eye while I was concentrating, and the knights finished their training. The Captain, who had returned to his office, came back again and told me that I could come here freely after my classes. A week later, I felt like my casting time was faster now compared to when I first started, thanks to my efforts during and after lectures. Of course, it was more effective as well. According to the knights, the intervals between magic castings had shortened, and the recovery amount had increased. Moreover, the Head Magician also noticed this and praised me. ¡°You¡¯ve made a lot of progress.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re improving faster than I expected. Did you practice outside of lectures as well?¡± The Head Magician laughed as if he knew what I was up to. It seemed that the fact that I was practicing at the 3rd Knight Order was exposed. I also laughed mischievously. ¡°Only a little.¡± ¡°You seem to be working very hard. Do you have any goals?¡± ¡°Goals? Not really¡­¡­¡± I said and dodged the subject. My goal was to catch up to the Head Magician, who was casting magic aloof from the world, next to me. After that¡­¡­ ¡°And a request for subjugation assistance might come¡­¡­¡± I said, and the Head Magician widened his eyes. This came up when I talked to the Director before. When I thought about the results from the subjugations I had participated in, it seemed highly likely that this would happen. My magic manipulation had improved, and participating in subjugations would be the best way to see my results. If I cast magic like I did last time at the hospital, then there was no need to cast it quickly. ¡°Do you intend to participate in a subjugation, Sei-sama?¡± ¡°Yes, but only if I¡¯m requested.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re requested? How about for other purposes?¡± ¡°Other purposes? I don¡¯t have any¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, what about for the other benefits?¡± Benefits? I tilted my head at the Head Magician¡¯s words. What benefits? Things like it not being normal work so I¡¯d receive some kind of special reward? However, I was surprised. Did the Head Magician want to train me while we were out on subjugations? The reason was, he thought it was pointless to only practice magic manipulation. I thought that the Head Magician wanted me to participate in subjugations because combat seemed like a useful method to learn. Was I wrong? I asked, and this time the Head Magician tilted his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t train to go on subjugations?¡± ¡°Yes, that wasn¡¯t my intention¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then, what are you training for? It can¡¯t be helped if one of the reasons was to only manipulate magic, but it¡¯s impossible to observe your magic like that, Sei-sama.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was surprising for him to answer as if it was the most natural thing ever. He wanted to observe my magic¡­¡­ I certainly had heard that he was going to observe my magic during the lecture but I didn¡¯t think that he was really doing it. I felt unexpectedly drained. ¡°But surely, a request will come for you in the future,¡± the Head Magician said while I was pondering. Somehow, I couldn¡¯t say that I had dug my own grave. ¡°So one will come?¡± ¡°There are some people in the Court Mage Division who can use holy magic, but theirs isn¡¯t as strong as yours.¡± ¡°Can you also use it, Head Magician?¡± ¡°I can use it, but I usually use offensive magic during subjugations.¡± That¡¯s right. There¡¯s probably no one with more powerful holy magic than me. Somehow, the Head Magician gave off the impression of being a musclehead. This person was the best in the Court Mage Division, wasn¡¯t he? That meant he didn¡¯t usually give orders to the other mages, but personally attacking demons during subjugations. ¡°If a request comes for you, it¡¯ll probably be at the West Forest.¡± ¡°At the West Forest?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have any problems at the West Forest at your level, Sei-sama.¡± ¡°But, that appears¡­¡­¡± I frowned when I heard the destination. The West Forest was where the Salamander had appeared, and it was the place where a lot of people got injured during the last subjugation. ¡°The miasma in the West Forest is dense. I¡¯m interested in how much your magic would affect the miasma there, Sei-sama. And also¡­¡­¡± My anxiety was not even on his mind, the Head Magician was already thinking about conducting research at the West Forest. I was scared to go to the West Forest. I¡¯d seen so many people get injured there time and time again. However, judging from his appearance, it didn¡¯t seem like the Head Magician regarded it as anything special. Even according to the knights, they didn¡¯t normally receive that much damage at the West Forest, so it probably wasn¡¯t a dangerous place, right? But it is said that something that happens twice would happen again¡­¡­ ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ Mhm¡­¡­¡± I looked at the grumbling Head Magician while thinking, and our eyes met. He noticed my gaze. Should I tell him that I feel uneasy going to the West Forest? I was at a loss for words, wondering whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing to tell him. It must have shown on my face, because the Head Magician started talking about the West Forest. ¡°As I mentioned earlier, the subjugation at the West Forest will be an easy affair at your level, Sei-sama.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been there many times but it hasn¡¯t been challenging recently¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hah?¡± ¡°A large quantity of demons have gathered in the meantime. It would have been fun if I was able to participate before, but I was unfortunately in a coma.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°There was that thing that happened last time, so the next subjugation will happen soon. The number of demons would be the same as usual, or it may be less than usual. It¡¯s just right for your first battle, Sei-sama.¡± He concluded, and smiled as if to reassure me. The Head Magician, who said that he would have fun, even though so many people had received damage, was probably really strong. I wasn¡¯t satisfied with that explanation because I had seen the knights after that subjugation. However, I could agree with his guess about the next subjugation. The demons had accumulated because some time had passed since the last subjugation. Given that, the next subjugation would happen soon. While I was silently collecting my thoughts, the Head Magician probably thought I was still worried, and said: ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be joining in the next subjugation.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be coming along?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll protect you. I won¡¯t let you get hurt at all.¡± I smiled ambiguously at the Head Magician¡¯s words. Other people would probably be on cloud nine if the Head Magician told them, ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡± But, I won¡¯t accept it. It¡¯s not wrong for me not accept it. Because, ¡°I won¡¯t let you get hurt at all,¡± felt like a voice-over. Volume 2 - CH 2.4 ??????? The lecture had finished and it was already dark outside. There were still people at the place called the research institute, even though work had usually finished by then. I was also no exception. I returned to the research institute when my lecture ended and started researching. Even though I said that, my research had already reached its limits. I was staring at the experimental tools absentmindedly, when someone called out to me from behind. ¡°Oh, my! Is it still not going well?¡± ¡°Yes, not at all.¡± It was a familiar voice so I recognised who it was without having to turn around. I continued to stare at the tools and shrugged while answering. The Director stood next to me. ¡°You continuously released your magic power this morning at the medicinal herb garden. Was that also related to this?¡± ¡°You noticed?¡± ¡°You were continuously releasing magic since early in the morning.¡± I smiled wryly at being noticed. It would have been fine if it was water or earth attribute magic, because they were related to planting, but no one would use holy attribute magic on herbs in the first place, so I stood out. I glanced sideways at the Director, and he was smiling bitterly. ¡°Did you discover anything?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ I only know that plants are also affected by magic.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The Director narrowed his eyes in interest at my answer. I couldn¡¯t use appraisal, so I didn¡¯t know if there really was any effect, but the herbs looked healthier when I cast ¡ºHeal¡»on them. When I told him about that, the Director put his hand on his chin and talked after pondering for a while. ¡°Holy attribute magic also affecting plants meant that other attribute magic might as well.¡± I asked, a little curious about the way the Director was speaking, ¡°What do you mean by holy attribute also affecting¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He taught me about attribute magic affecting plants. According to him, many kinds of earth attribute magic affected plants and thanks to that, precious plants, that were difficult to cultivate, could be grown in the medicinal herb garden. The Director was assigned to the research institute because he had aptitude with earth attribute magic and his only job was to cultivate plants. However, even at the research institute, they could only use water and earth attribute magic to cultivate herbs. There were only a few people who could use holy attribute magic in the first place, and they mostly worked in the court mage division or the knight order. Therefore, except for me, there was no one in the research institute with holy attribute magic. Thus, no one noticed that holy attribute magic also affected plants. After his explanation, I told him about what I had heard from the Head Magician. I told him about medicinal herbs having magic power; the fact that I could make more effective potions if I could get the herbs to retain my magic power, and that I was exploring that method. The Director, who was listening to my story, spoke when I had finished speaking. ¡°So that¡¯s why you were using magic since morning?¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t get the result I had expected.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°You only tried using ¡¾Saint¡¿techniques, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡¾Saint¡¿?¡± The Director looked dubious when the word, ¡¾Saint¡¿had left my mouth. ¡°Yes. I asked the Head Magician about it when I went to consult him but¡­¡­¡± Of course he would. I, who has avoided the word ¡¾Saint¡¿, had said the word. From there, I talked about finding a way to retain my magic power in medicinal herbs. I was even told about that mysterious ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. ¡°I see. But, a ¡¾Saint¡¿technique, huh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you know something about it?¡± ¡°No. I know stories about the ¡¾Saint¡¿, but I only know the word on the street.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°If that Head Magician Dreves, doesn¡¯t know about it, then no one in the Royal Palace would know about it, now would they?¡± I didn¡¯t have any expectations, but I didn¡¯t know what to do if he didn¡¯t know either. The Director nonchalantly called out to me and drew my attention when I was thinking about how it wasn¡¯t progressing well. ¡°Unexpectedly, it might be something that can¡¯t be left in writing.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°The magic we use remains unchanged no matter what it¡¯s called, the effects, or who uses it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So it can be written down in magical textbooks, so that anybody who knows can use it, but I was thinking that maybe the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique isn¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°In short, the technique doesn¡¯t have a name and the effects differ from person to person?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Was it something like that? I thought that it was something that should have been passed down, even if the users have nothing in common. Or maybe there are other reasons for this? Well, it can¡¯t be helped, even if I think about it. Let¡¯s think about the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. Like the Director said, it might not have a name. It was called a ¡¾Saint¡¿technique, but it didn¡¯t feel like it needed an aria like other magic. What about the effect? The common factor left in the old documents is that it annihilated demons. Were there any other effects? If there wasn¡¯t, then I¡¯d be troubled. If there weren¡¯t any other effects, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to bestow plants with my magic power. But since it wasn¡¯t written down, there was a high probability that there weren¡¯t any other effects apart from annihilating demons. And what I wanted to know the most, right now, was how to activate that technique. If I knew that, then I could experiment again. But, there was no descriptions at all on how to activate it. No way, do I just chant ¡º¡¾Saint¡¿Technique¡»to use it. There¡¯s no such thing¡­¡­ ¡°How do I activate the¡¾Saint¡¿technique?¡± ¡°I wonder. Isn¡¯t it better to ask Head Magician Dreves about this?¡± ¡°Yes. I asked him a lot of things the other day.¡± The Director was quite right. However, I had persistently questioned the Head Magician the other day. I felt bad for always asking him things unrelated to the lectures. But I felt that he was happy to throw ideas around with me, because it was related to magic. I should think about it by myself for a while, if I still can¡¯t come with anything, then I¡¯ll ask him. I told the Director that I was going to take a little break and left the research institute. My thoughts are probably going around in circles because I¡¯m shutting myself in a room. I might be able to come up with something if I break in fresh air. That¡¯s what I thought. I went outside with a lantern and the wind blew gently. It was still a little hot in the daytime, but it got cooler at night when the wind blew. I sat down on a bench next to the research institute, looked up at the sky, and gazed at the moon and stars. Like a book I¡¯d read a long time ago, there were two moons, as it was another world, but the colour of the moons didn¡¯t change. The only different thing was that I could see many stars in the sky; probably because it wasn¡¯t as bright out as it was in Japan. I was deeply moved the first time I noticed how many stars were in the sky. That was a month after I¡¯d been summoned. I felt like I didn¡¯t have the time to look up at the sky until then. I felt somewhat calm, but also not, at the same time. Well, of course I would. I was suddenly summoned into another world. Furthermore, I was neglected as soon as I was summoned. Furthermore, when I asked the civil official if I could return to Japan, he told me I couldn¡¯t. I became irritated when I recalled what had happened. I was busy in the beginning, trying to get things in order so that I could live normally in this world. I didn¡¯t know when I would have to leave the Royal Palace because of the situation with the prince. I, myself, also didn¡¯t want to remain here. I was able to work at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute and ended up staying. That¡¯s right, yup. I gazed at the night sky from my room when things seemed to have finally calmed down. That was several months ago. I rarely think about Japan now days. I would often get sad in the beginning when I thought that about how I couldn¡¯t meet with my parents, brothers and friends anymore. Even now, my chest hurt when I thought about them. But, was it because the original switchover was fast? Or was I was in a daze because of the rare things in this another world¡­¡­? I felt the pain gradually decreased. Am I heartless for feeling like this after just a few months? It might have been different if I was treated unfairly since the beginning. But that wasn¡¯t the case at all. After the prince had left, I met many kind people. Jude, the Director, the researchers and of course the captain and the 3rd Knight Order. Everyone was very kind. While being surrounded by kind people, the research institute became my residence. Was it because of that? I was able to face anything to do with the ¡¾Saint¡¿, even though I was avoiding it that much before. I always pretended not to notice the title. Because wouldn¡¯t you care if someone you knew was in trouble? Besides, I didn¡¯t just hear about it, I actually saw it with my own eyes! That was also the reason why I wanted to research on how to improve potions. I¡¯m happy if something I did was able to help someone. I suddenly remembered about the time when the captain gave me his gratitude in his office. Was it because I was recalling things from the time I was first summoned? I didn¡¯t do it because I wanted people¡¯s gratitude, but I was happy to receive it. The area around my chest suddenly got warmer as I recalled that. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡£ Huh? I gently pressed my chest with my hand. When someone says that their chest was getting warmer, they were only expressing their emotions. It shouldn¡¯t actually get warmer. But, it was really warm. What the hell is going on? The warm feeling in my chest rapidly gushed up while I was worrying, and then it felt like it would overflow from within me. What¡¯s going on?! I was nervous at the sudden feeling and I could finally see something gushing out from within me. A mist spread around me like when I used ranged magic. The base looks like white particles, this is probably my magic power, the golden lam¨¦ was thicker than usual, and rather than a white haze, it appeared more like a golden haze. What is this? The mist spread steadily and if it was ordinary magic then it would activate soon. But, it didn¡¯t look like a normal mist, so I felt that it was different than normal. Suddenly, the medicinal herb field in front of me caught my eye. The haze had already eroded into the field. Only one thought popped up in my mind. Perhaps, this¡­¡­ I put both my hands together and prayed, even though I wasn¡¯t Christian. I don¡¯t know why I took such a pose. It was just a feeling. And then, I prayed. Please go well. The golden haze got brighter and the area lit up even though it was night. The instant it got noticeably brighter, the light burst and golden particles fell down from the sky. It was a magical scene and I gasped in amazement. When I looked away from the sky, I noticed that the golden particles were covering the patch of medicinal herbs where the haze had been, although, it soon lost its radiance. ¡°What happened?!¡± The Director rushed out, noticing the incident. Of course he would notice with a light that bright. ¡°Mhm ~¡­¡­¡± The Director¡¯s eyes narrowed when I smiled vaguely and looked a little troubled. Now then, how should I explain this to him? I was stumped on the explanation because I didn¡¯t know what had happened, and I didn¡¯t know how the mysterious phenomenon occurred. While I was worrying, the Director¡¯s gaze moved from me to the medicinal herb garden at my feet. The Director looked dubious as he squatted down and gazed at the plants. Then, he picked up a herb and examined it. After that, he looked at the surrounding plants on the ground and this time picked up one that wasn¡¯t covered by the haze. The Director looked at me after he compared the two plants together. ¡°You, what did you do?¡± ¡°That is, I don¡¯t really understand myself¡­¡­¡± It was dark, so the two medicinal herbs in the Director¡¯s hands didn¡¯t look any different. But I judged that something was different from the Director¡¯s attitude. But I don¡¯t have any idea of what it could be. For the time being, I explained what had happened in order and he sighed in amazement. ¡°Well, what? Let¡¯s go inside first.¡± The Director said in a tired tone, and we walked towards the research institute. I¡¯m sorry for always acting on impulse. I apologised in my mind and followed after the Director. ¡°Is there something different about it?¡± ¡°The appearance hasn¡¯t changed at all but¡­¡­¡± The Director wasn¡¯t confident about this as well so he muttered as he told me this. When I glanced at the medicinal herbs lined up on the desk, I saw that they were the same type. But apparently there was a different between them if you observed closely. The interior was different. What is the interior? Is it the magic power that plants hold? I didn¡¯t understand it very well so I¡¯ll ask the Director about it afterwards. Right now, I was bothered by the alteration of the medicinal herbs in front of me. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°You, try to make a potion with this.¡± The Director told me to take the herbs and make a potion each with them. I worked timidly and I felt the difference in the herbs when I concentrated my magic power into them. It was an intuitive feeling, but it was very clear. The difference became clear at a glance when the potions were finished. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± The difference could be clearly seen when the bottled potion was held up against the light of the lamp. There were golden particles floating lightly inside of the potion and it shone against the light. The potions I made until now never had particles floating around inside. ¡°What is the efficiency¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you without examining it first, but it seems more effective than the potions made thus far.¡± The Director smiled in amazement and answered. Please don¡¯t look like that. It can¡¯t be helped, right? It was made by accident. As feared, when he investigated the potion at a later time, the potion I had just made was more effective than any other ones I¡¯d made up until then. It was without a doubt because of the 50% increase bonus effect. Even this is cursed¡­¡­ As a result of further investigation, we found that even if somebody else used the medicinal herbs that were strengthened by the mysterious magic, they could create something that was 1.5 times more effective. The other thing we noticed was that the strengthened herbs would only be limited to that generations. Even if the seeds of the herbs were planted, they would just grow into the same herbs that had been growing up until then. They didn¡¯t grow into strengthened herbs. Apparently, the herbs wouldn¡¯t strengthen if I didn¡¯t do it myself. It was a joyous thing for people to be able to make effective potions, but it was a little disappointing that if I wasn¡¯t there then they wouldn¡¯t be able to make it anymore. The other problem was, how did I activate that mysterious magic again? I tried to activate it several times but I couldn¡¯t. I accidentally activated it that time, so I didn¡¯t know the conditions behind the activation. I tried various experiments while thinking about the things that I was thinking about at that time. I will have to gradually investigate this matter. Well, the Head Magician decided to help me with my investigation when he heard about this, so I think that it won¡¯t be long before I will be able to reproduce the magic. Volume 2 - CH 2.5 Nine months have passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. After my lectures these past few days, I¡¯ve been working hard on creating potions after so long. I worked until it was very late. This was because it wasn¡¯t just the 3rd Knight Order, our regular customers, who were ordering the potions; but the 2rd Knight Order as well. To put it simply, I needed to make twice the usual amount but it wasn¡¯t a problem at all. I made everything together. As long as I had the ingredients, this amount was nothing special. I could make more potions per day than a potion maker could. I also thought that it was because my basic level was high and I had a lot of MP. If so, then I could make understanding of this unexplainable amount of potions. The cause of this is probably stated in my status under occupation, but I¡¯ve never told anyone about this. I will keep this to myself until the day somebody notices it. In addition, it was decided that I would train my magic manipulation. So, the time needed to make potions has been shortened. I heard that if you mastered magic manipulation, then magic activation time would shorten; but I didn¡¯t think that it would influence potion making as well. Does it affect everything related to magic power? The influence of magic manipulation was vast and I thought that the Head Magician, who regarded this highly, was great. The Director appeared while I was working diligently. It was already late at night. It was rare for the Director to be at the research institute this late. Did something happen? ¡°You¡¯re working very hard.¡± ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s because the order is large this time.¡± ¡°Is it because the 2nd Knight Order also placed an order?¡± ¡°Yes. Would they be placing more orders from now on?¡± ¡°They might! They were surprised at our potion¡¯s efficiency when they subjugated demons in the West Forest.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. They were especially surprised by the potions you made.¡± My accursed 50% increase reared its head. YES, I muttered in my mind. But the 2nd Knight Order would be ordering from us now, huh? The income of the research institute was increasing. Let¡¯s try to ask for more materials for experimentation later. There was a medicinal herb that I wanted. It was a bit expensive so I restrained myself but now I felt that the budget would be acceptable. Well, let¡¯s leave that aside. We started with a harmless and inoffensive topic but he probably wanted to talk about something different. That¡¯s what his nervous aura is telling me. I can guess what he wanted to talk about. It¡¯s probably that. ¡°A message came from the Royal Palace today. They want you to participate in the next subjugation as a healer.¡± ¡°You will? Director?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You will.¡± I thought so. Just like I¡¯d predicted. My guess was so on point that I accidently made fun of it. ¡°I see. I understand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ You accepted that quickly.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this before.¡± ¡°I thought that you¡¯d be more reluctant.¡± I also smiled wryly at the Director, who was smiling wryly. I thought that a demand would come someday for me to act as support. The Director wasn¡¯t the only one that had mentioned this, the Head Magician also told me the same. A few days ago, the Head Magician said, ¡°It¡¯ll probably be good for you to go to the West Forest soon.¡± I felt troubled when I was asked whether I liked or disliked going on subjugations. It¡¯s a subjugation, so of course I¡¯ll probably encounter demons. Although I¡¯ve been to a forest before, I¡¯ve never encountered any demons so I didn¡¯t know what a demon was. However, there was no doubt in my mind that they were dangerous since I saw the devastation of the knights who came back from the West Forest subjugation. We¡¯re going to the place. There¡¯s no way I wasn¡¯t scared. But the people are coming along with me this time are probably the people from the 3rd Knight Order. They always protected us when we went to the East and South Forest together. I¡¯ve never encountered demons before but the other researchers have. At that time, the researchers helped the Knight Order defeat the demons, but I heard later that no one suffered any unnecessary injuries because the knights moved well. The knights will probably do the same this time around too. I interacted with them a lot and they were all good people. I, who could only use holy attribute magic, was a non-combatant, so I didn¡¯t think that I would suddenly be forced to face demons. That¡¯s why although I was scared of demons, I wasn¡¯t that pessimistic about it. And I didn¡¯t hate being supported by such knights. I was rather happy about it. Besides, I was looking forward to going to the West Forest with the Head Magician. He wanted to see what kind of effect my magic power would have on the miasma inside of the forest. His sparkling eyes told me this when he told me that I could go to the West Forest. How do I say this, he was a ¡°man of principle¡±. The Head Magician wasn¡¯t the only one looking forward to this. Even if this was a subjugation, I was looking forward to going to the West Forest. The reason for this was the medicinal herbs. Medicinal herbs that weren¡¯t found in the herb garden grew inside of the forest. I saw various herbs growing in the East and South Forest as well. Different plants grew in each forest, there were plants found in the South Forest that weren¡¯t in the East Forest. That¡¯s why I expect that plants that don¡¯t grow in the East and South Forest, might be growing in the West Forest. However, the demons in the West Forest were stronger than the demons in the other forests, so I don¡¯t know if I can afford to look at herbs during the subjugation. I was the only researcher taking part in this subjugation. All the researchers who knew a lot about medicinal herbs were staying behind. The researchers only went last time on an exception. That¡¯s why I probably wouldn¡¯t notice it even if new plants were growing there. I would notice if it was a herb that I saw often¡­¡­ Let¡¯s learn about herbs that grow in the West Forest before I leave! ¡°I don¡¯t dislike it, I¡¯m rather excited.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± It showed on my face that I was thinking about medicinal herbs. The Director¡¯s smile changed from a wry one to a shocked one. ¡°You¡¯re probably thinking that you can find new medicinal herbs there, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah, you found out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re so enthusiastic about herbs, but you should also make potions for yourself.¡± ¡°Potions for myself?¡± ¡°You need them, don¡¯t you? MP Potions.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I do.¡± It wasn¡¯t on my mind at all until the Director mentioned it, but I had to make potions for myself if I was going on the subjugation. HP Potions were fine but MP Potions were essential. Although HP and MP recovered naturally, it recovered much slower than when one drank potions. I couldn¡¯t wait around for it to recover during emergencies. Alright, I¡¯ve finished my quota for today so why don¡¯t I make some potions for myself? Even though it was late at night, it was still too early to finish if I compared it to the time when I was working in Japan. I was still making potions when the Director returned. ??????? Autumn came and the sun rose considerably later. I got used to waking up at this time even without an alarm clock. I¡¯ve grown quite accustomed with this world. However, that wasn¡¯t the only reason why I woke up this early. I couldn¡¯t sleep well because I was so excited. I was just like a child on the day before an excursion. But unlike a child, I wasn¡¯t just filled with anticipation, but anxiety as well. Today was the departure date for the West Forest subjugation. I got off the bed and brushed my teeth. I recalled today¡¯s schedule as I was brushing my teeth. By doing so, my sleepiness gradually faded. I washed my face and applied my makeup. This was my normal routine but I don¡¯t think I can be this easy-going during the subjugation. I have small bottles of cosmetics in my carry on just in case. I need to change after I finish. I won¡¯t be able to wear my normal clothes for a while from today. I was wearing the same robes as the one that the mages in the Court Mage Division wore when they went on subjugation missions. Unlike a dress, I could wear robes by myself. It¡¯s easy to move in and doesn¡¯t feel restricting because we have to fight. Of course it would be! I was given this robe a few days ago and I was glad that it wasn¡¯t a flashy robe like the one I wore at my audience with the King. I would stand out too much in such beautiful clothes and I would be afraid to get it dirty so I don¡¯t think that it would be convenient to wear on a subjugation. I didn¡¯t forget to do my hair. I usually kept it down but today I clipped my hair back because I didn¡¯t want it to get in the way. I took the bag I had prepared and went downstairs after I finished changing. It was still too early to start work but there were people downstairs. They probably arrived early to deliver the potions to the 3rd Knight Order. The entrance of the research institute was wrapped in a busy atmosphere. All the potions ordered by the Knight Order was completed yesterday. However, since I was also participating in the subjugation, it was decided that I would be bringing the potions with me. Of course, that¡¯s what the 3rd Knight Order told us. Even if I was told to suddenly take it with me, I couldn¡¯t carry the potions because there were simply too many. And it was decided that I would be riding in the wagon that was transporting the potions. ¡°Good morning, Sei.¡± ¡°Good morning. Are you helping out too, Jude?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± Jude was at the entrance when I went there. He was told to help carry the potions for the Knight Order, wasn¡¯t he? I¡¯ve never seen Jude wake up this early before, so it was probably hard for him to get up, right? It was common for assistants to load potions ordered by the Knight Order. Once in a while, researchers would help too when they felt like it. I would often deliver potions to the Knight Order during my breaks but since I was busy with lectures recently, other people had to deliver it instead. We were leaving pretty early in the morning so I thought that the assistants would be the ones moving the potions. But Jude was here, so he was the one who was loading them, right? ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you loaded the potions, Jude?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°You must have had trouble waking up. It¡¯s pretty early so I thought that it would be the assistants who would load the potions.¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡­ I just felt like it.¡± I received a subtle reply when I told him what I thought. I tilted my head in curiosity but he wouldn¡¯t tell me the real reason. Well, it¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t pursue any further and helped him load the potions. It would be departure time when we finished. ¡°Sei.¡± ¡°Director?¡± The Director called out to me when I was about to board the wagon and depart. After Jude, it was rare for me to see the Director. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?! You¡­¡­ I¡¯ve come to see you off.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Seeing me off?¡­¡­ He came to work that early just for that? I was so surprised. It wasn¡¯t just the Director but Jude as well. Eh? What? Is it my fault? ¡°Well, whatever. The subjugation will be hard but take care on your way.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Run away when you think things are getting dangerous. Okay?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± He said it so seriously that I nodded on reflex. Moreover, he also stroked my head as a bonus. I wonder what¡¯s wrong. I was pressed on time while I was wondering what was wrong so I didn¡¯t pursue the matter and got onto the wagon. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be off.¡± I said my farewells, got on the wagon and left the research institute. I saw the Director and the assistants wave when I turned around and waved when the wagon started moving. ¡°He was over exaggerating.¡± I spoke what I thought after a while and Jude, who was sitting next to me, smiled wryly. Come to think of it, Jude looked surprised too. ¡°Of course he would.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a subjugation, you know? I¡¯ve been on one when I was at the Academy but that was to the East Forest. This time you¡¯re going to the West Forest, aren¡¯t you? That place is really dangerous.¡± I heard that it was dangerous compared to the East and South Forest, but was it really that dangerous? If I recalled well, it was a dangerous place that had Salamander and a large quantity of demons. I didn¡¯t feel a sense of reality because I didn¡¯t encounter any demons in the forests I went to so far, or my brain just refuses to believe it. I can understand why the Director acted like he did if the West Forest was that dangerous. ¡°Be careful, alright?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being serious. Don¡¯t totter off by yourself just because you found some medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Even Jude told me this anxiously. There were things that I regretted up until now so I could only meekly agree with his advice. I braced myself not to move on my own even if I find new medicinal herbs. We reached the Knight Order barracks after a short while and I braced myself again. The atmosphere around the knights, who were doing last minute preparations, was tense. That tension spread even to me. I got off the wagon with Jude. Jude talked to the assistants at the Knight Order and the assistants began unloading the wagon and loading it onto the Knight Order¡¯s wagon. Jude came back while I was staring at that scene. When I looked up, he had the same serious look on his face as the Director did. Jude was probably worried too, he quickly took my right hand and gripped my fingers. ¡°Come back safely.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I only said a few words of farewell because he talked to me about various things on our way here. Jude looked at the ground for a bit after I said my thanks, he smiled like usual and returned to the research institute. I saw him off and turned back. I was looking for a certain person. While I was wandering around, that person found me instead and I saw him walking towards me. ¡°Sei.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Morning.¡± I gave my greetings to the Captain when he was close enough. I heard from the Civil Official beforehand that I would be going to the West Forest with the 3rdKnight Order this time. I was relieved because I knew a lot of the knights from my magic practices. It would be tiring to be surrounded by people I¡¯m not familiar with. I didn¡¯t want to be tired while travelling, when I thought about what would happen afterwards. Later, I heard from the knights that the 2nd Knight Order and the 3rd Knight Order had a little fight over who would go with me. It was only natural that the 2nd Knight Order wanted to go with me seeing how fascinated with me they were. To be honest, I was a little uncomfortable with the way they were fascinated with me so I¡¯m relieved that they decided that the 3rd Knight Order would be accompanying me. This was thanks to the Head Magician¡¯s backing. Intelligent Glasses-sama was the Captain¡¯s older brother so I wonder if that was related to it? ¡°I was shocked, Captain.¡± ¡°Will you be sitting in the carriage until the West Forest, Sei?¡± ¡°I heard that I would be.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± The Civil Official told me that I would be travelling by carriage because the West Forest was a little far from the Royal Capital. There were a lot of knights who could ride horses so I would be the only one riding the carriage. It might be boring to stay in the carriage the whole time by myself but if I sleep then I won¡¯t be bored. However, for some reason the Captain¡¯s expression was grim. Was he worried about me being in the carriage by myself? That problem was resolved as soon as we got close to the carriage. ¡°Good morning, Sei-sama.¡± ¡°Huh? Head Magician?¡± The Head Magician was standing next to the carriage that looked like the one I would ride. According to what I¡¯ve heard, the Court Mage Division should be leaving from over there¡­¡­ ¡°Good morning. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°I thought that we should go together.¡± ¡°Together¡­¡­ You mean we should ride the carriage together?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Head Magician smiled and nodded. His expression was contracted the Captain¡¯s wry expression. ¡°It takes some time to get there so I thought that we could talk about magic inside of the carriage.¡± ¡°Is it a lecture?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that you¡¯d be riding alone and so I thought you¡¯d be bored.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± I thought that I would sleep but I was thankful that he¡¯d give me a magic lecture instead. I wouldn¡¯t be taking any lectures during the subjugation so I was a little worried that I would forget things. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Well then, isn¡¯t it time to depart soon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The Head Magician smile widened when I said thank you. I looked around when the Head Magician said that and saw that the preparations were nearly done. There were also people on standby on their horses. The Captain and Head Magician urged me to go to the entrance of the carriage so I did. It was ¡®ladies first¡¯, so I got onto the carriage first. The entrance of the carriage was high up so I grabbed the sides to get on but then a hand reached out to me from the side. I looked at the hand¡¯s owner and it was the Captain. It was somewhat embarrassing but I thank him while taking his hand. I was used to this kind of escort. Was it thanks to my manner lectures? I got onto the carriage while escaping reality and saw that it was bigger than I thought it would be. There were blankets and cushions on the seats. I could tell that they put a lot of thought towards me travelling comfortably. I appreciate it. I sat down at the back and the Head Magician came into the carriage. He sat next to me but this carriage was bigger than the one I used when I went to the Royal Capital so I didn¡¯t mind that much. Yes, I don¡¯t want to sit close to an ikemen. The carriage doors closed and the carriage started moving. It took a day to reach the West Forest. I also asked the Head Magician about the West Forest during the magic lecture. ??????? We travelled for a day and reached the West Forest. I heard that it took a day to get here but we rested half way through so it actually took a day and a half. It¡¯s probably my fault. I didn¡¯t mind going to the Royal Capital by carriage but riding on a long journey took a toll on your body. If the Head Magician didn¡¯t suggest that I use¡ºHEAL¡»on the way here then it would have probably took more time, right? It was physically draining but not mentally. No, of course, sometimes physically draining showed up mentally as well. However, it was fine because I casted ¡ºHEAL¡». I thought the Head Magician¡¯s presence was quite big. The magic lecture we had on the way to the West Forest was related to subjugation. Rather than saying that it was a lecture about magic, it was probably more accurate to say that it was a lecture about combat. He mostly taught me about my role in the group battle and how I should conduct myself. I grew up in peaceful Japan and I didn¡¯t have any battle experience at all so I thought that the lecture was very helpful. That lecture ended after a few hours. This was because of what I told the nonchalant Head Magician at the 2nd break. I told him about strengthened medicinal herbs. I could produce that medicinal herbs because of the Head Magician¡¯s advice so I thanked him. Then, of course, we talked about how to reproduce it. We inevitably talked about that mysterious magic¡­¡­ The Head Magician¡¯s eye colour changed when I casually told him, ¡°I activated some kind of magic¡±. It was already too late by the time I thought, damn it! If the Captain hadn¡¯t stopped him during the break, we probably wouldn¡¯t have moved for a while. We shouldn¡¯t stay here long, continue inside the carriage, I was really relieved when he said that. So we talked about that mysterious magic the whole way. It was probably better to say that he interrogated me rather than we talked. The Head Magician didn¡¯t know about that magic either and he persistently asked various questions about it. He also said that he wanted me to show him it, but I haven¡¯t been able to cast it since that time and I could see that he was downhearted. Yup, I won¡¯t be shaken. He forgave me when I told him that I was practicing so that I could reproduce the effects and that I would show him when I succeed. Then, we arrived at the campsite. The 2nd Knight Order and the Court Mage Division joined up for the first time here. There were quite a lot of people when everyone gathered, but I heard that the same amount of people also participated in the previous subjugations. I heard that the demons in the West Forest were strong, but there were way more people here than when I went to the South Forest. That shows how dangerous the West Forest is, right? It might also be because there were people here to set up the campsite. The South Forest was a day trip. There was a large number of people, it wasn¡¯t just the knights but the people who took care of the knights also tagged along. I didn¡¯t have to do anything thanks to that, so I waited in the carriage until they had finished. Ah, but I helped prepare the meals. The people at the 3rd Knight Order asked me to. The 3rd Knight Order was fascinated by the food at the research institute dining hall. I, myself, also wanted to eat delicious food so I accepted without hesitation. I was thankful that I had medicinal herbs for cooking in my container. Did Jude or the Director put it in there? At any rate, I was grateful and used it in my cooking. If someone ate my cooking then they could feel an improvement in their psychic abilities but everyone would sleep after eating dinner, so I hope it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. I thought and made dinner without restrain. The dishes were very popular with the knights from the 3rd Knight Order. The Director forbad me to cook in public but I thought it would be alright since only the people from the 3rd Knight Order were here. Then the next day, we began moving towards the West Forest again. We arrived a little after noon. We took a break since we hadn¡¯t had lunch yet and ate our food. The 2nd Knight Order and the Court Mage Division heard about the food I made yesterday and asked me to cook again. It was impossible for me to cook for everyone by myself, so I instructed other people on how to make the food. It was probably better for me to cook because we were going to be subjugating after this. I¡¯m glad the Director forbad me from cooking. I tasted the food and it was also popular with the 2nd Knight Order and the Court Mage Division. After lunch, it was decided that we would check out the West Forest while it was still light out. However, I would be staying here. The knights will scout out the area first. I was an amateur so I followed my instructions obediently. However, I had free time so I got permission to search for herbs growing near the edge of the forest. It was a shame if I couldn¡¯t find any herbs related to my research after coming this far. The awesome Captain was guarding me. The Head Magician? He happily followed the scouts. He said something like he was going to warm up. Then, I could finally enter the West Forest on the third day. The trees grew thickly in the West Forest so it was gloomy even though it was daytime. The East and South Forests were probably well maintained because the students from the Academy go there. The West Forest might have felt extra gloomy because it was bright there. We broke into multiple groups to move within this forest. The knights from the 3rd Knight Order were in my group as well as the Captain and Head Magician. And the number of mages assigned to my group was half the amount of the other groups. The cause: The Head Magician. The Head Magician wasn¡¯t supposed to be in my group, but he used his power of authority. I can¡¯t let anything happen to you, he said. Well, the Captain was here too. If the Head Magician also joined my group then we¡¯ll have too much power here. But the Head Magician was stubborn. He wanted to be in the same group as me because he wanted to study me. There¡¯s no mistake about it. The Captain was the one who was surprised. The Captain also refused to move into a different group. I would normally make decisions calmly and was able to move groups myself. But we decided on the group members after some shuffling around. Yup, we¡¯ve got too much power here. I saw a demon for the first time in here, but the Head Magician defeated it before I¡¯d even had the chance to get scared. He did it while humming. The Captain also smiled wryly at that. I thought that the Captain, who was smiling wryly while slashing down the demon that had come flying out, was also excessive. The Head Magician said that it¡¯s been a long time since he¡¯s been on a subjugation and his eyes were twinkling but I didn¡¯t felt like he was rusty. The magic he was evoking was also stronger than the ones I saw him using at the training grounds, probably because they were used for subjugation. I heard he was strong but I didn¡¯t think he would be this strong! If you want to be the top of a unit then it won¡¯t do if you¡¯re not this strong? Which meant that the Captain was also this strong? There were two such people. As I thought, this group is too overpowered. ¡°Woah.¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± I was being careful while walking but I still tripped over a tree root on the ground. I would have fell if the Captain, who was walking next to me, didn¡¯t immediately catch my arm to support me. There were fallen leaves piling on top of each other, making the roads slippery, in addition to it being dim and difficult to see. There weren¡¯t many small trees and they probably maintained this before, but it was hard to walk through. Having said that, I couldn¡¯t walk while looking down so it was difficult to walk through here. I corrected my posture and looked at the Head Magician. He placed his hands onto his chin and pondered. I wonder what¡¯s wrong. ¡°Is something wrong, Head Magician?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I was just thinking that the demons have decreased compared to before. The demons have decreased? This was my first time coming here so it didn¡¯t feel real to me yet but when I looked at the Captain, he was nodding so the amount of demons had really decreased. ¡°Is this the result of your previous subjugation?¡± ¡°That could be it, but I feel like it¡¯s decreased more than that.¡± I asked the Captain and he said that the demons had decreased more than when they had subjugated. The Captain and the Head Magician looked pensive. The Head Magician asked the Captain various questions, probably because he couldn¡¯t come up with an answer alone. ¡°I felt like there were a lot more when I came here before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s less here now than there was when I was on my previous subjugation mission.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen many weak demons. I feel like the ones we¡¯ve defeated have all been middle class demons.¡± ¡°Now that you mentioned it, that¡¯s true.¡± They talked until that point and the Head Magician stared at me. The Captained also looked at me when he noticed the Head Magician¡¯s gaze. Huh? What? I flustered, wondering what was up and the Head Magician nodded his head as if he came to an understanding. ¡°Shall we keep going?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Don¡¯t just move on when you two are the only ones who understood. I thought about asking for an explanation but a demon with bad timing appeared and I missed my chance to ask. The interval between demon encounters shortened as we continued walking. The people walking at the front stopped when we reached deep inside of the forest. The Captain told me what had happened when I thought it was odd. ¡°Strong demons appear around here so we always take time to prepare around here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Head Magician, who could also cast holy magic, began casting magic that increased attack and defensive power. I should help out too. We moved to a good place. I chanted area magic and prepared. Magic was released onto my surroundings and I chanted,¡ºAREA PROTECTION¡». ¡ºAREA PROTECTION¡» was a magic that raised defence against physically and magical attacks. When casting on one person, it became ¡ºPROTECTION¡». People generally casted these two for protection: ¡ºPHYSICAL PROTECTION¡»which raised physical defence, and ¡ºMAGIC PROTECTION¡»which raised magic defence. But the Head Magician taught me ¡ºPROTECTION¡»which raised both at once. He said this was easier to use. MP actually decreased less if I just casted ¡ºPROTECTION¡». The problem was that it was harder to cast ¡ºPROTECTION¡». Me? I was able to use it straight away. The main reason why I could was probably because my holy magic level was ¡Þ. The Head Magician covered his stomach and laughed the first time I activated ¡ºPROTECTION¡». He said I activated it too easily. It was a horrible thing to do considering he was the one who taught me it. The mages were looking at me with stunned faces probably because the Head Magician had laughed about it and I casted a difficult to use magic in a ranged area. It¡¯s faster to cast area magic than cast it one by one, you know? We finished defensive preparations, now onto offensive. If they were going to that extent then I¡¯ve done all I could. I took out some Intermediate MP Potions out of my bag and drank them, since my MP decreased considerably because I used a series of area magic. The other mages did the same. Even though my MP would recover automatically if I waited, we were moving straight away. The group moved on when the mages and I finished drinking the MP Potions. Looking around, I could see that everyone¡¯s expressions were different from before. I could tell that their tension was high. We were headed towards the deepest part of the West Forest. The other groups took different routes but our destination was the same. The closer we got to the deepest part, the stronger the demons became. I heard this at the preliminary meeting. The information was correct. But that wasn¡¯t all. We encountered more demons as we progressed deeper into the forest. The battles which were quickly finished until now were getting longer. We encountered demons one by one before but now we were encountering them in groups. Furthermore, new demons appeared as soon as we finished defeating one group. The injured people increased and the occasions where I, who was bored, had to cast¡ºHEAL¡»continuously on my first subjugation, probably because of the Head Magician¡¯s special training. The knights and Captain were protecting me so I could support from behind without receiving damage. I was able to act calmly without panicking thanks to them. It was a little scary though. ¡°They suddenly increased. Was it like this in the last subjugation as well?¡± The Head Magician said during battle, he was different from usual, no, he looked as if he had found something interesting. The Captain, who had finished the next battle, answered this question. ¡°Yeah. It gets worse the further we go.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The Head Magician narrowed his eyes, licked his lips and smiled amusingly. I felt like we switched a switched that shouldn¡¯t have been switched. Magic flew at me continuously and hit the demon that was coming my way as soon as I thought that. The offender was the Head Magician. I¡¯ve never seen him activate magic continuously at such a speed before. Was this how fast magic could be casted once one mastered magic manipulation? I was surprised. ¡°It looks like something¡¯s happening at the back.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The knights concluded, ¡°so we decided that we¡¯d go to the deepest part this time.¡± ¡°Is that so? I wonder what¡¯s happening there.¡± The mages looked like they had already given up when they saw the Head Magician laugh amusingly. Ah, we switched the switch that wasn¡¯t supposed to be switched on. That was the same look he had when we were talking about my magic power. According to the mages, he couldn¡¯t be stopped when he got like this. I understood this and followed silently after the knights. ¡°¡ºREFLECTION¡».¡± We continued on as we defeated demons. We got into several battles and then I casted ¡ºREFLECTION¡», a barrier with a reflection effect, to avoid the attack of the demons that were approaching the knights. The demon¡¯s attack was blocked by the barrier and the damage was reflected back at them. Then the knights finished the demons off when they were flinching. I activated it at a good time. The Head Magician called out to me while I was happy with myself. ¡°That was a really good timing.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I was a little pleased with being praised. I could only be pleased for a second because we started moving again. Demons would attack us again if we stayed in the same place. The intervals between starting and ending a battle grew considerably short because we were getting closer to the deepest part of the forest. The air around us grew stagnated. I could feel unpleasant sweat on my back and my clothes was sticking to my skin. According to the Captain, this disgusting air was caused by thickened miasma. So this was miasma. The miasma got thicker the further we went in. I heard the vanguard knight mutter, ¡°What the?¡± when we reached the deepest part of the forest. Other people also heard this mutter. The Captain and the Head Magician headed to the front. I followed them from behind. The place called the deepest part of the forest was a basin, and we stood above it and looked down. There was a black swamp in the deepest part of the forest. The problem was that demons were gushing out from the swamp, one by one. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Well then, what is it?¡± The Captain and the Head Magician looked at the swamp with grim expressions on their faces. The demons gushing out from the swamp still hadn¡¯t noticed us yet because we were far away. But they would notice us if we talked in loud voices so the two whispered. I also hid my breath and looked at the swamp from behind them. The demons that gushed from the swamp didn¡¯t move straight away, they stood around the swamp for a while. A lot of demons crowded around the swamp in great density. If a single one noticed us, then they would all rush at us and attack, wouldn¡¯t they? I want to stop for a bit No matter how strong the Captain and the Head Magician were, it would be hard to take on these many. My body instinctively trembled when I imagined that scenario. Yup, we¡¯d definitely die. But the more I looked, the ghastly it got. I felt gloomy and uncomfortable when I looked at the black muddy swamp. The colour and the demons gushing out from within, no matter how I looked at it, it wasn¡¯t a normal swamp. It was the first time the Captain and the Head Magician had seen a swamp like this so they didn¡¯t know what it was. Well. The miasma got thicker the deeper we went, so don¡¯t tell me that swamp was made from the miasma! The two people in front of me turned back while I was thinking about the swamp. The Captain and the Head Magician, who were looking at the swamp while talking, had finished talking. They instructed everyone to step back by using gestures. They gave the instructions in silence because some of the demons around the swamp were headed this way. I also quietly moved back, trying to make as little noise as possible. It happened right after I heard a scream coming from the direction we were moving in. I looked in front and saw a faint orange light. What the heck is that? The moment I thought this, I saw a flame swallow the knights in front of me. Hey, isn¡¯t that dangerous?! ¡°It¡¯s coming!!!¡± I was flustered, not knowing what to do and then I heard the Captain scream from behind. When I turned around I saw the demons around the swamp coming this way. Were we noticed because of the uproar in the front? Chills ran down my spine. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a Salamander there.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Head Magician, who had come next to me unnoticed, muttered. A Salamander had appeared at the front. The fire from before was blown by this Salamander. A white light shone from the front and I saw the mages casting recovery magic. The Head Magician, who was next to me, attacked the demons coming from behind with magic. That¡¯s right, this isn¡¯t the time for me to space out. I looked at the front and saw that a mage had approached the knights, who were coiled in fire before, and started casting recovery magic on them. The knights immediately put up their shields. They were injured but still alive. I also casted ¡ºHEAL¡»when there was a lack of healing. I could tell he was healed when I heard a shout of joy. I continued to cast ¡ºHEAL¡»on the other knights, one after the other. I didn¡¯t forget to give support to the back. We walked towards the deepest part and encountered a Salamander while looking around, so the mages gathered around at the front. Therefore, there were only a few mages at the back and less people who could heal. The Head Magician was casting recovery magic between his offensive magic but it was probably more effective for me to be in charge of healing. The stalemate continued for a while. They were still having trouble with the Salamander in front. Demons were being defeated one after another because people with high attack power like the Captain and Head Magician were at the back. But the demons gushed out endlessly from the swamp. I didn¡¯t have to worry about my MP running out as long as I had potions in my hand, but if things continued like this, then the situation would only get worse. It wasn¡¯t just me who felt this way, everyone else did as well. I sometimes heard the always polite Head Magician say, ¡°Shit¡±. This was proof that he was getting impatient. It started to hurt around my stomach. At that time, I heard a voice from behind, ¡°Watch out!!¡± When I turned around, I saw a fireball released from the Salamander heading straight at me. Wait a minute! There was no time to cast magic and the Head Magician, who was next to me, had his hands full with the demons from behind so he couldn¡¯t help me. I heard the Captain shout from afar, ¡°Sei!¡± Everything was in slow motion for a moment and I felt as if my life flashed before my eyes. A gentle cold wave drifted in the air in an instant and a wall of ice taller than my back stood right before my eyes. I instantly raised my hands and covered my face but the fire was stopped by the ice wall. Water vapourised into the air. I lost my tension and collapsed. The Head Magician grabbed onto my arm. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet. Stand up.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°It seems like the magic on your hair ornament activated.¡± ¡°Hair ornament?¡± ¡°The hair ornament you¡¯re using now is bestowed with magic, isn¡¯t it?¡± I remembered when he told me. The hair ornament that I was wearing now was something I received from the Captain. And like he said, it was bestowed with magic. It had such an effect¡­¡­! I was saved thanks to the Captain, wasn¡¯t I? My chest got warm and I gently placed my hand on top of it. I managed to stand up somehow and straighten my posture. The Head Magician released my arm. He decided that I would be fine even without his support. The Head Magician immediately returned to battle. The situation was still unpredictable. Even so, there was no end to it. The demons were still continuously gushing out from the swamp. The situation won¡¯t change unless they did something about the swamp. On the contrary, someone might just die!!! If this was at the beginning then a knight would have blocked the fire from just now and it wouldn¡¯t have reached me. The body could be healed with recovery magic but mental fatigue couldn¡¯t. Everyone¡¯s concentration gradually fell and they were getting injured more often. What should I do? Is casting recovery magic the only thing I could do? Such thoughts passed through my mind as I provided support. I want to do something about that swamp. If I don¡¯t¡­¡­ ¡°Captain!¡± The knight¡¯s voice startled me. I looked towards the voice and saw the Captain shake and sway when he was attacked by a demon that looked like a black wolf. The Captain immediately held his ground but then another black wolf attacked him. No, stop! Something flowed from within me. What flowed from within me was the golden magic I saw at the research institute. That magic power quickly reached to where the Captain was. The black wolf that had sprung on the Captain turned to smoke when it touched my magic power; then it was swallowed by a golden torrent and disappeared. The Captain, who was dumbfounded, looked over here. It wasn¡¯t just the Captain, but everyone else as well. I was also surprised. What is that? Isn¡¯t that just going overboard? The magic power from within me didn¡¯t stop even though I was stunned. The golden magic power spread around the area without slowing down. It happened abruptly again, but in this condition, maybe¡­¡­ I put my hands together in front of my chest like I did at the research institute, and prayed. Please get rid of the swamp and demons somehow. The speed at which the magic power spread increased further. The golden haze spread on the ground and got larger; it swallowed up the Salamander, the demons around the swamp and even the swamp. The technique activated when it covered the whole swamp and the light burst. All the demons in the area and the swamp had disappeared by the time the sparkling gold particles fell from the sky, and what was left was only a forest. ¡°Is it finished¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It looks like it.¡± The Head Magician replied to the Captain¡¯s mutter and the knights, who were frozen, were still comprehending the situation. ¡°Wooow¡±, the shouts of joy resounded through the place. Volume 2 - CH 3.1 Morning. I woke up earlier than usual. Today was Ladies¡¯ Day. I just said that but it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a special day or anything. It is only called Ladies¡¯ Day because of lectures such as manners and dances which are taken on this day. They are necessary for the female aristocrat children of this Kingdom. And that is why I am up earlier than usual. I thought that it would be fine if I dressed like I normally did since I wasn¡¯t going to a ball or anything, but the people around me wouldn¡¯t allow it. Specially my dance teacher and the maids. The teacher thought that it would be better for me to wear dresses and get used to them. Therefore I am obliged to wear a dress whenever Ladies¡¯ Day came around. I felt like the maids were just simply having fun dressing me up. However I did agree that I had to get used to dresses, so I spent the whole day in a dress on Ladies¡¯ Day. I didn¡¯t just wear dresses on Ladies¡¯ Day, I also had my makeup and hair done; everything from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes, so it took time to prepare in the mornings. Therefore, I must get up earlier than usual and head to the Royal Palace. I wake up, dress in something simple and then go to the Royal Palace even before the sun had risen. The maids stood in wait at the room that was prepared for me. There were also different coloured dresses, shoes and accessories in the room. The people at the Royal Palace had prepared all this. I was surprised that the dresses and shoes fitted me perfectly. I wanted to believe that they already had these things on hand and didn¡¯t just prepare all these it just for me. I wanted to ask the Civil Official about it but I had a feeling that I¡¯d be forced to accept all this just for asking so I didn¡¯t ask because I was afraid. For the time being, I decided that the outfits were a loan from the Royal Palace. The maids seemed to be happily consulting with themselves about which dress would be perfect for today as they were looked over the rental dresses. ¡°It looks like everyone¡¯s having fun.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fun to choose out what outfits to use out of this large mountain of clothes.¡± I said with a wry smile to Marie-san, the head maid standing by my side and she replied with a bitter smile. The maids who were helping me on Ladies¡¯ Day also attended to me when I was summoned and helped me prepare for my audience with the King. Somehow, it felt like they were my personal maids. Amongst the maids was Marie-san, who was a little older than me and have been working at the Royal Palace for a long time. She was a sociable person who sometimes strictly guided the newer maids. Today too, while they were choosing the dresses, they were talking about popular dress designs in the Royal City and also about things such as confectionary. ¡°How about this dress for today?¡± They seemed to have decided on a dress after a short while and a maid came up to me to show it to me. The dress presented to me was a fluffy saffron dress. It wasn¡¯t a showy dress and I like it, but the colour was too pretty. I¡¯m worried it might be too flashy for me. ¡°Isn¡¯t the colour a bit too flashy for me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. See.¡± I was worried so I asked Marie-san for opinion, she told me that it was no problem. It certainly didn¡¯t look that flashy when I looked at it through a mirror. As expected of the choice made by the Royal Palace maids. ¡°If you match these together then it won¡¯t be so flashy, right?¡± ¡°Do you want to try these?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Once the dress was decided, next was the makeup and hairdo. I left these those to the maids. It would turn out better if I left it to them instead of doing it myself. I hope that they wouldn¡¯t make my makeup too dark. The maids also prepared shoes and accessories to go with the dress while they were doing my makeup. I closed my eyes for a long time so that they could apply my makeup, and because of that I didn¡¯t know which shoes and accessories were being chosen for me. I could only tell that from the maid¡¯s voices that they were having just as much fun as when they were picking the dress. It was certainly fun to choose things out from the mountain of things here. I couldn¡¯t go shopping for clothes or accessory in Japan because work was busy, but the rare chances that I had to go shopping were fun. The maids must feel the same as I do at that time. However, it was a different story if you wore the things yourself. The outfit prepared for me suited my preferences and there were a lot of simple items. But that was to this kingdom¡¯s standard, if you compared it to Japan¡¯s standard¡¯s it was quite gorgeous. I was once again reminded of Japan as I wore the clothes and I was filled with dread and winced. Well, I had the option of not wearing the clothes but I couldn¡¯t refuse when I thought about the happy maids who picked out the outfit for me. So I gave up and decided to think that the jewel was an imitation. But then the biggest problem wasn¡¯t the dress or the accessories. I was finally going to put on the dress when they finished my makeup but there was a problem. ¡°Well then, here I go.¡± Marie-san signal and then the ribbon was tightened. I inadvertently wanted to groan¡°Oof¡±, but I managed to hold it down. The maids were tightening the corset ribbon. The ideal image for women in this country was narrow waists that looked like it would easily break. The aristocrat women wore corsets to constrict their waists. Well, I did come from another world and even though the dress prepared was to this country¡¯s standards, my waist still appeared to be thick. I was also not accustomed to corsets so the maids didn¡¯t tighten it too much. Even so, the sound wanted to escape from my mouth. I could painfully understand why people in the old days would faint from this. I¡¯ve slimmed down since coming to this world so I thought I would be fine with wearing a corset. I had the corset tightened a little. I didn¡¯t think it would be this painful¡­¡­ I got used to it after a while and it wasn¡¯t as painful as before but my breathing was more shallow than normal. If I get used to it a bit more, would it become less painful? ¡°Are you alright?¡± Marie-san asked when I was tired from having the corset tightened. ¡°Yes.¡± I wanted to shout out that it was impossible but I endured it. I overcame today¡¯s challenge while praying that I would get used to it one day. The next thing to do after the corset was tightened was to wear the dress. It was quick from here on out. Then I could finally head towards my lecture after everything was finished. The morning lectures were about mannerism. I studied various things such as how to walk and how to greet people. I was surprisingly good at it. To the eye, my gestures were beautiful and I used muscles I didn¡¯t normally use. My leg muscles started trembling while my posture was being corrected in the middle of bowing. It was a bit hard for someone like me who didn¡¯t exercise. It was probably consuming a lot of energy because my waist was tightened with a corset. The teacher in charge of the lecture is a first class teacher who taught high ranking aristocrat children, so her teachings were a little strict. It was worth following her strict instructions because I was able to move gracefully and beautifully. ¡°You¡¯ve improved a lot.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The teacher praised me while she was teaching me how to courtesy. I was all the more happy to be praised by someone who was usually strict. I wondered if it was necessary to do it so thoroughly, but once I started I couldn¡¯t stop. It was inevitable since it was a trait of mine. But I thought that it must have been difficult for the aristocrats of this kingdom to live every day with this in mind. This might not be so if they were used to it. In the afternoon there were dance lessons. We started off with how to stands. Then I learnt steps for beginners and recently on occasions, I¡¯ve danced with the teacher as my partner. According to the teacher, we were rushing this lecture. Because of that I was secretly revisiting the room every day. My muscles were in pain the first time because I wasn¡¯t used to these postures. The moves weren¡¯t that vigorous so I moved my body less than I thought I would but I don¡¯t know if this was the same for skilled dancers. I think it¡¯s better to put some strength into my moves. The teacher and I were the only ones in this wide room. Today as well, we started by reviewing the steps and I danced with the teacher. I heard a knock at the door when I was moving to the beat of the teacher¡¯s voice. No one has ever disturbed my lessons before. We stopped dancing and the teacher headed towards the door. I looked wondering who it was and the person that appeared was the Captain. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I was surprised at the Captain¡¯s sudden appearance. A troubled smile appeared on his face when I asked him what was wrong. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you in the middle of your lesson. I¡¯m not here for any particular reason¡­¡­ I just thought I would come to see how you are doing.¡± The Captain told us the reason why he came after hesitating for a while. ¡°Could I watch?¡± Huh? Watch? I somehow managed to dance with the teacher but it wasn¡¯t good enough for people to see. It was embarrassing so I tried to refuse but the teacher had already replied. ¡°Oh, Hawk-sama. How gracious of you. If you would like, how about joining in too?¡± I inadvertently turned around at the teacher¡¯s words. What does she mean join in? The teacher noticed my stare and told me why she was smiling. ¡°You also learn by having a difference dance partner once in a while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­¡­¡± I understood what the teacher was saying but I only recently became able to dance with a partner. Even then, I had only managed somehow because the teacher was leading. Can I dance well with the Captain in my state? It was very doubtful that I could but the teacher and Captain both seemed keen. Hmm. The Captain has been learning this since he was little so if I follow him, it¡¯ll probably turn out okay? I somehow had managed even while dancing with the teacher. The Captain held out his hand to me while I was hesitating. I looked at his gentle smile and his hand. My anxiety grew but it would be rude if I didn¡¯t take his hand. I took a deep breath and prepared myself. I corrected my posture and put my left hand into his and he pulled me closer to him. The Captain swiftly placed his right hand on my left shoulder. I put my right hand into his left, looked up at him and inadvertently gulped. H-he¡¯s close¡­¡­ Well, I knew this would happen because I practiced with the teacher, I knew but¡­¡­! This was something that happened all the time when we rode the horse together and we were sitting relatively close to each other in the carriage when we went to the Capital. So I thought that I would be used to being this close to him. Uh yeah, I haven¡¯t gotten used to it at all. To being face to face with him that is. Up until now I¡¯ve only been sitting behind him or beside him. I realized that the embarrassment I felt when facing him was nothing compared to those times. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°N-nothing¡­¡­¡± The Captain smiled and asked curiously at me, who was looking up at him frozen. I somehow managed to reply and hastily dropped my eyes to his chest. My ears are hot. Calm down, me. I¡¯m in the middle of a lesson. I took another deep breath and somehow managed to calm myself down before looking up at him. The Captain who was facing me already found out how I was feeling but he pretended not to notice. We took the first step when the teacher said, ¡°Begin¡±. I stepped in time with the Captain¡¯s lead. Although I was a bit awkward, I was able to dance since the Captain was good at leading. Nonetheless, it was problematic that I was leaving everything up to him. In order to be able to move by myself, I recalled and practiced all that I¡¯ve learnt so far. After a while, I heard a voice from above me. ¡°Have you calmed down?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes.¡± Well, I¡¯ve just become more restless. My eyes wandered about as if showing the disturbance in my innermost thoughts. I was so focused on dancing that I finally forgot about the Captain but when I remembered that he was there my heart started beating fast. I don¡¯t know if he noticed this or not because he kept on talking. ¡°I heard that you never danced before in Japan¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t have the chance to dance there in the first place and there are many different dancing styles.¡± I did learn folk dancing and the dance of my region during my school days for the sports festival. It was completely different from the step dancing I was learning now. ¡°Then you¡¯ve just started dancing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re really talented to be able to dance like this already.¡± ¡°Huh? No way, I don¡¯t think so?¡± I don¡¯t think I have a talent for dancing at all so even if he flatters me I don¡¯t know how to reply. I panicked and refuted and the Captain chuckled. It seemed like he was teasing me. Arggh! I was frustrated and pouted, but there was nothing I can do because his smile grew wider and wider. ¡°You started learning after your audience with the King, isn¡¯t that right? When I started learning, I wasn¡¯t able to dance that well.¡± ¡°The lecture contents seem to be progressing at a fast pace. It seems that she¡¯ll have the chance to dance in the near future.¡± According to the teacher, the lectures felt crammed and the reason for this was because there was a dance in the near future. I, who wasn¡¯t even an aristocrat and just someone who worked at a research facility, didn¡¯t think that I would get an invitation to the ball. It was only my wishful thinking and things seldom went as one wished. Well, I did recently have an audience with the King. However, that wasn¡¯t the only reason I was learning how to dance, I was also interested in it. If not then I would have firmly refused even it was the Civil Official who had given me the recommendation. ¡°It¡¯s the social season in a few months.¡± ¡°Social season? There¡¯s something like that?¡± ¡°Yes. Several parties are held in the Capital in that season. You were also invited to a few of them, were you not Sei?¡± I knew it. It was fun to dance while twirling but it was questionable for me to attend such a dazzling party. My feelings must have shown on my face because the Captain talked again. ¡°There are only one or two balls that you must attend, right? So it¡¯ll be fine if you just refuse the rest.¡± ¡°Even so, I have to attend at least one of the balls, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a ball hosted by the King so you must attend.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± Certainly, one normally didn¡¯t refuse if they were invited to a ball organised by the King. That¡¯s what I thought but I still didn¡¯t want to attend. If I had to attend a ball then I would want it to be something a little cozier. ¡°I don¡¯t really like parties¡­¡­¡± He cut his words off there and I thought something was wrong so I looked at him. Mhm¡­¡­ Why are you looking at me like that? I felt the Captain look at me softly and my pulse starts racing. The Captain drew his face a little closer to mine and whispered. ¡°But if you attends then I want to escort you.¡± ¡°!!¡± Th-that kind of sweet whispering is foul-play! I gave him an accusation look but it wasn¡¯t effective. The Captain still had a smile on his face and it felt like he was waiting for my reply. At that very moment, the teacher gave her signal and the dance finished. That signal also indicated that the class was over for the day and I said my goodbyes to the teacher. I was told that I danced well with someone who I¡¯ve never danced before and I felt relieved. It didn¡¯t felt like practice anymore half way through the dance so I thought she was going to say something about it. I watched blankly as the Captain said his goodbyes to the teacher. An escort? I thought that it was possible for me to be invited to a ball but I didn¡¯t think about the escort matter. I couldn¡¯t just go by myself, could I? But I also didn¡¯t want to enter the premises by myself while everyone was entering in pairs. I would draw unwanted attention. The Captain finally invited me so could I ask him to take me? Ah, but if he escorts me to the ball then I also have to dance with him, wouldn¡¯t I? Do I like him? ¡°Sei?¡± The teacher had already left the room while I was endlessly worrying. It was only the Captain and I left in this room. The Captain looked worried probably because I was pondering. ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Mhm¡­¡­ It¡¯s about you escorting me to the ball.¡± His face became more anxious when I said escort. It¡¯s because I was thinking about it so hard, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m sorry. ¡°Please escort me if you are fine with it, Hawk-sama.¡± The Captain¡¯s face suddenly brightened when I finished my sentence. ¡°Really?! Of course I am!¡± I felt quite at ease that he looked so happy about it. I still haven¡¯t received any invitations yet so I still don¡¯t know if we would have any balls to attend to together. I didn¡¯t think that it would be a bad idea for me to ask the Captain to escort me. If an invitation had arrived I would have asked the Director about it anyways. I¡¯ve never been to a party before so it¡¯s more reassuring for me to go with someone who was used to them. That way my future worries would decrease by one. This should be a good choice? The Captain seemed happy to send me off into the room that was given to me at the Royal Palace. Translator: Blushy Editor: CrimsonJade Volume 2 - CH 3.2 As per usual, Ladies¡¯ Day. Today however, was different from usual. ¡°Is it your day off?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I told Marie-san that I no dance lesson today. Did the teacher have urgent business to attend to? I thought it was strange and a maid brought a letter to me on top of a tray. Marie-san took the tray from the maid and presented it to me. ¡°Instead, an assignment has been assigned to you by the manner¡¯s lecturer.¡± Marie-san said. I took the envelope from her and looked at the back. ¡°An assignment?¡± The envelope was sealed with wax and there was a crest on it. It was a family crest from somewhere, but which family was it? I felt like I¡¯ve seen this crest somewhere before. I learnt all the crests of important aristocrat families in class. The crest being familiar meant that it was one of those families. It wasn¡¯t the royal family. I obviously remembered the royal crest. I couldn¡¯t remember which family it was straight away so I decided to read the contents of the letter first. Marie-san opened the seal and gave me the letter contained inside. I read the contents of the letter and it seems that I¡¯ve been invited to a tea party. It was held today in the afternoon. It was held in¡­¡­ The Royal Palace?! It must be an invitation from someone in high power since they were having it at the Royal Palace. Who the heck is it? I tried to confirm the name of the sender while pondering but noticed that they didn¡¯t write it. This meant that I had to derive this fact from the crest? That family crest was from¡­¡­ ¡°Sei-sama, would you like to wear this dress today?¡± I was startled because someone suddenly called out to me. I was too absent-minded. I looked at the dress that the maid presented to me and thought about what to do. ¡°I was invited to a tea party this afternoon.¡± ¡°Oh my! You should wear a more gorgeous dress today then.¡± ¡°What? Hey!¡± It appears that Marie-san didn¡¯t know the contents of the assignment. Then after stopping me, she quickly started ordering the maids around. They prepared an outfit more glamorous than the ones I usually wore while picking this and that. I looked at the maids who were having more fun than usual and didn¡¯t have the heart to stop them. Which family was it? ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Marie-san looked at me worriedly because I was scrunching up my eyebrows while thinking. ¡°I was thinking about who the sender was. They didn¡¯t write their name on the envelope.¡± I said and gave the envelope and letter to Marie-san. Marie-san looked at the envelope crest after reading the letter. ¡°The name of the sender really isn¡¯t written anywhere.¡± ¡°Is the assignment to find out who the sender is from the invitation?¡± ¡°Maybe but isn¡¯t the assignment also to attend the tea party?¡± Certainly. Marie-san was quite right. I also learnt the mannerism for tea ceremonies and thought that it would be possible for me to attend one because we had finished the lessons on that topic. The sender was still unknown. If part of the assignment was to find out who the sender was then there was a high possibility that Marie-san won¡¯t tell me which house they are from even if I ask her about it. But, I¡¯ll try to ask anyways. ¡°I have a feeling I¡¯ve seen this family crest somewhere before but I can¡¯t seem to remember where from. Marie-san, so you know which family it is?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a very famous family. It¡¯s Marquis Ashley¡¯s family crest.¡± She surprisingly answered my question. I should have remembered this crest because there wasn¡¯t many Marquis Households to begin with but I had completely forgotten about it. But did I know someone from that household? ¡°If it¡¯s from Marquis Ashley¡¯s household then the person who invited you is probably their daughter.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Their daughter is also Prince Kyle¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± What? Prince Kyle as in that Prince Kyle, right? The Crown Prince. I see, so even that has a fianc¨¦e, huh? The people of this kingdom became adults at 15, so he was more or less the Prince. It wasn¡¯t odd that he had a fianc¨¦e. It was rare for this to happen in Japan but it wasn¡¯t unusual here. But is his fianc¨¦e someone who could host a tea party at the Royal Palace? Normally people couldn¡¯t host tea parties at the Royal Palace even if they were engaged to the royal family. Was she already living in the Royal Palace with the Prince? ¡°Is his fianc¨¦e living in the Royal Palace?¡± ¡°No. She normally lives in Marquis Ashley¡¯s estate in the capital.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t live at the Royal Palace but she¡¯s hosting the tea party at there?¡± ¡°This is because it¡¯s Sei-sama¡¯s assignment.¡± Marie-san was trying to say that the reason the tea party was being hosted at the Royal Palace this time around was because it was connected to me. Perhaps Marquis Ashley¡¯s daughter also heard this from the teacher. That¡¯s right. I handed the invitation to Marie-san because it was my assignment but we didn¡¯t know if the host knew the situation or not. So the tea party this time might not be that big. When I saw that the party was held at the Royal Palace, I panicked wondering how big it would be. Even if someone tells me that it¡¯s alright for me to attend, I didn¡¯t want my first tea party to be a big one. I was a little relieved. My hair and makeup was finished while I was talking to Marie-san and the preparations are done. I looked at myself in the mirror and could tell that the maids had put more effort into my hair and makeup. The maids had a look of accomplishment on their faces. It really doesn¡¯t look like me. The me in the mirror was laughing tiredly. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°You all did an amazing job.¡± The maids were happy at my words. I guess it¡¯ll do. Then I headed to my morning lecture. I had lunch like I usually do after my morning lecture. However, I didn¡¯t eat anything because the tea party would be held soon. I asked my teacher this morning and as I thought, my assignment was to attend the tea party. It seems that the tea party would only consist of me and the host so I calmed down a little. The organiser, Marquis Ashley¡¯s daughter, had manner lessons under the same teacher as me. Thus, she ended up helping with my assignment this time around. Marquis daughters held high positions so they wouldn¡¯t normally help someone out with their assignment but I heard that she was a well-balanced person and she immediately agreed to help this time. I appreciate it. But I also felt a little nervous because I was receiving help from a high-ranking Young Lady. Has she even talked to me before? I¡¯ve been talking to Marie-san and the others about fashion lately so I think that I can talk about fashion trends. But I still think that it isn¡¯t enough. The tea party was held at the palace pavilion 1). It was a western style place so it was also called a gazebo. It happened while I was enjoying the autumn garden and I thought that I should enjoy talking with the host too. I walked through the beautiful garden guided by Marie-san. I could see the gazebo in the distant and I also saw someone who was probably the host seated down on one of the chairs. She also seemed to have noticed me because she got up from her chair and came out of the gazebo to greet me. ¡°Liz?¡± I could see the person¡¯s face as I got closer and was surprised because it was a face that I was familiar with. The person standing there was Liz. ¡°Welcome to my tea party, Sei.¡± The smiling Liz was as beautiful as ever. Her smiling face looked somewhat deceiving and it also felt as if she was telling me I did well. ¡°Mm¡­¡­ Thank you for inviting me today?¡± I managed to squeeze out the greetings. My intonation rose at the end and it sounded like a question. Please forgive me. I was that surprised. I sat down on the seat as Liz had suggested and the maids, who were waiting on the sides, poured tea into our cups. I stared at them blankly and then Liz spoke. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you in a dress Sei. It¡¯s a refreshing change from your usual self.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. I guess so.¡± ¡°The dress is very beautiful and suits you well Sei.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It was embarrassing because she was praising my dress. No, that¡¯s not it. ¡°You¡¯re Marquis Ashley¡¯s daughter?¡± Yup. The person who invited me to the tea party today should be Marquis Ashley¡¯s daughter. Liz should be Marquis Ashley¡¯s daughter judging from the words, ¡°Welcome to my tea party¡±, but¡­¡­ Come to think of it, did she introduce herself as ¡°Elizabeth Ashley¡± the first time we met at library? I¡¯ve been calling her Liz ever since so I forgot her surname. Liz smiled when I tilted my head and asked in confirmation. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about being a Marquis¡¯s daughter, you know.¡± She chuckled at me when I answered in disappointment. You¡¯re a convicted criminal, aren¡¯t you? ¡°I heard that you were hosting this tea party because of my assignment.¡± ¡°Yes, I am. You haven¡¯t been coming to the library recently Sei, so I happily agreed when I heard about it from the teacher.¡± After I started taking lectures,I visited the library less often. The reason was simple; I was just too busy with classes. Liz still went to the library many times even though I stopped going. Now that you mention it, I only meet with Liz in the library. Even then, we never planned to meet. We just met because we happen to be at the library at the same time. Therefore, I haven¡¯t met with Liz at all recently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t recently been going to the library at all.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. You¡¯ve been busy, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I have¡­¡­ by the way, you didn¡¯t invite anyone else besides me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us today. Well, let¡¯s take our time talking while drinking tea.¡± Thus, the tea party began. I had to pay attention to my mannerism because it was part of my assignment. Therefore, I¡¯ll drink the tea first. Today¡¯s tea smells somewhat like Darjeeling tea. All the teas served at the Royal Palace was delicious but this was the first time I¡¯ve drank something that is similar to Darjeeling tea. ¡°This tea is delicious. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve drank it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it. It¡¯s from a plantation contracted to my family.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As expected of a Marquis family. It¡¯s probably an exclusive contract, right? Slightly sweet confectioneries were a trademark of this kingdom. The tea didn¡¯t have anything in it so it was fine. I felt like I was hyped up because my lecture had been extended. I told Liz what I thought and she smiled happily and replied with: ¡°This is, of course, my first tea party with Sei so I tried my best.¡± Of course, proper preparation was also needed at normal tea parties but it seems that this tea party with me was special. She didn¡¯t know what I liked so Liz picked all her favourite things. Although Liz was still growing, I had a feeling that she would be extremely gorgeous in the future and she had a lot of beautiful colored dresses. However, when I looked at the sweets on the table today, it seemed that she preferred cute things. All the sweets were berry-type sweets and pinkish. Even the sweet decorations looked cute. Liz nodded in embarrassment when I pointed them out. Of course, all the dresses that she wore were ones that suited her so they were different from the ones she would prefer to wear. She told me that I was the only one here today so she let her preferences show. We started talking about something that had recently happened while deep in conversation. ¡°I¡¯ve heard things about the Saint-sama recently.¡± Liz began the conversation like that. I was in the middle of drinking my tea and had a hard time trying not to choke on it. ¡°Saint-sama?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that she¡¯s a magnificent user of recovery magic and that she saved a lot of knights.¡± ¡°Heh, hehe. Is that so?¡± ¡°I also heard that the knights who had lost their arms and legs during the subjugation had regained them back thanks to the Saint-sama. They¡¯re really grateful.¡± ¡°Oh ~.¡± ¡°Being able to recover lost limbs meant that she¡¯s this kingdom¡¯s number one recovery magic user. But, I¡¯ve heard that Saint-sama is very humble and didn¡¯t brag about it at all. The knights are already worshipping her like a goddess.¡± Yup, I¡¯m a bit troubled. Worship meant them right? The Knights from the 2nd Knight Order. I really want to believe that the people from the 3rd Knight Order are still okay. I wanted to play dumb and reply with, ¡°I wonder who that is?¡± while listening to Liz¡¯s story but she probably won¡¯t forgive me for that. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were that good at recovery magic, Sei.¡± ¡°Ah, no way¡­.yeah, I suppose.¡± I thought that it wouldn¡¯t do if I don¡¯t tell her the truth since she was smiling like she knew. We haven¡¯t talked that deeply into things like this. The reason was that we didn¡¯t need to talk about things deeply so I thought that it would be alright to take this chance and tell her a bit more about myself. ¡°I¡¯ve only recently became able to use magic.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°There was no need to use it before that.¡± I said and Liz continued to faintly smile while looking at me. What is it? ¡°You didn¡¯t use it because your original world didn¡¯t have magic so you weren¡¯t familiar with it, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Sei, you were summoned here, weren¡¯t you?¡± My eyes reflexively widened. I think that a lot more people who knew that I was summoned here by the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿than I thought. Of course, I didn¡¯t spread it around. If I tell people that I was summoned here by a ceremony, wouldn¡¯t it be the same as telling them that I was the ¡¾Saint¡¿? That¡¯s why I definitely don¡¯t go around saying it. That most likely mean the people who do know found out from the people at the Royal Palace. The Director and the Captain weren¡¯t the only ones who knew about this, the knights and mages probably knew too, right? The maids probably also know about it. The researchers weren¡¯t told so half of them suspected something and the other half didn¡¯t know anything. I somehow felt that from the researcher¡¯s reactions. There was a difference in their reactions probably because the Royal Palace distinguished between those who are trustworthy and those who are not. The knights and mages are on the nation¡¯s defence force so I think they have to know. The maids were all people who were gathered to look after the ¡¾Saint¡¿so I¡¯m sure they know. I didn¡¯t think that Liz would be also be included in the list of people who knew about it. That¡¯s why I was surprised that she knew. ¡°So you knew?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°From the beginning.¡± ¡°From the beginning¡­¡­ So you knew from the time we met at the library?¡± ¡°Yes. But, it was a coincidence that we met there.¡± According to Liz¡¯s explanation, it was really a coincidence that we met at the library. However, she said that she knew that the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿had been performed and she guessed from my hair colour and eyes that I was probably a summoned person. It was an unusual colour to have in this kingdom. She also said that she was convinced when she started talking to me in the library. She concluded this from the fact that I could read various languages but I didn¡¯t understand anything about the grammar of it. It was certainly unbelievable for someone to be able to read something without understanding the grammar behind it. ¡°The other person is also the same.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The other person is probably Aira-chan. Come to think of it, Liz also attends the Royal Academy, doesn¡¯t she? Are they classmates? ¡°I¡¯ve heard that she can also read Slantania and the ancient languages, but she doesn¡¯t know grammar or anything like that.¡± ¡°I see. Anyway, are you and Aira-chan classmates, Liz?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s a year above me.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Other than that, you also know about her, Sei.¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± I heard about Aira-chan from the maids and civil official at the beginning. She¡¯s the girl who was summoned with me. Therefore I¡¯m interested in her. I haven¡¯t seen her since then. I wonder about her sometimes and I¡¯m was worried about her after all. ¡°Is she doing well?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ She doesn¡¯t seem to be ill.¡± Liz looked troubled when I tilted my head at her hesitation. ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­¡­¡± Then Liz suddenly raised her hand and the maids left. What¡¯s that? Amazing. Liz was confirming that the maids were gone while I was admiring her. And then she slowly began to talk. ¡°Do you remember the time when I told you about that troublesome classmate of mine?¡± ¡°Errrr ~¡­¡­¡± Which reminds me, we did talked about something like that before. If I¡¯m not mistaken it was about a classmate who had the popular guys wait upon her. I wonder what¡¯s wrong with that child? Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s Aira-chan?¡± I asked and she nodded sadly. I unintentionally averted my gaze upwards. ¡°I told you that it was a classmate at that time but it¡¯s definitely Aira-san.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Well, whether she was a classmate or not wasn¡¯t something that Liz could explain in detail. ¡°I¡¯ve put in a lot of effort to try to solve the problem but it¡¯s not going very well.¡± ¡°Were we talking about how it isn¡¯t good for someone to get intimate with men who have fianc¨¦es?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Ah ~¡­¡­¡± I accidentally looked away. Even in Japan, it¡¯s frowned upon to cling to someone that was engaged. It was the same for those who had lovers too. However, it was harder for it to become a problem in Japan. There were many actions that may not cause problems in Japan that could cause problems here. For example, lifting up your skirt when it¡¯s hot or showing your bare feet to the opposite sex. I was also scolded by Liz. Aira-chan might be the same. If she acted the same way as she did in Japan towards her friends without knowing the standards of them country then¡­¡­ Huh? But didn¡¯t Liz and the others warn her multiple times? ¡°You warned her personally, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Other people did but I heard that they told her directly.¡± ¡°I see. But nothing changed?¡± ¡°She seems to be aware of it now?¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± Liz asked about it so I told her what I was thinking about before. I told her about the degree of difference in problematic actions between Japan, the country that Aira-chan and I were from and here. Japan was more lenient compared to here. Aira-chan might not know that. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll get it if you just told her to think about the person that they are dating or it would be a problem for you to get along with men.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I realized when you told me, Liz. Well the boys around her might have told her about it.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t.¡± Liz said clearly even though she was laughing as if she was troubled. It didn¡¯t show on her face but I felt that she was clad in a scary aura and chills ran down my spine. I couldn¡¯t see it but it felt like a black aura was covering her back. Mhm, Liz-san? What¡¯s wrong? ¡°If they were that considerate then it wouldn¡¯t become the big problem it is today.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s true. You are quite right. It¡¯s just as she said. Liz said in a somewhat appalled voice. How scary. But why was she so angry? I thought and remembered what Marie-san had told me. Which reminds me, Liz¡¯s fianc¨¦ is¡­¡­ ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me your fianc¨¦ is also in that group of boys?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The answer to my timid question was YES. I want to think that the black aura growing behind her is just my imagination. ¡°Liz, you¡¯re fianc¨¦ is that, right? Mm¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Prince Kyle.¡± I could only laugh dryly at that predicted answer. I see, that is her fianc¨¦, huh? ¡°I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s caused you extreme displeasure.¡± ¡°Mhm? Yeah¡­¡­¡± I could only laugh when I remember what had happened when I was summoned. Yeah, serious, that. Liz smiled stiffly and correct her posture. She was looking at me really seriously. ¡°I will apologise on His Highness¡¯s behalf for what happened at that time.¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not something that you should apologise for, Liz.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± I somehow laughed and appealed to Liz that it wasn¡¯t her fault because she still looked anxious. I can understand apologising on behalf of your fianc¨¦ but Liz didn¡¯t do anything wrong so I didn¡¯t know how to respond to her. ¡°Let¡¯s think of a way to solve the Aira-chan problem?¡± ¡°Oh Sei¡­¡­¡± I would be stumped if we kept talking about the Prince so I forcefully changed the topic. Liz seemed to have noticed my intention and mumbled in worried tone but she didn¡¯t push the topic. I appreciated her subtlety. From there, we talked about how we should improve the circumstances around Aira-chan. We exchanged various ideas and before we knew it a lot of time had passed. We had finally found a way to solve the problem. It should be fine if I leave the finer details to Liz, right? Thus, my first tea party ended without a hitch. Translator: Blushy Editor: CrimsonJade Volume 2 - CH 4.1 It¡¯s been a while since I visited the library. I hadn¡¯t been there since my lectures started and I was finally able to visit today. The other day, I received permission to read the prohibited books so I rushed there at full speed. The prohibited section was attached to the library, but the librarian¡¯s antechamber separated it from the main section of the library. Furthermore, it was closed off by a heavy locked door. The lock was suspicious; it looked like an ordinary lock but it wasn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t understand it very well, but it was opened by a mysterious kind of magic and, even if you had the same lock, you couldn¡¯t open it unless you had the permission to do so. It was probably something like biometric authentication. Incidentally, you didn¡¯t need a key to get out of the prohibited section. It seemed like it automatically locked. I showed my permission slip to the librarian in the antechamber. They opened the door and guided me to the bookshelf that contained the books I was looking for. Not many people used the library and there was no one else in the prohibited section. Are the only ones in here right now myself and the librarian? ¡°The medicinal herb books you are looking for are on these shelves.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The librarian left when I walked up to those bookshelves. I rummaged through the bookshelves at once. A chain was attached to the books on the bookshelf to restrict browsing. The chain was quite long and I could take it to a desk located near the bookshelf. I picked out a few books and sat down at the desk. The books there were older than the ones in the library and turning the pages made me feel a little nervous. I carefully flipped through the pages, searching for the information that I was looking for. I was looking for a medicinal herb that would give a higher effect than the ones that were used in Advanced HP potions. I¡¯d read most of the books in the library related to medicinal herbs. Those books contained information on medicinal herbs used for low, intermediate and advanced potions, but they didn¡¯t contain any information on herbs that were more effective. I went there thinking that there would be something in the forbidden books, and it seemed like I was correct. As I¡¯d expected, there were bits and pieces of information about medicinal herbs that weren¡¯t mentioned in the library books. It wasn¡¯t just that, either, the books there contained additional information on the same herbs found in the library books. Yup. There was also information stating that you could get a great result if you dealt with medicinal herbs in this way or that way. What kind of effect¡­¡­? I pretended that I didn¡¯t see that. I continued reading the books in a trance, but as one would expect, I got tired after reading several books. Should I take a short break? I thought that and noticed that someone was next to me when I looked up. ¡°Eep.¡± My body shook in surprised and I screamed unintentionally. A white porcelain mask, no, face, was vaguely floating in the darkness. The Head Magician was there before I¡¯d even noticed. Mm, you are the Head Magician, aren¡¯t you? He looked down emotionlessly at the book. He was handsome so his face looked like a mask. ¡°Head Magician?¡± He turned towards me when I called out to him and smiled slowly. ¡°Are you looking for medicinal herbs?¡± ¡°Yes, I am but¡­¡­ When did you get here, Head Magician?¡± ¡°A little while ago. I waited, wondering when you¡¯d notice my presence.¡± ¡°You should have said something.¡± ¡°You were reading so diligently, so I didn¡¯t want to disturb.¡± I was certainly focused on reading, but was I so focused that I didn¡¯t notice someone this close to me? I didn¡¯t even feel anyone come in here at all. I was really surprised when I saw that someone was next to me as soon as I looked up. The Head Magician turned the page while my heart was still throbbing in my chest. ¡°Is there someone you wish to kill?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± I was befuddled at what he was talking about. Why did he ask that so suddenly? ¡°All the herbs in this book are poisonous ones, are they not?¡± When I looked at the page that the Head Magician was pointing at, there were certainly only poisonous herbs on it. Or rather, this book, itself, was a collection of poisonous herbs. H-hey, didn¡¯t I tell you that poisonous herbs could also be used for medicine depending on how you processed it? I¡¯m not intending to use it for its original purpose, you know?¡± ¡°Some poisons can also become medicine depending on how you use it.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true.¡± I nodded. I felt like he had meant something else when he agreed with me. It¡¯s true, you know? It¡¯s really true, you know? ¡°So, what are you looking for?¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯m trying to find medicinal herbs that are different from the ones used in the current HP and MP potions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for medicinal herbs that aren¡¯t used in the current recipes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I explained to the curious Head Magician about what has been happening in the research institute, and I told him that I was looking for medicinal herbs that would be more effective than the ones used in advanced potions. The Head Magician, who finished listening to my explanation, said, ¡°Is that so?¡± He put his hand onto his chin and pondered. ¡°You make potions by mixing medicinal herbs and water together and then concentrating magic power into it, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you know that plants also contain a small amount of magic power, Sei-sama?¡± ¡°Huh? They do?¡± This is the first I¡¯ve heard of it. According to the mead magician, all living things in this world had magic power, although the amount varied. That was what he had noticed while researching, so it wasn¡¯t widely spread. Thus, he gave me advice based on that fact. He told me to pay attention to the magical power of medicinal herbs if I wanted to raise the potion¡¯s effectiveness. It is said that the effectiveness of medicinal herbs used in potions could be increased by the magic power concentrated into it during the potion making process. The Head Magician thought that the magic power I concentrated into potions during the manufacturing process was the reason why my potions were 50% more effective than potions made by others. ¡°If a medicinal herb can retain your magic power, then the effects would increase.¡± ¡°Something like that is possible?¡± ¡°I wonder?¡± *Slump* That was the important part but it doesn¡¯t seem like the head magician has any expectations. As the Head Magician said, I feel that the effects would increase if the medicinal herbs held the same amount of magic power as I do, but the problem is, how do I get medicinal herbs to hold the same amount of magic power as me? ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be of any help. I can help you if the topic is about magic¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, I can use the magic power of plants as reference. Thank you.¡± He looked really apologetic but thanks to his advice, I was able to see a little hope. It was the right time to return so I decided to leave the prohibited section and return to the research institute. It was the first time I¡¯d heard that medicinal herbs have magic power, so there¡¯s a high probability that the researchers didn¡¯t know about it either. They were, however, more knowledgeable about herbs than the Head Magician was. If I consult with them, they might be able to come up with a good plan on how to put my magic power into plants. I parted with the Head Magician, a little excited. ??????? I returned to the research institute and tried to ask the researchers about the herbs. There were some people who knew that medicinal herbs had magic power. However, none of them thought about preserving their magic power in medicinal herbs and they were all surprised when I told them about the Head Magician¡¯s advice. People normally wouldn¡¯t think that the effects would increase if you put your magic power into the herbs, right? That¡¯s why no one knew how to bestow magic onto medicinal herbs. Well, it can¡¯t be helped if they don¡¯t know. I just have to try various experiments. ¡°So won¡¯t you help me, Jude?¡± ¡°This is so abrupt. How should I help you?¡± I thought that Jude, who was smiling bitterly while offering his helping hand, was a very kind person. The first thing I confirmed with him was if he could create water that contained magic power. If cut flowers are dipped in coloured water, then the petals would be dyed in that colour, right? I thought about putting that into practice by soaking the herbs in water that contained magic power. However, I didn¡¯t know how to create water containing magic power, so I asked Jude, who seemed most likely to know. Jude had aptitude in water attribute magic. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know. We tried to produce water containing magic power with his water attribute magic but it didn¡¯t go very well, even though we tried various experiments, such as putting more magic power into the water creation. ¡°I think that it¡¯s a good idea, but you¡¯re the one who has to produce the water, right Sei? So it would be no good if it¡¯s produce with water attribute magic, right?¡± ¡°I thought that it would be fine if I thought about that later.¡± He said that after we tried various experiments and he was surprised when I replied with what I thought. Jude was right, I couldn¡¯t use water attribute magic. It was a waste to try to create magic water using water attribute magic, but I thought that it would be nice as a starting point. I gave up on trying to create water containing magic power with water attribute magic and tried to do the same thing I did when I bestowed magic to tools. Magic can be bestowed to minerals that would become the item¡¯s core, so I thought that I could also apply that to water. The result was a complete failure. I did the same thing I had when I bestowed magic, but I could feel that it didn¡¯t work at all. This is, that. The feeling of it not working. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s innovate to bestow magic to water.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡° To the best of my knowledge, I¡¯ve never seen anyone try something like this before.¡± ¡°Well, they don¡¯t understand the use of water with magic power, so they wouldn¡¯t try it if they don¡¯t think of its use.¡± When I said that, I remembered that there was a thing called holy water in games. Was that used to attack the undead? Games were also set so that monsters would stay away for a while. How did one make holy water again? Did I just need to bless it? I felt like I heard something like that somewhere before. So, how do you bless something? Jude called out to me in a worried voice when I took the beaker with the distilled water and hummed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Well, I was thinking about how to bless something.¡± ¡°Bless?¡± ¡°Is there no holy water in this world?¡± ¡°Holy water? I haven¡¯t heard of that before.¡± There was no holy water in this world. Then, blessing water might not exist either. I confirmed with Jude just to be sure, but he didn¡¯t know after all. It felt like it would turn into a conversation about magic and I felt that it was faster to ask the Head Magician about it. I looked outside and the sun had gone down before I had noticed. Time passed by while I was doing experiments with Jude. It would be better if I asked the Head Magician about this matter tomorrow. We decided to stop experimenting for the day. ¡°Holy water?¡± The next day, I asked the Head Magician about holy water during our magic lecture. I simply asked if he knew how to bless something with holy attribute magic but he didn¡¯t seem to know anything. I wondered if it was called something else in this world so I explained how I had arrived at this point. I didn¡¯t imagine the Head Magician¡¯s eyes shining when I talked about the effect it had on the undead, did I? Thus, we stopped the lecture and I told him about the concept of magic in games in my original world. ¡°Blessing seems like it would be able to strengthen the body as well.¡± ¡°I see. Blessing has various effects in your world, doesn¡¯t it Sei?¡± ¡°Magic, itself, doesn¡¯t exist so people make it up.¡± ¡°Even so, it¡¯s an interesting concept. We have body strengthening magic but we don¡¯t have any that specialise in the undead.¡± ¡°Does that mean that undead demons can¡¯t be defeated by magic?¡± ¡°Not at all. We don¡¯t have specialised magic to defeat undead demons, so we usually defeat it with fire attribute magic.¡± The Head Magician must have noticed something at that point because he put his hand to his chin and pondered. There was no such thing as blessing but did he remember something else? ¡°It¡¯s not aimed at undead demons but there is a type of magic that annihilates demons.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something like that?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no details about it, but it exists.¡± The Head Magician had wiped his usual smile off his face and said that in a serious tone. I looked at him and gulped. I don¡¯t think it would be any normal type of magic if only the existence was passed down through the ages. If it¡¯s unattributed, then I can only think of life magic, but they wouldn¡¯t conceal something as simple as life magic. Which means that it is a completely different type of magic? ¡°What is it called?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s called. But, the person who used that magic left a record.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a technique used by the Saint.¡± I knew it. I vaguely realised that half way through the conversation. But isn¡¯t it a problem if the details of a ¡¾Saint¡¿technique are unknown? How would the Saints that come after learn the technique? ¡°The details of the technique aren¡¯t recorded, are they?¡± ¡°Yes, most of the records only talk about the effects of the technique and how fast it wiped out the demons.¡± ¡°How did the past Saint learn that technique?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± Jesus. There wasn¡¯t any more information on the technique. We continued our lecture after that and the day ended. ??????? The next morning. I pondered as I watered my personal garden in the corner of the medicinal herb garden. I thought about the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique that the Head Magician told me about yesterday. It was hard to create water containing magic power right now, so I half-heartedly gave up. It might be too early to give up, but what was important wasn¡¯t the water containing magic power, but the medicinal herbs which could retain my power. Medicinal herbs, themselves, contained moisture, so I thought that I could alter the external water used and put my magic power into that, but the moisture inside the herbs would probably change as well. However, the problem was how to influence it externally¡­¡­. According to the Head Magician, blessing type magic didn¡¯t exist here but there was something similar. It was a ¡¾Saint¡¿technique that annihilated all demons and not just the undead. I¡¯ve also heard this from the civil official before. It was said that the technique didn¡¯t bless but purified. From what I¡¯d heard, it didn¡¯t seem like the technique would give the effects I¡¯d hoped for. However, it was the only piece of information I had. It¡¯s fine to just try it out. The problem was that I didn¡¯t know anything about the technique. The only thing written in the documents were the effects of the technique. They were only simple descriptions. Many documents only stated that the demons had been annihilated. Also there were documents that stated: as an after effect of the demons being annihilated, the miasma had cleared. Even the name wasn¡¯t recorded, even though it would have been if it had been any other magic. How do I use a technique with just the description? I didn¡¯t know what kind of intentions they had for hiding it, but it was a headache inducing topic. Now then, what should I do? Magic, magic, I thought as I released my magic into the surrounding garden. I only targeted my own field. It would be bad if I affected other people¡¯s fields as well. I paid close attention to the medicinal herbs in front of me, but of course, nothing changed. It was probably useless just to bathe it in my magic power. Something might happen if I continue to bathe it in my magic power. I thought and waited for a while but nothing happened. My magic power felt like it would run out so I slowly stopped. ¡°¡ºArea Heal¡».¡± I chanted and a magic circle appeared on the ground. A white haze covered with gold lam¨¦ surrounded the field. I looked at the medicinal herbs once again when the haze had dissipated and¡­¡­ I felt that somehow the plants were healthier than before. ¡ºHeal¡»also affected plants¡­¡­ But that wasn¡¯t the effect that I had wanted either. It¡¯s no good. It only became healthier. It isn¡¯t going very well. I sighed. I squatted down in order to observe the medicinal herbs and waited for my magic power to recover. People mostly consumed potions to recover, but HP and MP would recover naturally if left alone. The magic manipulation technique I learnt in the magic lectures also influenced my MP recovery speed. I could see it when I looked at my status while recovering my magic power. My magic power recovered faster than it did when I had first started my lectures thanks to my training. I stood up when my magic power had recovered to a certain point, and began releasing it once more. Then I chanted all the holy attribute magic that I had learnt thus far in lectures. I thought that one of the effects that I wanted would stick. Well, my expectations were crushed. I tried some ordinary magic without learning from my mistakes but those were also failures. I thought that ¡ºPurification¡», which recovered abnormal status such as poison and paralysis, would be effective but it wasn¡¯t. I looked up at the sky while feeling disappointed, and realized that the sun had risen to a good height. I had to go to the Royal Palace soon to attend my lecture. I finished the watering experiment there and returned to the research institute to get ready. Volume 2 - CH 4.2 ??????? The lecture had finished and it was already dark outside. There were still people at the place called the research institute, even though work had usually finished by then. I was also no exception. I returned to the research institute when my lecture ended and started researching. Even though I said that, my research had already reached its limits. I was staring at the experimental tools absentmindedly, when someone called out to me from behind. ¡°Oh, my! Is it still not going well?¡± ¡°Yes, not at all.¡± It was a familiar voice so I recognised who it was without having to turn around. I continued to stare at the tools and shrugged while answering. The Director stood next to me. ¡°You continuously released your magic power this morning at the medicinal herb garden. Was that also related to this?¡± ¡°You noticed?¡± ¡°You were continuously releasing magic since early in the morning.¡± I smiled wryly at being noticed. It would have been fine if it was water or earth attribute magic, because they were related to planting, but no one would use holy attribute magic on herbs in the first place, so I stood out. I glanced sideways at the Director, and he was smiling bitterly. ¡°Did you discover anything?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ I only know that plants are also affected by magic.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The Director narrowed his eyes in interest at my answer. I couldn¡¯t use appraisal, so I didn¡¯t know if there really was any effect, but the herbs looked healthier when I cast ¡ºHeal¡»on them. When I told him about that, the Director put his hand on his chin and talked after pondering for a while. ¡°Holy attribute magic also affecting plants meant that other attribute magic might as well.¡± I asked, a little curious about the way the Director was speaking, ¡°What do you mean by holy attribute also affecting¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He taught me about attribute magic affecting plants. According to him, many kinds of earth attribute magic affected plants and thanks to that, precious plants, that were difficult to cultivate, could be grown in the medicinal herb garden. The Director was assigned to the research institute because he had aptitude with earth attribute magic and his only job was to cultivate plants. However, even at the research institute, they could only use water and earth attribute magic to cultivate herbs. There were only a few people who could use holy attribute magic in the first place, and they mostly worked in the court mage division or the knight order. Therefore, except for me, there was no one in the research institute with holy attribute magic. Thus, no one noticed that holy attribute magic also affected plants. After his explanation, I told him about what I had heard from the Head Magician. I told him about medicinal herbs having magic power; the fact that I could make more effective potions if I could get the herbs to retain my magic power, and that I was exploring that method. The Director, who was listening to my story, spoke when I had finished speaking. ¡°So that¡¯s why you were using magic since morning?¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t get the result I had expected.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°You only tried using ¡¾Saint¡¿techniques, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡¾Saint¡¿?¡± The Director looked dubious when the word, ¡¾Saint¡¿had left my mouth. ¡°Yes. I asked the Head Magician about it when I went to consult him but¡­¡­¡± Of course he would. I, who has avoided the word ¡¾Saint¡¿, had said the word. From there, I talked about finding a way to retain my magic power in medicinal herbs. I was even told about that mysterious ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. ¡°I see. But, a ¡¾Saint¡¿technique, huh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you know something about it?¡± ¡°No. I know stories about the ¡¾Saint¡¿, but I only know the word on the street.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°If that Head Magician Dreves, doesn¡¯t know about it, then no one in the Royal Palace would know about it, now would they?¡± I didn¡¯t have any expectations, but I didn¡¯t know what to do if he didn¡¯t know either. The Director nonchalantly called out to me and drew my attention when I was thinking about how it wasn¡¯t progressing well. ¡°Unexpectedly, it might be something that can¡¯t be left in writing.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°The magic we use remains unchanged no matter what it¡¯s called, the effects, or who uses it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So it can be written down in magical textbooks, so that anybody who knows can use it, but I was thinking that maybe the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique isn¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°In short, the technique doesn¡¯t have a name and the effects differ from person to person?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Was it something like that? I thought that it was something that should have been passed down, even if the users have nothing in common. Or maybe there are other reasons for this? Well, it can¡¯t be helped, even if I think about it. Let¡¯s think about the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. Like the Director said, it might not have a name. It was called a ¡¾Saint¡¿technique, but it didn¡¯t feel like it needed an aria like other magic. What about the effect? The common factor left in the old documents is that it annihilated demons. Were there any other effects? If there wasn¡¯t, then I¡¯d be troubled. If there weren¡¯t any other effects, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to bestow plants with my magic power. But since it wasn¡¯t written down, there was a high probability that there weren¡¯t any other effects apart from annihilating demons. And what I wanted to know the most, right now, was how to activate that technique. If I knew that, then I could experiment again. But, there was no descriptions at all on how to activate it. No way, do I just chant ¡º¡¾Saint¡¿Technique¡»to use it. There¡¯s no such thing¡­¡­ ¡°How do I activate the¡¾Saint¡¿technique?¡± ¡°I wonder. Isn¡¯t it better to ask Head Magician Dreves about this?¡± ¡°Yes. I asked him a lot of things the other day.¡± The Director was quite right. However, I had persistently questioned the Head Magician the other day. I felt bad for always asking him things unrelated to the lectures. But I felt that he was happy to throw ideas around with me, because it was related to magic. I should think about it by myself for a while, if I still can¡¯t come with anything, then I¡¯ll ask him. I told the Director that I was going to take a little break and left the research institute. My thoughts are probably going around in circles because I¡¯m shutting myself in a room. I might be able to come up with something if I break in fresh air. That¡¯s what I thought. I went outside with a lantern and the wind blew gently. It was still a little hot in the daytime, but it got cooler at night when the wind blew. I sat down on a bench next to the research institute, looked up at the sky, and gazed at the moon and stars. Like a book I¡¯d read a long time ago, there were two moons, as it was another world, but the colour of the moons didn¡¯t change. The only different thing was that I could see many stars in the sky; probably because it wasn¡¯t as bright out as it was in Japan. I was deeply moved the first time I noticed how many stars were in the sky. That was a month after I¡¯d been summoned. I felt like I didn¡¯t have the time to look up at the sky until then. I felt somewhat calm, but also not, at the same time. Well, of course I would. I was suddenly summoned into another world. Furthermore, I was neglected as soon as I was summoned. Furthermore, when I asked the civil official if I could return to Japan, he told me I couldn¡¯t. I became irritated when I recalled what had happened. I was busy in the beginning, trying to get things in order so that I could live normally in this world. I didn¡¯t know when I would have to leave the Royal Palace because of the situation with the prince. I, myself, also didn¡¯t want to remain here. I was able to work at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute and ended up staying. That¡¯s right, yup. I gazed at the night sky from my room when things seemed to have finally calmed down. That was several months ago. I rarely think about Japan now days. I would often get sad in the beginning when I thought that about how I couldn¡¯t meet with my parents, brothers and friends anymore. Even now, my chest hurt when I thought about them. But, was it because the original switchover was fast? Or was I was in a daze because of the rare things in this another world¡­¡­? I felt the pain gradually decreased. Am I heartless for feeling like this after just a few months? It might have been different if I was treated unfairly since the beginning. But that wasn¡¯t the case at all. After the prince had left, I met many kind people. Jude, the Director, the researchers and of course the captain and the 3rd Knight Order. Everyone was very kind. While being surrounded by kind people, the research institute became my residence. Was it because of that? I was able to face anything to do with the ¡¾Saint¡¿, even though I was avoiding it that much before. I always pretended not to notice the title. Because wouldn¡¯t you care if someone you knew was in trouble? Besides, I didn¡¯t just hear about it, I actually saw it with my own eyes! That was also the reason why I wanted to research on how to improve potions. I¡¯m happy if something I did was able to help someone. I suddenly remembered about the time when the captain gave me his gratitude in his office. Was it because I was recalling things from the time I was first summoned? I didn¡¯t do it because I wanted people¡¯s gratitude, but I was happy to receive it. The area around my chest suddenly got warmer as I recalled that. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡£ Huh? I gently pressed my chest with my hand. When someone says that their chest was getting warmer, they were only expressing their emotions. It shouldn¡¯t actually get warmer. But, it was really warm. What the hell is going on? The warm feeling in my chest rapidly gushed up while I was worrying, and then it felt like it would overflow from within me. What¡¯s going on?! I was nervous at the sudden feeling and I could finally see something gushing out from within me. A mist spread around me like when I used ranged magic. The base looks like white particles, this is probably my magic power, the golden lam¨¦ was thicker than usual, and rather than a white haze, it appeared more like a golden haze. What is this? The mist spread steadily and if it was ordinary magic then it would activate soon. But, it didn¡¯t look like a normal mist, so I felt that it was different than normal. Suddenly, the medicinal herb field in front of me caught my eye. The haze had already eroded into the field. Only one thought popped up in my mind. Perhaps, this¡­¡­ I put both my hands together and prayed, even though I wasn¡¯t Christian. I don¡¯t know why I took such a pose. It was just a feeling. And then, I prayed. Please go well. The golden haze got brighter and the area lit up even though it was night. The instant it got noticeably brighter, the light burst and golden particles fell down from the sky. It was a magical scene and I gasped in amazement. When I looked away from the sky, I noticed that the golden particles were covering the patch of medicinal herbs where the haze had been, although, it soon lost its radiance. ¡°What happened?!¡± The Director rushed out, noticing the incident. Of course he would notice with a light that bright. ¡°Mhm ~¡­¡­¡± The Director¡¯s eyes narrowed when I smiled vaguely and looked a little troubled. Now then, how should I explain this to him? I was stumped on the explanation because I didn¡¯t know what had happened, and I didn¡¯t know how the mysterious phenomenon occurred. While I was worrying, the Director¡¯s gaze moved from me to the medicinal herb garden at my feet. The Director looked dubious as he squatted down and gazed at the plants. Then, he picked up a herb and examined it. After that, he looked at the surrounding plants on the ground and this time picked up one that wasn¡¯t covered by the haze. The Director looked at me after he compared the two plants together. ¡°You, what did you do?¡± ¡°That is, I don¡¯t really understand myself¡­¡­¡± It was dark, so the two medicinal herbs in the Director¡¯s hands didn¡¯t look any different. But I judged that something was different from the Director¡¯s attitude. But I don¡¯t have any idea of what it could be. For the time being, I explained what had happened in order and he sighed in amazement. ¡°Well, what? Let¡¯s go inside first.¡± The Director said in a tired tone, and we walked towards the research institute. I¡¯m sorry for always acting on impulse. I apologised in my mind and followed after the Director. ¡°Is there something different about it?¡± ¡°The appearance hasn¡¯t changed at all but¡­¡­¡± The Director wasn¡¯t confident about this as well so he muttered as he told me this. When I glanced at the medicinal herbs lined up on the desk, I saw that they were the same type. But apparently there was a different between them if you observed closely. The interior was different. What is the interior? Is it the magic power that plants hold? I didn¡¯t understand it very well so I¡¯ll ask the Director about it afterwards. Right now, I was bothered by the alteration of the medicinal herbs in front of me. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°You, try to make a potion with this.¡± The Director told me to take the herbs and make a potion each with them. I worked timidly and I felt the difference in the herbs when I concentrated my magic power into them. It was an intuitive feeling, but it was very clear. The difference became clear at a glance when the potions were finished. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± The difference could be clearly seen when the bottled potion was held up against the light of the lamp. There were golden particles floating lightly inside of the potion and it shone against the light. The potions I made until now never had particles floating around inside. ¡°What is the efficiency¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you without examining it first, but it seems more effective than the potions made thus far.¡± The Director smiled in amazement and answered. Please don¡¯t look like that. It can¡¯t be helped, right? It was made by accident. As feared, when he investigated the potion at a later time, the potion I had just made was more effective than any other ones I¡¯d made up until then. It was without a doubt because of the 50% increase bonus effect. Even this is cursed¡­¡­ As a result of further investigation, we found that even if somebody else used the medicinal herbs that were strengthened by the mysterious magic, they could create something that was 1.5 times more effective. The other thing we noticed was that the strengthened herbs would only be limited to that generations. Even if the seeds of the herbs were planted, they would just grow into the same herbs that had been growing up until then. They didn¡¯t grow into strengthened herbs. Apparently, the herbs wouldn¡¯t strengthen if I didn¡¯t do it myself. It was a joyous thing for people to be able to make effective potions, but it was a little disappointing that if I wasn¡¯t there then they wouldn¡¯t be able to make it anymore. The other problem was, how did I activate that mysterious magic again? I tried to activate it several times but I couldn¡¯t. I accidentally activated it that time, so I didn¡¯t know the conditions behind the activation. I tried various experiments while thinking about the things that I was thinking about at that time. I will have to gradually investigate this matter. Well, the Head Magician decided to help me with my investigation when he heard about this, so I think that it won¡¯t be long before I will be able to reproduce the magic. Volume 2 - CH 5 Nine months have passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. After my lectures these past few days, I¡¯ve been working hard on creating potions after so long. I worked until it was very late. This was because it wasn¡¯t just the 3rd Knight Order, our regular customers, who were ordering the potions; but the 2rd Knight Order as well. To put it simply, I needed to make twice the usual amount but it wasn¡¯t a problem at all. I made everything together. As long as I had the ingredients, this amount was nothing special. I could make more potions per day than a potion maker could. I also thought that it was because my basic level was high and I had a lot of MP. If so, then I could make understanding of this unexplainable amount of potions. The cause of this is probably stated in my status under occupation, but I¡¯ve never told anyone about this. I will keep this to myself until the day somebody notices it. In addition, it was decided that I would train my magic manipulation. So, the time needed to make potions has been shortened. I heard that if you mastered magic manipulation, then magic activation time would shorten; but I didn¡¯t think that it would influence potion making as well. Does it affect everything related to magic power? The influence of magic manipulation was vast and I thought that the Head Magician, who regarded this highly, was great. The Director appeared while I was working diligently. It was already late at night. It was rare for the Director to be at the research institute this late. Did something happen? ¡°You¡¯re working very hard.¡± ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s because the order is large this time.¡± ¡°Is it because the 2nd Knight Order also placed an order?¡± ¡°Yes. Would they be placing more orders from now on?¡± ¡°They might! They were surprised at our potion¡¯s efficiency when they subjugated demons in the West Forest.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. They were especially surprised by the potions you made.¡± My accursed 50% increase reared its head. YES, I muttered in my mind. But the 2nd Knight Order would be ordering from us now, huh? The income of the research institute was increasing. Let¡¯s try to ask for more materials for experimentation later. There was a medicinal herb that I wanted. It was a bit expensive so I restrained myself but now I felt that the budget would be acceptable. Well, let¡¯s leave that aside. We started with a harmless and inoffensive topic but he probably wanted to talk about something different. That¡¯s what his nervous aura is telling me. I can guess what he wanted to talk about. It¡¯s probably that. ¡°A message came from the Royal Palace today. They want you to participate in the next subjugation as a healer.¡± ¡°You will? Director?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You will.¡± I thought so. Just like I¡¯d predicted. My guess was so on point that I accidently made fun of it. ¡°I see. I understand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ You accepted that quickly.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this before.¡± ¡°I thought that you¡¯d be more reluctant.¡± I also smiled wryly at the Director, who was smiling wryly. I thought that a demand would come someday for me to act as support. The Director wasn¡¯t the only one that had mentioned this, the Head Magician also told me the same. A few days ago, the Head Magician said, ¡°It¡¯ll probably be good for you to go to the West Forest soon.¡± I felt troubled when I was asked whether I liked or disliked going on subjugations. It¡¯s a subjugation, so of course I¡¯ll probably encounter demons. Although I¡¯ve been to a forest before, I¡¯ve never encountered any demons so I didn¡¯t know what a demon was. However, there was no doubt in my mind that they were dangerous since I saw the devastation of the knights who came back from the West Forest subjugation. We¡¯re going to the place. There¡¯s no way I wasn¡¯t scared. But the people are coming along with me this time are probably the people from the 3rd Knight Order. They always protected us when we went to the East and South Forest together. I¡¯ve never encountered demons before but the other researchers have. At that time, the researchers helped the Knight Order defeat the demons, but I heard later that no one suffered any unnecessary injuries because the knights moved well. The knights will probably do the same this time around too. I interacted with them a lot and they were all good people. I, who could only use holy attribute magic, was a non-combatant, so I didn¡¯t think that I would suddenly be forced to face demons. That¡¯s why although I was scared of demons, I wasn¡¯t that pessimistic about it. And I didn¡¯t hate being supported by such knights. I was rather happy about it. Besides, I was looking forward to going to the West Forest with the Head Magician. He wanted to see what kind of effect my magic power would have on the miasma inside of the forest. His sparkling eyes told me this when he told me that I could go to the West Forest. How do I say this, he was a ¡°man of principle¡±. The Head Magician wasn¡¯t the only one looking forward to this. Even if this was a subjugation, I was looking forward to going to the West Forest. The reason for this was the medicinal herbs. Medicinal herbs that weren¡¯t found in the herb garden grew inside of the forest. I saw various herbs growing in the East and South Forest as well. Different plants grew in each forest, there were plants found in the South Forest that weren¡¯t in the East Forest. That¡¯s why I expect that plants that don¡¯t grow in the East and South Forest, might be growing in the West Forest. However, the demons in the West Forest were stronger than the demons in the other forests, so I don¡¯t know if I can afford to look at herbs during the subjugation. I was the only researcher taking part in this subjugation. All the researchers who knew a lot about medicinal herbs were staying behind. The researchers only went last time on an exception. That¡¯s why I probably wouldn¡¯t notice it even if new plants were growing there. I would notice if it was a herb that I saw often¡­¡­ Let¡¯s learn about herbs that grow in the West Forest before I leave! ¡°I don¡¯t dislike it, I¡¯m rather excited.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± It showed on my face that I was thinking about medicinal herbs. The Director¡¯s smile changed from a wry one to a shocked one. ¡°You¡¯re probably thinking that you can find new medicinal herbs there, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah, you found out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re so enthusiastic about herbs, but you should also make potions for yourself.¡± ¡°Potions for myself?¡± ¡°You need them, don¡¯t you? MP Potions.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I do.¡± It wasn¡¯t on my mind at all until the Director mentioned it, but I had to make potions for myself if I was going on the subjugation. HP Potions were fine but MP Potions were essential. Although HP and MP recovered naturally, it recovered much slower than when one drank potions. I couldn¡¯t wait around for it to recover during emergencies. Alright, I¡¯ve finished my quota for today so why don¡¯t I make some potions for myself? Even though it was late at night, it was still too early to finish if I compared it to the time when I was working in Japan. I was still making potions when the Director returned. ??????? Autumn came and the sun rose considerably later. I got used to waking up at this time even without an alarm clock. I¡¯ve grown quite accustomed with this world. However, that wasn¡¯t the only reason why I woke up this early. I couldn¡¯t sleep well because I was so excited. I was just like a child on the day before an excursion. But unlike a child, I wasn¡¯t just filled with anticipation, but anxiety as well. Today was the departure date for the West Forest subjugation. I got off the bed and brushed my teeth. I recalled today¡¯s schedule as I was brushing my teeth. By doing so, my sleepiness gradually faded. I washed my face and applied my makeup. This was my normal routine but I don¡¯t think I can be this easy-going during the subjugation. I have small bottles of cosmetics in my carry on just in case. I need to change after I finish. I won¡¯t be able to wear my normal clothes for a while from today. I was wearing the same robes as the one that the mages in the Court Mage Division wore when they went on subjugation missions. Unlike a dress, I could wear robes by myself. It¡¯s easy to move in and doesn¡¯t feel restricting because we have to fight. Of course it would be! I was given this robe a few days ago and I was glad that it wasn¡¯t a flashy robe like the one I wore at my audience with the King. I would stand out too much in such beautiful clothes and I would be afraid to get it dirty so I don¡¯t think that it would be convenient to wear on a subjugation. I didn¡¯t forget to do my hair. I usually kept it down but today I clipped my hair back because I didn¡¯t want it to get in the way. I took the bag I had prepared and went downstairs after I finished changing. It was still too early to start work but there were people downstairs. They probably arrived early to deliver the potions to the 3rd Knight Order. The entrance of the research institute was wrapped in a busy atmosphere. All the potions ordered by the Knight Order was completed yesterday. However, since I was also participating in the subjugation, it was decided that I would be bringing the potions with me. Of course, that¡¯s what the 3rd Knight Order told us. Even if I was told to suddenly take it with me, I couldn¡¯t carry the potions because there were simply too many. And it was decided that I would be riding in the wagon that was transporting the potions. ¡°Good morning, Sei.¡± ¡°Good morning. Are you helping out too, Jude?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± Jude was at the entrance when I went there. He was told to help carry the potions for the Knight Order, wasn¡¯t he? I¡¯ve never seen Jude wake up this early before, so it was probably hard for him to get up, right? It was common for assistants to load potions ordered by the Knight Order. Once in a while, researchers would help too when they felt like it. I would often deliver potions to the Knight Order during my breaks but since I was busy with lectures recently, other people had to deliver it instead. We were leaving pretty early in the morning so I thought that the assistants would be the ones moving the potions. But Jude was here, so he was the one who was loading them, right? ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you loaded the potions, Jude?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°You must have had trouble waking up. It¡¯s pretty early so I thought that it would be the assistants who would load the potions.¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡­ I just felt like it.¡± I received a subtle reply when I told him what I thought. I tilted my head in curiosity but he wouldn¡¯t tell me the real reason. Well, it¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t pursue any further and helped him load the potions. It would be departure time when we finished. ¡°Sei.¡± ¡°Director?¡± The Director called out to me when I was about to board the wagon and depart. After Jude, it was rare for me to see the Director. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?! You¡­¡­ I¡¯ve come to see you off.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Seeing me off?¡­¡­ He came to work that early just for that? I was so surprised. It wasn¡¯t just the Director but Jude as well. Eh? What? Is it my fault? ¡°Well, whatever. The subjugation will be hard but take care on your way.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Run away when you think things are getting dangerous. Okay?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± He said it so seriously that I nodded on reflex. Moreover, he also stroked my head as a bonus. I wonder what¡¯s wrong. I was pressed on time while I was wondering what was wrong so I didn¡¯t pursue the matter and got onto the wagon. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be off.¡± I said my farewells, got on the wagon and left the research institute. I saw the Director and the assistants wave when I turned around and waved when the wagon started moving. ¡°He was over exaggerating.¡± I spoke what I thought after a while and Jude, who was sitting next to me, smiled wryly. Come to think of it, Jude looked surprised too. ¡°Of course he would.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a subjugation, you know? I¡¯ve been on one when I was at the Academy but that was to the East Forest. This time you¡¯re going to the West Forest, aren¡¯t you? That place is really dangerous.¡± I heard that it was dangerous compared to the East and South Forest, but was it really that dangerous? If I recalled well, it was a dangerous place that had Salamander and a large quantity of demons. I didn¡¯t feel a sense of reality because I didn¡¯t encounter any demons in the forests I went to so far, or my brain just refuses to believe it. I can understand why the Director acted like he did if the West Forest was that dangerous. ¡°Be careful, alright?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being serious. Don¡¯t totter off by yourself just because you found some medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Even Jude told me this anxiously. There were things that I regretted up until now so I could only meekly agree with his advice. I braced myself not to move on my own even if I find new medicinal herbs. We reached the Knight Order barracks after a short while and I braced myself again. The atmosphere around the knights, who were doing last minute preparations, was tense. That tension spread even to me. I got off the wagon with Jude. Jude talked to the assistants at the Knight Order and the assistants began unloading the wagon and loading it onto the Knight Order¡¯s wagon. Jude came back while I was staring at that scene. When I looked up, he had the same serious look on his face as the Director did. Jude was probably worried too, he quickly took my right hand and gripped my fingers. ¡°Come back safely.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I only said a few words of farewell because he talked to me about various things on our way here. Jude looked at the ground for a bit after I said my thanks, he smiled like usual and returned to the research institute. I saw him off and turned back. I was looking for a certain person. While I was wandering around, that person found me instead and I saw him walking towards me. ¡°Sei.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Morning.¡± I gave my greetings to the Captain when he was close enough. I heard from the Civil Official beforehand that I would be going to the West Forest with the 3rdKnight Order this time. I was relieved because I knew a lot of the knights from my magic practices. It would be tiring to be surrounded by people I¡¯m not familiar with. I didn¡¯t want to be tired while travelling, when I thought about what would happen afterwards. Later, I heard from the knights that the 2nd Knight Order and the 3rd Knight Order had a little fight over who would go with me. It was only natural that the 2nd Knight Order wanted to go with me seeing how fascinated with me they were. To be honest, I was a little uncomfortable with the way they were fascinated with me so I¡¯m relieved that they decided that the 3rd Knight Order would be accompanying me. This was thanks to the Head Magician¡¯s backing. Intelligent Glasses-sama was the Captain¡¯s older brother so I wonder if that was related to it? ¡°I was shocked, Captain.¡± ¡°Will you be sitting in the carriage until the West Forest, Sei?¡± ¡°I heard that I would be.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± The Civil Official told me that I would be travelling by carriage because the West Forest was a little far from the Royal Capital. There were a lot of knights who could ride horses so I would be the only one riding the carriage. It might be boring to stay in the carriage the whole time by myself but if I sleep then I won¡¯t be bored. However, for some reason the Captain¡¯s expression was grim. Was he worried about me being in the carriage by myself? That problem was resolved as soon as we got close to the carriage. ¡°Good morning, Sei-sama.¡± ¡°Huh? Head Magician?¡± The Head Magician was standing next to the carriage that looked like the one I would ride. According to what I¡¯ve heard, the Court Mage Division should be leaving from over there¡­¡­ ¡°Good morning. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°I thought that we should go together.¡± ¡°Together¡­¡­ You mean we should ride the carriage together?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Head Magician smiled and nodded. His expression was contracted the Captain¡¯s wry expression. ¡°It takes some time to get there so I thought that we could talk about magic inside of the carriage.¡± ¡°Is it a lecture?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that you¡¯d be riding alone and so I thought you¡¯d be bored.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± I thought that I would sleep but I was thankful that he¡¯d give me a magic lecture instead. I wouldn¡¯t be taking any lectures during the subjugation so I was a little worried that I would forget things. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Well then, isn¡¯t it time to depart soon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The Head Magician smile widened when I said thank you. I looked around when the Head Magician said that and saw that the preparations were nearly done. There were also people on standby on their horses. The Captain and Head Magician urged me to go to the entrance of the carriage so I did. It was ¡®ladies first¡¯, so I got onto the carriage first. The entrance of the carriage was high up so I grabbed the sides to get on but then a hand reached out to me from the side. I looked at the hand¡¯s owner and it was the Captain. It was somewhat embarrassing but I thank him while taking his hand. I was used to this kind of escort. Was it thanks to my manner lectures? I got onto the carriage while escaping reality and saw that it was bigger than I thought it would be. There were blankets and cushions on the seats. I could tell that they put a lot of thought towards me travelling comfortably. I appreciate it. I sat down at the back and the Head Magician came into the carriage. He sat next to me but this carriage was bigger than the one I used when I went to the Royal Capital so I didn¡¯t mind that much. Yes, I don¡¯t want to sit close to an ikemen. The carriage doors closed and the carriage started moving. It took a day to reach the West Forest. I also asked the Head Magician about the West Forest during the magic lecture. ??????? We travelled for a day and reached the West Forest. I heard that it took a day to get here but we rested half way through so it actually took a day and a half. It¡¯s probably my fault. I didn¡¯t mind going to the Royal Capital by carriage but riding on a long journey took a toll on your body. If the Head Magician didn¡¯t suggest that I use¡ºHEAL¡»on the way here then it would have probably took more time, right? It was physically draining but not mentally. No, of course, sometimes physically draining showed up mentally as well. However, it was fine because I casted ¡ºHEAL¡». I thought the Head Magician¡¯s presence was quite big. The magic lecture we had on the way to the West Forest was related to subjugation. Rather than saying that it was a lecture about magic, it was probably more accurate to say that it was a lecture about combat. He mostly taught me about my role in the group battle and how I should conduct myself. I grew up in peaceful Japan and I didn¡¯t have any battle experience at all so I thought that the lecture was very helpful. That lecture ended after a few hours. This was because of what I told the nonchalant Head Magician at the 2nd break. I told him about strengthened medicinal herbs. I could produce that medicinal herbs because of the Head Magician¡¯s advice so I thanked him. Then, of course, we talked about how to reproduce it. We inevitably talked about that mysterious magic¡­¡­ The Head Magician¡¯s eye colour changed when I casually told him, ¡°I activated some kind of magic¡±. It was already too late by the time I thought, damn it! If the Captain hadn¡¯t stopped him during the break, we probably wouldn¡¯t have moved for a while. We shouldn¡¯t stay here long, continue inside the carriage, I was really relieved when he said that. So we talked about that mysterious magic the whole way. It was probably better to say that he interrogated me rather than we talked. The Head Magician didn¡¯t know about that magic either and he persistently asked various questions about it. He also said that he wanted me to show him it, but I haven¡¯t been able to cast it since that time and I could see that he was downhearted. Yup, I won¡¯t be shaken. He forgave me when I told him that I was practicing so that I could reproduce the effects and that I would show him when I succeed. Then, we arrived at the campsite. The 2nd Knight Order and the Court Mage Division joined up for the first time here. There were quite a lot of people when everyone gathered, but I heard that the same amount of people also participated in the previous subjugations. I heard that the demons in the West Forest were strong, but there were way more people here than when I went to the South Forest. That shows how dangerous the West Forest is, right? It might also be because there were people here to set up the campsite. The South Forest was a day trip. There was a large number of people, it wasn¡¯t just the knights but the people who took care of the knights also tagged along. I didn¡¯t have to do anything thanks to that, so I waited in the carriage until they had finished. Ah, but I helped prepare the meals. The people at the 3rd Knight Order asked me to. The 3rd Knight Order was fascinated by the food at the research institute dining hall. I, myself, also wanted to eat delicious food so I accepted without hesitation. I was thankful that I had medicinal herbs for cooking in my container. Did Jude or the Director put it in there? At any rate, I was grateful and used it in my cooking. If someone ate my cooking then they could feel an improvement in their psychic abilities but everyone would sleep after eating dinner, so I hope it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. I thought and made dinner without restrain. The dishes were very popular with the knights from the 3rd Knight Order. The Director forbad me to cook in public but I thought it would be alright since only the people from the 3rd Knight Order were here. Then the next day, we began moving towards the West Forest again. We arrived a little after noon. We took a break since we hadn¡¯t had lunch yet and ate our food. The 2nd Knight Order and the Court Mage Division heard about the food I made yesterday and asked me to cook again. It was impossible for me to cook for everyone by myself, so I instructed other people on how to make the food. It was probably better for me to cook because we were going to be subjugating after this. I¡¯m glad the Director forbad me from cooking. I tasted the food and it was also popular with the 2nd Knight Order and the Court Mage Division. After lunch, it was decided that we would check out the West Forest while it was still light out. However, I would be staying here. The knights will scout out the area first. I was an amateur so I followed my instructions obediently. However, I had free time so I got permission to search for herbs growing near the edge of the forest. It was a shame if I couldn¡¯t find any herbs related to my research after coming this far. The awesome Captain was guarding me. The Head Magician? He happily followed the scouts. He said something like he was going to warm up. Then, I could finally enter the West Forest on the third day. The trees grew thickly in the West Forest so it was gloomy even though it was daytime. The East and South Forests were probably well maintained because the students from the Academy go there. The West Forest might have felt extra gloomy because it was bright there. We broke into multiple groups to move within this forest. The knights from the 3rd Knight Order were in my group as well as the Captain and Head Magician. And the number of mages assigned to my group was half the amount of the other groups. The cause: The Head Magician. The Head Magician wasn¡¯t supposed to be in my group, but he used his power of authority. I can¡¯t let anything happen to you, he said. Well, the Captain was here too. If the Head Magician also joined my group then we¡¯ll have too much power here. But the Head Magician was stubborn. He wanted to be in the same group as me because he wanted to study me. There¡¯s no mistake about it. The Captain was the one who was surprised. The Captain also refused to move into a different group. I would normally make decisions calmly and was able to move groups myself. But we decided on the group members after some shuffling around. Yup, we¡¯ve got too much power here. I saw a demon for the first time in here, but the Head Magician defeated it before I¡¯d even had the chance to get scared. He did it while humming. The Captain also smiled wryly at that. I thought that the Captain, who was smiling wryly while slashing down the demon that had come flying out, was also excessive. The Head Magician said that it¡¯s been a long time since he¡¯s been on a subjugation and his eyes were twinkling but I didn¡¯t felt like he was rusty. The magic he was evoking was also stronger than the ones I saw him using at the training grounds, probably because they were used for subjugation. I heard he was strong but I didn¡¯t think he would be this strong! If you want to be the top of a unit then it won¡¯t do if you¡¯re not this strong? Which meant that the Captain was also this strong? There were two such people. As I thought, this group is too overpowered. ¡°Woah.¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± I was being careful while walking but I still tripped over a tree root on the ground. I would have fell if the Captain, who was walking next to me, didn¡¯t immediately catch my arm to support me. There were fallen leaves piling on top of each other, making the roads slippery, in addition to it being dim and difficult to see. There weren¡¯t many small trees and they probably maintained this before, but it was hard to walk through. Having said that, I couldn¡¯t walk while looking down so it was difficult to walk through here. I corrected my posture and looked at the Head Magician. He placed his hands onto his chin and pondered. I wonder what¡¯s wrong. ¡°Is something wrong, Head Magician?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I was just thinking that the demons have decreased compared to before. The demons have decreased? This was my first time coming here so it didn¡¯t feel real to me yet but when I looked at the Captain, he was nodding so the amount of demons had really decreased. ¡°Is this the result of your previous subjugation?¡± ¡°That could be it, but I feel like it¡¯s decreased more than that.¡± I asked the Captain and he said that the demons had decreased more than when they had subjugated. The Captain and the Head Magician looked pensive. The Head Magician asked the Captain various questions, probably because he couldn¡¯t come up with an answer alone. ¡°I felt like there were a lot more when I came here before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s less here now than there was when I was on my previous subjugation mission.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen many weak demons. I feel like the ones we¡¯ve defeated have all been middle class demons.¡± ¡°Now that you mentioned it, that¡¯s true.¡± They talked until that point and the Head Magician stared at me. The Captained also looked at me when he noticed the Head Magician¡¯s gaze. Huh? What? I flustered, wondering what was up and the Head Magician nodded his head as if he came to an understanding. ¡°Shall we keep going?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Don¡¯t just move on when you two are the only ones who understood. I thought about asking for an explanation but a demon with bad timing appeared and I missed my chance to ask. The interval between demon encounters shortened as we continued walking. The people walking at the front stopped when we reached deep inside of the forest. The Captain told me what had happened when I thought it was odd. ¡°Strong demons appear around here so we always take time to prepare around here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Head Magician, who could also cast holy magic, began casting magic that increased attack and defensive power. I should help out too. We moved to a good place. I chanted area magic and prepared. Magic was released onto my surroundings and I chanted,¡ºAREA PROTECTION¡». ¡ºAREA PROTECTION¡» was a magic that raised defence against physically and magical attacks. When casting on one person, it became ¡ºPROTECTION¡». People generally casted these two for protection: ¡ºPHYSICAL PROTECTION¡»which raised physical defence, and ¡ºMAGIC PROTECTION¡»which raised magic defence. But the Head Magician taught me ¡ºPROTECTION¡»which raised both at once. He said this was easier to use. MP actually decreased less if I just casted ¡ºPROTECTION¡». The problem was that it was harder to cast ¡ºPROTECTION¡». Me? I was able to use it straight away. The main reason why I could was probably because my holy magic level was ¡Þ. The Head Magician covered his stomach and laughed the first time I activated ¡ºPROTECTION¡». He said I activated it too easily. It was a horrible thing to do considering he was the one who taught me it. The mages were looking at me with stunned faces probably because the Head Magician had laughed about it and I casted a difficult to use magic in a ranged area. It¡¯s faster to cast area magic than cast it one by one, you know? We finished defensive preparations, now onto offensive. If they were going to that extent then I¡¯ve done all I could. I took out some Intermediate MP Potions out of my bag and drank them, since my MP decreased considerably because I used a series of area magic. The other mages did the same. Even though my MP would recover automatically if I waited, we were moving straight away. The group moved on when the mages and I finished drinking the MP Potions. Looking around, I could see that everyone¡¯s expressions were different from before. I could tell that their tension was high. We were headed towards the deepest part of the West Forest. The other groups took different routes but our destination was the same. The closer we got to the deepest part, the stronger the demons became. I heard this at the preliminary meeting. The information was correct. But that wasn¡¯t all. We encountered more demons as we progressed deeper into the forest. The battles which were quickly finished until now were getting longer. We encountered demons one by one before but now we were encountering them in groups. Furthermore, new demons appeared as soon as we finished defeating one group. The injured people increased and the occasions where I, who was bored, had to cast¡ºHEAL¡»continuously on my first subjugation, probably because of the Head Magician¡¯s special training. The knights and Captain were protecting me so I could support from behind without receiving damage. I was able to act calmly without panicking thanks to them. It was a little scary though. ¡°They suddenly increased. Was it like this in the last subjugation as well?¡± The Head Magician said during battle, he was different from usual, no, he looked as if he had found something interesting. The Captain, who had finished the next battle, answered this question. ¡°Yeah. It gets worse the further we go.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The Head Magician narrowed his eyes, licked his lips and smiled amusingly. I felt like we switched a switched that shouldn¡¯t have been switched. Magic flew at me continuously and hit the demon that was coming my way as soon as I thought that. The offender was the Head Magician. I¡¯ve never seen him activate magic continuously at such a speed before. Was this how fast magic could be casted once one mastered magic manipulation? I was surprised. ¡°It looks like something¡¯s happening at the back.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The knights concluded, ¡°so we decided that we¡¯d go to the deepest part this time.¡± ¡°Is that so? I wonder what¡¯s happening there.¡± The mages looked like they had already given up when they saw the Head Magician laugh amusingly. Ah, we switched the switch that wasn¡¯t supposed to be switched on. That was the same look he had when we were talking about my magic power. According to the mages, he couldn¡¯t be stopped when he got like this. I understood this and followed silently after the knights. ¡°¡ºREFLECTION¡».¡± We continued on as we defeated demons. We got into several battles and then I casted ¡ºREFLECTION¡», a barrier with a reflection effect, to avoid the attack of the demons that were approaching the knights. The demon¡¯s attack was blocked by the barrier and the damage was reflected back at them. Then the knights finished the demons off when they were flinching. I activated it at a good time. The Head Magician called out to me while I was happy with myself. ¡°That was a really good timing.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I was a little pleased with being praised. I could only be pleased for a second because we started moving again. Demons would attack us again if we stayed in the same place. The intervals between starting and ending a battle grew considerably short because we were getting closer to the deepest part of the forest. The air around us grew stagnated. I could feel unpleasant sweat on my back and my clothes was sticking to my skin. According to the Captain, this disgusting air was caused by thickened miasma. So this was miasma. The miasma got thicker the further we went in. I heard the vanguard knight mutter, ¡°What the?¡± when we reached the deepest part of the forest. Other people also heard this mutter. The Captain and the Head Magician headed to the front. I followed them from behind. The place called the deepest part of the forest was a basin, and we stood above it and looked down. There was a black swamp in the deepest part of the forest. The problem was that demons were gushing out from the swamp, one by one. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Well then, what is it?¡± The Captain and the Head Magician looked at the swamp with grim expressions on their faces. The demons gushing out from the swamp still hadn¡¯t noticed us yet because we were far away. But they would notice us if we talked in loud voices so the two whispered. I also hid my breath and looked at the swamp from behind them. The demons that gushed from the swamp didn¡¯t move straight away, they stood around the swamp for a while. A lot of demons crowded around the swamp in great density. If a single one noticed us, then they would all rush at us and attack, wouldn¡¯t they? I want to stop for a bit No matter how strong the Captain and the Head Magician were, it would be hard to take on these many. My body instinctively trembled when I imagined that scenario. Yup, we¡¯d definitely die. But the more I looked, the ghastly it got. I felt gloomy and uncomfortable when I looked at the black muddy swamp. The colour and the demons gushing out from within, no matter how I looked at it, it wasn¡¯t a normal swamp. It was the first time the Captain and the Head Magician had seen a swamp like this so they didn¡¯t know what it was. Well. The miasma got thicker the deeper we went, so don¡¯t tell me that swamp was made from the miasma! The two people in front of me turned back while I was thinking about the swamp. The Captain and the Head Magician, who were looking at the swamp while talking, had finished talking. They instructed everyone to step back by using gestures. They gave the instructions in silence because some of the demons around the swamp were headed this way. I also quietly moved back, trying to make as little noise as possible. It happened right after I heard a scream coming from the direction we were moving in. I looked in front and saw a faint orange light. What the heck is that? The moment I thought this, I saw a flame swallow the knights in front of me. Hey, isn¡¯t that dangerous?! ¡°It¡¯s coming!!!¡± I was flustered, not knowing what to do and then I heard the Captain scream from behind. When I turned around I saw the demons around the swamp coming this way. Were we noticed because of the uproar in the front? Chills ran down my spine. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a Salamander there.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Head Magician, who had come next to me unnoticed, muttered. A Salamander had appeared at the front. The fire from before was blown by this Salamander. A white light shone from the front and I saw the mages casting recovery magic. The Head Magician, who was next to me, attacked the demons coming from behind with magic. That¡¯s right, this isn¡¯t the time for me to space out. I looked at the front and saw that a mage had approached the knights, who were coiled in fire before, and started casting recovery magic on them. The knights immediately put up their shields. They were injured but still alive. I also casted ¡ºHEAL¡»when there was a lack of healing. I could tell he was healed when I heard a shout of joy. I continued to cast ¡ºHEAL¡»on the other knights, one after the other. I didn¡¯t forget to give support to the back. We walked towards the deepest part and encountered a Salamander while looking around, so the mages gathered around at the front. Therefore, there were only a few mages at the back and less people who could heal. The Head Magician was casting recovery magic between his offensive magic but it was probably more effective for me to be in charge of healing. The stalemate continued for a while. They were still having trouble with the Salamander in front. Demons were being defeated one after another because people with high attack power like the Captain and Head Magician were at the back. But the demons gushed out endlessly from the swamp. I didn¡¯t have to worry about my MP running out as long as I had potions in my hand, but if things continued like this, then the situation would only get worse. It wasn¡¯t just me who felt this way, everyone else did as well. I sometimes heard the always polite Head Magician say, ¡°Shit¡±. This was proof that he was getting impatient. It started to hurt around my stomach. At that time, I heard a voice from behind, ¡°Watch out!!¡± When I turned around, I saw a fireball released from the Salamander heading straight at me. Wait a minute! There was no time to cast magic and the Head Magician, who was next to me, had his hands full with the demons from behind so he couldn¡¯t help me. I heard the Captain shout from afar, ¡°Sei!¡± Everything was in slow motion for a moment and I felt as if my life flashed before my eyes. A gentle cold wave drifted in the air in an instant and a wall of ice taller than my back stood right before my eyes. I instantly raised my hands and covered my face but the fire was stopped by the ice wall. Water vapourised into the air. I lost my tension and collapsed. The Head Magician grabbed onto my arm. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet. Stand up.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°It seems like the magic on your hair ornament activated.¡± ¡°Hair ornament?¡± ¡°The hair ornament you¡¯re using now is bestowed with magic, isn¡¯t it?¡± I remembered when he told me. The hair ornament that I was wearing now was something I received from the Captain. And like he said, it was bestowed with magic. It had such an effect¡­¡­! I was saved thanks to the Captain, wasn¡¯t I? My chest got warm and I gently placed my hand on top of it. I managed to stand up somehow and straighten my posture. The Head Magician released my arm. He decided that I would be fine even without his support. The Head Magician immediately returned to battle. The situation was still unpredictable. Even so, there was no end to it. The demons were still continuously gushing out from the swamp. The situation won¡¯t change unless they did something about the swamp. On the contrary, someone might just die!!! If this was at the beginning then a knight would have blocked the fire from just now and it wouldn¡¯t have reached me. The body could be healed with recovery magic but mental fatigue couldn¡¯t. Everyone¡¯s concentration gradually fell and they were getting injured more often. What should I do? Is casting recovery magic the only thing I could do? Such thoughts passed through my mind as I provided support. I want to do something about that swamp. If I don¡¯t¡­¡­ ¡°Captain!¡± The knight¡¯s voice startled me. I looked towards the voice and saw the Captain shake and sway when he was attacked by a demon that looked like a black wolf. The Captain immediately held his ground but then another black wolf attacked him. No, stop! Something flowed from within me. What flowed from within me was the golden magic I saw at the research institute. That magic power quickly reached to where the Captain was. The black wolf that had sprung on the Captain turned to smoke when it touched my magic power; then it was swallowed by a golden torrent and disappeared. The Captain, who was dumbfounded, looked over here. It wasn¡¯t just the Captain, but everyone else as well. I was also surprised. What is that? Isn¡¯t that just going overboard? The magic power from within me didn¡¯t stop even though I was stunned. The golden magic power spread around the area without slowing down. It happened abruptly again, but in this condition, maybe¡­¡­ I put my hands together in front of my chest like I did at the research institute, and prayed. Please get rid of the swamp and demons somehow. The speed at which the magic power spread increased further. The golden haze spread on the ground and got larger; it swallowed up the Salamander, the demons around the swamp and even the swamp. The technique activated when it covered the whole swamp and the light burst. All the demons in the area and the swamp had disappeared by the time the sparkling gold particles fell from the sky, and what was left was only a forest. ¡°Is it finished¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It looks like it.¡± The Head Magician replied to the Captain¡¯s mutter and the knights, who were frozen, were still comprehending the situation. ¡°Wooow¡±, the shouts of joy resounded through the place. Volume 2 - CH 6 Ten months have passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. Some time has passed since the subjugation in the West Forest. It has become noisy around me since then. That was inevitable since I went all out when I used my ¡¾Saint¡¿ability. The mysterious magic I used at the subjugation was appraised and it seemed that it was the technique that was used by the ¡¾Saint¡¿. The demons and the miasma swamp both disappeared because of that technique. I remembered that the technique used by the ¡¾Saint¡¿was used to annihilate demons, but I never thought that the swamp would be gone too. I don¡¯t know anything about the swamp yet. The Head Magician and I talked about various things inside of the carriage, on our way back to the Royal Capital, and we also spoke about the swamp. It was only speculation but there was a high probability that the swamp was made from miasma; because of the demons gushing out of it and how it disappeared without a trace because of my magic power. To his knowledge, the Head Magician had never heard anything about that swamp before. The Head Magician and the Captain were also talking about the swamp when we had first encountered it and that was the first time both of them had seen something like that. The Captain also agreed that the swamp had been made from miasma. The cluster of miasma disappearing meant that this was probably the effect of the purifying ¡¾Saint¡¿technique that was recorded in documents. The Head Magician had said that. We also talked about the technique that the ¡¾Saint¡¿used inside of the carriage and not just about the swamp. The Head Magician¡¯s excitement didn¡¯t show in his words. His eye colour had already changed so he was already a little interested. It felt like his excitement was from being able to see rare magic and not from finding out that I was the ¡¾Saint¡¿. In other words, he was the same as always. It wasn¡¯t just the Head Magician, the Captain was also the same as always. So I was a little optimistic. I hope that everything remains the same when we return to the Royal Palace. My delusions were destroyed a week after we returned from the subjugation. I noticed that the attitudes of the people around me had changed on my way to the Royal Palace library to return a book I had borrowed. An example was people coming my way. The corridors of the Royal Palace were wide so I didn¡¯t need to avoid people, even if they were coming towards me. The only time I needed to avoid people was around corners, because it seemed like people were likely to bump into each other in that short distance. Despite that, I suddenly noticed that people who walked past me avoided me and walked while looking at the ground. It was as if they were passing someone important. I was usually in deep thought when I walked so I never noticed my surroundings before, but I don¡¯t think that something like this has happened before. I became anxious when I noticed it, so I paid attention to see if anything else had changed. I noticed that something had changed when I did that, even though it wasn¡¯t noticeable. For example, I would normally chat with the librarian behind the desk whenever I went to return my book but now they would receive me by saying, ¡°An important person has arrived¡±, at the librarian¡¯s antechambers. The room where I had my lectures had also changed; it was now conducted in a more extravagant room. The person who informed me about things related to my lectures was still the same Civil Official, but now he always seemed nervous when talking with me. That type of action wasn¡¯t limited to the Civil Official, there were a lot of knights and mages who acted that way also. Ah, but the attitudes of the 2nd Knight Order knights, who appeared whenever I went to the library, hasn¡¯t changed. They worshipped me from the beginning. The researchers also acted the same as before. It might be because a lot of them weren¡¯t interested in anything but research. Or maybe they didn¡¯t know about the subjugation rumours. Even if they did, it didn¡¯t have anything to do with research, so they probably didn¡¯t care. It would be great if it was the latter. If it¡¯s the former then they might not act the same way anymore. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re spacing out.¡± ¡°Ah, Director.¡± I zoned out a little whenever I recalled the recent changes. The Director had called out to me because I had stopped in the middle of making potions. How should I answer? I didn¡¯t tell the Director that I had used the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique in the subjugation. He was glad that I had returned safely and didn¡¯t ask me anything about the subjugation. The stories about the subjugation seemed to have spread very widely, judging by the state of affairs in the Royal Palace. The Director probably knows about it already. ¡°People around me have changed a little recently.¡± ¡°The people around you?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve somehow become someone important. They treat me really respectfully whenever I go to the Royal Palace.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± I said that and he had already guessed what I wanted to say. The Director¡¯s face changed from his usual laugh to a wry one. ¡°Well, the topic of how amazing the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique was, is currently the hot topic in the Royal Palace.¡± ¡°So they also talked about who used that technique, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I knew it¡­¡­¡± ¡°I heard about the subjugation from Al. It would have happened eventually, considering your achievements.¡± The Director was right, but if possible, I wanted everyone to act like they have been up until now. I think they¡¯ve been courteous thus far and was happy about it. ¡°If you weren¡¯t there then the guys who went on the subjugation would have been annihilated.¡± ¡°That might be true.¡± ¡°This wasn¡¯t the only time you helped them out. The closer the guys were to the scene the more grateful they are to you.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have to be. I was just doing what I could and I was also in danger at the time.¡± ¡°Even if you say that¡­¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, if you¡¯re thankful then I want you to treat me like you always do. I¡¯m not used to it¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± I sullenly said and the Director laughed as if he was troubled. We left it at that and the Director muttered, ¡°Sorry¡±. I glanced at him and he looked serious for once. Why was he apologising? Was he apologising because of the situation? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something he should apologise for. I was the one who didn¡¯t refuse when they requested for support. I tilted my head and he told me the reason: ¡°Even so, I¡¯m still grateful to you. I¡¯ll want to grant your wish as much as I possibly can.¡± ¡°Director¡­¡­¡± ¡°But things will be a little difficult from here on out. I probably can¡¯t grant all your wishes. You probably can¡¯t understand this, but the ¡¾Saint¡¿is a very special existence for us.¡± I¡¯ve heard this before and experienced it a little, but the ¡¾Saint¡¿was a special existence to people in Slantania after all. I didn¡¯t experience it much with the researchers or the 3rd Knight Order because they treated me normally, but the 2nd Knight Order worshipped me a lot. This was all the more true when I saw how people¡¯s attitudes towards me had taken a complete 180¡ã change. Furthermore, the next words that came out of the Director¡¯s mouth were too much. ¡°By things getting harder, do you mean that I have to stop working at the research institute?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t intend to ask you to stop, but if you get invited to subjugations then your time at the research institute would decrease.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I was away for a few days this time also.¡± ¡°The West Forest is still close by. They¡¯ll probably recruit you for subjugation in rural areas. That takes more time.¡± ¡°Rural areas?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a large outbreak of demons in rural areas and the people are worn out. They requested for the Knight Order many times.¡± ¡°So the capital¡¯s outskirts aren¡¯t the only place with an overflow of demons?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You can¡¯t just leave it be. They will proceed to the rural area after the demon outbreak in the capital outskirts settle down. A rural area, huh? I¡¯ve heard that it took a week to get to a neighbouring kingdom. That was probably the shortest time it could take to get to a neighbouring kingdom. It could possibly take longer depending on where the place was. The subjugation probably wouldn¡¯t finish in a day. The outbreaks probably wouldn¡¯t occur in the same places. If it was like that, then a round trip plus subjugation could take up to a month. ¡°If I go to a rural area then would I be gone for more than a month?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°1 month, huh¡­¡­? I don¡¯t know how often I would go there to subjugate but it¡¯s highly possible that I won¡¯t be at the research institute much.¡± ¡°Well, I think you would rest at the capital, but it would be like that until things settle down in the rural areas.¡± That¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t be at the research institute much and I don¡¯t know how long it would take. There was no telling when things would settle down in the rural area. I don¡¯t think I can continue to be a researcher in that situation. It was inexcusable to be a researcher when I don¡¯t work. If it was like that then it¡¯s better to change my workplace to the Court Mage Division. Because subjugation would also be considered work there. But the research institute was a good place for me to work. It¡¯s fun to research about potions. My thoughts apparently showed up on my face. The Director called out to me worriedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯d like to keep my job but it doesn¡¯t seem like I would be able to do my work so¡­¡­¡± ¡°You feel bad about it?¡± ¡°Yes. After all, I would have to move to the Court Mage Division or somewhere else.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There are medicinal herbs and potions unique to each region. Inspecting them could also be considered working, so I don¡¯t see a problem with you being employed at the research institute. ¡° ¡°Is that alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± The Director, who said that while he narrowed his eyes and laughed, looked like he had a halo on his head. If I wished to remain a researcher then the Director would make it happen. Even if the people at the top said that I had to transfer, the Director said he would use every means to keep me here. Director, thank you! Well, why is it that this wish of mine keeps getting harder and harder to bring about? ¡°Ah, that is¡­¡­¡± I asked him about it and he shut his mouth as if it was a little difficult to say. I was curious so I wished he¡¯d tell me sooner. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before that you wanted to live your life as an ordinary person?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible now.¡± Come to think of it, I remember having this conversation with the Director before. He clearly said it was impossible and I thought so as well. It was impossible to have my way after coming this far. ¡°That¡¯s already something that can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ve already given up half way.¡± ¡°Only half way?¡± ¡°Yes. I wanted to live a quiet life if I could.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll try my best to fulfil your wishes.¡± He lightly retorted as he laughed wryly. After that, he told me that he would do his best but¡­¡­ Director, did you really want to fulfil it? He said it kind of seriously and kind of like a joke but I¡¯ll trust that he¡¯ll fulfil it! ??????? ¡°Then, let¡¯s finish here for today.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The Director said and the magic lecture ended for the day. The lectures continued even after the subjugation. Even if it was magic or whatever, it wasn¡¯t something that was easy to remember straight away. No matter how interested in it I was, my intellect was only normal. Well, if I had the Head Magician¡¯s brain then I could probably remember it straight away. ¡°Will you be heading to the 3rd Knight Order today as well?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the plan.¡± ¡°Is it fine for me to observe?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem if I only go for a little while.¡± The Director¡¯s smile felt ominous, but was it alright? I had a hunch that Intelligent Glasses-sama would drag him back to work. The Head Magician had gone with me to the 3rd Knight Order before and at that time, Intelligent Glasses-sama came to drag him back. The Head Magician was so absorbed in observing the training that he¡¯d missed his meeting. It wasn¡¯t just Intelligent Glasses-sama, the mages also ran around the Royal Palace looking for the Head Magician. I don¡¯t know if it would be like that today as well but I¡¯ll tell someone to send word to Intelligent Glasses-sama about where we¡¯re going. It¡¯d make it easier for him to come and collect the Head Magician. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded at the Head Magician, who was grinning and ready to leave, and left the room. I caught the Mage, who had passed us on our way, and told him I am going to the 3rd Knight Order with the Head Magician. He said, ¡°I will inform the Deputy Head Magician¡± as if he knew what to do. That person was probably involved in the Head Magician¡¯s search party. The Head Magician spoke about magic on the way to the 3rd Knight Order. He didn¡¯t talk about the magic I had learnt today. He talked about the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique that I had used during the subjugation. There were many things that I didn¡¯t know about the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. The same went for the Head Magician and, after we had returned from the subjugation, he had asked me many times about what the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique was. We both agreed that it was a ¡¾Saint¡¿technique because of what it had done. That much was fine, but we still didn¡¯t know how else I could invoke it. That was obvious since I, the person who had cast it, didn¡¯t even know. Even though I cast it in the West Forest, I didn¡¯t know what I did to activate that golden magic. Magic had suddenly overflowed from within me and activated. I tried to remember if I had done anything special at that time, but nothing came to mind. It happened suddenly and during a critical time. I noticed that it was noisy in the front while I was walking and talking with the Head Magician. I walked to a portion of the corridor that didn¡¯t have walls and looked out into one of the Royal Palace courtyards. I wonder what¡¯s happening. I looked at the Head Magician and he also looked puzzled. ¡°I wonder what happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s on the way, so why don¡¯t we check it out?¡± The number of civil officials and maids increased as we approached the location. Everyone gathered around because they noticed the uproar, didn¡¯t they? A lot of people passed through this courtyard, so it was easy for them to gather around. I couldn¡¯t hear what people were saying because they were whispering to each other. I heard a racket at first and then I understood that a woman and man were arguing when I got closer. Is it a lover¡¯s quarrel? Arguing in this kind of place, they¡¯d definitely become gossip material for the maids. There were a lot of people in the Royal Palace who liked to gossip; probably because they didn¡¯t have entertainment like TV or magazines. A lover¡¯s quarrel was the easiest topic to gossip about. ¡°Enough!¡± ¡°But, Your Highness¡­¡­¡± I slipped past the people that had gathered around and heard a familiar voice. Huh? This voice¡­¡­ There was a man and woman arguing and the woman sounded like someone I knew. I sped up and then I saw the pair who were arguing. I knew it, it¡¯s Liz. ¡°It¡¯s not in her best interest if things continue as they have. Please reconsider.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying this is in her best interest, but is that true?¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯re leading the group that¡¯s ostracising Aira.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ What are you talking about?¡± They were talking about something disturbing. People had gathered around them, but they all watched from a distance. That was because of that. The one arguing with Liz, was the red-haired Crown Prince, whom I¡¯ve seen before. Yeah, no one wants to get dragged into the prince¡¯s argument. Even if they were curious. I noticed that the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t the only one with Liz. They¡¯re probably his followers. There were several men that I recognised besides the Crown Prince. They were all standing still behind him. The girl from the same country as me, whom I hadn¡¯t seen for a year, was standing beside the Crown Prince. It¡¯s Aira-chan. I was relieved to see that she hadn¡¯t changed much since the last time I saw her. It looks like she¡¯s eating properly. I¡¯m glad. That¡¯s good. I can tell she¡¯s being treated well from the cute pink dress she¡¯s wearing. However, she didn¡¯t look so well. She was looking between the Crown Prince and Liz with a worried expression on her face. The conversation continued as I was observing Aira-chan, but there was something missing about with their conversation. I heard from Liz that the Crown Prince thought that Liz instigated the way the Young Ladies acted towards Aira-chan. For example, accosting her, giving her candid advice and on top of all that destroying her textbooks and other equipment. No, Liz tried to stop them. Because of that, we talked about how it wasn¡¯t just the young ladies who needed to change but Aira-chan too, or else nothing would improve. I remembered that Liz was angry that she couldn¡¯t talk with Aira-chan because the Crown Prince got in the way. ¡°Perhaps, you did that out of jealousy¡­¡­¡± ¡°Jealousy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re my fianc¨¦e. You didn¡¯t like how I¡¯m always with Aira.¡± ¡°Phew. Why didn¡¯t you accept my proposal, when you¡¯ve reached such a conclusion? The gentlemen behind you as well. Is it not obvious that it would become a problem if they always spend time with someone that isn¡¯t their fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°Certainly. But, it¡¯s my responsibility to oversee the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. We summoned her for our own convenience, so I must protect Aira from harm. It¡¯s not like I have anything to be guilty about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Aira-sama wasn¡¯t the only one summoned, you know? You¡¯re not doing anything about the other person.¡± ¡°Other person? You¡¯re talking about the woman from the rumours? That isn¡¯t the ¡¾Saint¡¿, is it?¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Even though the ¡¾Saint¡¿summons had succeeded, Aira still needed to get used in subjugations. I know, however, that people have been demanding that the ¡¾Saint¡¿should get involved in subjugations. Perhaps, in order to respond to those demands, they probably announced that the ¡¾Saint¡¿joined the subjugation and pretended that the Knight Orders¡¯ achievements were the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿.¡± ¡°Do you understand what you¡¯re saying, Your Highness?¡± Ah, Liz snapped. The young men standing behind the Crown Prince were startled by Liz¡¯s serious attitude. Thanks for getting angry for me, Liz. I also wanted to hit him a bit. It¡¯s fine to call me an imposter. If possible, I wanted to live as an ordinary person. But even as a joke, how could he say that the person at the top is promoting ¡¾Saint¡¿propaganda? If that was actually true, then everything would have been ruined with his exclamation. The story about the fake saint would spread around the Royal Palace tomorrow as if it¡¯s the truth. I felt lightheaded at the Crown Prince¡¯s attitude and suddenly met Aira-chan¡¯s eyes. Aira-chan¡¯s eyes widened as she recognised me. I wonder what¡¯s wrong? Ah, Liz also noticed me. The Crown Prince also noticed me. The Crown Prince looked like he wanted to say, ¡°Who the heck is that?¡± ¡°Sei¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mm, how do you do?¡± Liz called out to me and this time, everyone focused their attention on me. It probably wasn¡¯t my imagination but the complexion of the civil officials, who were watching from afar, paled. That¡¯s right, because the person, who their own Prince, had called an imposter was standing right in front of their faces. There were even some people who had rushed off somewhere. They¡¯re probably running off to inform someone higher up, right? If possible, I want them to bring someone that can control this situation. ¡°Who are you?¡± The Crown Prince said and I met his eyes. Who are you¡­¡­? He doesn¡¯t remember who I am? It would be bad if I didn¡¯t answer but I didn¡¯t feel like answering him. Even so, it would be immature of me not to answer so I unwillingly greeted him. ¡°My name is Sei.¡± I bowed like I was taught in manner class and gave my self-introduction. I want them to forgive me for doing the absolute minimum. It was the minimum, but the Crown Prince noticed that I was the rumoured ¡¾Saint¡¿from the colour of my hair. ¡°So you¡¯re the fake ¡¾Saint¡¿?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I ignored the Crown Prince¡¯s question and turned to face Liz. I could tell that the Crown Prince was annoyed, but I¡¯ll keep ignoring him. Ignore him. This much is fine, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Hey, Liz. If you¡¯re going to argue, isn¡¯t it better to do it in a room somewhere? It¡¯s too conspicuous here.¡± Liz laughed embarrassed at my words. Liz probably proposed the same thing to the Crown Prince but he didn¡¯t accept it. I don¡¯t know the current situation, but just how hot-headed was the Crown Prince? If he thought through it calmly then he would notice that causing an uproar here would be harmful in various ways. His followers were the same. Huh? Did they do it on purpose? ¡°Hey!¡± I thought that and the Crown Prince grew impatient and he reached out to grab my shoulders. Mhm, it¡¯s something I learnt in manner class, but wasn¡¯t it a violation for men to frivolously touch an unmarried woman? Did he think that he¡¯d be forgiven because he¡¯s the Prince? I thought about brushing him off but the Prince¡¯s hands never reached me. The Captain had appeared unnoticed and stopped the Prince. ¡°Captain Hawk!¡± The Crown Prince, who had been grabbed, raised his voice but the Captain didn¡¯t care and quietly let him go. I could tell that the Captain had rushed here because he was breathing heavily. The Crown Prince looked at him in frustration. A while later, someone else came. ¡°What¡¯s this racket?¡± ¡°Father!¡± The person who had come was His Majesty. And behind him was the Prime Minister. The civil official had called them. Would they control this situation? ¡°These people are¡­¡­¡± ¡°Enough. I heard about it. You¡¯re causing a foolish fuss in front of all these people.¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Furthermore, you were extremely rude to the ¡¾Saint¡¿.¡± ¡°It is not I, who is being rude, but the people over there.¡± ¡°Oh. I heard that you were calling the ¡¾Saint¡¿a fake.¡± ¡°You¡¯re using her to act as the fake, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Aira was the only person summoned in the¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿.¡± ¡°This person, Sei-dono, was also summoned by the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was still alright for you to overlook this face at the beginning. But, several civil officials have reported that two people were summoned with the ceremony. Have you not heard about this?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­ But¡­¡­¡± ¡°According to Head Magician Dreves¡¯s appraisal, there¡¯s no doubt that Sei-dono is the ¡¾Saint¡¿.¡± Huh? Really? I reflectively turned to the Head Magician but he was looking at His Majesty and bowing. He wasn¡¯t looking my way at all. Ah, did it become like that because of what we talked about during subjugation? I concluded that on my own and His Majesty kept talking. ¡°This isn¡¯t just coming from the Head Magician. The Captain Hawk of the 3rd Knight Order also reported that Sei-dono had worked performed her duties splendidly as the ¡¾Saint¡¿during the subjugation that happened a few days ago. Of course, the 2nd Knight Order, who went with them, also reported this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I understand that you¡¯re protecting Aira-dono because you were overseeing the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. So, why didn¡¯t you protect Sei-dono, who was also summoned? Furthermore, you treat her as a fake. Everyone acknowledges that Sei-dono is the ¡¾Saint¡¿because of her achievements. On the other hand, what has Aira-dono done? She hasn¡¯t achieved anything yet, has she?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t take her achievements into consideration, you have no basis on which to decide that Sei-dono is a fake. Well, let¡¯s move somewhere else to continue our talk.¡± The Crown Prince remained silent at the King¡¯s words. The King looked disappointed for a second and returned back to normal. He instructed the knights to take the Crown Prince and his followers elsewhere. The Crown Prince and his followers, who were disheartened, followed after the knights silently. The people, who were watching on the side-lines, also returned to what they were doing. ¡°I want to ask you some questions, so could you accompany me, Lady Ashley1)?¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± ¡°We will ask you for your report another time, Sei-dono.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Looks like they¡¯re letting me go here. The King sent me an apologetic look, ignoring his surroundings, nodded and followed after the Crown Prince. The Prime Minister and Liz followed after him. I don¡¯t know what was happening, but it came to an end. Would the problem at the Academy, which I heard about from Liz, be settled with this? I left with the Captain and Head Magician while thinking that it would be great if it was solved. ??????? I followed Marie-san through the Royal Palace corridors. There were also two maids and knights accompanying us. Everyone gave way and lowered their heads when I wore the white robe I wore at my audience with the King. What¡¯s with this situation? The people in the Royal Palace have become increasingly polite towards me ever since that happened. Well, things that can¡¯t be helped, can¡¯t be helped. The people working at the Royal Palace were completely convinced that I was the ¡¾Saint¡¿. I¡¯d already given up, but I still haven¡¯t gotten used to the way they treated me. I resisted the urge to sigh and walked quietly through the corridor. We were heading to a room in the Royal Palace. We arrived in front of the destination and Marie-san knocked on the door. Someone answered and the door opened from the inside. I passed Marie-san and entered. There were two young ladies waiting inside. One of the ladies bowed gracefully while the other one bowed a little clumsily. That was the signal for the door to be closed. The knights that had accompanied me waited outside of the room. The only ones inside of the room was the two ladies, myself, Marie-san and the maids. A tea party was being prepared in that room filled with only females. ¡°How do you do, Sei?¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Liz. And¡­¡­¡± I turned towards the girl standing next to Liz. Her lips were shut together, she seemed to be very nervous. ¡°I guess it would be better for me to say, nice to meet you?¡± I asked and Aira-chan smiled awkwardly. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Misono Aira.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Takanashi Sei.¡± I must have been infected with Aira-chan¡¯s nervousness because I felt like my smile was very stiff. We had finished our greetings for now. It feels awkward to stand like this so let¡¯s sit down. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down for now.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡± I urged the two and walked towards the round table that had been prepared. Marie-san poured our tea and presented it to us when we sat down. I sipped the tea and looked at Liz and Aira-chan again. We gathered today to deepen our friendship with Aira-chan. It was decided that the Crown Prince, His Highness Kyle, would be removed from any matters relating to the ¡¾Saint¡¿after that uproar. Also, he had to take responsibility for causing the uproar, and was being held under house arrest. His Highness Kyle would be graduating from the Royal Academy in a few months, so he would probably be released from house arrest just before the graduation ceremony. The Second Prince, Rain-dono would be taking care of Aira-chan in place of His Highness, Kyle. The King explained this to me after he had dealt with various things after the uproar. Of course, this was because I was the person concerned. His Highness Kyle¡¯s followers were also under house arrest until the graduation ceremony. Fortunately for them, they were all excellent students so their attendance wouldn¡¯t affect their graduation results. Aira-chan was the only one not placed under house arrest. The reason was that she didn¡¯t directly do anything during the uproar. The problem was that she was put on a pedestal and acted as she was told to, but they couldn¡¯t find fault in her, considering the environment she was in. Well, that¡¯s true. Aira-chan and I were both summoned from Japan by the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. Moreover, if this was Japan then she would still under the protection of adults. I couldn¡¯t blame her for relying on His Highness Kyle and his followers because she was suddenly summoned into this world and she was alone. Well, there was also politics involved so they couldn¡¯t just get rid of Aira-chan. The problem was that all the children around her were put under house arrest. According to Liz, no one else could get close to Aira-chan apart from His Highness Kyle and his aides, so she didn¡¯t know anyone apart from them. It was irresponsible of them to leave her like that, so it was decided that she would hang out with Liz. His Highness Rain was responsible for her and there was also the thing that happened with His Highness Kyle, so they probably thought that Liz would be more suitable for her since they were both female. This plan worked really well and Aira-chan was finally able to make some female friends. Various misunderstandings were solved by Liz. It was then possible for them to peacefully live their school lives, and they hosted this tea party after things had settled down. After some time had passed since she started getting along with Liz, Aira-chan told her that she wanted to meet me. We were generally from the same hometown and she had always wanted to talk to me, ever since she saw me at the uproar. She was also concerned about how I spent the past year. That¡¯s why we decided to talk about various things today. ¡°I heard that the Academy has calmed down a lot.¡± ¡°Yes. Things have finally settled down.¡± ¡°I heard that you influenced a lot of things Liz. Thanks for your hard work.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Liz laughed bashfully when I thanked her. I heard that it was really difficult to meditate between Aira-chan, who had accumulated so many misunderstandings, and the other girls. There were still some who were discontent, but most of the girls were getting along with Aira-chan thanks to Liz¡¯s efforts. No one could openly defy Liz because she was the Crown Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e and the daughter of a Marquis. There were rank differences even within the Academy. Nonetheless, it wasn¡¯t enforced. It probably went well because Liz was dealing with it. ¡°Have you also settled down, Misono-san?¡± ¡°Yes. Every day has become fun thanks to Liz.¡± I brought up the topic with Aira-chan and she smiled happily. She said that her female friends had increased and she could talk about girly things like she did in Japan, so it was really fun. She had a lot of fun talking about fashion. Then our conversation derailed and she told me about fashion in the capital. She noticed half way that she had derailed from the topic and apologised, but I didn¡¯t mind. I wanted to say how attractive! as I watched her talk with excitement. Even the way she apologised was cute. It was really soothing to see Liz smile beside her. The soothing effects of beautiful girls was amazing. ¡°How about you Sei? Have things calmed down for you?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s probably calmed down but¡­¡­¡± ¡°It seems that it¡¯s already been established that you¡¯re the ¡¾Saint¡¿-sama.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it¡­¡­¡± I felt down when she said that and Liz giggled. Like Liz said, it was settled that I would be treated as the ¡¾Saint¡¿. It was my own fault that I was recognised as the ¡¾Saint¡¿, so I resigned myself to that fact; but I was tired of being treated like a VIP. Did they think that I, who was a commoner, could stand it when people bowed their heads at me just for walking through the corridor? It¡¯s impossible! Liz understood my inner thoughts. She was teasing me because she understood my thoughts. It wasn¡¯t just Liz, Aira-chan seemed to have understood my feelings as well. She looked at me with sympathy as she listened to our conversation. She nodded as if saying, I understand. She, herself, was treated as a VIP inside of the Royal Palace when she was with His Highness Kyle. We probably felt the same way because we were both Japanese. ¡°But, it seems like I¡¯ll be busier from now on.¡± ¡°Will you?¡± ¡°I have to go to rural areas for a while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± My treatment had settled down, but from what I overheard from other people, I would be getting a bit busy from here on out. The demons around the capital had settled down after the recent subjugation in the West Forest, but they were still overflowing in the rural areas. They had sent requests to the civil officials to dispatch knights to the rural areas after things have settled down at the capital. The swamp that we saw in the West Forest was being investigated and there was a high possibility that one had appeared at the rural areas because of the demon outbreak. If that was true, then it would be up to me to purify it, so it was highly likely for me to go to a rural area. Liz had heard that kind of story and noticed that I was only talking about light things. Her smiling face took a complete turn and she now looked anxious and apologetic. Ah! Don¡¯t make that kind of face! It¡¯s not your fault, Liz. ¡°Will you be resigning from the research institute?¡± ¡°It looks like I don¡¯t have to resign. The Director said he¡¯ll do something about it.¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°Yes. I have to be thankful to the Director.¡± Liz smiled happily again when she heard that I didn¡¯t need to quit the research institute. It looks like Liz was worried about it too. Was it because she knew that I liked working at the research institute? I heard Aira-chan whisper, ¡°Excuse me¡±, while Liz and I were laughing. I tilted my head and looked at her wondering what was wrong and Aira-chan spoke while looking nervous. ¡°Have you been working in the Royal Palace ever since you came here, Takanashi-san?¡± ¡°Yes, I have. I¡¯m working as a researcher at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute.¡± ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡­¡± I asked her what was wrong since she wanted to ask me something and she told me that she wanted to consult with me. She had been living at the Royal Palace as the ¡¾Saint¡¿as instructed by His Highness Kyle, who had been looking after her. But since that uproar, she had been separated from His Highness Kyle, so she thought about how she should live her life from here on out. It didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t live as she had until now, but she wondered if it was alright for her to do so and was filled with anxiety. She said, ¡°Because I don¡¯t have any achievements¡±, half way through the conversation. It seemed that having this pointed out to her in the middle of the uproar was the source of her uneasiness. She was really worried about what would happen after she graduated from the Academy. ¡°Do you not have anything you want to do, Misono-san?¡± ¡°Well¡­.. I wanted to study magic a bit more if I could.¡± ¡°Study magic, huh? Then why don¡¯t you join the Court Mage Division?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea.¡± Liz raised her voice and approved of my idea. Of course there was an exam to join the Court Mage Division, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem with Aira-chan¡¯s abilities. Besides, Aira-chan had magic talent. It was normally good to have aptitude in a single attribute magic but to have three was really rare. Liz excitedly told me that it only happened once in a hundred years. Aira-chan has only been raising her holy attribute magic so far, just because of His Highness Kyle¡¯s plan, so her other attribute levels were still low. Aira-chan wanted to study magic a bit more because of that. ¡°It would be better for you to join if you¡¯re that talented in magic. The people at the Court Mage Division are experts in magic, so they can teach you a lot of things. I¡¯m also receiving magic lectures from the Head Magician.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s better for you to reach out to them since you have great magic talent. Also, you can also go on subjugations if you join the Court Mage Division, that way your achievements will build up, you know?¡± Aira-chan seemed like she wanted to join the Court Mage Division after listening to my story. Liz constantly advising her might have also influenced her decision. More than anything else, she liked that she would be able to meet me more because I went to the Court Mage Division a lot for my lectures. Her eyes shone a lot when I told her that. Was it reassuring for her to be with someone from the same world as her? Liz also talked about various things and Aira-chan decided that she would join the Court Mage Division after she graduated from the Academy. At that time, Aira-chan¡¯s expression changed for the first time since this conversation started, she was smiling cheerfully. Translator: Blushy Editor: SenjiQ Volume 3 - CH ss1 ¡°That concludes the report.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± When the civil official finished his report and left the room, the King of Slantania Kingdom made sure that the door was closed before sighing. The Prime Minister, who was also present, also had a grim expression on his face and a dark aura filled the room. The King picked up a piece of paper that was on his desk. ¡°So the situations in the fiefs are still the same?¡± ¡°Yes. The situation around the Royal Capital has calmed down, but we keep getting more and more petitions.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sei had annihilated the black swamp that had appeared at the West Forest, and the number of demons around the Royal Capital had decreased incredibly. However, the problem of demons appearing was the same as before. There were a lot of inconveniences; up until now they had continuously hid information about Sei, but they couldn¡¯t continue to do so because of the decrease in demons. The success of the¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿was already talked about amongst the nobles and they have been whispering about the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿activities because of that situation. If so, then the nobles, who have remained silent until now, will also begin to take action. Until now, the feudal lords understood that the Royal Palace and Knight Orders couldn¡¯t send help to them because they had their hands full trying to keep public order around the Royal Capital. However, the area around the Royal Capital has calmed down and the feudal lords have requested for the Knight Orders to be sent to their fiefs, since they were almost at their limits. The King and his advisors also understood the state of the fiefs and thought that they should send the Knight Orders there soon. That wasn¡¯t the problem. The problem was the ¡¾Saint¡¿. Some of the nobles loudly exclaimed that their fiefs had the worse situation and there were even some who asked the ¡¾Saint¡¿to be sent there. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to respond to all of these requests, even though we had anticipated this.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s think about where to send¡¾Saint-sama¡¿later. For now, let¡¯s prioritise sending the Knight Orders. Dispatch them to the worst place first.¡± ¡°Of course. The most problematic place right now is Klaussner, is it not?¡± There was a stack of petitions from different fiefs asking for the Knight Orders and the ¡¾Saint¡¿to be dispatched to them. The petitions that arrived at the Royal Palace were examined closely by the civil officials. The petitions that were delivered to the King came from fiefs that seemed most likely to have a black swamp, like the one that was in the West Forest. The topmost petition was from Klaussner, the fief that was said to be first or second in medicinal herb production in Slantania Kingdom. The person, who had investigated this petition, concluded that it should be given the highest priority and put it at the top of the other petitions. The King stroked his chin while looking at the petition in his hand. ¡°They also seem to be having problems with demons, but they also have problems with cultivating herbs.¡± ¡°Was that the reason why they didn¡¯t deliver that many herbs to the Royal Capital this year?¡± ¡°That appears to be the case.¡± The King passed the petition he was looking at to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister skimmed over the document and sighed deeply. The petition from Klaussner stated that the reason why they were requesting for the Knight Order was because the increase in demons had effected the harvest of the medicinal herbs. Of course, Klaussner, like the other fiefs, also employed mercenary groups to deal with demons but they couldn¡¯t keep up with the spawn rate. If Klaussner was a normal fief, then it probably wouldn¡¯t have been given priority. However, Klaussner was a leading fief in medicinal herb production and it was given high priority because medicinal herbs were being affected. Medicinal herbs were also part of military goods because they were potion ingredients. Klaussner was famous for cultivating medicinal herbs that couldn¡¯t be cultivated in other fiefs, and they could cultivate them in large amounts. The civil officials concluded that Klaussner should be given the highest priority, because a military good that couldn¡¯t be replaced was being affected. Of course, the feudal lord of Klaussner knew all too well that his fief produced military goods. Klaussner, like the other fiefs, employed mercenaries, but the strength of those mercenaries couldn¡¯t be compared to the ones in the other fiefs. One needed a lot of money to hire excellent mercenaries. The feudal lord of Klaussner paid a lot of money to hire excellent mercenaries, so that they could avoid any damage to the supply of military goods. The Royal Palace also knew this. It was natural for the civil officials to panic, since a fief, where strong mercenaries were hired, were requesting the help of the Knight Order. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s horrible. The market will definitely be affected by this.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve temporarily stopped supply to the Royal Palace and have instructed people to secure the market supplies, but probably¡­¡­¡± The yield of medicinal herbs listed in the petition was about half of the previous year¡¯s. Klaussner had seen a downward trend in yield in recent years, but this year¡¯s rate was abnormal. The feudal lord of the fief where medicinal herbs were mainly cultivated must have felt an extreme sense of crisis. The King and Prime Minister didn¡¯t think that it was unreasonable for him to send a petition like this. ¡°Is it because of the demons¡­¡­?¡± The King put his elbows onto the desk and intertwined his hands together. He looked down and pondered for a while, before saying those words. The thing that had popped into his mind was the swamp from the West Forest. They thought that the swamp that Sei had annihilated with her mysterious technique was made from miasma. They had two reasons for this. The first was that demons were gushing out from the swamp. Demons were born when miasma reached a certain density. Furthermore, Alberto, the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order, and the others who went on the subjugation mission with Sei, reported that the miasma got thicker the closer they got to the swamp. The second reason was that after the swamp disappeared, the spawn rate of demons clearly decreased as well. It was unclear when the swamp appeared at the West Forest, but since its annihilation, the number of demons have clearly decreased. The people, who were observing the area, had reported that the miasma around that area had thinned out with time. It was called a swamp because it was dark and stagnated, but it was essentially like a fountain that gusted out miasma. The Court Mage Division¡¯s Head Magician, Yuuri, had also reported his own opinion of the swamp. It was possible that a similar swamp had appeared at Klaussner, considering their current situation and petition. If so, then there was only one solution. The King wasn¡¯t the only one who thought so, the Prime Minister, who also seemed to guess what he was thinking, spoke. ¡°We might need¡¾Saint-sama¡¿to go on this expedition.¡± The King nodded. It wasn¡¯t definite, although they¡¯d reached a solution and the mood around the King and Prime Minister remained unchanged. The King and Prime Minister discussed more about what they should do as a heavy atmosphere surrounded them. Thirty minutes later. Alberto, the captain of the 3rd Knight Order and Yuuri, the head magician of the Court Mage Division, were called to the King¡¯s office. The Prime Minister explained that they¡¯d planned to send the Knight Order to Klaussner while the two sat on the lounge suite. The two had expected that the Knight Order would be sent to other fiefs, so they didn¡¯t react and just listened. However, the stoic Alberto¡¯s eyebrow twitched when the Prime Minister hinted that there was a high probability that a swamp, like the one in the West Forest, had appeared at Klaussner. ¡°You want to send Sei-sama?¡± Whereas Alberto¡¯s face was slightly twitching, Yuuri had an unchanged smile plastered on his face as he asked the Prime Minister that question. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no one other than her that can use the technique that can annihilate that miasma.¡± The Prime Minister¡¯s words felt like they were wounding Yuuri¡¯s pride, since he was apt in magic, but Yuuri¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he replied, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The person¡¯s whose expression changed was the Prime Minister, because of what Yuuri said next, ¡°But she can¡¯t use that technique freely.¡± ¡°What do you mean she can¡¯t use it freely¡­?¡± ¡°To be more accurate, she hasn¡¯t been able to activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique since that time.¡± Yuuri had reported to the King and Prime Minister that Sei hadn¡¯t been able to use that technique again, since she¡¯d returned from the West Forest. Since then, there had been no report stating that Sei had become able to use it. However, they held onto the small hope that she could use it now. The Prime Minister frowned in order to cover that up. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to send Sei-sama, since she can¡¯t use the technique?¡± Alberto asked in a somewhat stiff tone. Sei wasn¡¯t injured at the West Forest, but she was exposed to danger and that made Alberto cringe. It was undeniable that Sei could be exposed to the same situation if she went on the expedition. Besides, unlike the Royal Capital, they didn¡¯t know the situation or the geography in Klaussner. Klaussner was more dangerous than the West Forest. Therefore, Alberto hoped that Sei wouldn¡¯t be sent on this expedition. The Prime Minister, who noticed that Alberto was worried about Sei and didn¡¯t want her to be sent to Klaussner, put his hand to his chin and pondered. Even if there was a swamp in Klaussner, if she couldn¡¯t use the technique then the situation wouldn¡¯t be solved even if they sent her there. If it was pointless to send her to Klaussner then it would be better to keep her at the Royal Capital, where they could see to her safety. But things weren¡¯t that simple. The nation was unified during a national crisis, but there were factions and they were in no way a monolithic society. Some prioritised their own interests over those of the Kingdom¡¯s and there were people who would sometimes go against the will of the Royal Palace. Now that the crisis around the Royal Capital had settled, the Royal Palace had to help the other fiefs, or else the nobles from those fiefs would loudly criticize the Royal Palace. If the Royal Palace didn¡¯t help those in times of need then the nobles who had been on the side of the Royal Palace may also distance themselves. If the Royal Palace just wanted to show them that they would provide aid, then they probably only had to send the Knight Order. Although it was only a temporary solution, the demons around the area would decrease. The problem was that the nobles already knew of the usefulness of the¡¾Saint¡¿against demons. As the Prime Minister, he wanted to only send the Knight Order to Klaussner if he could, but then it would take time to solve the problem. Besides, it was only temporary. It was needless to say that they could solve the problem with the¡¾Saint¡¿technique, and it also wouldn¡¯t take much time. That was proven in the West Forest. Nevertheless, if they said that they would only send the Knight Order, then those who prioritised their own interests wouldn¡¯t approve. The Prime Minister raised his head and spoke. ¡°No, I want Sei to go.¡± ¡°Even though she can¡¯t use the technique?¡± ¡°The problem isn¡¯t whether she can use it or not.¡± The Prime Minister realised that Alberto looked grim, so he explained that there was a problem. Moreover, what mattered was sending the¡¾Saint¡¿to Klaussner; it wasn¡¯t a problem that she couldn¡¯t use the technique. Alberto heard what the Prime Minister said and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s important that Sei goes. We¡¯d definitely be pressured by those who run the fief if we didn¡¯t send her just because she couldn¡¯t use the technique.¡± ¡°I know that, but wouldn¡¯t the result be the same if we sent her there when she can¡¯t use the technique?¡± ¡°I certainly heard that Sei-sama couldn¡¯t use the technique anymore, since she¡¯s returned to the Royal Palace. But what if she couldn¡¯t use it because it¡¯s not necessary?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Alberto was speechless because of the Prime Minister¡¯s words. The ¡¾Saint¡¿technique was still an enigma and they only knew a few things about it. Therefore, like the Prime Minister had said, it could be that the technique couldn¡¯t be activated because she didn¡¯t need it like she did at the West Forest, and there was nothing to purify. There was talk that the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique had been activated at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute, but the Prime Minister didn¡¯t take that into account. He¡¯d thought that since the target had been medicinal herbs and not a swamp, that it was a different technique and not one meant for purifying. At the end of the day, the conditions to activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique weren¡¯t clear. Even the Prime Minister realised that sending Sei to Klaussner under the present situation was a big gamble, since it wasn¡¯t guaranteed that Sei would be able to use the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique even if they sent her there. Although the Prime Minister knew that, he had taken many things into consideration and could no longer afford not to send Sei to Klaussner. Alberto knew the problems that the Prime Minister was facing, but he couldn¡¯t approve of him sending her away under the present situation. If Sei couldn¡¯t use the technique when they went to Klaussner then the problem wouldn¡¯t be solved quickly. It would take time to solve the problem, even if the Knight Order was involved. Alberto wondered if the nobles would criticise them anyway. It was still fine if they criticised the Knight Order, but what if Sei was the one to receive the brunt of it? Bad situations came to Alberto¡¯s mind one after the other, and he felt uneasy sending Sei to Klaussner when she couldn¡¯t even activate the technique. The King, who had been listening the whole time, interrupted Alberto as he tried to argue once again. ¡°We¡¯ll send Sei-dono to Klaussner.¡± He had the final say. That wasn¡¯t the decision he had hoped for. Alberto gripped his fist gently and swallowed the words he had wanted to say. The King had made his decision and brought the discussions to a conclusion. Let¡¯s leave for now and stop Sei from being sent to Klaussner, Alberto decided and left the King¡¯s office with Yuuri. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 3 - CH ss2 Klaussner, the feudal lord¡¯s office. On the lounge set was the feudal lord, Daniel, the captain of the 3rd Knight Order, Alberto and the leader of the mercenaries who were employed by the territory, Leonhardt. ¡°He¡¯s Leonhardt, the person who arranges the mercenary groups. This is Alberto Hawk-sama, he is the captain of the 3rd Knight Order in the Royal Capital and he has come to aid us.¡± Daniel introduced them and Leonhardt lowered his head without saying anything. His mannerism was appropriate when facing nobles, but his eyes shone with a challenging glow. Alberto noticed the look in his eyes, but he didn¡¯t change his expression and nodded placidly in reply. As a person who held the top position amongst the mercenaries, Leonhardt had more opportunities to meet with nobles than the other mercenaries. Therefore, he knew how to interact with nobles when greeting them. And it was impossible to imagine this from his rough attitude, but he actually thought things through. Therefore, he understood the current situation of Klaussner and he knew that the feudal lord had no choice but to ask for aid from the Royal Capital. However, that didn¡¯t mean he agreed with this. Leonhardt and the other mercenaries were also proud that they were able to protect Klaussner up until now. The thought of the knights, who came from the Royal Capital, being strangers didn¡¯t disappear even though he was answering to the feudal lord¡¯s request. At any rate, he didn¡¯t have a very good impression of them. It was a matter of pride. After the introductions, Daniel immediately began to talk about the situation in his fief. It wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t aware about how Leonhardt was feeling. However, he proceeded with the business-like conversations first, so that they could finish before Leonhardt could cause any problems. ¡°So the demons are increasing, after all?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s really bad inside the nearby forest. And they¡¯ve been overflowing so much that they frequently leave the forest. Although the mercenaries do subjugate those that leave the forest.¡± ¡°So, you can¡¯t handle the situation inside of the forest, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then, we¡¯ll take on the demons in the forest.¡± At that time, Leonhardt, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between Alberto and Daniel, spoke. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better for us, the mercenaries, to take care of the forest? The knights have just arrived here, they¡¯re not familiar with the area.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that you know more about this area. However, I believe that it¡¯s critical for us to investigate the forest at least once so that we can gain an accurate understanding of the situation.¡± Alberto gently refused Leonhardt¡¯s proposal. He hadn¡¯t intended to cause any problems with the mercenaries from the start. He didn¡¯t want to offend Leonhardt somehow by rejecting his proposal. However, there was a reason why he¡¯d refused this proposal and had to go into the forest. The Royal Capital concluded from Klaussner¡¯s current situation, that a black swamp, like the one that had appeared in Ghosh Forest, must have sprung forth somewhere in the fief. And the forest, which is said to have the ideal conditions for it to spring forth, was the most likely place for the black swamp to appear. If it had really sprung forth, then it would be too much for the mercenaries, alone. Alberto, who had actually seen the swamp in the West Forest, could easily imagine this. ¡°I have heard that the ¡¾Saint-sama¡¿is also here, but is she not here today?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably tired from the long journey, ¡¾Saint-sama¡¿is resting in her room.¡± ¡°¡¾Saint-sama¡¿will also join in the subjugation, right? She doesn¡¯t seem to have much strength, will she also be going into the forest?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan. She¡¯s just not used to going on long journeys, she should be fine if the subjugation occurs after a few days. She¡¯s also participated in the mission to Ghosh Forest.¡± ¡°Ghosh Forest is to the west of the Royal Capital, is it not? Does this mean that she went into the forest?¡± ¡°Of course, she went into the forest. She was there until the very end.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­ Alright.¡± Leonhardt had also heard that the ¡¾Saint¡¿would be participating in the mission with the Knight Order. In fact, there had been a big fuss in the castle over arrangements during the past few days because they heard that the ¡¾Saint¡¿was coming. There was no way that the news wouldn¡¯t get to Leonhardt. Alberto was deeply impressed by Leonhardt, since he wasn¡¯t very pleased about having support from the Knight Order, but he backed down to ask about the ¡¾Saint¡¿. He¡¯d thought Leonhardt would have been more persistent. There was a reason for this. The Knight Order went around the fiefs to defeat demons before the miasma got thicker and the Royal Capital was in trouble. At those times, the mercenaries of the fiefs would exclude the Knight Order during subjugations for various reasons, even if they were there at the feudal lord¡¯s request. There were a lot of reasons for why the mercenaries acted like this, but the most important reason was the reward. There were feudal lords who reduced the rewards that the mercenaries would earn because the Knight Order joined in on the subjugation. Those feudal lords were the problem, but the mercenaries went after the Knight Orders first. The reason why Leonhardt hadn¡¯t taken this kind of action was probably because Daniel had never held out on their reward. It seems like they¡¯ve built a mutual trust between them, Alberto thought. And that was a fact. Even if Leonhardt didn¡¯t think well of him, it was fine as long as he could talk about work calmly. If he didn¡¯t, then Alberto worried about how he would treat the ¡¾Saint¡¿. She was passionate about work, so she would probably get the job done even if she receives negative feelings from the mercenaries. However, that didn¡¯t mean that her feelings wouldn¡¯t be hurt. If possible, he didn¡¯t want her to get hurt. I¡¯ll make sure that the ¡¾Saint¡¿doesn¡¯t interact much with the mercenaries, and do my best not to expose Sei to negative feelings. Alberto decided in his mind. A room was given to the mercenaries at the castle in Klaussner. They usually patrolled the fief, but they were on stand-by in this room when they weren¡¯t patrolling. They would take care of their equipment, chat and spend their time as they liked in this room. When the door opened with a thud, the people, who noticed this, glanced at the door. Most of them went back to what they were doing when they confirmed who had just came in. ¡°Welcome back, leader.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Leonhardt sat down with a thud at the back of the room where he usually sat; and the boy, who took care of the chores for the mercenary group, approached him while carrying a mug. He replied briefly to the boy¡¯s greeting and gulped down the water in the mug. Yes, water. It wasn¡¯t alcohol. Alcohol certainly suited his appearance, but it was still day time. He didn¡¯t drink alcohol during the day because he needed to go out at once if something happened. He was really diligent at work, even if he didn¡¯t look like he was. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m all tensed from having to talk to a noble.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± When the boy left him, a tall man approached. This man was the vice-leader of the mercenaries and he assisted Leonhardt with work. ¡°So, how was it?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± He looked at the vice-leader who was sitting opposite him while looking unamused. The vice-captain chuckled when he saw this. ¡°Not bad, huh? What¡¯s that mean?¡± ¡°Mm? Just that. Since it seems like we can continue our subjugations without any problems.¡± ¡°Which means he¡¯s not a bad noble?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He didn¡¯t look down on me and he seemed indifferent. He didn¡¯t seem sly.¡± The vice-leader looked relieved when he heard that there wouldn¡¯t be any problems with subjugation. This time, they had heard that the Knight Order would be coming and the thing that Leonhardt and his group was worried about the most was being dragged down by them. Daniel, the feudal lord of Klaussner, was different; but there were nobles who looked down on commoners. And they were persistent people who will not become complacent and fall behind commoners; they would rise up by any means necessary. The bad nobles that the vice-leader was talking about were those people. The most important person in a Knight Order had to be a noble. If the captain of the Knight Order that came to Klaussner was that kind of person, then the two thought that they would get in the way of the mercenaries so that they could take all the credit for the subjugations. They would be annoyed if the subjugation rate dropped, especially at a time like this when the demons were spawning at a faster rate than normal; and they couldn¡¯t tolerate it if someone died because the Knight Order got in their way. This was beyond the limits of, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped since he¡¯s a noble.¡± It wasn¡¯t clear that the captain that Leonhardt met today wasn¡¯t that kind of bad noble. Nobles are often those who are good at concealing what they really feel or think, and if the captain was that kind of person, then it would be hard to tell what he was actually thinking. However, Leonhardt believed in his sixth sense. Whether it was wild instincts or not, Leonhardt¡¯s evaluation of people was usually spot on. The mercenaries knew this well since they¡¯d experienced it many times. That Leonhardt had said that it wasn¡¯t bad. The Knight Order Captain probably isn¡¯t someone who we have to be concerned about, the vice-leader thought. ¡°Hmm. Well, it¡¯s fine as long as they don¡¯t drag us down.¡± ¡°I wonder about that. The knights aside, apparently the ¡¾Saint-sama¡¿, who came with them, is going to participate in the subjugation.¡± ¡°What?! So that rumour¡¯s true?¡± ¡°Seems like it. Apparently she¡¯s going to go into the forest with the Knight Order.¡± The rumour that they were talking about was that the ¡¾Saint¡¿had participated in the demon subjugations around the Royal Capital. The demons around the Royal Capital had decreased and the rumour spread as if it were true. This rumour was even brought to the fief by the merchants who travelled from town to town. Since the rumour was spread through word-of-mouth, it became exaggerated somewhere along the line. There was even a rumour that the current ¡¾Saint¡¿secluded herself in the Royal Palace and didn¡¯t participate in subjugations. Therefore, Leonhardt and his group only took the rumours of the ¡¾Saint¡¿participating in subjugations with a grain of salt. And they thought that the most she had done was stay outside of the West Forest when she went there for subjugation. However, the Knight Order Captain had said that the ¡¾Saint¡¿had entered the forest and properly participated in the mission. ¡°Either way, the Knight Order will be in charge of the forest. We¡¯ll be outside. It probably won¡¯t affect us.¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯ll be fine as long as they don¡¯t make a blunder and drive the demons out of the forest.¡± ¡°They¡¯re going to investigate it first. I don¡¯t think we have to worry about that.¡± ¡°What the heck! You¡¯re trusting them so much, huh? Is it your usual hunch?¡± ¡°Yeah. That man seems like he does his job properly.¡± ¡°Hmph. Well, if you say so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s instincts,¡± Leonhardt declared and the vice-captain smiled wryly while thinking about what preparations they would need. Even if Leonhardt¡¯s instincts were spot-on, unexpected things can still happen. It was better for them to prepare for those unforeseen circumstances. They both thought and continued to talk about future missions. ??????? Soft rays of light came into a room, one spring afternoon. Johan, the owner of the room, was writing documents in the silence. He finished writing the document in his hand and put down his pen. He put his hand on his shoulder and cracked his neck. He suddenly looked at the door, but there was no sign that anyone was going to enter. He glanced at the cup next to him, it was empty. He sighed and stood up with the cup. He headed towards the kitchen that had been added to the Research Institute this year. ¡°Is there anything I could do for you, Waldeck-sama?¡± ¡°Can you make me some tea?¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± The chef that was in the kitchen called out to Johan when he peeked inside. The chef knew what to do when Johan told him what he wanted. The chef took the cup and walked to the back of the kitchen. Johan only had to wait, so he stared at the chef¡¯s back as the chef prepared the tea. A little while after the kitchen was built, they always had hot water prepared. This had become the norm. The chefs started to prepare hot water because Sei often drank tea during work hours. Water was boiled on the side for lunch and dinner, so it didn¡¯t take that much time. Sei wasn¡¯t the only reason that hot water was prepared, the researchers also drank tea often, as well. Johan was also one of them. It wasn¡¯t just tea. The kitchen was built because Sei wanted it, but the diets of the researchers had improved thanks to that. Before that, the researchers didn¡¯t eat things that could be counted as a meal, since the Research Institute was far from the Royal Palace. However, they built the kitchen and Sei began to cook, so the researchers could also have proper meals. One of the reasons for that was because the distance had reduced but, above all, Sei¡¯s cooking was delicious. Even Johan, who wasn¡¯t even interested in food, would come ¡®sample¡¯ the food whenever Sei was in the kitchen. Come to think of it, the atmosphere of the Research Institute has also changed. Johan felt that the researchers had drank tea before Sei came here, but they didn¡¯t have a kitchen so he couldn¡¯t recall how they¡¯d made it. Come to think of it, there was a guy who made tea with the institute¡¯s tools¡­¡­ Like that, Johan thought about how the Research Institute was. ¡°Director?¡± Johan turned around at the voice, and he saw Jude holding a cup like he had. ¡°Did you also come to get tea, Director?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. You too?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s become a habit since I always accompany Sei when she makes tea around this time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for you Director? Sei always made your share as well.¡± Now that he¡¯s said it, that¡¯s true. Johan put his hand to his chin and recalled. Like Jude said, Sei had brought tea to his office up until now. ¡°Ah, she did,¡± Johan agreed. Johan had felt like something had been missing before in the Director¡¯s Office. She had influenced him without him realising, and he smiled wryly. Jude looked at the Director in wonder. ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s doing right now.¡± ¡°Well, I guess she¡¯ll do the same thing she always does.¡± ¡°Yeah. The place she¡¯s going to is that place, so she¡¯s probably making potions over there.¡± ¡°Feels like she¡¯ll make a large amount of potions again.¡± They thought about Sei, who was far off in Klaussner, when Johan suddenly asked that question. The two smiled as they imaged Sei doing the same things as she always did at the Research Institute. Klaussner was known as a sacred place for pharmacists. She would probably be making potions livelier than she did at the Research Institute. Johan and Jude didn¡¯t say this out loud, but they were both thinking the same thing. ¡°It¡¯s not just potions, she¡¯ll probably be cooking too.¡± ¡°Ah, no, I wonder about that. I told her not to cook in public¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah you did, didn¡¯t you? But the people who are with her are the 3rd Knight Order.¡± Jude said and Johan made an unpleasant face when he realised something. Sei was a serious person, so she obediently followed Johan¡¯s orders. He had ordered her not to cook in public, because her cooking greatly improved physical abilities and she had kept her word. However, she did cook when she ¡®wasn¡¯t in public¡¯, like at the Research Institute kitchen. Most of Sei¡¯s cooking went into the researcher¡¯s stomachs. They also delivered some to the 3rd Knight Order. The knights from the 3rd Knight Order knew how delicious Sei¡¯s cooking was, so they asked the food to be delivered to them. The 3rd Knight Order was there when they discovered the effects of Sei¡¯s cooking, so Johan concluded that it was already too late to hide it, and gave Sei permission to deliver food to the 3rd Knight Order. Of course, the knights were forbidden from talking about the effects of Sei¡¯s food. That was the condition of the food delivery. She had received permission to cook then. The place had changed, but if Sei was in a place with only the 3rd Knight Order, and they asked her to cook, then she would probably cook. Johan knew that Sei had a weak spot for those she was close with and she wouldn¡¯t say no to them. Even if they didn¡¯t ask her, she would probably cook her own food and end up making food for the 3rd Knight Order as well. That was what had happened at the Research Institute. Johan looked up at the ceiling. The Royal Palace had ordered that she had to hide all her abilities apart from her ¡¾Saint¡¿ones. It became clear in this year that Sei had some unbelievable abilities. What kind of commotion would it create if those abilities were made public? Johan could understand why they ordered Sei to hide her abilities; they feared the conflict that could arise at the Royal Palace. Therefore, Johan carried out the Royal Palace¡¯s order. However, the effects of Sei¡¯s cooking were relatively moderate. The effects of her cooking were less obvious than her potions, so Johan probably didn¡¯t have to worry about that. Since Sei wasn¡¯t the only one who would improve physical abilities through cooking. People with the cooking skill could all do this, although the effects varied. In the first place, there was nothing Johan could do since she was far away. He thought and decided to leave the matter to those next to her. He decided to stop thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Johan remembered Sei¡¯s food while thinking and it made him hungry. ¡°Ah, I was just thinking that.¡± Jude was also hungry. The two smiled wryly again. Both of them had been influenced by Sei. With great timing, the chef walked in with a tray. ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡± ¡°Mhm? What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I thought that the both of you would be hungry.¡± On the tray that the chef had brought were 2 large plates with their herbal tea. There were two types of sandwiches on the plates; they were the ones that Sei always made. One had finely chopped cucumbers and herbs with mayonnaise and the other was filled with boiled eggs. The Chef remembered what Sei always made with tea while saying, ¡°Afternoon tea should be served with this, right?¡± It was probably charming that someone¡¯s stomach growled when they saw the sandwiches. ¡°Thanks. We were hungry.¡± ¡°Thank you. Well then, Director, good work.¡± ¡°Yeah. Good work.¡± Johan cleared his throat and grabbed a plate. Jude also took a plate and returned to the laboratory. Johan watched Jude leave and then looked at his plate. No one plated their food like that in Slantania Kingdom. It was easy to carry a large plate which had sandwiches and a tea cup on it. The chefs had copied Sei, since she put her snacks onto one plate. Johan noticed that he wasn¡¯t the only one who was influenced by Sei, and smiled wryly inside. She had said that she wanted to live a normal life, but she was influencing those around her in some ways, and she would probably influence those in Klaussner too. It was hard for him to imagine that Alberto, who was together with her, could handle her. He walked through the corridor and smiled wryly, she¡¯ll probably cause some kind of trouble. He cheered for those two and returned to his office with his plate. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 3 - CH ss3 Under the slightly cloudy skies, a little light entered a room; it was dark inside, although it wasn¡¯t night yet. The room had a somewhat gloomy atmosphere and only the sounds of a pen running on paper could be heard throughout the room. The sounds of a knock resounded in Klaussner¡¯s feudal lord¡¯s office. When the servant went to the door to find out who it was, a voice replied with, ¡°This is Corinna.¡± Upon hearing that voice, the servant looked at the feudal lord, Daniel, who nodded and then he opened the door. ¡°Sorry for the intrusion,¡± Corinna entered the room and briefly greeted the feudal lord. When she looked at Daniel and bowed, she was urged to sit on the sofa in front of his desk. She had probably arrived at a good time. Daniel also put down his pen and moved to the sofa from his desk. They both faced each other without saying a thing. A while after, a chamberlain brought in a tea set. After the chamberlain poured tea for both Corinna and Daniel, he was instructed to leave the room. The chamberlain left without saying anything since Daniel would occasionally clear out the room when Corinna came to visit. The other people in the room also cleared out. When everyone left and they were finally alone in the room, Corinna spoke, ¡°Today, I passed ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¯s¡¿diary to¡¾Saint-sana¡¿.¡± ¡°Did you? And then, was there any progress?¡± ¡°No. She didn¡¯t say anything about it, but it seemed that she had some knowledge about it.¡± Daniel put his hands on his chin and pondered when he heard Corinna¡¯s report. Contrary to his expectations, there was no progress, so he was probably thinking about what to do next. Corinna thought, since he was frowning while he was thinking. Then, she waited patiently for Daniel to speak. The ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¯s¡¿diary that Corinna had shown Sei was something that was kept top secret in Klaussner Fief. If someone read that diary, then they would find out that the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿ability was useful for things other than subjugating demons. In the past, in order to protect the ¡¾Saint¡¿, there was a King who ordered all records of her to be destroyed so that information wouldn¡¯t get passed into the future. ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿was born in a period before that King had passed this order. If the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿abilities were written in the¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¯s¡¿diary then it had to be destroyed. However, the reason why it remained was because the feudal lord of that time had hidden it. Of course, there had been a lot of records destroyed in accordance to the King¡¯s order. However, Klaussner fief specialised in herb cultivation so they wanted to preserve the diary, even if they had to go against the King¡¯s orders. Since blessing was necessary for the cultivation of a certain herbs was written in there. Other than blessing, the diary also described various ways to cultivate herbs, so it was beneficial for cultivating new medicinal herbs. The feudal lord at that time decided to preserve the diary for the sake of future generations. He insisted that it was hard to find descriptions of the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿abilities in this diary compared to the other written materials. Still if he had made this public, then it would have been discovered that he had disobeyed the King¡¯s order. So, the existence of this diary was only told to the current feudal lords and the head pharmacist of the distillation room. This dairy was shown to Sei, who wasn¡¯t even a person of Klaussner fief, because the feudal lord had expectations of her. It was also very important. ¡°If she knows something about it, then does that mean ¡¾Saint-sama¡¿can also bless the fields?¡± ¡°I apologise, I¡¯m uncertain of that.¡± Daniel crossed his arms at Corinna¡¯s answer and frowned deeper. ¡°Then, it¡¯ll be hard to revive the fields¡­¡­¡± As a matter of fact, there were two reasons for Klaussner fief¡¯s poor crop conditions. One of the reasons was because the increase in demons meant that it was impossible to collect the herbs which grew in the forest and they couldn¡¯t harvest from the fields near the forest. The other reason was that the harvest from the blessed fields has dropped. The medicinal herbs that were cultivated in the blessed fields could be divided into two categories. The first was herbs that needed to be cultivated with blessing and the second was herbs that were easier to cultivate with blessing. Among these, an ingredient that was often used in Intermediate HP Potions was one of the herbs that was easier to cultivate with blessing. This herb grew favourably up until now, but the amount that could be harvested had gradually decreased for several years now, and now they could only harvest about 60% of what they used to in the golden years. It was already impossible to cultivate herbs that required blessing and they depended on the forest for stock. These fields have maintained their effects for a long time even though they hadn¡¯t been blessed since ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿blessed it. After that, it remained blessed even though the miasma increased many times. And now, the effects of the field seemed to be gradually fading. When the harvest had first fallen, Corinna and the other pharmacists investigated whether the cause of the harvest drop could have been something else. However, no matter how many times they conducted their investigation, they couldn¡¯t find any other factors that may have affected the harvest except for blessing. The investigation continued and the miasma thickened, but they still couldn¡¯t find the ¡¾Saint¡¿who would cleanse the miasma. Then when the Royal Palace finally decided to conduct the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿, Daniel and Corinna realised that the effects of the blessing had expired. Daniel was extremely troubled. Since he thought that ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿was the only one who could perform blessing from the stories he heard about her and the blessed fields. It was written in the diary that the magic colour that was seen at the time when¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿blessed the field was golden. Daniel had never seen that magic colour before nor had he heard about it. He couldn¡¯t find a solution to this, but he¡¯d somehow managed to maintain the harvest amount by making use of mercenaries to harvest from the forest. However, at this rate the fief would soon become unable to keep up with their business. Herb cultivation wasn¡¯t something that could be turned into an industry overnight. Then the rumour at the Royal Capital reached Daniel while he was unable to find hope for the future. It was the rumour about the ¡¾Saint¡¿participating in the Ghosh Forest subjugation. He heard a story about the golden magic then. When he¡¯d heard that story, he¡¯d remembered that ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿had been a¡¾Saint¡¿. In Klaussner, ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿was a well-known pharmacist just like her name stated. Even if there were people who remembered that Klaussner fief had produced a ¡¾Saint¡¿, no one remembered that the ¡¾Saint¡¿and¡¾Pharmacist¡¿were the same person. Even the feudal lord had forgotten this fact, so he couldn¡¯t blame others for not being able to remember it. Perhaps, this golden magic was a characteristic of the ¡¾Saint¡¿. Daniel thought and consulted with Corinna and decided that he would call the ¡¾Saint¡¿to this fief. His formal reason for this was to subjugate demons, but his real purpose was to get the ¡¾Saint¡¿to bless the fields again. Even if the ¡¾Saint¡¿did come, it didn¡¯t mean that she would bless the fields for them, but it was his last hope. He didn¡¯t know what kind of a person she was, but his investigations did show that she belonged to the Medicinal Herb Research Institute at the Royal Palace. Moreover, he¡¯d heard that she started there voluntarily. If she is a member of the research institute then she might be interested in Klaussner¡¯s herb cultivation methods. If so, then it would be easier to ask her to bless the fields. He thought and his mind became a little lighter. Daniel worried over whether or not he should request the ¡¾Saint¡¿be dispatched to Klaussner as well when he was writing the request for the Knight Order. In the end, he didn¡¯t request for her because he feared that he would be questioned over it and then they would find out that he knew about the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿abilities. Therefore, he gambled that the ¡¾Saint¡¿would come together with the Knight Order. A while after he¡¯d sent the dispatch request to the Royal Palace, the reply that he was anxiously waiting for came. Daniel had won the bet. The reply from the Royal Palace stated that the ¡¾Saint¡¿would also come to Klaussner. Now all that was left was to find a way for her to bless the fields. However, his prediction had been off. When Corinna had casually confirmed it, the ¡¾Saint¡¿, who had been dispatched from the Royal Palace, didn¡¯t talk about any other abilities she might have except for the one she used to cleanse the miasma. Daniel didn¡¯t know if the ¡¾Saint¡¿had been forbidden to talk about it by the Royal Palace or if she really didn¡¯t know that she had other abilities except for that. Daniel, however, thought it was the latter since she didn¡¯t conceal her ability when it came to making potions. As a result of him worrying, he decided to show the ¡¾Saint¡¿¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¯s¡¿diary. He left it up to Corinna to decide when to show the ¡¾Saint¡¿and ordered her to report on the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿reaction and if there was any progress on what they wanted. Corinna came to report to him while following that order. ¡°She seems to have an idea about the golden magic written about in the diary.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°¡¾Saint-sama¡¿said that she saw golden magic when she used magic during the subjugation mission to the West Forest.¡± ¡°I see. When magic is activated, you can see the colour of the magic attributes. As expected, the golden magic is a characteristic of the ¡¾Saint¡¯s¡¿magic.¡± ¡°Probably so. I have also seen different coloured attributes, but I¡¯ve never seen a golden one before.¡± Daniel¡¯s expression became visibly brighter. The current ¡¾Saint¡¿had visited Klaussner and she had an idea about the golden magic. He also heard a rumour from the people in the distillation room that the ¡¾Saint¡¿was once like a ¡¾Pharmacist¡¿and was crazy about medicinal herbs. Even if she didn¡¯t know about blessing, there was a high possibility that she would be interested in it by reading the ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¯s¡¿diary. If that was the case, then Daniel thought that he would achieve his original purpose. ¡°We now have a little hope¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡¾Saint-sama¡¿also needs blessing for the herbs she wants to cultivate. So, she¡¯ll probably research about blessing herself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± His worries lessened and a smile appeared on his face. But Daniel didn¡¯t know that the ¡¾Saint¡¿didn¡¯t know how to intentionally activate the technique. Daniel and Corinna were under the impression that she could activate the technique any time she wanted because they¡¯d heard that she¡¯d activated it during the demon subjugation. Only some people at the Royal Palace knew that she couldn¡¯t activate the technique. Even if it spread around as a rumour, it was obvious that the Royal Palace would conceal it because it would only fuel the uneasiness of people who hear it. But a lucky star was shining above Daniel¡¯s head. A few days after this conversation, Sei activated the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique again. It wasn¡¯t certain whether this was a fortune brought about by the blessing of the ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 3 - CH ss4 A few days before Sei and the 3rd Knight Order left for Klaussner. Alberto visited Earl Waldeck¡¯s villa in the Royal Capital. The butler came out to greet him with an elegant bow when he passed the gate and approached the front door. He got off his horse, and another servant came and took it like always. ¡°Thank you for coming.¡± ¡°Sorry for everything.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t mind it.¡± He was immediately guided to where Johan was waiting when they had finished their greetings. ¡°You¡¯re early,¡± Johan rose from the sofa when he entered the room and greeted him. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve finished with most of our preparations.¡± He sat on the sofa opposite to Johan, and the maid began putting snacks and cutlery on the table. ¡°Do you have enough potions? If you don¡¯t, then I can give you some more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve received more than enough, even if we count the ones we will use on the journey there.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I can get more from Klaussner if we do run out.¡± The butler poured wine into the glasses on the table and then Johan waved his hand at the butler as if instructing him to clear everyone out. They raised their glasses and toasted after everyone left the room. It was only the two of them here now. They could talk freely without having to worry about others. They drank the wine and Johan spoke, ¡°Oh yeah. You can always ask Sei to make you more potions if you have the ingredients. She¡¯ll do it willingly.¡± ¡°Ah, no, that wasn¡¯t what I meant¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know that wasn¡¯t what you meant.¡± Alberto became flustered, and Johan laughed. Alberto was going to buy potions at Klaussner if they had run out. He didn¡¯t intend to ask Sei for potions unless it was one that he couldn¡¯t obtain. Of course, Johan understood that this was what Alberto was thinking. Nevertheless, he merely wanted to tease Alberto for saying something that others could misinterpret as him working Sei too hard. Alberto also realised that Johan was teasing him and became blank. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me.¡± ¡°Sorry, my bad.¡± Alberto glared at Johan who was chuckling and tapped the glass he was holding. After a while, Johan, who had managed to stop laughing, gulped his wine down and poured more wine into the two glasses. ¡°Well, Sei would probably make potions for you anyways when you run out, even if you don¡¯t ask her. It always happens.¡± ¡°She works too much.¡± ¡°I think so too. I even tell her to rest, but she says that she is resting while working.¡± ¡°She said it¡¯s more laid back here than at her previous workplace¡­¡­¡± Alberto and Johan have told Sei many times that she works too hard, but she always denies it. They must have been reminded of it at the same time because they both sighed even though they weren¡¯t trying to. Her workplace might also be the reason behind this. Working was the same as a hobby to people working at the research institute, so they still did research during their time off. She lightly brushed them off even if they said she was working hard, probably because she was surrounded by those kinds of researchers and continued to work at her own pace. ¡°She¡¯s always making something even if I give her time off.¡± ¡°I always catch her cooking.¡± ¡°Yeah, she says that cooking is a nice change of pace.¡± Potions weren¡¯t the only things Sei made on her day off. She made cosmetic products for herself and cooked. The chefs and researchers enjoyed it when Sei cooked, so Johan hadn¡¯t asked her to stop. Lately, Sei used most of her days off to make new food, because the chefs had asked her to teach them new recipes. Sei always wrote down the ingredients and directions whenever they were going to make something new. She would explain the procedure while looking at the note and then they proceeded to cook. She would occasionally stop to warn them to be careful about something while she was cooking. Sei didn¡¯t think of cooking as work, so she was a little opposed to having her potion research time shortened since food took a long time to make. Therefore, she started making new food in her time off. ¡°Ahhhhhh.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alberto looked suspiciously at Johan who suddenly raised his voice while his head was down. ¡°Nothing. Oh yeah, it¡¯ll be put on hold for a while.¡± ¡°What will?¡± ¡°Food, of course. Food.¡± The word cooking had popped up in their conversation, and Johan was extremely troubled because he had remembered something. Sei was leaving the Royal Capital for a while so he couldn¡¯t eat any new food. He didn¡¯t care much about food, but he liked eating the exotic dishes that Sei came up with. One of the reasons for this was because the food she came up with was delicious and the other reason was that he was a researcher at heart and loved to experience new things. The food recipes that Sei had made up until now had been passed onto the chefs in the research institute¡¯s dining hall and were also included in the menu. However, new recipes wouldn¡¯t appear as long as Sei wasn¡¯t here. Not being able to taste unknown flavours was tough on Johan since he had gotten used to eating Sei¡¯s cooking in this past year. ¡°Your dining hall also provides the food created by Sei, doesn¡¯t it? Why are you that depressed?¡¯ ¡°Well, yeah I guess it does, but they don¡¯t provide food I¡¯ve never eaten before. I want to eat new food.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you can do anything about that.¡± ¡°How dare you think of it as someone else¡¯s business. You¡¯re fine. You get to go there with her.¡± ¡°Even if you say that she¡¯s coming with me, don¡¯t you think she would be restricted from cooking over there?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that for certain, can you?¡± ¡°Do you think that there¡¯ll conveniently be a kitchen for her to use? And she¡¯s going as the ¡¾Saint¡¿. She probably can¡¯t ask the feudal lord to lend her a kitchen, now can she?¡± It was rare for a person of high status to cook in Slantania Kingdom. Sei didn¡¯t give off this feeling, but the position of ¡¾Saint¡¿rivalled that of the King. Alberto thought that for argument¡¯s sake, someone at the castle would stop her if Sei said she wanted to cook. He didn¡¯t think that Sei would forcefully do something if someone said no. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She might if it was outside. I heard that she helped with the cooking at the West Forest.¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s a limit to what she could cook outside. I don¡¯t think she would make any of the food that you¡¯re expecting.¡± Alberto looked at Johan in surprise because he still wasn¡¯t backing down, but he couldn¡¯t deny that Sei might cook if they were outdoors. However, the things she made during their subjugation breaks didn¡¯t amount to much. The best thing she could make was probably soup and grilled meat. In that case, she had already made it before in the previous subjugation. Alberto also thought that there was a limit to what she could bring with her, so she probably wasn¡¯t going to make the new food that Johan was looking forward to. However, he didn¡¯t notice that the place they were going to was a sacred place for pharmacists. It was a major medicinal herb production area, and herbs that couldn¡¯t be found in the Royal Capital were found in Klaussner. There was no proof that Sei wouldn¡¯t come up with a new dish with those herbs. Alberto realised this when he returned to the Royal Capital and heard the grumbles of Johan, who had heard that Sei had created a new dish in Klaussner. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 3 - CH 1 It has been a year since I¡¯ve been summoned. Four seasons have passed, and spring has come again. Having said that, it was still the end of winter. The climate was milder around the Royal Capital than it was in Japan, but cold weather is still cold. I was practicing magic in the practice grounds at the Court Mage Division in this cold weather. Although the practice grounds were outside, I was wearing a robe on top of my clothes instead of a coat. It was thanks to a magic bestowed tool that I was able to dress so lightly in this weather. Once worn, tools which have been bestowed with fire magic forms a warm layer around the body. I guess you can call it a personal heater. It was very comfortable. The person who gave me such an expensive and handy tool was Head Magician-sama. He had told me that he was giving it to me so I wouldn¡¯t catch a cold, but he had given it half out of kindness and half because he had a hidden motive. Head Magician-sama came to the practice grounds when I was practicing holy magic, instead of doing warm-ups. ¡°I wonder if this is like speaking of the devil, and here he appears.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve improved a lot.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Head Magician-sama, who had smiled with his fake good looks, was as handsome as ever. However, if one were to say that his personality matched his looks, then that was wrong. He says the wrong things, and he had magic mania. Everyone knew this, even himself. It was such a waste. ¡°Are you going to try the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique for now?¡± ¡°Yes. I just finished with my warm-up exercises.¡± Head Magician-sama also cut straight to the chase with his greetings. The ¡¾Saint¡¿technique was that one. The one that annihilated the swamp and demons in an instant at the West Forest. The only reason why Head Magician-sama accompanied me after lectures every day, even though he was busy, was to see the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. I thought that was also the reason why he gave me an expensive tool. In fact, he was still standing next to me. His eyes were sparkling as if to say, I wonder if she¡¯ll activate it soon. I felt bad for making him wait too long, so I got ready to activate the technique. I looked away from Head Magician-sama, took a deep breath, and got fired up. The reason why I was so fired up was because I haven¡¯t been able to activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique even once since I returned from the West Forest. The research institute and West Forest. I activated it two times in the past, but I still didn¡¯t know how to reproduce it. Anyway, even if it was called the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique, the effects was different between the first activation and the second. The first time, the medicinal herbs became more effective and the second time, the swamp, which was thought to be made out of miasma, was annihilated. Nevertheless, the reason why they were both called the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique was because of a common feature. That being the golden magic. Both times, the golden magic suddenly gushed from within me and activated, as if it was flowing out of me. I remember the sensation I had when the technique activated, so I had a hunch that it would be easy if I just managed to produce the golden magic. The problem was, I didn¡¯t know how to draw out the crucial magic. I tried a lot of things, but I still haven¡¯t found out how to activate it. Groping in the dark made me remember when I worked in Japan. No, I can¡¯t. I have to concentrate on magic. I changed my thoughts and focused on the magic that was flowing around in my body. In these past months, I¡¯ve been able to feel the magic inside my body straight away if I switch my consciousness, thanks to my constant training. I examined the magic inside of my body, but I couldn¡¯t find the crucial golden magic. At that time, I certainly felt it gushing out from around my chest. Well, let¡¯s see. Hmm¡­¡­ ¡°Phew.¡± I took a few minutes to breathe when I was out of focus. Honestly, how do I get this magic to work? I don¡¯t remember doing anything special. I don¡¯t remember using any magic-like approaches. ¡°Is it difficult?¡± ¡°It is. I still don¡¯t know what the activation conditions are¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have also observed the technique properly back at the West Forest.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not something you need to apologise for, Dreves-sama.¡± ¡°I really regret that I couldn¡¯t observe it properly at that time. If I had, then we would¡­¡­¡± I, who was sighing because I couldn¡¯t activate the technique, was called out to by Head Magician-sama. Everyone had their hands full when we were at the West Forest. Head Magician-sama was no exception. He had subconsciously followed the magic, but he couldn¡¯t determine the activation conditions. When we returned to the Royal Palace, he regretted it a lot because he found out that I couldn¡¯t activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. If I had been able to identify the activation condition and became able to use it, then right about now, I would probably be doing various experiments with Head Magician-sama. I think that Head Magician-sama definitely thinks about the words that follow after, ¡®right about now.¡¯ And today too, I continued to practice hard from morning until night, but I still couldn¡¯t activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique after all. ??????? Back to the cold? Or rather, on a colder day, I holed myself up in the research institute because I didn¡¯t feel like going outside. ¡°Sei, are you making potions again?¡± Jude called out in amazement. I wonder how many times we¡¯ve had this conversation. I¡¯ve had this conversation many times since coming to this world. ¡°Yes, I am. The orders have increased lately.¡± ¡°Even so, aren¡¯t you making too much?¡± ¡°Am I?¡± I tilted my head in doubt, as I looked at the potions in front of me, and Jude sighed deeply. You don¡¯t have to be that shocked, right? It¡¯s true that the orders have increased. At first, the potions had only been sold to the 3rd Knight Order, but now they were also being sold to the 2nd Knight Order and the Court Mage Division. This was all because a rumour spread through the Royal Palace stating that potions that were made by the research institute were highly effective. However, that wasn¡¯t the only reason. With the increase in the number of demons in recent years, there seemed to be a growing demand for potions in the market, so the shortage of stock continued. If so, then all they needed to do was increase the supply, but it wasn¡¯t that easy to resolve. Potions weren¡¯t something you could make by using the ingredients provided by the recipe. In order to make a high ranking potion, a delicate manipulate of magic was needed, and the creator needed to have an appropriate pharmacy skill. If the level of the creator was lower compared to the rank of the potion being made, then they wouldn¡¯t be able to create the potion well and it would fail. It would just be a decocted medicinal herb. Therefore, there were people who could make Intermediate Potions, but there were very few who could make a stable Advanced Potion. Also, magic was needed to make potions, so people could only make a limited amount of potions each day. If you make a fixed amount, then you¡¯ll run out of MP and won¡¯t be able to use magic. It is said that it is hard to raise the level of the pharmacy skill, which was the bottleneck of this whole process. As a result, it wasn¡¯t that easy to increase the supply of potions. Potions are a necessities, since even the knights need them to go on subjugation missions. As the number of demons around the Royal Capital increase, so did the number of potions needed. However, even if the Royal Palace was given priority on the potions, they couldn¡¯t monopolise the market. That was because, even though commoners couldn¡¯t afford Advanced Potions, they still used lower grade ones. If the Royal Palace wat to buy all the potions then they would definitely receive complaints from the people. The civil officials also thought the same, and thus regulated the supply to the palace. Based on the Royal Palace¡¯s policies, the amount of potions delivered to the knights has increased compared to before, but it was difficult to increase it further. Light wounds could be healed naturally, and the magicians who could use holy magic did their best to heal bigger injuries. What appeared then were the potions made by the research institute. The effects were high and the production rate per day wasn¡¯t inferior to that of the medicinal specialist stores in the Royal Capital. There was no way that the knights, who had to put up with the chronic potion shortage, weren¡¯t attracted to it. ¡°I don¡¯t think they will order this many, no matter how much the orders have increased.¡± ¡°I made it with quantity in mind.¡± ¡°Really? We wouldn¡¯t get this many orders for Advanced HP Potions, now would we? You¡¯ll be scolded by Director again, you know?¡± Even if there were potions lined up in front of me, they were all advanced level ones. The medicinal plants needed to make these potions were expensive and people didn¡¯t use them thoughtlessly. Of course, the Knight Orders also didn¡¯t order that many Advanced Potions. Despite this, the reason why I made a lot of potions was because I wanted to raise my pharmacy skill. You need to make potions to increase your pharmacy skill. But at my current level, it probably won¡¯t increase anymore if I don¡¯t make Advanced Potions. The medicinal herbs used in Advanced HP Potions are expensive, and Director did tell me to hold back from making more than needed, so I was being careful¡­¡­ Hmm, I guess it¡¯s a lot after all? ¡°Is it alright for you not to make the other orders from the Knight Order?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made them.¡± ¡°Huh? Already?¡± ¡°Well, the order mainly consisted of Basic and Intermediate Potions after all.¡± Jude had said this before, but the amount of potions I made in a day was a lot more than what a normal pharmacist could make. Therefore, I could make an amount that took a normal pharmacist days to make. I considered that probably had to do with how high my basic level was. According to what I¡¯ve heard, the basic level of a person who makes potions doesn¡¯t even reach level 10. The difference in basic levels also came out in HP and MP. Since magic needed to be channelled into potions in order to make them, perhaps people with more MP could make more potions. I don¡¯t know the MP difference between a level 10 person and myself, but it was probably quite big. ¡°Sei, I have something¡­¡­¡± Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Director appeared while I was talking to Jude. It seemed that he had some business with me, but his eyes were glued to the Advanced HP Potions on top of the desk. Dammit. He found them before I could put them away. ¡°I don¡¯t mind that you¡¯re enthusiastic about your work, but isn¡¯t this too much?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± As I told Jude, I made these potions with the amount the Knight Order ordered in mind. The amount of potions in front of us now were too many for one order, but it was enough to handle two or three orders. Director probably understood this and didn¡¯t give me a good scolding. However, I did understand that having them all lined up like this made him want to complain. Therefore, I apologised to Director as he looked at me with an extremely shocked expression. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I wanted to talk to you about the potions.¡± ¡°What about them?¡± I trembled with fear thinking that it was possible that he would give me a good scolding this time, since he looked unusually serious. I straightened my posture and listened attentively. He continued, ¡°We decided to stop the production of potions for a while.¡± ¡°Huh? Why now?¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, it¡¯s difficult to obtain the medicinal herbs that we need.¡± ¡°What?!¡± According to Director, the amount of medicinal herbs brought into the Royal Capital this autumn was much less than previous years. Apparently, only a small supply of herbs were imported from a certain place, which is a major production region for medicinal herbs. Therefore, there is an insufficient amount of medicinal herbs circulating the Royal Capital, or something like that. We tried to get as many herbs as we could, and the stores that we had close relationships with also helped out, but even that has become difficult. A message had just been delivered to Director stating that they couldn¡¯t take our orders for a while. ¡°It¡¯s become a really serious matter.¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard that there might be a shortage in autumn, but I didn¡¯t think our orders would be suspended.¡± ¡°Do you think our orders would be suspended for a while now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for certain, but it¡¯s a high probability according to the store.¡± ¡°How troubling¡­¡­¡± The region in question didn¡¯t just ship medicinal herbs for Basic Potions, they also shipped many herbs needed for Intermediate and Advanced Potions too. Generally, medicinal herbs needed for Basic Potions were easier to cultivate, regardless of soil. However, it was slightly harder to cultivate herbs needed for Intermediate Potions. They didn¡¯t grow in normal soil and, if they were, then it would take a lot of time and effort in order to get them to grow. The reason why they were grown at the research institute was because the researchers earnestly took various methods to grow them. The medicinal herbs needed for Intermediate Potions grew easily in a few plots in that region, thus they began cultivating it there. And, because the medicinal herbs for Advanced Potions grew in the forests, they also shipped it out with everything else. Those medicinal herbs were transported to the Royal Capital with the appropriate measures. However, this also had something to do with nature, so the times when it could be shipped to the Royal Capital varied. Therefore, Director probably thought that the shift in time was the reason why they received fewer herbs at the beginning of autumn. However, the amount of medicinal herbs delivered to the Royal Capital didn¡¯t improve even during the middle of the season, and the herb shortage continued. It wasn¡¯t just Director who predicted that some kind of problem had occurred; the Royal Palace¡¯s civil officials had also predicted it. A little while ago, an investigation unit had been sent to the region to investigate what the cause was. ¡°What will you do with the Knight Order¡¯s order?¡± ¡°We have no choice but to stop accepting their orders for a while.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Director went back to his office once he¡¯d explained this. We finished the conversation at a good time, so both Jude and I decided to return to our work. Although, I was told to stop making potions, so my work of making potions was finished. I pondered absentmindedly as I tidied up the tools I used for making the potions. I heard that the number of demons around the Royal Capital has decreased, but the Knight Orders are still continuing their subjugation missions. The amount of potions used might have decreased, but it wasn¡¯t like they weren¡¯t needed. If the herb shortage continues, I wonder if some problem will occur sooner or later. It¡¯ll be better to eliminate the shortage before that happens. ??????? Early afternoon when my lectures were done. I sat in the corner of the library in the Royal Palace as I quietly turned the pages of a book. I had my magic lecture today, so I could have gone to the practice grounds after the lecture as well. But, I didn¡¯t feel like it, so I decided to read a book in the library. The book I chose to read, out of the many available in the library, was a herb encyclopaedia. A detailed description of the effects and drawings were written in this book. I¡¯ve read this book once before, but I discovered new facts when I read it again, so it was interesting. My eyes went through the pages and then I noticed something. The main production area for each of the herbs was written in the description and there was a place that kept popping up. I casually turned back to the previous pages and noticed that a lot of herbs had that region listed as the production place. Herbs for HP and MP Potions weren¡¯t the only herbs being produced there; herbs for abnormal status recovery potions were also produced there. I thought that it was a major production region for herbs and then recalled that it was the region that I¡¯d talked about the other day. Yes, that region; the place that was shipping less medicinal herbs to the Royal Capital. It was said to be the biggest production region for medicinal herbs, so different kinds of medicinal herbs were harvested there. I don¡¯t know why less herbs are being shipped out, but if a lot of herbs can be harvested from there, then wouldn¡¯t this be a big problem? I heard that even commoners used potions that healed abnormal statuses. It might just be in my character to get worried about something once I begin to think about it. I should find out more about this region next time, I thought and a sound came from the entrance of the library. The door opened with a creak and I saw brown hair. ¡°Ah, Sei-san.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± The person who had entered was Misono Aira. The girl who was summoned with me to this world. She was still attending the Royal Academy, and would be graduating in a month. She should be in class at this time, so why did she come to the library?¡± ¡°Class is still in session, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have class today, so I went to the Mage Division.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Then, I found something that I wanted to research.¡± According to Aira-chan, the students who will be graduating this year have already finished with their classes and could freely come and go from school. For example, those who had poor grades were doing their best with supplementary lessons. That part was similar to what happened in Japanese high schools. Amongst them, Aira-chan was an excellent student and she had decided to join the Court Mage Division after graduating from the academy. She went to the Court Mage Division when she didn¡¯t have classes, using the excuse that it was more beneficial for her to study there than at the academy. Apart from holy magic, Aira-chan was also proficient in wind and water magic. However, she had only raised the level of her holy magic until a while ago. She had been practicing her other attributes at the Court Mage Division and has made remarkable progress on each of them. In the first place, only a limited number of people were proficient in multiple attributes, so it was expected that if one raised their levels, then they would gain a high position in the Court Mage Division. The things that she was studying and practicing at the Court Mage Division was the same as what I was doing. There were some things that she couldn¡¯t understand well from her lectures, so she came to the library today to do some research. The Court Mage Division also had many books on magic, but they were all specialist books so the content was hard to understand. I know, because I also came to the library to search up books on magic. ¡°Sei-san, what are you researching?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m researching about medicinal herbs. Ah, if you can, please keep it a secret that I came here.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Okay.¡± Aira smiled wryly at my words. Why was me being here a secret? It¡¯s because of that reason. One third of my recent magic lectures were comprised of a certain problem. The problem was, of course, about the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique that I¡¯d used. I haven¡¯t been able to active the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique since I¡¯ve returned to the Royal Capital from the West Forest. It was inevitable since I didn¡¯t know the activation conditions. And Head Magician-sama regretted it very much that he wasn¡¯t able to identify the activation conditions for it at the West Forest. He couldn¡¯t research it to his heart¡¯s content because I couldn¡¯t activate it. And finally, it seemed that he¡¯d reached the end of his self-control, even though he had persevered with it and accompanied me to the training grounds after lectures. Head Magician was just like the rumours said he would be, a magic maniac. He started using my lecture time to research how to activate the technique. He was so zealous that he would have used the whole lecture to research, if Intelligent Glasses-sama hadn¡¯t stopped him. He stopped for a bit, and now only a 3rd of my lecture was sacrificed to his research. I didn¡¯t want that Head Magician-sama to find out that I was here, so I asked Aira-chan to keep it a secret. If he knew that I was in the library reading about medicinal herbs, then he would definitely make me help with his research. Definitely. All the mages at the Court Mage Division would probably agree with me. I¡¯m sure of it. I¡¯m also interested in the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. After all, it could enhance medicinal herbs. However, it is a little draining to continue to spend time on doing something that I couldn¡¯t do. I think that was also one of the reasons why I didn¡¯t feel like going to the practice grounds after lectures. So, today I decided to do my favourite thing as a diversion, and went to the library. ¡°I thought that medicinal herbs were something unique to this world, but it turns out they aren¡¯t.¡± Aira-chan peeped at the book that I was reading from my side and said, somewhat nostalgically. ¡°Yeah. The plants that are called herbs are used as medicinal herbs.¡± The page that I was on was about a herb that existed in Japan. Then, I started talking to Aira-chan about herbs and the library door opened again. We turned towards the door and saw Liz. ¡°How do you do, Sei and Aira?¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± I feel like it¡¯s been an extremely long time since I¡¯ve seen Liz here. Although various things have happened because of the Crown Prince, Liz was still training to become queen at the Royal Palace. Unlike the Crown Prince and Aira-chan, Liz still had another year before graduation, so she was still attending school. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t too much to say that her day consisted of going between the Royal Academy and the Royal Palace. She was a very busy person. I¡¯ve also become somewhat busy ever since I started taking lectures. It was inevitable that the chances of us meeting had decreased. ¡°You¡¯re reading a medicinal herb book today too.¡± Liz peeked at the book in my hand like Aira-chan had, and laughed. Now that she¡¯d mentioned it, I feel like I¡¯m always reading a medicinal herb book whenever I see Liz. ¡°It¡¯s a good change.¡± ¡°Even though it has to do with your work?¡± ¡°It was originally my hobby to extract oils from herbs and use them for different things.¡± ¡°Aromatherapy?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°What¡¯s aromatherapy?¡± ¡°Aromatherapy is¡­¡­¡± Liz was confused by the unfamiliar word and Aira-chan and I explained it to her. The topic shifted to the recent herb shortage while we were talking. ¡°We¡¯ve been talking for a long time. Do you still have time left, Sei?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Researching about medicinal herbs is also part of my job, and I can¡¯t make potions even if I return to the research institute anyway.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t make potions?¡± ¡°Medicinal herbs are harder to come by recently and Director finally put a ban on potion making.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯ve heard about that. The prices of medicinal herbs have risen across the board because of that.¡± ¡°Do you know Klaussner? It¡¯s a famous medicinal herb production region.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it. That region is famous for herb production, but it¡¯s also famous as the sacred place for pharmacists.¡± ¡°A sacred place for pharmacists?¡± Klaussner was the surname of the feudal lord who governed the fief, and it was the region that had decreased the amount of medicinal herbs shipped to the Royal Capital, thus leading to the potion making ban. Each region in the Slantania Kingdom was named after the lord who governed it. Liz was learning how to be queen, so I thought she would know about the region in detail and I was right. I tilted my head in confusion because this was the first time I¡¯ve heard the words ¡¸sacred place for pharmacists¡¹, so this time Liz and Aira-chan both explained it to me. Aira-chan knew what this meant because she¡¯d learnt it at the Royal Academy. Did she learn it in geography class? According to them, Klaussner produced many types of medicinal herbs in large volumes. Valuable herbs that couldn¡¯t be harvested in other fiefs also grew in small amounts in the wild at Klaussner, so a lot of potions were developed there. It was said that the potions weren¡¯t mentioned in books because there were too many kinds which covered a wide-range of afflictions. This represented Secret Potions, that were passed down in each pharmacist house for generations. And, a lot of pharmacists have been visiting Klaussner, since long ago, in hopes of finding the methods to compounding such Secret Potions. From that, Klaussner became known as the sacred place for pharmacists. ¡°Oh, they have all kinds of potions, do they?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve never seen any of them before, but my father has.¡± ¡°The actual potions?¡± ¡°Yes, an actual one. In fact, it was used in front of him. The tester was someone from my house, so the effects are real.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I heard that Klaussner had many kinds of potions, so I got excited. One of the secret potions might be more effective than Advanced Potions. I wonder how I could learn to make them. We finished talking and I parted ways with Liz and Aira-chan, but I couldn¡¯t get the unknown potions out of my head. ??????? ¡°Oh?¡± I saw Captain-san coming towards this way on a horse while I was carrying a box filled with potions through the research institute¡¯s corridor. Does he have business with Director? How rare. They usually talked at the Knight Order¡¯s barracks if it had something to do with the knights. Didn¡¯t Captain-san only come to the research institute whenever he escorted me back? ¡°Hey, Sei. Is Johan here?¡± ¡°Hello. He¡¯s in the Director¡¯s Office.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Captain-san made it to the entrance the same time I did. So, he had business with Director after all. I told him where the Director was, and he headed straight there since he already knew where it was. I wonder if they¡¯ll talk for a long time. Even if he¡¯s used to it, he might be thirsty since he came here by horse. I thought and headed towards the dining hall to make tea after I dropped off the potions. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I knocked on the Director¡¯s Office door and waited for permission to enter before going in. The two turned to look at me, but they looked grim. The thing Captain-san came here to talk about. It mustn¡¯t have been something good; it must have been about some problem. It was something that the captain of the 3rd Knight Order and the top of the research institute would talk about. It probably wasn¡¯t good for me to listen to this. I thought about leaving immediately after I put the tea and teacakes down onto the table. However, Director stopped me as I was just about to leave the room. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking about something important?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already finished with that conversation.¡± Director¡¯s expression returned to normal as he invited me to sit down. They¡¯ve finished talking about the important matters, but is it really fine for me to stay? I¡¯m still working, you know? Besides, if they¡¯re going to have tea, then I also want to go get my own cup. ¡­¡­¡£ Well, fine. I gave up on going to get my own cup and sat down next to Director. I glanced at Captain-san and saw that he had lifted his cup and drank from it. I saw his Adam¡¯s apple moving and the crease between his eyebrows faded. He put the teacake into his mouth and his expression also returned to normal. It probably wasn¡¯t something for me to worry about, but I was worried after all, since he was making such a grave face. Furthermore, the both of them had the same expressions on their faces. I was satisfied that he looked fine and Captain-san¡¯s eyes suddenly met with mine. Dammit. I was thoughtlessly staring at him again. I got embarrassed when he narrowed his eyes and looked at me sweetly, so I quickly averted my gaze. ¡°Ah, have you forgotten my existence? You guys.¡± ¡°No, we haven¡¯t!¡± I disagreed with Director, who sounded shocked, but it wasn¡¯t convincing at all. Even though I really didn¡¯t forget about him. ¡°Al will be away from the Royal Capital for a while.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Director said while I was glancing sideways in a panic. I couldn¡¯t help but look at Captain-san and he laughed as if he was troubled. ¡°The areas around the Royal Capital have calmed down, so we¡¯re planning to go to the other regions.¡± ¡°Are you referring to the demons when you say things have calmed down?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Is everyone from the 3rd Knight Order going?¡± ¡°Some will remain behind, but most of us will be going on the punitive.¡± It¡¯s finally here, was my first thought. Spring was around the corner, so it was easier to travel than in winter. If we¡¯re going to be travelling a long distance, then it was better to travel in spring. It couldn¡¯t be helped considering the situation, but my body tensed up from anxiety. I probably let my guard down a little since some time had passed since we went to the West Forest. Several months had already passed since then. There was a rumour that the demon spawn rate had decreased immediately after we¡¯d returned. After that, the Knight Orders felt that this was in fact true from their missions and decided to wait and see how things would turn out, just in case. And, now that a few months had passed, they confirmed that the spawn rate remained the same. Because of that, people at the Royal Palace began to think that the Royal Capital would be fine now. The rumour of the spawn rate decreasing spread throughout the Royal Palace, and the civil officials began receiving a lot of requests. The requests were from the feudal lords of the fiefs; they had requested that a Knight Order be sent to their fiefs. The other fiefs, like the Royal Capital was before, were in tough situations because the demon spawn rates had increased. Just because the feudal lords had sent requests, didn¡¯t mean that they were doing nothing. Regions outside of the Royal Capital originally hired mercenary groups to subjugate demons within their fiefs. They had managed to maintain balance somehow, even though the demons had increase by increasing the rate of subjugations. However, that had reached its limit. Previously, the Royal Palace would dispatch the Knight Orders, when the demons had increased and the fiefs couldn¡¯t deal with it anymore. It was probably inevitable that the people at the other regions expected that the Knight Order would be dispatched now, since they¡¯d heard that things had calmed down at the Royal Capital. ¡°Where will you be going?¡± ¡°Klaussner for the time being. We¡¯ll also investigate the conditions of the other fiefs on our way to Klaussner.¡± ¡°Klaussner? The place with the medicinal herbs?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± I was surprised to hear the name of the place that I¡¯d been hearing a lot about lately. Klaussner is that place. The place that had been causing problems for the research institute and was famous for its medicinal herbs. The research institute currently had a ban on potion making because Klaussner was barely shipping any medicinal herbs to the Royal Capital. Did they also cause problems for the Royal Palace as well? Director-san answered my question. ¡°It¡¯s a problem that the Royal Capital isn¡¯t getting any medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s troublesome for you guys too, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the same for the Knight Order as well, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Even though the demons have decrease, it doesn¡¯t mean that they stopped showing up all together.¡± It was like Captain-san said, it wasn¡¯t like the demons had completely disappeared. Even though the Knight Orders have dropped the frequency of their subjugations, they were still conducting them. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that potions are important. Therefore, the effect of the medicinal herb shortage didn¡¯t just affect the research institute, but also the Knight Orders as well. That was probably why the Royal Palace decided to dispatch the Knight Order. ¡°So, when will you depart?¡± ¡°We have to make preparations as well, so in about 2 weeks.¡± ¡°In 2 weeks, was it¡­¡­? Okay. Then, I¡¯ll also have my preparations done by then.¡± ¡°¡°Your preparations?¡±¡± Captain-san and Director both looked at me questioningly. Huh? ¡°Why do you need to prepare? Oh, you need to make potions for the punitive?¡± ¡°There¡¯s that too, but I have to prepare other things as well, don¡¯t I? Like clothes¡­¡­¡± ¡°Clothes?¡± We kept talking, but the two¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. I feel like we¡¯re on different pages. Perhaps, did I jump to conclusions? ¡°You¡­¡­ Were you planning to go?¡± Director understood my intentions and asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t we talk about this before?¡± Director asked as if he could see right through me. It seems like they decided between the two heads that I wouldn¡¯t be participating in this punitive. That was what I¡¯d concluded from looking at their surprised faces. How weird. I¡¯m sure Director-san and I talked about the possibility of me heading to another region soon when we talked about the rumours in the Royal Palace. ¡°I feel like we did¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is it better to not go in this situation, after all? I don¡¯t think I would be useless since I can use holy magic.¡± I flinched a little because Director was looking at me as if he was probing me and timidly asked for his opinion. This situation referred to me not being able to activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. I was able to convey this to Director, and he frowned. It couldn¡¯t be helped the Director and Captain-san were reacting like this. They were probably thinking about what the heck I could do if I go on the punitive, since I couldn¡¯t use the technique. At least, I can use holy magic, so I could support them with healing. However, other people could use holy magic as well, even though their levels are different, so they probably didn¡¯t think that I wanted to participate in this punitive. Director¡¯s eyes glazed over ¡°You¡¯re very eager, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re hiding something. Confess.¡± I don¡¯t blame him for being suspicious since I¡¯m suddenly interested in this, even though I have been running away from anything that has to do with the ¡¾Saint¡¿. Actually, when I talked to Director about the rumours before, I wasn¡¯t thrilled about going to another region. Between going on a punitive and researching at the research institute, I like researching better. There¡¯s only one reason why I was excited to go on this punitive. ¡°Klaussner is called a sacred place for pharmacists, isn¡¯t it?¡± Director probably understood what I meant from that one sentence because he looked shocked. I¡¯m sorry. But, I feel like I won¡¯t go if this opportunity wasn¡¯t there. Captain-san didn¡¯t understand what I meant and looked curious. Director-san noticed this and explained it to him in a simple way. In the middle of the explanation, Captain-san noticed why I was so excited and he smiled. ¡°I see. Sei, you want to go to Klaussner because you want to learn more about herbs?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± I felt like my reason was too light and it made me uncomfortable when someone, who would be doing such a dangerous job from now, said that with a smile on their face. I couldn¡¯t help but drop my gaze to the ground. However, Captain-san and Director didn¡¯t seem like they minded. ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a lot of information in Klaussner about medicinal herbs that we don¡¯t know about. It might be good to check it out. ¡°We¡¯ll probably be staying there for a while.¡± ¡°Is it alright for me to come with you?¡¯ The two looked at each other and smiled wryly. ¡°Rather, I¡¯m the one who would like to ask that of you.¡± ¡°Actually, the people at the Royal Palace told me to bring you on the punitive.¡± ¡°They did?¡± ¡°Yes, but we were against it. We were talking about how to refuse them.¡± When I asked them about it, and they told me that the Royal Palace had made a request for me, but Captain-san and Director were against it because I couldn¡¯t stabilise and active the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. The Royal Palace wanted to send the ¡¾Saint¡¿because they wanted to appease and lessen the feudal lords¡¯ displeasure. However, they were both worried that if they sent me there without being able to use the technique, then it wouldn¡¯t just be the Royal Palace who would be on the receiving end of the feudal lords¡¯ criticisms, but me as well. In addition, they also wanted to refuse because I didn¡¯t seem too thrilled on going. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for troubling you.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. We were just overdoing it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± I apologised and they laughed and told me not to worry about it. It wasn¡¯t just this time, they¡¯ve always been protecting me like this, since way before. I¡¯ve never had unpleasant feelings towards the Royal Palace ever since I came to the research institute. ¡°Thank you for everything.¡± ¡°Mm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡­¡± I thanked them again and they looked at me curiously. It might be normal for them to do something like that, and they probably didn¡¯t think they needed to be thanked, but I was extremely grateful. However, it was embarrassing to explain this to them, so I brushed it off with a smile and thanked them again in my mind. Translator: Blushy Editor: SenjiQ Volume 3 - CH 2 ¡°Sei.¡± I heard my name being called from outside the carriage, so I looked out the window and saw Captain-san riding a horse next to the window. Captain-san looked ahead and said, ¡°You can see it now.¡± I stuck my head out of the window and looked toward the front of the carriage. I saw a castle standing on top of a hill, a city was laying at the bottom of the castle and had walls surrounding it. Our destination was the capital of Klaussner. ¡°Wow ~.¡± It was early afternoon. The sun shone on the tiled roofs on a tilted angle from the west and illuminated the orange roofs. The castle and walls contrasted the city, the structures had a darker hue because they were made of stone. However, the landscape looked like Europe, the place I wanted to visit but couldn¡¯t, so I inadvertently shouted in joy. Wasn¡¯t the scenery here the same as the Royal Capital¡¯s? Sure it was, but Klaussner had a different charm from the Royal Capital. So I was still impressed by it¡­¡­ The carriage continued moving while I was impressed with the scenery. The group I was with exited the forest and entered an open field. Only a little more until our destination. We mostly headed straight for Klaussner from the Royal Capital. Of course, we hurried here because Klaussner was in a crisis. However, there were lots of people on this expedition and we couldn¡¯t rush. It took many days to reach Klaussner, so we would sometimes stay in cities that we passed on the way here. Many things happened during that time. Klaussner wasn¡¯t the only place that had problems, nobles from other fiefs have also petitioned the knights for help. Therefore, whenever I stayed in a city for the night, the feudal lord would ask me to help them out with various things. I wanted to help them, but we were in a rush, so I refused most of their requests. Most of the feudal lords understood me when I gave them an explanation, but some were persistent¡­¡­ It was all political, and I was really troubled because I couldn¡¯t aid them without permission. It was extremely painful to refuse them, and it happened several times. I was extremely worn out. Captain-san tried not to let it show on his face, but he seemed frustrated. Halfway through our journey, he adjusted our trip so that we wouldn¡¯t be staying in anymore fief capital cities. We passed through the open plains while I was thinking about this and finally reached the fortress gates. The horse carriage slowed down probably because we entered the city. We weren¡¯t stopped at the fortress gate because a message about us arriving had been sent earlier and we proceeded to the castle where the feudal lord lived. The city that I briefly saw looked snugger than the Royal Capital, but I thought it had flourished a lot. Harvesting medicinal herbs was Klaussner¡¯s main industry and I¡¯ve heard that the increase in demons has affected their harvest, so I thought that the atmosphere around here would be gloomy but instead, the people looked cheerful. Was it not as serious as I thought it was? Or were the people of Klaussner mentally strong? I thought and we arrived at the castle entrance. The horse carriage stopped. I took a deep breath to psych myself up. I had to behave like a¡¾Saint¡¿from here on out. I stayed in the carriage as I waited for the door to be opened from the outside like I was told to in the meeting. Nobles mustn¡¯t get out of the carriage by themselves. I waited for a while and the carriage door opened, letting the light in. I peeked outside of the door and saw Captain-san. He offered his hand to me as I was getting off. I learnt this in my mannerism lectures, but I was still embarrassed since I wasn¡¯t used to being escorted. I couldn¡¯t say anything because I had mixed feelings about being escorted and my face twitched. Yup, let¡¯s smile and play dumb. I made sure that I wasn¡¯t making a weird face, put my hand on his and got off the carriage. As I looked up, I saw a lot of servants lined up at the entrance of the castle. While an elegantly dressed man stood in the middle. He looked like he was in his late 50s. His hair was streaked with grey hair and he was a little taller than me. That¡¯s Feudal Lord-sama, right? I followed Captain-san¡¯s lead to where that person was standing. I stood next to Captain-san, who had stopped, and the man spoke, ¡°Welcome. I am Daniel Klaussner, the person who governs these lands.¡± Klaussner-sama bowed gracefully after his greeting and the servants behind him also bowed at the same time. The¡¾Saint¡¿had a higher position than a feudal lord. So it couldn¡¯t be helped that he was acting like this but such gestures made me feel uncomfortable. I¡¯ve always been a commoner, now and in the past. Let¡¯s end things like this quickly. I tried not to twitch my face as I smiled and returned his greeting, ¡°My name is Sei Tanakashi. I will be in your care for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in charge of the 3rd Knight Order, Alberto Hawk. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Captain-san introduced himself after me and Klaussner-sama raised his head. Then Klaussner-sama introduced the butler and head maid who also looked like they were in their 50s. The butler was slender and tall while the head maid was shorter than me, she was a plump woman. It appears that I should talk to these two if something happens. I was relieved because the two looked friendly and easy to talk to. ¡°You must be tired from your long journey. We will guide you to your room first. We can talk about the fief situation after you¡¯ve rested a bit.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± I was shown my room immediately after the brief greetings. We did rest during our journey but riding on a carriage all day was tiring, so I was thankful. I followed after the head maid, who was my guide. My allocated room seemed to be on the upper floor. There was no elevator, so we were walking up the stairs. I thought about how I got used to climbing up and down stairs in this past year as we climbed the stairs. The Royal Palace had high ceilings so they also had long stairways. Thanks to that, I¡¯m easily able to climb the stairs even though I used elevators in Japan. I thought as I walked and we arrived at the room. The head maid opened the door. The room that the head maid guided me to was a big room with plenty of sunlight. The colour of the furniture was calming and I could feel its age. Were they made from walnut? The wallpaper and curtains were emerald green and the colours inside of the room complimented each other. The room had a great atmosphere. ¡°Please use this room.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The head maid was probably busy because she left as soon as she showed me where my room was. I immediately sat down on the sofa as soon as I saw her off. I leaned against the backrest and lazed around. Please forgive my poor manners. This is my first long trip and I¡¯m feeling pretty tired. ¡°Will you change into your normal clothes?¡± ¡°Yes. Will I be meeting Klaussner-sama again?¡± ¡°This is what I¡¯ve been told.¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t change, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be changing clothes again when you meet Klaussner-sama, so I thought you¡¯d like to change into something more comfortable.¡± ¡°I-is that so? Then I¡¯ll go change.¡± The person who I was talking to was Marie-san, the maid who came with me from the Royal Capital. She came with me because we might be staying here for a while. I could manage just fine with doing things for myself. Although, I did learn about noble society to some extent in my mannerism lectures, I still didn¡¯t know much about it. For example, I couldn¡¯t remember what I should wear when I meet other people. Therefore, Marie-san was helping me with the noble side of things. There was also an external problem. It was problematic for people at the Royal Palace if the ¡¾Saint¡¿didn¡¯t have a single maid. Another maid also came with me from the Royal Palace. The other maid was sorting out my baggage while Marie-san shifted through it to get me clothes to wear. I got off the sofa and took off my robe. The gorgeous robe that I was wearing was the one that I received when I had my audience with the King. I wore the same robe the court mages wore during the journey, but I changed into something more gorgeous because I was meeting Feudal Lord-sama. It wasn¡¯t tight fitting because it wasn¡¯t a dress but I still got stiff shoulders from wearing it. Hmm? ¡°Will I not be wearing these robes when I meet Feudal Lord-sama?¡± ¡°I will prepare another set of robes for you so please change into that. Or would you rather wear a dress?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ll wear a robe!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I heard that I would be changing clothes before I go to meet Klaussner-sama, so I asked thinking that I would be wearing a dress, but it seemed like Marie-san would prepare a robe for me. I was a little upset because I nearly brought unnecessary trouble to myself. Marie-san and the maid chuckled when I refused politely. They knew that I didn¡¯t like tight fitting dresses. What can I do? I¡¯m not used to wearing dresses. Nope, I¡¯ve never even thought about wearing them daily. The maid showed me another robe while I was changing into casual wear. It was also gorgeous. It was light blue and had colourful embroidery on it. According to Marie-san, they had brought many other dresses with them too. Is it alright for them to only prepare gorgeous dresses¡­¡­? ¡°It¡¯s alright. This isn¡¯t much if it¡¯s something worn by ¡¾Saint-sama¡¿,¡± The maid said, she probably guessed what I was thinking. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. This is just between us but¡­¡­¡± Then she dropped her voice and told me about Aira-chan. ¡°Aira-sama also has many dresses like this.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°His Highness Kyle often gifted her with dresses.¡± Oh, the crown prince, huh. I thought without saying it out loud and Marie-san was standing behind the maid with a scary look on her face. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± The maid¡¯s face fell as Marie-san called out to her and she realised that she¡¯d messed up. She was planning to talk to me in secret, but Marie-san could hear her. She was scolded after this. After I changed, I talked with the two while they sorted out my luggage and then someone knocked on the door. Marie-san went to the door and it was the head maid from before. She had brought tea. ¡°Thank you.¡± I gave my thanks to the head maid as she set the tea set on the table in front of the sofa and returned her cheerful smile. ¡°It was my pleasure. Please take your time and rest.¡± Marie-san served the tea and the head maid left the room once again. The tea that was poured into the cup was thin. I held the tea cup and put it to my mouth, it was very distinctive. It seemed like they prepared a fragrant herb tea for me. As expected of a major medicinal herb production area. I feel like I¡¯ve drank this before in Japan. What kind of herbs did they use? I thought and reached out to the apple that was served with my tea. It wasn¡¯t big like the ones I often saw in Japan, it was small. I chewed it thoroughly and a refreshing acidity and sweet taste spread in my month. Sweet things are good for when you¡¯re tired, aren¡¯t they? Then the sky outside got darker as I spent time relaxing while talking with Marie-san and the other maid. Huh? When am I meeting Klaussner-sama? ¡°Is it still not time for the meeting?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard when the meeting will be. Shall I go check?¡± ¡°Could you please?¡± Just then, someone knocked on the door. Marie-san opened it and it was the maid from this castle. I faintly heard what Marie-san and the maid were talking about, but the thing that they were talking about was different from what I thought it would be. I confirmed it with Marie-san, who had come back, and just like I¡¯d thought, her errand wasn¡¯t to fetch me for a meeting with Klaussner-sama. ¡°Having dinner with Klaussner-sama and his family?¡± ¡°Yes. It appears so. She didn¡¯t say anything about a meeting.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I thought that it was strange that it was different from the schedule, but he might talk about the situation over dinner. Anyways, let¡¯s get ready for dinner. I thought and asked Marie-san to help me get ready. ??????? A maid from the castle showed me to the dining room. After what happened before, we had a bit of a disagreement because I hadn¡¯t expected a dinner invitation. What on? The clothes of course. I wanted to wear something different from what Marie-san and the maid had suggested. Noble ladies usually wore dresses to dinner in this kingdom. Therefore, Marie-san and the maid suggested that I wear a dress, but I wanted to wear the robe that we had decided on before. The reason for this was because I was completely exhausted and didn¡¯t want to wear a tight dress. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t adore sparkly and fluttery things like dresses because I¡¯m an unpopular woman. The dresses that were popular in Slantania Kingdom were all too luxurious and it was a shame to wear them. Just looking at them made my heart flutter. I liked looking at western clothing even when I was in Japan, but I didn¡¯t think it would suit me so I didn¡¯t wear them. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t want to try them on, but it was embarrassing to try on things that wouldn¡¯t suit me. So, I did become a bit excited when I had to wear a dress after coming to this world. It couldn¡¯t be helped if an unpopular woman like me wore a dress because I had to and my embarrassment did diminish a little. However after wearing it, I felt like my ideal was different from reality. It was fine for me to look at dresses but wearing them for a day was harsh. Especially when I had to wear a corset too. It was painful to wear a corset normally so if I wore one now I would definitely collapse and I don¡¯t think that dinner is something one should attend while their waist is being squeezed. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m wearing a robe. ¡°Sei,¡± Captain-san called out to me when I got to the dining room. ¡°Hawk-sama.¡± Captain-san changed from his usual knight clothes. ¡°Is that a new robe?¡± ¡°Yes. The Royal Palace prepared it for me.¡± ¡°Did they? It suits you.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, mm, thank you very much.¡± I swayed at the bomb he¡¯d just thrown. Because I always look the same, I don¡¯t have any resistance when I get complimented like that. I somehow managed to say thank you while my face was heating up. On the other hand, Captain-san had a charming smile on as always. It was polite to compliment a woman¡¯s clothes, but should I also compliment him back? Should I say something like, ¡°You look handsome today too.¡± Nope, I can¡¯t do it! ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± I was worried about what to do and Captain-san held his arm out. It seemed like he wanted to escort me into the dining room. I linked my arms with his while my heart was pounding in my chest. The Klaussner family was already sitting in the dining room when we entered. We were the last ones here. Klaussner-sama greeted us when we took our seats and dinner began. I remembered something unpleasant while we were exchanging our greetings. I recalled the food situation in this world. I had completely forgotten about this fact because I was used to the food at the Research Institute. The people of this kingdom thought that the taste of the raw ingredients were important. In short, the food was tasteless. Moreover, it was remarkable obvious in such high quality food. Fruits were fine because they had natural acidity and sweetness but meat dishes were completely unsatisfactory. I was extremely hungry but it was probably better to wear a dress for dinner. It seemed that corsets can suppress hunger. Dammit, I was regretting it and the food was brought into the room. ¡°This is¡­¡­¡± I was surprised by the food and looked Klaussner-sama; he smiled. I looked at the food again. The food was roast chicken; something that was often eaten in this kingdom and it was served with rosemary. This combination was familiar to me. The whole chicken was brought to the dining room and the butler cut it up. A nice smell was drifting from the dish in front of me. I brought the piece of chicken to my mouth and the taste of herbs other than rosemary spread throughout my mouth. ¡°Is it to your liking?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very delicious. Is this a dish from Klaussner?¡± ¡°No. I overheard that dishes garnished with herbs were popular at the Royal Capital, so I tried to reproduce it.¡± That¡¯s probably the food I make. But I think that a lot of herbs were used in today¡¯s dishes. Did the chef add their own touch to the dish? It was a medicinal herb production area so they probably knew the flavours of the herbs well. I could feel the greatness of Klaussner now that I¡¯ve had this after the herbal tea. The recipe that I taught the Research Institute chefs were also taught to the chefs at the Royal Palace. Because of that, there were rumours going around that the Royal Palace food had recently become delicious. The rumour was spread to nobles all around from the people who could use the Royal Palace¡¯s dining hall. They might have also passed the recipe around. I¡¯ll probably be travelling to the other fiefs too, so I probably don¡¯t have to worry about food, right? I hope the food in the other fiefs have improved too. Klaussner-sama taught me various things about his fief while I was having dinner. He didn¡¯t tell me about the current situation of Klaussner, but he did introduce his fief to me. Klaussner¡¯s main industry was medicinal herb cultivation, so naturally our conversation was centred on medicinal herbs. We talked about interesting things such as the medicinal herbs cultivated in his fief and the kinds of medicinal herbs that could be harvested around this city. I heard the name of a medicinal herb I didn¡¯t know about and I thoroughly questioned him about it. He taught me various things without being annoyed. ¡°Do you also make potions, Sei-sama?¡± ¡°Yes. I usually make them at the Medicinal Herbs Research Institute at the Royal Capital.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, you¡¯re also an excellent pharmacist.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m excellent¡­¡­¡± ¡°We also have an exclusive pharmacist here at the castle.¡± ¡°You do?¡± According to Klaussner-sama, the exclusive pharmacist of this castle was also the best pharmacist in this city. This was called a sacred place for pharmacists, so I wonder how amazing this person is. I suddenly remembered my talk with Liz. She had told me that secret recipes were passed down generations in pharmacist houses. If that pharmacist is that amazing, then it¡¯s highly probable that they¡¯ll know a lot of secret potions as well. It might be difficult for them to teach me the recipes, but I can get more details on common potions and herbs. I thought and asked Klaussner-sama if I could meet his exclusive pharmacist and he readily agreed. He had predicted that I would ask something like this. We continued talking and it was decided that Klaussner-sama would introduce me to his exclusive pharmacist sometime during my stay. Dinner came to a close with that promise. I had a good time talking about various things. Which reminds me, we didn¡¯t talk about the current situation in Klaussner. I completely forgot about it because I was so engrossed in the medicinal herb talks. Let¡¯s ask Klaussner-sama tomorrow, okay? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± On the way back to our rooms, Captain-san called out to me in a worried tone because I was thinking while walking. We were sent back to our rooms after dinner so we left together. ¡°I just remembered that I forgot to ask him about the status of the demons here.¡± ¡°Ah. That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already heard about it from Klaussner-dono.¡± ¡°What?¡± Captain-san said that he had talked to Klaussner-sama and the mercenaries that were employed here while I was lazing around in my room. They were concerned that I was tired from my long journey since I wasn¡¯t used to it and didn¡¯t call me. I¡¯m thankful for their concern, but I feel so bad that I wasn¡¯t able to participate in the meeting even though I¡¯m working. ¡°Will we start the subjugation straight away tomorrow?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m thinking of doing a preliminary investigation of the surroundings for a few days. Stay on standby at the castle, Sei.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± If the subjugation started tomorrow then I thought that I would need to provide support, so I asked Captain-san about it but it seemed that I wouldn¡¯t need to. As Captain-san said, they needed to check the terrain and what kind of demons appeared here. It was important for them to do a preliminary investigation. If it¡¯s fine for me to be on standby then I should go see if I could meet the exclusive pharmacist tomorrow. Oh right. I want to ask if I could also make potions here. I brought some with me from the Royal Palace but it would be better if I could replenish my potions here as well. There was a herb shortage at the Royal Capital but they might still have some here since it was a herb production area. Let¡¯s confirm the herb stock with Klaussner-sama. Then, I talked to Captain-san about our schedule and returned to my room. ??????? The next morning. I had breakfast with the Klaussner family in a smaller dining room than yesterday. I confirmed my seat with Klaussner-sama and it was decided that I would meet the exclusive pharmacist immediately after breakfast. Pharmacist-san worked full-time at the castle in a room called the distillation room. The potions used at the castle were made in this distillation room. I walked through the corridor guided by Klaussner-sama. The distillation room was on the first floor. Klaussner-sama knocked on the door when we arrived at our destination and it opened. I went inside and the room had a faint smell of medicinal herbs. There were several shelves fitted to the walls of the distillation room and the room was narrow. There were jars filled with medicinal herbs and tools for making potions on the shelves. There was a table in the middle and there were tools laying on top of it. There was another room at the back of the distillation room and I could see the entrance. There were a few people in the room and they were all working. Everyone noticed that Klaussner-sama had entered the room and nodded in greeting. Their hands never stopped working. Klaussner-sama didn¡¯t say anything either so this seemed to be their normal greeting. I tilted my head as if asking where is the person I want to meet, and Klaussner-sama turned towards the back and called out, ¡°Corinna.¡± ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t it the Master. Something the matter?¡± A white haired old lady came out of the back room while answering Klaussner-sama. Her back was slightly slouched and she was shorter than the head maid. Because of that, while she wasn¡¯t fat per se, she did give off the impression of being tiny and round. But contrary to her impression, she was hale and hearty and felt like she would be strict to those who work for her. ¡°This is the¡¾Saint¡¿from the Royal Palace, Takanashi-sama.¡± ¡°My name is Sei Takanashi.¡± ¡°How polite, I am the pharmacist of this castle, Corinna.¡± It couldn¡¯t be helped that I had mixed feelings about being introduced as the¡¾Saint¡¿. My feelings showed up on my face and I smiled awkwardly. But Corinna-san didn¡¯t seem like she minded it and returned my greeting. Corinna-san looked at Klaussner-sama as if she was asking him what he wanted after we finished our greetings. ¡°Takanashi-sama also makes potions and she said she wanted to meet you when we were talking about you, so I brought her with me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Mhm, if it¡¯s alright with you then could you please tell me about medicinal herbs and potions?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I was just about to make today¡¯s potions. Let¡¯s talk while I¡¯m making them.¡± ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Fortunately, Corrina-san was just about to make some potions. I was happy that I could watch the best pharmacist at work. I¡¯ll definitely be able to learn something. Klaussner-sama left after he introduced me because he had other work to attend to. After he left, Corinna-san took medicinal herbs from the shelf and began working. ¡°Are you making Intermediate HP Potions?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. You¡¯re very knowledgeable.¡± ¡°No, I just memorised it by chance since I make a lot of Intermediate HP Potions myself.¡± I concluded this from the ingredients and it looks like I was right about her making Intermediate HP Potions. However, did I imagine it when I saw Corinna-san¡¯s eyes flash for a moment when I said I make it a lot? It was just my imagination. I stared at Corinna-san but she was busy making potions. She was very skilful. I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from her. Corinna-sama talked about the medicinal herbs she was using and about potions while she worked. Her hands never stopped moving. She continued making potions while talking and inhaled when she finished the fifth vial. She looked tired. Oh right, normal pharmacists could only make 10 vials of Intermediate Potions a day, right? I had completely forgotten this fact because it was normal for me to make heaps of potions at once. I thought. So, isn¡¯t Corinna-san still quite an excellent pharmacist because she could make five consecutive potions? ¡°Would you also like to make potions, Takanashi-sama?¡± Corinna-san herself asked me if I wanted to make potions while I was thinking about her. ¡°Is it alright?¡± Is it alright for me to use the workshop when I¡¯ve just been introduced to her? Maybe, she¡¯ll teach me how to make potions? Corinna-san nodded while smiling when I asked in confirmation. My heart filled with expectations as I wondered what she would be teaching me and I started making potions like usual. This time, it was Corinna-san¡¯s turn to stare at my hands. The first vial of potions, the second vial and then the third¡­¡­ I made potions one by one but Corinna-san didn¡¯t say a thing. Is there nothing wrong with the way I make the potions? If she won¡¯t say anything then I won¡¯t either, but I got a little worried. The sixth vial, the seventh vial, the eighth vial¡­¡­ She didn¡¯t stop me so I thought it was fine and kept on making more and more potions. Then her face crumbled when I began making the 10th potion. ¡°Are you still making more?¡± Corinna-san said as she looked at me in amazement. She was really surprised since she even dropped honorifics. ¡°Yes. I always make twice this much.¡± Corinna-san laughed in amazement when she heard what I had said. ¡°Hah. As expected of you.¡± Was it better for me to stop at the 5th vial? I laughed back troubled and she said while smiling, ¡°No, I heard that the¡¾Saint-sama¡¿liked to make potions, so I thought it was just an extension of your hobby, but it¡¯s far from it. You¡¯re quite good at it.¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡­ Thank you very much.¡± ¡°In that case, you¡¯ll be able to follow the conversation even if I talk about things in more detail.¡± Corinna-san said while smiling and my eyes sparkled. Perhaps she¡¯ll tell me about the secret potion? I looked at Corinna-san with expectation and she guessed what I was thinking and dismissed it. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a rush. We¡¯re starting from the basics.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Corinna-san smiled wryly probably because she could tell that I was a bit disappointed from my expression. ¡°Well then Takanashi-sama, let¡¯s start with the practical uses of Basic HP Potions.¡± ¡°Yes. By the way, could you stop calling me Takanashi-sama? Just call me Sei, because you¡¯re the one who would be teaching me.¡± ¡°Is that fine? Then, I¡¯ll call you that.¡± It was creepy to be called Takanashi-sama now that she¡¯s dropped all honorifics. Likewise about honorifics too, I wanted her to talk to me normally. She was the one teaching me after all. I asked Corinna-san to treat me the same as everyone else and she agreed because it was easier that way. After that we talked about a lot of things. I helped Corinna-san with potion making while she taught me about herbs and potions on the day I didn¡¯t have to go on subjugation. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 3 - CH 3 I¡¯ll be making potions from morning today as well. I headed to the castle¡¯s distillation room after I got changed. Corinna-san, the exclusive pharmacist, started her days early in the morning. Most of the time, she would already be working in the distillation room by the time I get there. People in this world commonly started work when the sun came up. I was following that model but Corinna-san started work earlier than that. I tried to start work at the same time as Corinna-san once, but she told me to come at the same time as everyone else. She didn¡¯t want people to see what she was doing first thing in the morning. It seemed to be related to the secret recipe and she didn¡¯t tell me in detail. Corinna-san was already making potions when I arrived at the distillation room. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Ah, morning. Can you prepare some Intermediate HP Potions today? The amount we need is written in the memo over there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I did as Corinna-san said. I looked at the memo and prepared the ingredients for the Intermediate HP Potions. The ingredients lined up on the table were a little different from the ones taught at the Research Institute. That was because we needed to mix medicinal herbs that weren¡¯t normally used. Instead, the amount of ingredients used were less than usual. That was because it was Corinna-san¡¯s secret recipe. There were a lot of different kinds of secret recipes and she taught me that one. I put the ingredients into a pot and began mixing, then the distillation room door opened loudly. Some time had passed since I¡¯ve started work, but it was still early in the morning. I looked at the door wondering who would come here this early, and I saw a tall man, who could be described as a giant, with a scary face entering the room. His height wasn¡¯t the only thing that was big. He was a bit thick. Everyone at the 3rd Knight Order was muscular, but this man exceeded them. He had thick muscles on his upper arms and chest. I felt like the room got narrower because he was so big. He had short brown hair and sharp amber eyes. His hair colour was similar to Director¡¯s, but I felt like it was more dry and brittle. I¡¯d never noticed it until now, but Director took proper care of his hair. Someone called out to me while I was thinking that. ¡°Oh? Your apprentice, granny?¡± He looked around the room and said when he noticed me. Was granny referring to Corinna-san? Corinna-san taught me a lot of things, and the other people had an unspoken agreement about me being like an apprentice, but I was worried about whether it was fine to say it out loud. I worried over how to answer and she came out of the room at the back of the distillation room. ¡°You¡¯re so noisy in the morning. Can¡¯t you be a little quieter?¡± ¡°I tried to be quieter!¡± ¡°How? Then, what do you want?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­ I came to pick up the potions we ordered yesterday.¡± ¡°You guys. We only received the order last night, did you think it would already be finished?¡± ¡°Ah, no. Of course not, sorry but¡­¡­ we need it in a hurry now¡­¡­¡± Corinna-san glared at him and his voice got weaker. His flustered state was like a dejected dog getting scolded by its owner. He didn¡¯t actually have droopy dog ears, but it felt like he did. Corinna-san was small but she was very scary when she was angry, so I could see why the man would cower before her. Even so, it was only natural that Corinna-san got angry. The potions that the man came to pick up wasn¡¯t just placed yesterday, they¡¯d placed the order in just before work finished. It wasn¡¯t this man, but I remembered someone from a mercenary group had come in to place the order. They hadn¡¯t given a deadline, and it would have been nice if it could be completed by the afternoon. I was in the process of making them. There weren¡¯t any problems. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Sei.¡± I nodded when Corinna-san called me. ¡°Yes.¡± I took the required amount out of the storage shelf at the back of the room and prepared them. They had ordered quite a lot of potions and the man was stunned when he stared at the potions I had put onto the table. He didn¡¯t think that we would be able to prepare the amount they¡¯d ordered. Why were there extra potions when there¡¯s a medicinal herb shortage? The culprit was me. It accumulated because I was practicing Corinna¡¯s secret recipe for Intermediate and Advanced Potions. Of course, I got permission from Corinna-san before I practiced. Corinna-san had said, ¡°They¡¯ll sell anyways.¡± Therefore, like at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute, they kept potions here for emergencies. ¡°I knew you could do it, granny.¡± ¡°Tsk. Thank Sei if you want to thank someone.¡± ¡°Sei?¡± ¡°The potions are made by Sei. I can guarantee their effectiveness.¡± Corinna-san said and the man looked at me again. I felt his gaze, introduced myself, ¡°My name is Sei,¡± and bowed. The man came towards me. ¡°I¡¯m Leonhardt. I assemble the mercenary groups in the castle.¡± He held his right hand out, so I thought that he wanted a handshake and held mine out too. He shook my hand firmly. Afterwards, he smiled and said, ¡°Nice to meet ya¡±, while patting my left shoulder. I stumbled. ¡°Leo! Don¡¯t treat a woman so roughly!¡± ¡°Woah! Sorry!¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s fine¡­¡­¡± I straightened my posture and looked up at the man who was hastily apologising. He had apologised immediately so he probably wasn¡¯t a bad person. ¡°My bad. You alright?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± I smiled while replying and he looked relieved. ¡°Also thanks for the potions.¡± He took the box containing the potions and left after he said his thanks. The distillation room was silent once again. At any rate, he was a lively person. I thought that it was unusually quiet in the distillation room after he left. ??????? Early afternoon. Corinna-san took me to the medicinal field on the outskirts of the capital. When we came from the Royal Capital, we went past some wheat fields. The medicinal herb fields were on the other side. As expected of a medicinal herb producing area, the garden was a lot bigger than the Medicinal Herb Garden at the Royal Palace. Klaussner¡¯s capital was surrounded by forests, so I couldn¡¯t see that far, but the field spread out to near the forest. The field was outside of the castle walls but Corinna-san said it was safe. Demons rarely appeared close to castle walls, and the ones that did were mostly weak. Corinna-san said that even she could handle weak demons. She taught me about the medicinal herbs in a section of a huge field. It¡¯s the so-called practical training. We squatted in the middle of the field and I looked at the herbs while I listened to Corinna-san¡¯s explanation. I don¡¯t know about the herbs that I¡¯m looking at. It was probably something unique to this world. At the very least it wasn¡¯t a herb that I¡¯ve heard about when I was interested in aromatherapy. She taught me about the herb¡¯s traits, effects and what to be careful of when handling it. ¡°This herb is ineffective by itself, but if you mix it with other herbs then it¡¯s recovery rate increases.¡± ¡°So you can decrease the amount of herbs you use if you mix this into a recipe, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± That medicinal herb was used in Corinna-san¡¯s secret recipes. The herb was used after drying, so I couldn¡¯t recognise it even if I saw it. This wasn¡¯t usually recognised as a medicinal herb because it was only effective when used with other herbs. I see. Surprisingly, this herb might have existed in my old world. It might be the same as this world and isn¡¯t recognised as a herb; so it wouldn¡¯t have appeared in my aromatherapy lessons. We got up after Corinna-san finished her explanation, so that we could go to the next section. I stretched because my body was stiff and a loud voice called out from behind me, ¡°Oi, so you were here?¡± I turned around at the unfamiliar voice, and saw a muscular man running towards us. It was Leonhardt-san; the person who had come to the distillation room that morning. I watched him run towards us and was reminded of my former friend. I couldn¡¯t express my feelings into words¡­¡­ Hey friend, I haven¡¯t thought much about you being here. This place is probably heaven for you. Forgive me for looking off into the distance. He must have returned from subjugation because he had a lot of comrades behind him. They were probably mercenaries, since he¡¯d said he assembled mercenary groups. Leonhardt-san had a splendid stature, but the people behind him didn¡¯t lose to him in that aspect. What was I saying? I¡¯m saying they¡¯re probably macho. People with such stature were mostly macho. If my friend was here right now then he would be doing a victory pose. Definitely. Leonhardt-san reached us when I was thinking about such trivial things. He started talking in an excited tone as he came closer, ¡°Granny, was the potion I received this morning a new product?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°The potions I received today are more effective than usual!¡± ¡°Is that so? Then that¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it¡­¡­? It isn¡¯t a new one? Then is it that? Did you give me Advanced Potions by mistake?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way we would be able to make that many Advanced Potions at this time, now could we?¡± Leonhardt-san¡¯s shoulders dropped when Corinna-san replied bluntly. A new one probably meant a new type of potion, right? The potions I gave him today were the ones I made while practicing the secret recipe. We received the order in the evening and he said he wanted the potions this morning, so I took them from the storage at the back of the room. From his story, the accursed 50% increase was working well this time too. ¡°No way, I don¡¯t think that effect is from an Intermediate one.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Even Basic Potions were more effective than usual.¡± ¡°The effects didn¡¯t feel as good as the Intermediate ones, but it was probably around the same.¡± I moved out of the field and onto the road, and was surrounded by the people who came with Leonhardt-san. They also talked about the potion¡¯s effectiveness. This reaction. It feels like d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°I said it didn¡¯t I? I guarantee the effect.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, you didn¡¯t make it did you granny?¡± Leonhardt-san looked at me probably because he remembered what was said this morning. The others also looked at me. I¡¯ll be bothered if you stare at me that much. Corinna-san continued while I was worrying about how to deal with this. ¡°If you want to say it¡¯s new, then it¡¯s new. The potions we gave you this morning were definitely Intermediate HP Potions, but they were made with Sei¡¯s secret recipe.¡± ¡°For real? Aren¡¯t you amazing for making something like this in this year!¡± ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Leo!¡± I staggered and Corinna-san rebuked him at once. ¡°Ah, sorry!¡± Leonhardt-san once again regained his energy and hit my back. Yup, I want him to use less power. I smiled ambiguously and Leonhardt-san looked crestfallen and apologised, ¡°My bad.¡± But secret recipe? Actually, I made the potions that were given to him using only the ingredients that Corinna-san told me to use. The only difference would probably be the amount of magic power channelled into the potion. My magic power was different from everyone else¡¯s. If magic power could also be counted as an ingredient, then in a sense it was my own secret recipe. However, it required a lot of effort to make a single secret recipe. Even more so if it was highly effective. I felt really guilty that she said it was my secret recipe even though the effect was only due to the difference in magic power. ¡®Cause everything else was done by Corinna-san, you know? It bothered me, so I secretly looked at Corinna-san. She raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly. Was she telling me it was fine? I felt really bad about it but I didn¡¯t want Leonhardt-san and his crew to notice so I looked down. Corinna-san smiled with just her mouth. They didn¡¯t notice the exchange between Corinna-san and I. We had fun talking about potions for a while and then Leohardt-san and his crew returned to the castle. ¡°Even so, you¡¯re such an amazing girl. It¡¯s really great that the number of talented pharmacist have increased. We¡¯re relying on you!¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± He looked like he wanted to pat my back again when he finished his greetings, but he probably remembered about Corinna-san getting angry at him earlier and he flinched. He put the hand he had raised onto his head and scratched it. It seemed like he remembered this time. Then, after our farewells the group went to the castle. Corinna-san pat my back when I sighed. I turned to the side and Corinna-san made a face that said good grief! ¡°Well then, should we go to the next one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Corinna-san prompted and we decided to move onto the next section. ??????? I greeted the people around me when I finished my work at the distillation room, and went into the corridor. I walked towards the room that I was staying in and saw Captain-san coming from the other side. ¡°Hawk-sama.¡± ¡°Sei. Good timing, I was looking for you.¡± ¡°You were looking for me?¡± He told me that he was heading to the distillation room to look for me. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I wanted to talk about the investigation results.¡± ¡°Okay. Then¡­ where should we talk?¡± ¡°The Knight Order is borrowing one of the rooms, let¡¯s talk there?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± We talked about what had been happening with us while we walked to our destination. I talked about the incident at the distillation room. That place was known as a sacred place for pharmacists, and I learnt so many things from other people, as well as Corinna-san. The other people kept their distance from me since Klaussner-sama had introduced me as the ¡¾Saint¡¿, but they got used to me while I was asking Corinna-san various questions. Rather than say they got used to me, it¡¯s probably better to say that they wanted to hear about the Research institute so much that they couldn¡¯t hold back. The first person that talked to me was just like Head Magician-sama when he talked about magic; but she wasn¡¯t the only one. This place was known as a sacred place and most of the people here could be called mad pharmacists; their personalities changed when they talked about potions or herbs. The lady who talked to me first, started the chain and then other people joined in. Their questions varied greatly, but I was often asked about the efficiency of medicinal herbs that have been inspected, and about new potion recipes. I only answered questions on the research published at the Royal Capital, the speed in which information was passed was slower than Japan, so there were things that the people in the distillation room didn¡¯t know. They were extremely grateful when I told them that kind of information. I was happy that they were pleased and I tried to change the topic from medicinal herbs to cooking and they got really into it. I talked to Director about medicinal cooking before, and their reactions were the same as his. Corinna-san was also interested, and asked me a lot of questions. She said she wanted to try it once, but I didn¡¯t know any recipes for it. So I talked about the dishes I made in the Royal Capital and the effects of the medicinal herbs I used. Even so, these stories were very interesting for the people in the distillation room. Then, I became friends with the people in the distillation room while answering their questions. Of course I asked them questions too. I was able to gain a lot of knowledge on things that seemed useful to my research; including secret recipes. Thank you, I appreciate it. ¡°Seems like you had a good time at the distillation room.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, I did.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you had fun.¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± I heard a burst of laughter next to me, so I looked up and saw Captain-san looking at me gently. I became really passionate when I started talking about the distillation room. I started saying technical things about potions and medicinal herbs to Captain-san, even though it was outside of his expertise. I noticed this and became a little embarrassed. I could feel myself going a little red. I hung my head down in shame and heard chuckling next to me. We arrived at the room that the Knight Order was borrowing. I heard that they borrowed a room, but they actually borrowed a two story building on the castle grounds. According to Captain-san, the Knight Order always used that building whenever they went on an expedition here. The first floor of the building was used as a battle station by the Knight Order. There was a hall as soon as I entered the building. There was a long table with chairs in the hall, and I could see knights talking about something while they were looking at a map. Since everyone knew each other, the knights only raised their hand in greeting when they noticed that Captain-san and I had entered. I followed after Captain-san, went past the hall, and climbed the stairs at the back. There were a lot of rooms on the second floor. One of the rooms was used as the Captain-san¡¯s office. The office had an office desk and lounge suite, like the ones in the knight barracks at the Royal Capital. I sat down on the lounge suite opposite to Captain-san when he asked me to. ¡°It¡¯s a bit sudden but I want to get to the point.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Captain-san started talking about the Knight Order¡¯s present condition, and the results of the preliminary investigation. The knights split up into groups and moved separately. The groups scattered in the north, east, south and west. They investigated the surrounding area in turns. The knights on the first floor had just returned from their investigation. The knights were also subjugating demons as they investigated the surroundings. According to them, there were as many demons here as there used to be in the Royal Capital. Demon subjugation missions would begin once the investigation was over, but it would take some time to deal with the demons. Captain-san thought the same as me. ¡°It would probably take some time to deal with the problem. I would like to return to the Royal Capital as soon as possible but¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. I can learn about medicinal herbs in the distillation room.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Captain-san seemed apologetic, so I told him about the distillation room and he looked relieved. Then he smiled, probably because he remembered the things we were talking about on the way here. Sorry that I¡¯m obsessed with potions. I suddenly remembered something and tried to talk about it. ¡°If the knights have been encountering demons during the investigation, then they¡¯ve been using potions, haven¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes we have.¡± ¡°How do you replenish your potions?¡± ¡°We brought some with us from the Royal Capital and we¡¯ll buy more here when we run out.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, then, should I make them?¡± ¡°You will?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, I¡¯ll need you to prepare the ingredients, but I think it¡¯s cheaper to buy medicinal herbs than potions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but you¡¯ll need tools if you¡¯re making potions.¡± ¡°I was wondering if I could use the ones at the distillation room. I¡¯ll check with Feudal Lord-sama.¡± ¡°I see. Then let me confirm if you¡¯re permitted to use the distillation room.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± They were still investigating the surrounding areas, so they didn¡¯t consume that many potions. However, they would probably start using more potions once they start subjugations. The Knight Order would probably need a large number of potions, since a lot of knights came on this expedition. I don¡¯t know what recipes are used to make the potions sold in the city. Fewer ingredients were used in the secret recipe than the normal one. This city was also facing a medicinal herb shortage, even though this is a medicinal herb production area. I could save on ingredients if I made the potions myself so I thought that it was better this way. Captain-san also said that this way was better because it cut out expenses. Personally speaking, I could practice the secret recipe as much as I want using the Knight Order as an excuse. I had Corinna-san¡¯s permission to make the potions and I made a lot of potions while practicing. I could still make more potions. I was a bit worried that the distillation room would be overflowed with potions, like the Research Institute. I could make a little more if we sell it to the mercenaries and the Knight Order, right? ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the main topic. Are you subjugating after you finish the investigations?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan.¡± ¡°Will the Knight Order and mercenaries be teaming up to go on subjugations?¡± I remembered about the mercenaries and asked Captain-san about it and it looked as if I¡¯ve touched a touchy subject. What¡¯s wrong? He worried for a while after I confirmed that fact, and answered my question while being vague. I heard Captain-san and the others talk about the demon situation on the day we arrived at Klaussner, while I was resting in my room. Captain-san had met with the mercenaries that were employed in the fief at that time, but he said that the vibe wasn¡¯t really good. The mercenaries that protected the fief were strong and they rarely requested for the Knight Order¡¯s help. However, the demons had effected their main industry, so they requested the Knight Order¡¯s help. Although they were hired, the mercenaries took pride in being able to protect the fief for so long. Even when Captain-san met with them, it felt like they had only reluctantly accepted the Knight Order¡¯s help under Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s orders. Under such circumstances, Captain-san decided that they would all subjugate in their own sections, instead of mixing the teams. The person who had met Captain-san and Feudal Lord-sama was probably Leonhardt-san. He had said that he assembled the mercenary groups when I met him at the distillation room. He didn¡¯t seem like someone who would have a vendetta against the people who came from the Royal Capital. Perhaps, he didn¡¯t know I came from the Royal Capital? Come to think of it, I only told him my name. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Was the person you met Leonhardt-san?¡± ¡°Yes, do you know him?¡± ¡°He came to the distillation room this morning to pick up some potions, so I met him then.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he say anything?¡± ¡°Nope, nothing.¡± Leonhardt-san thought that I was Corinna-san¡¯s apprentice, so it wasn¡¯t something that Captain-san should be worried about. I don¡¯t know about what would happen if Leonhardt-san found out that I came here with the Knight Order. But I wasn¡¯t worried about it. The mercenaries seemed like really good people when I met them today. They opened up to me somehow, even if they had ill feelings for me in the beginning. That¡¯s what I think anyways. Am I being too optimistic? ¡°I think Leonhardt-san would be fine. But about the subjugation¡­¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re still planning to investigate tomorrow. I will contact you when the subjugation has been decided.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Is it not my turn yet? Well then, I¡¯ll just study at the distillation room for a bit longer. Oh yeah, I should let Corinna-san know that they might be making potions for the Knight Order. I came up with some plans in my head, and my talk with Captain-san was over, so I went back to my own room. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 3 - CH 4 I was itchy to make a new dish around the time when I grew accustomed to staying in Klaussner. The reason for this was the meals that were served. Feudal Lord-sama and the chefs of this castle were very careful with our food. Foods that were typical in Slantania Kingdom was served at breakfast, but other than that, they served food that was said to be popular in the Royal Palace. That¡¯s right, they served food that I was used to eating for most meals. They probably want me to be comfortable. I¡¯m extremely thankful that they thought this. I am, but there¡¯s a little problem, which was the culinary repertoire. The communication methods in this world were limited, which meant that the information transmitted to each of the regions was also limited. The only information they heard about the popular dishes in the Royal Palace was that medicinal herbs were used when grilling meat or soup. The chefs at the castle improved their recipes and garnished them with medicinal herbs from the little amount of information they¡¯d received. They used more herbs in their cooking than I did, and the dishes were full of flavour. Nevertheless, the only meals that were improved were the grilled meat and soup. They could use herbs when simmering meat or cooking fish, so why don¡¯t they? Were they afraid of failing? I don¡¯t know the reason for this. However, because of that, they only garnished grilled meat and soup with herbs. They were chefs who knew a lot about herbs, so it didn¡¯t seem like they were afraid of trying new dishes. I felt really bad for complaining about the meals they¡¯ve made for me. I know that it¡¯s rude. But sometimes I want to eat sandwiches and fish too. Therefore, I wanted to increase their culinary repertoire a bit more. I could make it by myself without hesitation at the research institute, but I couldn¡¯t do that here. If I were to cook, then I would need a place to cook in. If I use the castle kitchen, then I would need Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s permission. I could make it outside, but that took a lot more effort than making it in the kitchen. Furthermore, making food on subjugations was fine, but I would stand out a lot if I were to cook food near the castle, and Feudal Lord-sama would probably hear about it. Either way, it was possible that they would think that I wasn¡¯t satisfied with their food. They were being so mindful of me and I would feel extremely bad if they were to think that. Isn¡¯t there a place where I could hide and cook? ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, I was just thinking a little¡­¡­¡± I was at the Knight Order¡¯s stand-by building while waiting for the servants to confirm the potions that I had delivered and my mind just wondered to the food situation. I worried a passing knight probably because I was frowning. He is from the 3rd Knight Order, so I felt like I could talk to him about this, but I was afraid that Feudal Lord-sama would inadvertently hear about this. What should I say? I was troubled about this and the knight pressed on while worrying, ¡°What is it? What¡¯s on your mind? I¡¯ll lend you an ear if you¡¯re worried about something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it then that¡¯s fine. But, you¡¯ll feel much better if you talk about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really nothing. I just wanted to cook for a change of pace.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The knight became excited as soon as I said that I wanted to cook. The knights around us must have heard me because they started gathering around and asking if I was going to cook. There were some who even started talking about what they wanted to eat. Why did this happen? I like making potions and I don¡¯t think I would ever get bored of it, but it¡¯s normal to get bored of things that you do over and over again. I thought that a change of pace would be a good excuse, but I didn¡¯t think they would get this into it. I found out the reason for this unusual behaviour when I asked them. The meals provided to the knights was different from the meals provided to me. Food garnished with herbs was served to Hawk-sama and I, but the knights got normal Slantania food, that is to say, food without herbs. They said it couldn¡¯t be helped since the food with herbs costed more than those without. And the knights had no problems with this because they ate normal meals which didn¡¯t use herbs at the Royal Capital. However, the knights knew what food tasted like when herbs were used because most of them had came with me when we went to subjugate around the Royal Capital. In addition, people could eat at the research institute¡¯s dining hall, even if they weren¡¯t researchers, if they just paid for the food. In fact, the 3rd Knight Order often came to eat there. However, they lost the chance to eat dishes that contained herbs ever since they came to Klaussner. They endured it since this was for work, but they got all excited because I said I wanted to cook while they were craving it. ¡°Why¡¯re you making a racket?¡± ¡°Oh, Captain.¡± Captain-san came down from the second floor while I was listening to the knight¡¯s food situation. He was curious about the noise and came down to see what it was about. When I told him that I wanted to cook for a change of mood like I¡¯d told the knights, he guessed why everyone was noisy and smiled as if he was troubled. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But, I don¡¯t have a place to cook, so I can¡¯t cook. I probably can¡¯t borrow the castle kitchen, well I can probably cook in the distillation room.¡± ¡°You can cook in the distillation room?¡± ¡°They have a big caldron used for making potions, so I think I can cook if I wanted to. But, they¡¯ll probably get angry if I do.¡± The distillation room was for making potions, so they had things that could be used as pots and stoves. However, it was full of people who were obsessed with potions. Of course they would get angry if I use the tools for making potions to cook. And to start with, Corinna-san probably won¡¯t give me permission to do so. ¡°If only there was a small kitchen here¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have the equipment to boil water?¡± ¡°Yeah. The maids go to the castle kitchens to get us water if we want to have tea.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Captain-san was saying that if there was a kitchen here then I could cook for a change of pace. However, even if I could make two or three portions of a meal, it wouldn¡¯t be enough for all the knights. I would need a much bigger place, I also recalled the restaurant kitchens in town. But, there was no way that they would lend me their important kitchens since I wasn¡¯t even acquainted with them. I dismissed this idea. In the first place, it wasn¡¯t like I wanted to cook so much that I would borrow a stranger¡¯s kitchen. ¡°If I come on the subjugation, then I¡¯ll be able to cook. So I¡¯ll just have to endure until then.¡± ¡°I see. How unfortunate.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say this in a loud voice, but I¡¯ve gotten a little tired of eating the same food. The menu doesn¡¯t change, does it?¡± When I answered him, he whispered the reply into my ear. It seemed that Captain-san felt the same about the menu. I looked up at him as he separated himself from me, and he looked embarrassed so I smiled wryly. No matter how much you love meat, you¡¯ll get sick of eating it if it¡¯s prepared the same way every day. Even if they use different meat and herbs. ¡°I wish they would at least serve some fish dishes.¡± ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s hard to make that kind of request to someone who¡¯s been kind enough to make food for us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, isn¡¯t it?¡± I knew that Captain-san was thinking the same as me, but we couldn¡¯t come up with a good place for me to cook. In the end, it was decided that I would put up with it until the subjugation. I finished delivering the potions, so I returned to the distillation room. ??????? I finished delivering the potions to the knights in the morning and went to the herb fields with Corinna-san in the afternoon. My schedule today would be free after I finish studying at the herb fields. There was a market on our way to the castle from the herb field. It wasn¡¯t as big as the one in the Royal Capital, but they sold a lot of things, so it was fun to look around. I might have felt extra happy about this because even though a year has passed since I was summoned, I can still count the number of times I¡¯ve been to the market. I was talking about cooking with the knights this morning, so my eyes were drawn to the ingredients. I looked around restlessly, and Corinna-san, who was with me, laughed in amazement. ¡°You¡¯re the same as always. These things aren¡¯t even that rare.¡± ¡°I might find a rare item, you know?¡± ¡°It might be rare to you, but I see these things nearly every day, you know. So, I¡¯m used to seeing all this.¡± As Corinna-san said, this market was a place where locals did their daily shopping, so the items here weren¡¯t rare. However, I found other world ingredients that I have never seen before and ingredients that I was used to seeing in Japan, but weren¡¯t sold at the Royal Capital. I wasn¡¯t going to underestimate the market. ¡°Oh yes, you do your own cooking, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I do. I even cook at the Royal Capital.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very eccentric. I couldn¡¯t believe it when you¡¯d first told me.¡± I smiled wryly at Corinna-san¡¯s reply. One day, I blurted out that I cooked my own food and she was extremely surprised. Well, of course she would be. It was rare for high ranked people to cook for themselves. It was awkward to say this myself, but the¡¾Saint¡¿wasn¡¯t a low position. However, she¡¯d kind of understood when I told her that I was a commoner in my hometown. ¡°Do you also make dishes from your hometown?¡± ¡°Yes. However, I can¡¯t get all the ingredients I need, so there¡¯s a limit to what I can make.¡± If I had to vaguely say it, then the food I made in the Royal Capital was the taste of my hometown. But, strictly speaking, it isn¡¯t the taste of my hometown. I¡¯ve only been cooking western-style meals since I¡¯ve come here, I haven¡¯t cooked a Japanese-style meal at all. If you were to ask if Japanese people love rice and miso soup, of course they would say yes. If I could make it, then I would probably have made it a long time ago. Why don¡¯t you make it, you say? I already have a reason for this. I couldn¡¯t get the ingredients I needed to make a Japanese-style meal. I might be able to find seasoning such as miso and soy sauce if I searched the whole world, but I haven¡¯t been able to find the dried ingredients for the broth. I could make miso myself, but I¡¯ve only heard about how to make it, I¡¯ve never made it before so I don¡¯t know how. It would be fine if they have it in this world, but if they don¡¯t then I might not be able to eat it again for the rest of my life. I felt a strong urge to eat it when I thought that. Let¡¯s stop thinking about this now. That was dangerous. ¡°So there are things you can¡¯t make? Is that the same for the medicinal cooking you¡¯d mentioned before?¡± ¡°Well there¡¯s also the fact that I can¡¯t obtain the ingredients I need, but I also don¡¯t know how to make it.¡± ¡°Oh my, is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. I know about the concept of medicinal cooking, but I don¡¯t know the proper theory behind it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± Corinna-san seemed to have remembered about the medicinal cooking that I told her a little about before. At that time, the other pharmacists also asked a lot of questions about the medicinal cooking. I only had vague memories about it, so it was extremely difficult to answer their questions. I looked a little distant when I remembered this. It was no use for me to try answer all their questions. It might be better for me to clearly say that I don¡¯t know the answer to their question next time. Yup, let¡¯s do that next time. I pulled myself together and continued walking, then I approached a store that was selling grains. Various grains were put in jute bags and piled up like mountains in front of the store. The staple meal in Slantania Kingdom was bread, so they stocked wheat the most. They didn¡¯t just stock one type of wheat, but many kinds. I only saw processed things in Japan, but the things piled here are all unprocessed. There¡¯s so many kinds, I looked around and I heard the storekeeper talking to a customer, ¡°The husk on this wheat is hard.¡± Hard husk? I stopped walking when I heard that feature. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Sorry. I was looking at the ingredients because I was curious about it.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°That wheat over there.¡± Corinna-san noticed that I had stopped and asked me a question, and I pointed at the wheat that the storekeeper was talking about. Corinna-san seemed to know this wheat and taught me what it was called. That wheat had the same name as spelt, which was cultivated in Europe since long ago. ¡°That wheat is commonly used here, but what about it?¡± ¡°It was in a book that I read in my hometown¡­¡­¡± I told Corinna-san about spelt because she asked. Unlike common wheat, this wheat contained a lot of nutrients in the edible parts. It was written in a book I bought because the title caught my eye. It was also written in the book that a woman known as a saint in Europe recommended it as the best wheat. At that time, I remembered that one of the characteristics of spelt was its hard husk, and stopped when I heard the storekeeper¡¯s words. I explained a little about what was written in the book and Corinna got excited. The nutrients in the ingredients caught her interest. This world didn¡¯t have the concept of nutrition yet. I also explained about how medicine and one¡¯s daily diet are equally important for a healthy body. I managed to explain somehow, even though I didn¡¯t have much knowledge of it and my memories were vague. Medicine and one¡¯s daily diet are equally important for a healthy body meaning that having a balanced diet was important to prevent and treat diseases. This wasn¡¯t a Japan-specific way of thinking, this was based on an idea obtained from medicinal cooking. This idea came from various places and the aromatherapy teachers also said the same thing in the past, whenever I found time out of my busy work schedule to go to their lessons. Eating the right food was the basis for maintaining a good health; the best basis or something like that. And, eating the right food referred to having a balance of nutrition. The monastery researched methods for using herbs in cooking. Their research also included the practical uses of herbs in cooking. I read in a book that they didn¡¯t just research the aromatic benefits, but also about health benefits as well. ¡°I¡¯ve been eating it without thinking much of it, but it¡¯s a great garnish, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°We might be able to make something interesting if we use this in a potion.¡± ¡°Huh? Using wheat to make potions?¡± Can you make potions from wheat? If it¡¯s in food, then I can make it. The recipe that the person, who was called saint, came up with was also written in the book that mentioned the wheat. Now that I think about the recipe, all the ingredients could be in Klaussner. It seems like I¡¯ll be able to reproduce it. Should I try to make it? ¡°If it¡¯s for food, then I think I can make it.¡± ¡°Using that wheat?¡± ¡°Yes. The recipe was in the book I read before.¡± This world had a cooking skill, and the food made by people who have this skill increased physical abilities. People would notice the effect, even if it was made from ordinary ingredients. What if they ate food made from spelt, which is said to be good for health? I¡¯m so curious. If I could reproduce it, then I could improve the food repertoire in the castle. This is my chance. ¡°It isn¡¯t medicinal cooking, but I might be able to make something with a similar effect.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I want to make it, so is it alright for me to borrow the castle kitchen?¡± Corinna¡¯s eyes shone at the words ¡®medicinal cooking¡¯. It wasn¡¯t officially a type of medicinal cooking, but it was said to be good for your health. Corinna might be interested in that too. She looked extremely happy when Feudal Lord-sama gave me permission to use the castle kitchen. ??????? Two days after I talked with Corinna-san about spelt, she told me that I¡¯d received permission to use the kitchen when I went to the distillation room. She quickly went to get permission from Feudal Lord-sama when I said ¡°It isn¡¯t medicinal cooking, but I might be able to make something with a similar effect.¡± Feudal Lord-sama heard what Corinna-san had to say and gladly gave me permission to use the kitchen. Apparently, he said that he was looking forward to being able to eat a popular dish from the Royal Capital. The chefs at the castle were the same; they were pleased that they got a good learning opportunity. I felt a bit bad because I wasn¡¯t making a high quality dish. And everything was prepared just like that and the day when I could use the kitchen came. ¡°Thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn about food from the Royal Capital.¡± ¡°I should be the one to thank you. Thank you for responding to my sudden request. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too.¡± ¡°¡°¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±¡±¡± I went to with Corinna-san to the kitchen on the day that I was permitted to use the kitchen, and we were greeted by cheerful chefs. When I greeted the head chef, he thanked me instead. Even though I should be the one thanking him! I¡¯m cooking something I haven¡¯t cooked at the Royal Capital before, so I hope I can meet their expectations. I immediately put on an apron after the greetings and started food prep. The ingredients that I had asked them to prepare beforehand were placed on the kitchen counter. Today, I¡¯m making pasta. First, I mixed the flour made from spelt, oil, egg and salt. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t have any olive oil so they had prepared another type of vegetable oil for me. I vaguely recalled how to make pasta because I had wanted to make it by hand in the past, but I never got around to it. I did tell them that it was an experiment so they¡¯ll probably forgive me if I fail, right? Well¡­¡­ If I do fail then I¡¯ll make another dish to get them to forgive me. I told the head chef how to make the dish beforehand, so the chefs were making pasta with me. Actually, this is also part of my experiment. I wanted to know if food made with spelt had a different effect from food made from other wheat. Therefore, I needed to make two types of pasta: one containing spelt and the other containing a different type of wheat. Furthermore, a lot more people wanted to eat the food than I¡¯d expected because they heard that I would be the one cooking; it started with Feudal Lord-sama and Corinna-san, then Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s family and the pharmacists from the distillation room. It was impossible for me to make that much food by myself, so I decided to get the chefs to help me. There was another reason why I asked them to help me. It was because of my accursed 50% increase. My cooking, like my potions, was affected by my accursed 50% increase. Therefore, Director-san forbad me from cooking in public. However, he didn¡¯t say that I couldn¡¯t cook at all. I could cook if I wasn¡¯t in a public place. I actually cooked a lot at the Research Institute. I think he forbade me from cooking because it would be problematic if a lot of people knew of my ability. Therefore, I decided that I would give the portion I cooked to Captain-san and Feudal Lord-sama and his family. It was a small amount of people, and Feudal Lord-sama and his family didn¡¯t exercise a lot, like the knights, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll know the difference. And of course, because it was something I made. You see, food made from the ¡¾Saint¡¿felt special, didn¡¯t it? It was extremely awkward for me to say that it was special, but high-profile people liked that kind of thing¡­¡­ I also went to confirm with Captain-san and he told me that it wasn¡¯t a problem. Even so, as expected of professionals. I looked to the side and saw the chefs skilfully kneading the dough. They could do that just from hearing instructions, it¡¯s so amazing. And me? I was a step behind them. Let¡¯s stop thinking about unnecessary things and focus on making pasta. Then when the dough was kneaded and the surface was smooth, we let it rest in a wet towel. We prepared vegetables to go with the pasta while it was resting. Meat sauce would have been fine, but I decided to make basilica from medicinal herbs since I was at it. I think there was a herb flavoured pasta recipe in that book. I finely chopped some garlic, onion, basil and dill. The onions will definitely sting my eyes. I finished chopping everything and the dough was ready, so we started making the pasta. We rolled the dough until it was thin, folded the dough and cut it to make flat noodles. I preferred thinner noodles, but this was all I could manage to make by myself. Basil might not suit it, so let¡¯s give up on that. I boiled the noodles, stirred it with the vegetables and adjusted the flavour. ¡°Was it a success?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be ready soon.¡± Corinna-san talked to me while the pasta was boiling. She stood next to me and looked in the pot with interest. It was a big pot and it was cute to see her tiptoe to peek inside. ¡°Was it pasta? Why did you make it with different types of wheat?¡± ¡°I wanted to examine if there¡¯s any differences in the cooking effect depending on the type of wheat.¡± ¡°Cooking effect?¡± ¡°Well, food made by people with the cooking skill increases physical abilities.¡± ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of something like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been the talk at the Royal Capital for the past year, but it hasn¡¯t reached here, has it?¡± ¡°That might be so, but it¡¯s got nothing to do with potions, so I didn¡¯t ask. But, it¡¯s pretty interesting.¡± The effects of cooking was widely known at the Royal Capital, but it hadn¡¯t reached Corinna-san¡¯s ears. It took time to spread information in a world without phones or TVs. It¡¯s unbelievable, but when my grandmother was younger, she told me that it took years for fashion to spread from the capital to other areas of the country. Even though phones and TVs existed then. If my grandmother¡¯s story was true, then I can see how news from the Royal Capital still hasn¡¯t reached Klaussner. The pasta finished cooking when we were talking, so I cut the heat and quickly saut¨¦ed it in the frying pan I had prepared next to it. I made one portion first. We would make everyone else¡¯s portions after the chefs had taste tested the pasta. The head chef was standing on the opposite side of Corinna-san, so that he could see how the pasta was cooked after it was boiled. The other chefs were also standing close by, and I was extremely nervous because they were so focused on me. ¡°It¡¯s finished.¡± I only seasoned it with salt, but it tasted good. I served the pasta and it was complete. The head chef quickly reached for the dish when I put it in front of them and told them it was complete. He looked satisfied with it, so I was relieved; load was taken off my shoulders. ??????? The pasta was carried out to the dining room when the butler spoke, ¡°This is the basilica that Sei-sama has made.¡± It was finally tasting time. The people in the dining room were Feudal Lord-sama, his family, Captain-san and myself. ¡°I was looking forward to tasting your food when I heard that you were cooking today.¡± Feudal Lord-sama and wife said and I smiled ambiguously. ¡°I hope it suits your tastes¡­¡­¡± The taste is probably fine. Even though I made it, the head chef was the one who put the finishing touches on it. I only made the pasta. I had mixed feelings about being told that I¡¯d made something when the head chef did the important part. I had no choice but to ask the head chef to add the finishing touches since it was being served to Feudal Lord-sama and his family. I had to cook, so I¡¯ll eat later. I tried to tell them this, but the butler dismissed my suggestion. ¡°Please eat it while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Everyone put the pasta into their mouth at once. The fresh herbs spread throughout my mouth with just a bite. The herbs gave the pasta flavour and although it was only seasoned with salt, it was still very tasty. I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from the head chef. I could hear them complementing the aroma, and of course how good it tasted as well. I looked around and saw that everyone was smiling. I¡¯m relieved, it looks like Feudal Lord-sama and his family like it. ¡°Was this called pasta? It seems to be made from wheat.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°It seems like this is eaten in your kingdom Sei, but I¡¯ve eaten something similar to this before.¡± ¡°You have?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t eat it in our kingdom, but it was often eaten by commoners in a kingdom I¡¯ve visited before. I¡¯m sure they were called noodles.¡± ¡°Noodles! It might be the same dish. The word pasta means noodles.¡± ¡°Ooh! Does it?¡± I asked Feudal Lord-sama in detail and it seemed that the food he ate before was pasta. The pasta he ate had sauce poured on top of it unlike the herbal pasta we were having today. I¡¯ve never seen noodle dishes since I was summoned so I thought that it didn¡¯t exist in this world. Although it wasn¡¯t common in this kingdom, it existed in others. Also, I might be able to find the ingredients that I¡¯ve given up on because I thought that it didn¡¯t exist here. Should I ask the merchants next time they come to the Research Institute? I thought and conversed with Feudal Lord-sama and Captain-san, who was sitting next to me, called out suspiciously, ¡°Huh?¡± I looked towards him and his eyebrows were scrunched up. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Nope¡­¡­¡± He¡¯s being evasive. What the heck is wrong? Captain-san said he didn¡¯t have any likes or dislikes. I started using herbs in my cooking since I¡¯ve started cooking. Did he not like one of the herbs I used today? No, but the herbs I used today were all ones I¡¯ve used before while cooking at the Research Institute, so that shouldn¡¯t be it. Then, is it something else? I stared at Captain-san and asked him about his complexion. He replied in a troubled tone while smiling wryly, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± At the same time, I heard someone in Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s family gasp, but it was probably my imagination. The day after dinner had ended without any mishaps. I went to deliver the potions to the knights¡¯ standby place and found out why Captain-san was acting so suspiciously. ¡°HP recovery?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. It only had a little effect though.¡± The knights from the 3rd Knight Order also ate pasta last night with Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s family at the back of the dining room. This was so I could find out the difference in effects between the different wheats used. The knights also helped me research food effects back at the Royal Capital so they were used to it. They ate a different dish this time so I received two different feedbacks. Like my investigations at the Royal Capital, the two different types of pasta had different effects. The pasta made from spelt had the effect of normal wheat pasta as well as HP recovery. Since the other ingredients were the same as the food I¡¯ve made before, it could be said that HP recovery was the effect of spelt. Captain-san¡¯s expression changed at dinner probably because he noticed the effect. ¡°HP recovery¡­¡­ Did your HP recover instantly?¡± ¡°No, it recovered gradually.¡± I heard HP recovery, so I wanted to confirm if food could take the place of potions, but the pasta didn¡¯t recover HP instantly like potions did. The HP recovery effect was gradual just like it was when one left their HP to recover naturally without relying on potions or magic. The recovery effect was probably greater than normal, so that was why they had noticed the difference. Another knight was listening to what we were saying and he thought it had a different effect. He added, ¡°I thought that it just increased our natural recovery rate.¡± ¡°Ah, that might be possible too?¡± ¡°If it increased your natural recovery rate, then the recovery interval is the same as usual?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t verify that. I need to test it again.¡± HP and MP recover at a steady rate over time. The knight didn¡¯t go as far as to check the interval between HP recoveries when he was eating. The knights said that they had to investigate this more and looked toward me. They want seconds, I get it. If so then I need to go to the kitchen again. This all depends on if I can use the kitchen or not. ¡°I have to check if I could use the kitchen¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh right, this isn¡¯t the Royal Palace.¡± ¡°Nothing you can do about it.¡± The knights smiled wryly and gave up. The herbal pasta was more popular than I thought it was. They were more disappointed that they couldn¡¯t eat it again than not being able to investigate the effects. I talked with the knights and Captain-san came down from the 2nd floor. ¡°Sei, you came.¡± ¡°Yes. I came to deliver the potions.¡± ¡°Thanks, we¡¯ll take it.¡± Captain-san said and a knight went to the table where the potion box was placed and carried it to the back. I completely forgot about my goal and just stood around talking in the hall. I had two goals. The first was to deliver the potion and the second was to get a progress report about the surrounding areas from Captain-san. I thought I would talk about the effects of the food after I finished my goals but the knights caught me. I had to pass the hall in order to get to the office so it was inevitable. However, I should have ignored them and went straight to Captain-san¡¯s office. I told Captain-san why I came here today, ¡°There was something I wanted to talk to you about in your office, but I got caught up talking about yesterday¡¯s food¡±. ¡°Ah, yesterday¡¯s¡­¡­ Yesterday¡¯s meal was very delicious.¡± Captain-san smiled his usual dazzling smile. I think I¡¯ve gotten used to it, but it¡¯s still hard to look at him directly in the eyes. I decided to change my approach and talked about something more serious, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve heard about it from the knights.¡± ¡°About the food? We¡¯ve been talking about it since this morning.¡± ¡°You were? Did your expression change yesterday because you noticed the effects of the pasta?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was hesitant to say it in that place yesterday, so I kept silent about it.¡± Captain-san said that Feudal Lord-sama didn¡¯t notice so he remained silent about it. He didn¡¯t bring the subject up. The information was publicly known at the Royal Palace, but the details were kept a secret, so it was difficult to talk about it in public. Going with the flow, we also talked about the effects of spelt. The knights were talking about it all morning and Captain-san also knew some of its effects. ¡°It¡¯s a simple recovery effect, but I¡¯m not sure if it increases natural recovery rate or not. I need to use the kitchen again if I want to verify this.¡± ¡°That might be difficult, since people need to work in the kitchen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Should we verify the effects when we get back to the Royal Capital?¡± ¡°Whatever the effect is, it¡¯ll be great if it improved HP recovery rate.¡± As Captain-san said, recovery rate was important for those who subjugated demons. It was a matter of life and death. But it was difficult to carry pasta while walking and it didn¡¯t seem very delicious to carry it in a lunch box. If HP recovery was a special effect of spelt then I could make it into something that¡¯s easy to carry around. I want to see if other dishes would have the same effect. But I would need the kitchen for that¡­¡­ Do I have to wait until I return to the Royal Capital to confirm the effects? I thought and left the building. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 3 - CH 5 ¡°But I can¡¯t believe this wheat has that kind of effect.¡± Corinna-san said in amazement as she stared at the spelt that was placed on top of the desk. I went to the distillation room the day after I made the pasta and was surrounded by everyone. They heard about spelt from Corinna-san. People who were interested in medicinal herbs gathered in the distillation room. I had expected this to happen. However, I hadn¡¯t heard what the knights from the 3rd Knight Order had said about it at this time, so everyone quickly left me alone. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the end of it. They surrounded me again after I¡¯d returned from my potion delivery. I decided to tell everyone the results of the investigation. ¡°There are many types of wheat, and I noticed that this particular wheat contained a lot of nutrients.¡± ¡°Is it like the medicinal food you were talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s similar but a bit different.¡± A certain nun, who was known as a saint in medieval Europe, studied spelt. I found out about this Nun-san when I went to the bookstore to find a book for my hobby, aromatherapy. Nun-san thought that healthy meals were important for maintaining good health. Because of that, she seemed like a person who was well versed in medicine and herbalism and she made great achievements in food culture as well. And the book I picked up that time was about spelt. ¡°I see. That¡¯s really interesting. Are there any other notable ingredients?¡± ¡°There¡¯s too many things. I can¡¯t explain it all at once.¡± ¡°Then tell me little by little, starting from this wheat.¡± There were many notable ingredients known as superfood, but honestly I couldn¡¯t remember them all. Cold sweat ran down my back and I tried to cover it up. Anyway, her attention has been diverted for now. Corinna-san picked up the spelt and began to think of something while muttering. She¡¯s probably thinking of a new potion recipe like she said she would. But a potion made from wheat¡­¡­ What kind of potion would be made from wheat? Wheat¡­¡­ Drink¡­¡­ Beer? Was that made with barley? ¡°Can you make something more effective than an Advanced HP Potion?¡± ¡°Oh my, do you want to make a more effective HP Potion?¡± ¡°Yes. I looked up various things, but I couldn¡¯t find a recipe that was more effective than Advanced HP Potions.¡± From the effects wheat added to food, I thought that I could make a potion more effective than Advanced Potions if I could make a potion from spelt. Like secrets recipes, I had an easy idea of adding wheat to the current Advanced HP Potion recipe. I¡¯ve browsed through a lot of books but I couldn¡¯t find anything that could improve potions and I hoped that Corinna-san might know something. I asked Corinna-san about it casually and her reply was unexpected, ¡°There was something more effective than Advanced HP Potions a long time ago¡±. ¡°What?! There was? ¡°Yeah. But it doesn¡¯t exist anymore.¡± It doesn¡¯t exist anymore?! I widened my eyes in shock at this new fact. I looked around but no one else was surprised because they already knew this. I looked at Corinna-san again and she beckoned me to the back of the room. I followed her and Corinna-san took a book from a locked bookshelf and opened it. The book had various potion recipes written in it. ¡°Look, this is the recipe for the Master HP Potion.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s highly effective, but it¡¯s also expensive. The medicinal herbs used in this recipe aren¡¯t easy to get. They¡¯re probably really expensive. Besides, very few here could make it.¡± The level of the pharmacists in Klaussner was high, since this was a sacred place for them. In fact, compared to the pharmacists at the Royal Capital, the ones in Klaussner had a higher pharmacy level on average and more experience. I might have been a bit biased on their praise because Corinna-san had told me that they were the best pharmacists. I don¡¯t know much about the other pharmacists in the Royal Capital but the pharmacists here were better than the ones at the Research Institute. I was the only person at the Research Institute who could make Advanced HP Potions, but there were a lot of people here who could make it too because of their high pharmacy skill. Still, there wasn¡¯t anyone who could make a more advanced potion than that. This was a gathering of talented pharmacists, but there was a reason why it was impossible for them to make the Master HP Potion even though people have made it in the past. They couldn¡¯t harvest the medicinal herb needed to make that potion, so they couldn¡¯t raise their pharmacy skill. The medicinal herb used in that potion could only be harvested from a region north of Klaussner. In addition, it only grew in a limited number of places and it couldn¡¯t be found unless one went deep into the forest. It was a rare medicinal herb, but they were able to cultivate it at Klaussner before. ¡°Eh? You cultivated it?¡± ¡°Yeah, we did.¡± ¡°Did?¡± I was confused and Corinna-san explained it to me. There used to be an extremely talented pharmacist in Klaussner. That person was the one who built the foundation of pharmacy used today. She was also known as the mother of medicine. The¡¾Pharmacist¡¿was respected by all other pharmacists in Klaussner. Should I say that this was as expected or something along those lines? She was someone who straddled the line between genius and madness and it seemed that she was also famous as an eccentric. People who loved gossip called the ¡¾Pharmacist¡¿, a herb fanatic. Yup. She was also the person who made it possible to cultivate all sorts of herbs in Klaussner. She wanted to make potions freely with the herbs growing in the wild, so she established a method to cultivate them. She might have said something like, ¡°If I can¡¯t harvest the herbs then I¡¯ll just make it so I can¡±. The ingredients for the Master Potions were also one of the herbs that was cultivated by this¡¾Pharmacist¡¿. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a simple thing to do even with all the different cultivation methods she¡¯d developed. According to Corinna-san, a lot of conditions were needed for it to grow. ¡°The cultivation conditions were often kept secret. I can¡¯t be sure of it, but some of the conditions probably weren¡¯t met and we couldn¡¯t grow the medicinal herbs needed for the Master Potion anymore.¡± ¡°The conditions are kept secret?¡± ¡°Yeah. Only a few people know all of the conditions to grow herbs.¡± Corinna-san said as she picked out another book from the bookshelf and handed it to me. I looked at Corinna-san and the book cover without opening it. She was signalling me to open the book with her chin, so I flipped it open¡­¡­ Of course, my eyebrows would scrunch up. Because the methods that were being ¡®kept a secret¡¯ were written in this book. ¡°Um¡­¡­ Is it alright for me to see this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the person in charge here and I say that it¡¯s fine, so it¡¯s fine.¡± Was it like that? I pondered while flipping through the pages to search for a particular herb. I soon found the page and read it. Corinna-san stood next to me grumbling, ¡°This is confidential. Don¡¯t say a word about it to anyone. Well, it¡¯s not like you can do anything about it even if you know what the conditions are.¡± I understood Corinna-san¡¯s words after reading a bit more. ??????? The book that was handed to me was a record of various cultivation methods. Likewise, the herb needed for the Master Potion that I was interested in was also recorded in here. The cultivation conditions for it were: the amount of water and light, temperature and the type of fertiliser needed. There was a word that I wasn¡¯t familiar with in this section. ¡°¡­¡­ Blessing?¡± Blessing wasn¡¯t a word I would see under plant cultivation conditions. I imaged someone praying in front of a herb field. Where the heck did this religion come from? At the same time, that image stuck a cord in me and my heart jumped. No way, it couldn¡¯t be. I timidly looked at Corinna-san, who was standing next to me, and found her staring straight back at me. ¡°Do you understand what it means?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± This wasn¡¯t a lie. I knew something about it, but I wasn¡¯t sure if my assumptions were correct. In the first place, these cultivation methods should have been written by a ¡¾Pharmacist¡¿not a¡¾Saint¡¿. Therefore it was possible that it was something different from the blessing that I was imagining. Was what I¡¯d thought, but I had a feeling that I was correct. ¡°I see, what a shame. Well, whatever. Even if we had the ingredients, we couldn¡¯t make it anyways because our level isn¡¯t high enough.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve never asked you this before, have I? What level is your pharmacy skill?¡± Corinna-san said, but she didn¡¯t look like it was a shame. Her words cut off my thoughts that were going around in a circle. Corrina-san was right, even if the herbs were available, people couldn¡¯t make the Master Potions if their skill wasn¡¯t high enough. I opened up my status in order to answer her question. Takanashi Sei Lv. 56/Saint HP: 5,003/5,003 MP: 6,173/6,173 Combat Skill: Holy Attribute Magic: Lv. ¡Þ Production Skill: Pharmacy: Lv. 32 Cooking: Lv. 15 It¡¯s higher than before¡­¡­ I thought it would be impossible to raise my level because it didn¡¯t go up even when I made Advanced HP Potions. Did it go up because I made potions using the Advanced HP Potion recipe that Corinna-san taught me? If so, then I¡¯m glad. Since it was still possible to raise it even if I don¡¯t make the Master Potions. ¡°Level 32.¡± I chuckled while answering and Corinna-san frowned at me. ¡°What did you say?!¡± I took a step back because she was looking at me so strongly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Your level¡¯s higher than I thought it would be.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s even higher than my level.¡± Eh? Really? I was surprised and Corinna-san looked shocked. ¡°So you¡¯d reach that level if you made that many potions every day.¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± I couldn¡¯t stand Corinna-san¡¯s shocked expression and apologised. The pharmacists in the distillation room were all surprised when they saw how many potions I could make in a day, but Corinna-san didn¡¯t say anything about it so I wasn¡¯t worried. But, I guess I did make a lot after all. It wasn¡¯t just the mercenaries who ordered potions from here, the knights did as well. Should I have held back? ¡°You can make the Master Potion if you¡¯re at that level, but it¡¯s a shame about the ingredients.¡± ¡°I agree¡­¡­¡± Corinna-san put a hand to her chin and pondered. I glanced at her and thought about the Master HP Potion. I wasn¡¯t surprised that my pharmacy level was high enough to make Master Potions. I had expected this to happen. You could make more advanced potions every 10 levels, and I thought that I would be able to make it if my pharmacy level passed level 30. I could raise my level again if I had the ingredients to make the Master Potion. The problem is the ingredients. It was difficult to get the ingredients now and it couldn¡¯t be prepared at once. The cultivation conditions couldn¡¯t be met, so it was impossible to grow it. Hmm. Should I tell Corinna-san about that thing? I thought worriedly and then Corinna-san moved. Corinna-san moved to the corner to a two-leaf door cabinet and opened it. Unexpectedly, there was a metal door inside of the cabinet. I thought that metal cabinets were unusual, but it appeared to be a safe. Corinna-san kept the key to the safe around her neck and she reached under her clothes to take it out. She took a really old looking book out of the safe. This book was thinner than the books that contained the potion recipes and herb cultivation methods. What kind of book is it? I stared at it and Corinna-san gave me the book. I opened the book gently. The bindings were firm, but the colour of the paper changed towards the edges. I could tell how old this book was. I turned the pages and read it. It read like someone¡¯s diary. ¡°Is this a diary?¡± ¡°It is. But it¡¯s also a very precious document.¡± Document? It felt like a normal diary when I skimmed through it. What was she talking about? ¡°This is a really precious book, so only read it when you¡¯re alone in this room.¡± ¡°Only when I¡¯m alone?¡± ¡°Yes. That book contains highly classified information and it can¡¯t be seen by others.¡± She said and I wanted to ask her if it was alright for me to read this, but her answer would probably be the same as before. She urged me to read it with her eyes, so I looked at the book again. I placed the book on a table and sat on a chair so that I could read it carefully. After reading it for a while, I understood who had written this diary. The person who had written this book was the ¡¾Pharmacist¡¿. Daily events were also written in this, just like any normal diary. The cultivation trial and error process was also written as part of her daily life. ¡°She even wrote something like this¡­¡­¡± I stopped mid-sentence and Corinna-san, who was sitting next to me, nodded quietly. My guess is probably correct. The trial and error process which was not written in the cultivation method book was written in here, along with the¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¯s¡¿feelings at that time. Her road to success wasn¡¯t smooth and she seemed to have enjoyed the twists and turns she experienced along the way. However, she didn¡¯t just write about medicinal herbs. She also wrote about her love for Klaussner and its citizens. I found out that Klaussner didn¡¯t have any special products to begin with from reading this diary. They mainly produced wheat, like most of the other fiefs in Slantania Kingdom. Then the wheat production was hurt badly. This didn¡¯t just occur in Klaussner, this crop failure spread throughout Slantania Kingdom and many people starved to death. The feudal lord¡¯s daughter, who was also¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿, was extremely distressed when she saw the people starve to death. Thus, she began to find ways to cultivate medicinal herbs, so that it could be used to pay tax in place of wheat. Her hobby was certainly influenced by this crop selection, and she became known as ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿. I inferred from the diary that she started behaving the way she did for the sake of the people. She was happy that she could curb the people¡¯s hunger every time she succeed in cultivating different medicinal herbs. I turned the page and read that she wrote a lot about a certain herb. It seemed that cultivation of this herb wasn¡¯t going well for her, and compared to the other herbs that she¡¯d been cultivating so far, this one had been stumping her for a while. That herb was important to her, but she had no choice but to leave it aside for now and focus on cultivating other herbs. I could also tell that she was frustrated. I skimmed the next entries because the contents remained the same and then I found an entry where she was overjoyed. She¡¯d found the last cultivation condition. I found the condition when I read the entry before this one. It was blessing and something else. I found a description that couldn¡¯t be overlooked. ¡°Golden magic¡­¡­¡± Ah, I knew it. Corinna-san called out to me while I was surprised, ¡°Do you know what this passage means?¡± Yup, absolutely. ??????? A few days after I found the shocking truth. I searched through the diary of ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿. I was confining myself in the corner of the distillation room since morning today, as well. It wasn¡¯t like I wasn¡¯t opposed to reading someone else¡¯s diary. But sometimes you have to do things that you would rather not¡­¡­ This was also for the sake of being able to use the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. I was just making excuses to myself while I read her diary. From the description written in the diary, blessing seemed to be the same thing as the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. It was as I¡¯d expected. And I thought that ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿was a ¡¾Saint¡¿since she could use that golden magic power. When I confirmed this with Corinna-san, she told me that I was right. Although, it wasn¡¯t known that blessing was the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. Because this was confidential information. Detailed information about blessing was only passed onto Klaussner¡¯s feudal lord and the person in charge of the distillation room. Due to the diary being top secret. I was worried that I would anger Feudal Lord-sama because I was reading such a document, but I worried for no reason. Corinna had received permission from Feudal Lord-sama beforehand. I was relieved to hear that. If I thought about it carefully, even if Corinna-san was in charge of the distillation room, she wouldn¡¯t just show top secret information of the fief to a stranger without permission from Feudal Lord-sama. It was fine for me to advance to the next stage now that I knew about blessing, but there was another problem. I didn¡¯t know the activation conditions for the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. To solve this, I¡¯ve been reading ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¯s¡¿diary for the past few days. I hoped that I would find some hints. But the progress wasn¡¯t going well. I couldn¡¯t find any description that described what I was hoping to find. I stretched while still seated in my chair when I finished reading the diary in my hand. The writing was beautiful, but my eyes got tired from reading the same text for a long time. I rubbed the corner of my eyes with both hands. I looked at the window and saw that the light shining from outside had already reached the back of the room. From how high the sun is right now, I¡¯d say it was about 3 o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t realise that the bell, that informed the time, had rang a while ago. I¡¯ve been reading since morning, should I go outside for a change of pace? I got up from the chair as soon as I thought that. ¡°Oh my, are you going out?¡± Corinna-san called out to me as I was leaving the back room. ¡°I thought I should get some fresh air.¡± I replied and she returned it with a wry smile. ¡°That might be nice.¡± Apparently I looked really tired. She patted my back as if she was cheering me on. I exited the distillation room and headed to the back of the castle. There was a small herb garden there for cultivation experiments. It didn¡¯t smell of medicinal herbs like in the distillation room, but I felt as if I was being healed and it was a nice change of pace. I arrived at the herb garden and sighed. I squatted down on the field, rested my jaw on my arms and absent-mindedly gazed at the scenery. Because my view was low, I could only see the herbs rustling in the wind. I emptied my mind for a short while and then it was dusk. Nevertheless, the investigation was more difficult than I¡¯d expected. The trials and errors of the cultivation were written in fine detail. So I had hoped that the conditions for blessing would also be written, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Pharmacist-sama only wrote about other conditions and about the people of the fief. No. I might have overlooked something. I thought. I stared at the herbs and recalled the contents of the diary. The thing she wrote about most after herb cultivation, was it about the fief¡¯s citizens? After that, she wrote about her daily life in detail. Come to think of it, she did name a few people too. I saw a certain man¡¯s name a lot. This is just a feeling I got from the writing, but was it her younger brother? She had written about him more than others, so it left an impression on me. Oh yeah, the first time she¡¯d used blessing was also for her brother. She originally cultivated herbs to heal a disease that was spreading throughout the fief. The symptoms of the disease progressed slowly, but if untreated, the person would get weaker and weaker until they eventually died. When her cultivation wasn¡¯t going well, the citizens fell to the disease one by one, and eventually her brother also fell victim to it. Then, ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿grew impatient. The herb was difficult to obtain; I don¡¯t know if she had found it earlier, or if she had cultivated it fast, but ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿wagered on it. The result was her win. Her younger brother and the citizens of the fief were able to recover safely, thanks to the potions she had made from the cultivated herbs. The entry on the day her brother¡¯s symptoms calmed down were wet and blurry. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s a mystery.¡± I tried to recall, but nothing of interest came to mind. Then, the hints are in the parts I can¡¯t remember? It wasn¡¯t possible to remember the diary word-by-word, so it was a possibility. But, was it something so trivial that I couldn¡¯t remember it? Even though I thought about it for a long time, I couldn¡¯t come up with an answer and my legs were going numb, so I stood up. I stretched my arms. I¡¯ve been reading the diary the whole time so my back bones cracked. I don¡¯t know if I was able to change my mood or not, but it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been out, so let¡¯s head back now. I turned back to head to the distillation room when I heard a crowd of people speaking. Turning towards the voices, I saw mercenaries heading back towards the castle. I stared intensely at their figures, because it was different from normal. They were in a rush. I saw someone familiar in the group and headed towards them. When I got closer, I understood the reason behind their attitude. They were probably on a subjugation because there were injured people. There were some who couldn¡¯t walk unless they borrowed someone else¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Are you okay!?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Jou-chan.¡± I ran up to Leo-san and his expression changed from a mixed one to a smiling one. I felt like most of the mercenaries were looking at me like, ¡®who the heck is that?¡¯, but some people looked at me and their expressions softened. I knew them because they had come to the distillation room to pick up potions before. The people next to them asked about me and some people explained who I was, I heard the word ¡®distillation room¡¯ from them. ¡°Are you returning from a subjugation?¡± ¡°Yes. Demons that don¡¯t usually appear on the forest edge were there. We were subjugating them. We still have our lives, but we were beaten.¡± ¡°It must have been tough. Are there a lot of injured people?¡± ¡°Yeah. But they¡¯re livelier than ever. It¡¯s thanks to the potions you made, Jou-chan.¡± The people, who were listening to the conversation between Leo-san and I, started a commotion. ¡°Did you make that potion, nee-chan?¡± ¡°We were saved thanks to you!¡± ¡°Without it, I¡¯d be dead by now.¡± ¡°The potion you made me drink was amazing!¡± My accursed 50% increase was doing a great job as usual. Leo-san¡¯s words started the chain as the mercenaries surrounded me and gave their thanks. Even though I had gotten used to the 3rd Knight Order, the mercenaries surrounding me were even bulkier than them, so the pressure I was feeling was high. I felt the ends of my mouth become stiff, but I want you to overlook something like that because of the pressure. ¡°Will you be receiving treatment at the castle after this?¡± ¡°Yeah. Even though the potions are better than normal, there are still some guys who need more treatment.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll head to the distillation room and prepare new potions for you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not something that needs to be healed with potions. It¡¯s enough just to get them wrapped up in bandages.¡± ¡°But some of them look seriously injured¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah. That¡¯s right. What should I do¡­¡­?¡± He refused, saying that new potions weren¡¯t necessary, but there were some people who couldn¡¯t even walk by themselves. When I told him that those people might need it, he was being evasive. Leo-san scratched his head, looking troubled. Rather than wait for it to heal naturally, it¡¯s more effective for them to heal quickly with a potion. I¡¯m sure Leo-san and the other know this since they¡¯re pros. Were they being mindful of the herb shortage? The amounts of potions used in a day might have already been decided. The potions sold to the mercenaries were always at a fixed number. Yup, why don¡¯t I quickly use recovery magic here? It looked like Leo-san and the others were patrolling and fighting every day, so it¡¯s better for them to be in perfect condition, isn¡¯t it? Was there no one at the castle who could use recovery magic? Of course, there aren¡¯t. I thought it was really odd when I first heard this since this was the Fief Capital, but all the fiefs were like this. In addition, only a few people could use magic and fewer could use recovery magic. So they all went to the Royal Capital. Yes, to the Court Mage Division. The Court Mage Division had a better salary than working for the local castle. Someone told me this. ¡°Mm, if you don¡¯t mind should I heal you?¡± ¡°Huh? If it¡¯s with a potion¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, not with a potion but with magic.¡± ¡°What?¡± As expected, the mercenaries and Leo-san all looked surprised. They probably didn¡¯t expect to find someone that could use recovery magic around them. ¡°Jou-chan, aren¡¯t you a pharmacist.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Leo had recovered and asked me suspiciously. How should I reply to him? I am a member of the Medicinal Herb Research Institute and I do have the pharmacy skill. Would it be fine just to say that I was a pharmacist? ¡°I¡¯m a pharmacist¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±¡±¡± I had a feeling that they were looking at me with eyes that said, ¡°What the heck is this chick saying,¡± but I paid it no heed. I felt like I would lose if I paid attention to that. I asked seriously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Leo-san seemed to have abandoned any thought and replied, ¡°Please.¡± After receiving permission, I casted ¡ºHEAL¡»on the people closest to me. They were injured but no one was close to death so it was probably fine if I didn¡¯t prioritise who I healed. It seemed that healing people with magic was rare and a lot of them saw it for the first time, so their eyes shone. With this number, it was faster to cast AOE magic, ¡ºAREA HEAL¡». But I steadily casted ¡ºHEAL¡»this time. Because magic with the name ¡®AREA¡¯ attached to it required a high skill level. It was rare to use recovery magic, if they found out I could use a higher level magic then I had a feeling that things would become troublesome. So even if it was a pain to heal them individually, I won¡¯t use ¡ºAREA HEAL¡». Leo-san¡¯s words broke my resolution. ¡°You¡¯re really skilful too.¡± ¡°I am?¡± ¡°Ah. I¡¯ve seen a court mage heal before, but your healing is even better than theirs, Jou-chan.¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re this good, you¡¯ll probably be called by the Knight Order too.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°They also received heavy damage.¡± The Knight Order also received damage? He¡¯s talking about the 3rd Knight Order, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yeah, we didn¡¯t come back together but they looked seriously injured.¡± ¡°Seems they went in deeper than us, so that¡¯s probably why.¡± ¡°A lot of demons have spawned further into the forest, so it¡¯s more chaotic there. You have to prepare properly before going in.¡± ¡°Excuse me, is the Knight Order the one who came from the Royal Capital?¡± ¡°Ah, yup.¡± I was filled with dread and chills ran down my spine at the mercenaries¡¯ confirmation. The smiling face of Captain-san always appeared in my mind after I thought about the knights. Then, I saw the scene from that time. ¡°Hey!¡± Leo-san was surprised at the rapid speed of my magic power and called out, but his voice no longer reached me. ¡°¡ºAREA HEAL¡»¡± After casting ¡ºAREA HEAL¡»on the mercenaries, I left them and ran towards where the knights were on standby. I didn¡¯t even turn back when a voice called out to me from behind. Inside the castle, I glanced sideways at the surprised maids and ran to the separate building where the knights were stationed. How long has it been since I¡¯ve run this hard? I feel like I¡¯m running faster than when I was in my previous world. I might be able to enter the Olympics now. I desperately ran while thinking such thoughts. I also thought that I wasn¡¯t in a situation where I could think about other things, but if I don¡¯t think, I think I would be really frustrated. I remembered what the mercenaries said before. They¡¯d said that the knights had received more damage, but how were their injuries? I had participated in subjugation missions while at the Royal Capital and I have seen them injured before. If the damage they¡¯d received was the same as that time, then it was still alright. The people from the Court Mage Division that accompanied us could also heal well. However, if they received more damage than the mercenaries, then that meant that more people were injured than usual. Usually, fewer knights were injured compared to the mercenaries from earlier. Is he alright? I suddenly thought and drew my lips together. It didn¡¯t matter what state he¡¯s in, as long as he¡¯s alive. Then I¡¯ll do my best to heal him. I renewed my determination and headed towards where the knights were stationed. I saw the knights coming back in groups at the same time I saw the building. There really are a lot of injured people. The number of people borrowing other people¡¯s shoulders to walk were more than the mercenaries. I instinctively frowned. The entrance of their station was crowded with injured people. ¡°Sei!!!¡± When I approached them, someone among them noticed me and called out to me. All the other knights also turned towards me when they heard that. Everyone¡¯s tired expressions changed to a relieved one. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, as you can see, no one died.¡± I was also relieved at those words. ¡°We¡¯re getting treatment inside but¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± ¡°Sorry, that¡¯ll be great.¡± When I interrupted his words, he looked apologetic as he thanked me. No, no. Even though I came here because I was interested in the sacred ground for pharmacists, we still came here together for subjugation. It was only natural that I also participate in curing them. He didn¡¯t ask for help, even though he was so apologetic. So I smiled at the knight. The entrance to the building was crowded, but when people noticed that I was coming through they opened up a road for me. When I entered the hall, it was just as equally crowded inside as out. The Court Mages were seated at the back of the hall and injured people were lined up before them. It seemed that they were treating minor injuries. Severely injured people were sitting or lying down along both sides of the walls. Another mage was walking between those people and casting recovery magic on them in turns. Now then, where¡¯s Captain-san? No matter what I do, I should first confirm the situation with him and ask him what I should do. I thought and looked around but I didn¡¯t see his familiar blonde hair. Has he not returned yet? Or¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t see him and the heavy feeling in my heart grew. No, the knights said it before, didn¡¯t they? No one died. I shook my head to get rid of the nasty thoughts. I looked around restlessly for Captain-san and one of the knights, who I accidently met eyes with, beckoned at me. When I looked towards there, I saw a crowd of people. Captain-san might be there. I walked quickly towards that spot and saw Captain-san sitting on a chair through a gap between the crowds of people. What¡¯s wrong with him? He seemed to be completely exhausted but I couldn¡¯t see his expression because he was facing the floor. ¡°Hawk-sa¡­¡­¡± I tried to call out to him and froze. Someone who looked like a servant was wrapping a white cloth around Captain-san¡¯s head. I saw a little dull, red colour spread onto the white cloth. Did he injure his head? ¡­¡­ His head?! My face quickly paled. Having a head injury is bad. I have to heal it quickly! When I thought that, I felt a familiar feeling swell up around my chest. ¡°This is-!¡± ¡°Sei!¡± Eh? What is it? Although I couldn¡¯t understand the reason and was panicking, the magic swelling up inside me didn¡¯t stop. Light gold and white magic started drifting in the air and gradually covered the whole hall. The knights noticed the magic in the air and started getting noisy. Ah, what should I do? No, anyway¡­¡­ I broke off my thoughts that were becoming chaotic and remembered my original purpose. Yes, the treatment. I have to heal him. The moment I thought that, the skill activated and the magic that filled the hall reacted. The light was stronger than usual and my vision was dyed in white. The people in the hall were healed just as I¡¯d expected they would from the light. Loud cheers could be heard when my vision returned to normal. ¡°Sei?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Hawk-sama, are you alright?¡± ¡°Yeah, my injury wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that bad¡­¡­ Even though you injured your head?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It only seemed like a big deal because of the blood.¡± I was surprised at the skill activating, but Captain-san brought me back to my senses when he called out to me. Of course, the skill also healed Captain-san¡¯s injuries. Blood wasn¡¯t flowing out of his head even though the servant had released the pressure. I sighed in relief at that. ¡°Anyway, that skill just now was it¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± Everyone knew what it was even if it wasn¡¯t said aloud. He probably just wanted to ask if that was the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique or not. I nodded in the middle of Captain-san¡¯s sentence. Even so, why did the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique activate now? It wasn¡¯t like with recovery magic where it spread out of my body because of my intention, now is it? I¡¯m sure that something triggered it but¡­¡­ I thought about different things and then recalled what was written in¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¯s¡¿diary. I¡¯m sure when ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿activated the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique, she was frustrated that her brother¡¯s illness had taken a turn for the worse. Is that frustration the trigger? It could be said that for this case that was the one thing in common. I might have lost my head when I saw Captain-san¡¯s injuries. It wasn¡¯t just this time, but I was like this when we were at the West Forest too. But, the situation at the research institute had been a little different. I was certainly frustrated at that time because I couldn¡¯t find a way to increase the effects of the potions. However, if the skill could be activated with just that much frustration, then I should have been able to use it at the Court Mage Division¡¯s training grounds. The pressure coming from Head Magician-sama, who was standing next to me at those times, wasn¡¯t a joke. I thought that I was pretty frustrated at those times. But it still didn¡¯t activate. If it isn¡¯t frustration, then what the earth could¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­ i. Sei?¡± My consciousness raised to the surface at the voice calling out to me. I seemed to have pondered too hard. I met Captain-san¡¯s eyes and he looked worried since he had called out to me many times but I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking a little.¡± ¡°I see. About the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique?¡± ¡°Yes. About why I was able to activate it¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Captain-san put his hands to his chin when he heard my words and pondered. The knights around us, who had also heard us talk, also pondered. I was very thankful that they cooperated with me in this way. Listening to other people might bring new ideas onto the table. Everyone was piling in their ideas and it felt like we were comrades. Comrades¡­¡­ Comrades, are we? Come to think of it, when I first activated the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique at the research institute I was thinking of the researchers and knights from the 3rd Knight Order. Could it be that thinking about my comrades is the trigger? Mm, isn¡¯t it a bit weak as a trigger? But I feel like I¡¯ll know what the trigger is some time in the near future. When I was at the research institute, I surely¡­¡­ When I tried to recall as much as I could about the first time I activated the technique, I noticed something different. Something in my chest finally started moving. I was surprised for a second and stopped thinking about it; then that feeling also started calming down. I unintentionally frowned. ¡°Sei, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Captain-san called out to me when he saw my expression but I couldn¡¯t answer him frankly. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Ugh¡­¡­ Even if you look at me with such eyes, I can¡¯t talk about it. Because, because¡­¡­ Captain-san, I was able to activate the technique because I was thinking about you; how could I say something like that!?!? It¡¯s so embarrassing, I can¡¯t do it! I really can¡¯t say it out loud! Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 3 - CH 6 ¡°Haaah ~~~~~~.¡± I holed myself in my room since morning and was experimenting, but I fell flat onto the writing desk and let out a big sigh since the results were just as I had expected. Even though I had predicted how this would turn out, it wasn¡¯t a favourable outcome. To tell the truth, this outcome wasn¡¯t something I wanted. Yesterday, I had activated the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique at the place where the knights were stationed. It was great that I could activate it. I was surprised that it suddenly activated, but I was able to cure the knights¡¯ injuries because it did. I was glad that I found out the conditions to activate it since I didn¡¯t know what the activation conditions were at all until now thus preventing me from activating it. I thought that it was good that I could activate it whenever I wanted. I was very happy that this would lessen the stress of a certain Division Head-sama. The problem was the activation condition¡­¡­ Why is the activation condition Captain-san!!! I tried many things since morning. Captain-san wasn¡¯t the only person I thought about when I activated the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique before. I also thought about Jude, Director, the researchers and the knights I knew. I tried to activate the technique while thinking about different people that I knew. However, the magic in question wouldn¡¯t even activate if I thought about people other than Captain-san. I was reluctant, but the last thing I did was think about Captain-san as I tried to activate it and¡­¡­ I endured my embarrassment as I thought about him and then I felt magic stirring from within me. The magic would stop if I prayed for it to stop when I felt the slight movements. It seemed that I could stop it at will as well. To be honest, if I was alone in my room then I¡¯d hit the desk and yell in a really loud voice. Because, you know? I have to think about Captain-san every time I want to use this technique, don¡¯t I?! Isn¡¯t that torture!? However, Marie-san and a few maids were in the room. I couldn¡¯t cover my face with both hands and roll around on the floor either. The only thing I could do in this situation was sigh. ¡°Sei-sama, why don¡¯t you take a break now?¡± A worried voice came from behind me when I was drooping my head down. It was Marie-san. ¡°Thank you very much. I¡¯ll do that.¡± When I looked up from the desk, I saw that Marie-san was smiling and that tea had already been prepared at the lounge suite. I¡¯ll take her up on the offer and have a break. There were sandwiches and fruits on top of the table, as well as sweets for tea. It was obvious that I¡¯d seen this food before. They were the same things I made when I was at the research institute. I glanced at Marie and she smiled, ¡°Enjoy your food.¡± My stomach growled a little. Which reminds me, I woke up this morning, got dressed and started my experiments straight away so I haven¡¯t had anything to eat. Thinking it over carefully, I didn¡¯t have anything for dinner yesterday either. Yesterday, I secluded myself in my room as soon as I returned from the knights¡¯ station. I usually try to eat three meals a day. But, I didn¡¯t eat anything for dinner yesterday and I sat on the desk since morning with a frown on my face. She was probably worried about me. That was what I felt when I looked at the things on the table. She probably thought that I would feel like eating something that I was used to eating. I felt bad about it and put the sandwich in my mouth. I got hungry as soon as I did that. The sandwich disappeared in an instant and then I noticed that the maids looked relieved when I reached for the sweets. It wasn¡¯t just Marie-san, they were all worried about me. I¡¯m really, really sorry¡­¡­ I took a sip of my tea when I finished eating and Marie-san informed me of the guests that visited while I was confining myself in my room. The more I listened, the more I realised that I had made a lot of people worry and I felt ashamed. I had returned to my room without visiting the distillation room, so even Corinna-san came to visit me. And of course, Captain-san as well. However, Marie-san saw what I looked like when I came back to my room and she decided to act as my messenger. I was really thankful for her thoughtfulness. I didn¡¯t mind seeing Corinna-san, but I couldn¡¯t meet Captain-san in that state. I basically ran away from the knights¡¯ station after I activated the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. Even though Captain-san was calling out to me to stop, I ignored him. It¡¯s Captain-san, so he¡¯s probably really worried about me. But I didn¡¯t know how I should act when I meet him. I thought he was my type when I first met him. And after seeing him a lot, I also realised that he was a good person. But this was the first time that I was aware of this. Would I be able to act as I always have around him the next time we meet? I¡¯m extremely anxious. Even so, it¡¯s difficult to keep avoiding Captain-san. We have to go on demon subjugations. Yup, work, work. It¡¯s not good to abandon my work. If I think that it¡¯s work then I might not be overly conscious about it when I activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. I¡¯m not too sure, but let¡¯s do it. ¡°Thanks for the meal.¡± ¡°What are your plans for today?¡± ¡°I wanted to go to the distillation room.¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± I headed to the distillation room after my meal. It seemed that Corinna-san also visited my room yesterday. She¡¯s probably worried about me so I should visit her. There¡¯s also the thing about blessing. I wasn¡¯t sure what blessing was but I could finally activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. I can conduct many experiments from now on. If my experiments go well, then I could obtain the herbs I want. I got really excited thinking about the future. First, I need to get more information about blessing and then I need to receive permission from Corinna-san to conduct experiments¡­¡­ I headed towards the distillation room with those things in mind. ¡°Are you alright now?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡± Corinna-san called out to me as soon as I entered the distillation room. She really was worried after all. She replied, ¡°If you¡¯re fine then that¡¯s good,¡± when I lowered my head. Our greetings were rushed and she took me to the back room when I told her I had something to discuss with her. I had said it in a small voice, but she understood my intentions. I wanted to discuss blessing with her. The contents will contain confidential information, so I wanted to avoid talking about it in a room full of people. ¡°You want to experiment with blessing?¡± ¡°Yes. But first of all, I want to read the document again.¡± ¡°What are you planning to do after you read the document?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll probably experiment with some medicinal herbs. I¡¯d also like to borrow some flowerpots.¡± ¡°Flowerpots?¡± ¡°If I suddenly experiment on the fields and fail then it¡¯ll be troublesome, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re right. Okay, I¡¯ll get the things together.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I decided to use flowerpots for the blessing experiments at first. It probably wouldn¡¯t be a problem if I activated the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique like I did at the Medicinal Herb Research Institute, but I¡¯m just being cautious. Corinna-san said that she would have everything ready by the afternoon, so I decided to review the documents in the meantime. ??????? In the afternoon, I received a message saying that my experiment equipment was ready so I headed to the designated place with Corinna-san. The place that she took me to was at the back of the castle, near the herb field used for herb cultivation experiments. A wooden staircase-type stand was put there and there were five bisque pots on top of it. There were pots that already contained soil in them, but there were also pots that were being filled with soil by the gardeners at the moment. When Corinna-san and I approached them, the most elderly gardener turned towards us, ¡°We only have these flowerpots right now. Do you still need more?¡± ¡°No, this is enough. I might ask you to change the soil again if I fail, or something like that.¡± ¡°I see. Please let me know if you need anything.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± According to Corinna-san, the gardeners would help out with herb cultivation as well and they had a relationship of convenience. The gardener finished talking with Corinna-san and returned to his work. After a while, all the pots were filled with dirt and the gardeners went to work at a different place. Corinna-san confirmed that we were the only two left and spoke, ¡°Well then, shall we start?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I turned to face the flowerpots on Corinna-san¡¯s command. Then, I suddenly realised. ¡°What kind of herb is that?¡± ¡°I prepared some seeds for the fastest growing herb in the world. See, look.¡± Corinna-san said and took out a small bag containing seeds from her skirt pockets. I wonder if those seeds need blessing. Corinna-san nodded as I confirmed it with her. She chose it with blessing in mind. Afterwards, she taught me what kind of seeds they were. I recalled the cultivation conditions for the seed and immediately sowed them. The other fertilisers were being prepared by the gardeners, so all I had to do was sow the seeds. Put the seeds on top of the soil and then put more soil on top of them. I held the flowerpot in my hands and thought a little. I will activate the technique from now on, but how do I activate it? When I activated it back at the research institute, I felt like I was praying for the medicinal herbs to be more effective. In this case, I¡¯m growing the herbs from the seeds so do I pray that they grow up healthy? For now, let¡¯s try praying for that. I stopped moving when I tried to activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. I accidentally recalled that I have to think about Captain-san in order to activate the technique. Blood rushed to my face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°N-nothing, it¡¯s nothing.¡± It might have been odd for me to stop moving because Corinna-san looked at me strangely. I couldn¡¯t tell her the reason even if she asked. I can¡¯t say it. I quickly replied and concentrated on the flowerpot again. Gah, work, this is work. I have to concentrate. I rearranged my thoughts and felt magic surging from within my chest when I thought about Captain-san, like it did this morning. I didn¡¯t stop it this time and let it flow from within me. Since the target was the flowerpot in my hand, I didn¡¯t forget to adjust the magic to both my hands when I activated the recovery spell. Here, I could feel the magic manipulation technique that Head Magician-sama taught me. ¡°This is¡­¡­¡± As expected, a white haze with gold particles mixed in it spread to the soil of the pot. Corinna-san, who was next to me, raised her voice in admiration. Now then, this much magic is enough, right? I activated the skill while praying that it would grow up healthily. The magic reacted with the soil and then light split open after shining brightly. The sparkling gold particles rained down onto the flowerpot. ¡°Did it work?¡± ¡°I wonder? But I did activate the technique.¡± ¡°Is that so? It won¡¯t sprout if the technique doesn¡¯t work, so we¡¯ll just have to wait and see.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Now this one.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She handed me a new bag. I thought that she wanted me to pray something else while activating the technique on the same seeds, but she wanted to experiment with different seeds as well. Corinna-san approved of my experiment when I explained it to her and it was decided that I would combine the prayer with different kinds of seeds in my experiment. It was really mortifying to think of Captain-san every time I activated the technique. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°The fastest seeds sprout buds in about two or three days.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come check on the herbs everyday just in case.¡± ¡°Ok. That¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go back.¡± I finished casting the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique and Corinna-san tapped me on the back. I smiled when she complimented me and we headed to the distillation room. I turned back when I¡¯d walked a few paces and saw Leo-san walking towards us. He laughed when he saw us and ran. I wonder what¡¯s wrong, I thought and looked next to me. Corinna-san also didn¡¯t know what was happening and she also looked at him in wonder. I thought that he was looking for Corinna-san but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Leo-san stopped in front of me and grabbed my shoulders. ¡°Please join the mercenaries!¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± It was so sudden that I had to ask him to repeat himself. If I¡¯m not mistaken, he told me to join the mercenaries, didn¡¯t he? What the hell does he mean? ¡°Mm, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I said I want you to join the mercenaries!¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­? I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m being solicited. Why are you inviting me to join?¡± When I asked for an explanation, he spoke with excitement. It started the other day when I treated the mercenary group. To begin with, few people could use magic and even fewer could use recovery magic. Therefore, most of the people who could use recovery magic moved to the Royal Capital, so there were none left at the fiefs. Of course, Klaussner wasn¡¯t an exception. Then I, who could use recovery magic, appeared. If they had someone that could use recovery magic, then their subjugation missions would be safer and more efficient. Moreover, the ¡ºAREA HEAL¡»that I used on the mercenaries couldn¡¯t be used unless the holy attribute level was high. Therefore, they were able to deduct that the level of my holy attribute magic skills was high. And they concluded that it was a waste for me to be a pharmacist and decided to invite me on subjugations. ¡°Wait a minute. What do you mean that it¡¯s a waste for her to be a pharmacist?¡± ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯m not looking down on pharmacists or something. It¡¯s just that it would be a waste to ignore someone with high level recovery magic, isn¡¯t it?¡± The temperature of Corinna-san¡¯s gaze dropped when Leo-san said ¡°pharmacists or something¡±. Corinna-san questioned him with an equally cold voice and a line of sweat dripped down from Leo-san¡¯s temple. However, Leo-san repeated his claim under Corinna-san¡¯s overwhelmingly threatening attitude. ¡°I know that mages are rarer than pharmacists. That¡¯s why I get what you¡¯re trying to say. But you can¡¯t have Sei.¡± ¡°WHY NOT?!¡± The conversation continued between Corinna-san and Leo-san without me. Of course, like Corinna-san said, I had no intentions of joining the mercenaries so I just listened to their conversation. To begin with, I came from the Royal Capital. I wasn¡¯t going to be at Klaussner forever. And also¡­¡­ The surrounding temperature dropped considerably. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on the person behind Leo-san. The gaze on Leo-san was colder than Corinna-san¡¯s. It probably wasn¡¯t my imagination when I felt the temperature drop around us. Mm¡­¡­ Is his magic leaking out? The reason I wanted to ask that question was to escape from reality. Captain-san came up from behind Leo-san with a cold expression on his face. The aura around Leo-san and Captain-san was dangerous. ¡°What? We are talking here.¡± ¡°Is that so? And how long are you going to grip her shoulders for?¡± Huh? This feels like the first time I¡¯ve heard Leo-san talking formally. Ah, I see. Captain-san is a noble, so Leo-san was being respectful. I thought absentmindedly and Captain-san walked up to me and pulled Leo-san¡¯s hands from my shoulders. The aura between Leo-san and Captain-san became more dangerous. ¡°Then, what were you talking about?¡± ¡°It is nothing big.¡± ¡°You see, Leo wants to invite Sei to join the mercenaries.¡± Leo-san didn¡¯t answer because the matter was related to the mercenaries, but Corinna-san answered for him. ¡°Granny!¡± Leo-san quickly turned towards Corinna, but she acted like it didn¡¯t concern her and looked nonchalant. Captain-san, who heard that, calmed down a little. ¡°She won¡¯t be joining the mercenaries. ¡° ¡°Why are you the one to decide that? She has nothing to do with you, does she?¡± ¡°It does concern me. She came with us from the Royal Capital.¡± ¡°Huh? So she¡¯s from the Court Mage Division? What¡¯s a mage doing making potions in the distillation room?¡± Mm, it¡¯s my hobby you know. That¡¯s not it, it¡¯s my job. I don¡¯t even belong to the Court Mage Division to begin with. I whispered in my mind and Leo-san must have noticed something because he looked taken aback. ¡°No, wait. Are you perhaps the ¡¾Saint¡¿?¡± Corinna-san rebuked him, ¡°Don¡¯t say her title,¡± as soon as he¡¯d said that. I looked at the stunned Leo-san and suddenly realised. Huh? Come to think of it, did I not tell him that I was the ¡¾Saint¡¿? I¡¯d only just remembered such an important thing right now. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH ss1 I put butter, sugar, egg, flour and the most important ingredient into a bowl and mixed. Of course, I didn¡¯t mix them all at once. I mixed the ingredients in order, according to the recipe that I¡¯d remembered from my time in Japan. A lot of people mess up because they don¡¯t follow the measurements and steps while making sweets. When I came to this world, I surprised people when I made food with medicinal herbs or the so-called herbs, but the ingredients I¡¯m using to make this sweet is also used for medicine. In my world, the ingredient, cocoa, was also used in medicines for longevity. It was one of the ingredients for chocolate. Chocolate is sold at the Royal Capital, and I was happy when I found it. Since they had so much chocolate for sale, I started searching and found some cocoa. Today, I¡¯m going to make brownies with cocoa. Seasons have passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. And it should be February in Japan. I wanted to make some sweets with chocolate when I remembered this. I didn¡¯t have a boyfriend when I was a student, but I made chocolate sweets every year to give to friends. I poured the mixture into moulds and put it in the oven. Now, time to wait. I read a book while waiting. Then, a sweet smell tingled my nose when I was immersed in my book. It should be done soon. I thought, then opened the oven. It was baked nicely. ¡°What¡¯re you making today?¡± When I took the brownies out of the oven and put them on a table to cool, Jude came; probably because he was lured by the smell. Apparently, this was his first time seeing baked sweets made from chocolate. He tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°Did you burn it?¡± ¡°Nope, it¡¯s supposed to be this colour.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± It certainly does look burnt if someone has never seen brownies before. No, but you should be able to tell from the smell. ¡°It looks like you messed up.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give you any if you say that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking. Sorry,¡± Jude quickly apologised when I told him I wasn¡¯t giving him any. Jude really likes sweets. So much so, that he¡¯s the first researcher to come taste my food whenever I cook. But, the people who taste it first are actually the chefs who cook with me. I think it tastes better if it cools down, but there is someone here who can¡¯t wait to try it in front of me, so I cut off bite-size slices from the edge. It looks delicious, but how does it taste? I put a piece in my mouth, and it was as delicious as it was in the past. ¡°Do you want to try some?¡± There were no chefs here because I baked by myself today. I wanted to hear someone else¡¯s opinion, so I asked Jude, and he nodded happily. I tried to find a small plate so I could give him a piece, but he couldn¡¯t wait and opened his mouth. Huh? What? Are you telling me to put it in your mouth? Fine then. I smiled wryly and put a piece in his mouth. Jude smiled after he¡¯d chewed a bit. ¡°Tasty?¡± I asked, and he nodded in reply. I¡¯m glad you like it. Then, Director showed up. ¡°Ooh, you¡¯re making something today too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not finished yet, but do you want to try some?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Director was also one of my regular food tasters. Director laughed when I put a piece on a small plate for him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to feed it to me?¡± ¡°Wait, you saw that?¡± My face turned red as blood rushed to my face from embarrassment. He told me that he arrived when I was feeding Jude the brownie. He said he just watched us because he thought it would be rude to interrupt. Still, he should have pretended that he didn¡¯t see anything! I thought and glared at Director. He laughed and patted my head. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH ss2 Seasons have passed since I¡¯ve been summoned. And it should be February in Japan. I wanted to make some sweets with chocolate when I remembered this. I didn¡¯t have a boyfriend when I was a student, but I made chocolate sweets every year for friends. I¡¯ve looked for different ingredients in this world since I cook at the research institute, but there were still some I haven¡¯t found yet. Chocolate is sold at the Royal Capital, and I was happy when I found it. Since they had so much chocolate for sale, I started searching and found some cocoa. Today, I¡¯m going to make brownies with cocoa. I gave the finished brownies to my colleagues at the research institute, and they loved it. Jude loves sweets, so he also tried my brownies and even ate two. By the way, Director did too. I thought they tasted good enough, so I was bringing some to the 3rd Knight Order barracks today. I¡¯m a little worried since I heard that Captain-san doesn¡¯t really like sweet food. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I arrived at the barracks, gave my greetings and entered Captain-san¡¯s office. He stood up from his chair and greeted me. Then, he urged me to sit down on the lounge suite sofa. ¡°I heard from Johan that you made a new type of sweets,¡± he said as soon as he sat down. I was a bit surprised by this. He¡¯d gotten this information quite fast. ¡°I went to see Johan last night and he boasted about them,¡± Captain-san smiled wryly and explained because I was surprised. Somehow, I can picture how he looked at that time. Honestly, that person¡­ I laughed in amazement and there was a knock at the door. The maid entered the room with tea after she¡¯d received Captain-san¡¯s reply. I sometimes come here for tea, and they always bring it straight away. The knight outside of the office must have asked a maid to bring some for us. I received the tea from the maid, placed the brownies I had brought with me on a plate and put it next to the tea cup. Captain-san saw this and laughed happily. ¡°You brought some for me.¡± ¡°I did. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯d like it though, since I heard that you don¡¯t like sweet food¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, but I wanted to try some after hearing about it from Johan.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was thinking of visiting the research institute tomorrow if you hadn¡¯t brought them with you.¡± Eeeh?! He¡¯ll go that far for the brownies? I was a little surprised that he was looking forward to eating them. I widened my eyes. Captain-san looked at me and smiled. His smile was sweeter than the brownies or any other sweet. Stop making that face! You¡¯re embarrassing me! I averted my eyes to stop my heart from throbbing violently, and sat down. ¡­ I¡¯ve sat down, but he told me to drink the tea straight away like he normally does. This is strange. I looked at Captain-san and he opened his mouth when our eyes met. What is it? I tilted my head and froze, then he smiled mischievously. ¡°I heard that you fed your colleague when he tasted it for you.¡± ¡°What?!¡± I do know what he¡¯s talking about. It¡¯s true that I had fed Jude like a fletching when he¡¯d opened his mouth to taste it. And we were seen by Director. His information source is Director?! But, never mind Jude, I wonder if it would be good manners to feed Captain-san since he¡¯s a noble. ¡°Mm¡­ Isn¡¯t that a breach of mannerism?¡± ¡°In a public place, yes. But we¡¯re the only ones here right now so it¡¯s fine,¡± he declared with his face full of expectation, so I could only give up. ¡°I see¡­¡± I mustered up my courage and put a brownie into Captain-san¡¯s mouth. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH ss3 It¡¯s hot. It¡¯s nearly autumn, but the summer heat still lingers in the day time. I rode the donkey wagon to the Court Mage Division in this heat while wearing a hat, to avoid getting a heatstroke. I¡¯m delivering potions. One day, Head Magician-sama heard that my potions were 50% more effective than regular potions and requested some for himself. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I headed to Head Magician-sama¡¯s office to deliver the potions, knocked on the door and then entered. I¡¯d entered because I received a reply from inside, but Head Magician-sama wasn¡¯t here. But, Intelligent Glasses-sama was. Umm, I wonder if I can just give them to Intelligent Glasses-sama. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver the potions that Dreves-sama asked for,¡± Anyway, I told him why I was here from the entrance, and he nodded and told me where to put the potions, ¡°Put them over there.¡± The servant, who had come with me, put the crate in the designated place. I gave him the delivery statement, and he confirmed whether the ordered amount and delivered amount was the same. In the meantime, I looked around the office and sweat trickled down from my forehead to my chin. The windows were opened, but there was no wind, so the room was hot. But it still felt colder than outside because there was no sunlight. Aah, I miss air-cons¡­¡­ I thought as I wiped my sweat with a handkerchief and then Intelligent Glasses-sama suddenly looked at me. I¡¯m sweating, but he¡¯s not sweating at all even though his robes look thicker than mine. How does he stay cool in this heat? ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot?¡± I don¡¯t know whether it was because I was hot or if it was because I was blanking out. I blabbed the question that was on my mind. I immediately regretted saying it, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind and gave me an answer, ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not using any enchanted items?¡± ¡°Enchanted items, you say?¡± Enchanted items? Could it be that he¡¯s wearing an enchanted item to stay cool? I tilted my head in curiosity, and he removed his pendant. The pendant had a simple design with a blue-grey stone on top. He walked towards me with the pendant and gave it to me without saying anything. I took it, and he said, ¡°Wear it,¡± so I put it on. What is this? The heat I felt before disappeared as if I was imagining it and cold air drifted around my body. What is this? Wow. ¡°This is amazing. I became cool just by wearing it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± It was like I was in a nice air-conditioned room the moment I put it on, and my discomfort disappeared at once. I was surprised by the effect, and Intelligent Glasses-sama smiled as he watched me. ¡°You can keep it if you want.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± According to him, he could cool his body without any items because he has an aptitude for ice magic. Apparently, he¡¯d only used this item because the effects could be activated without him having to think about, so it wasn¡¯t a hassle. In that case, wouldn¡¯t it become a hassle again if I take it? But, he signed the delivery statement and gave it back to me as if saying there was no use in arguing. Is it alright for me to receive something this expensive in the first place? I thought, but he had already returned to his paperwork because we were done and I lost to the temptation of the cool temperature; so I returned to the research institute. ¡°Mm? What¡¯s with that pendant?¡± Director noticed my pendant when I came back to the research institute and was wearing something I hadn¡¯t been wearing when I left. ¡°I got it from Deputy Head Magician, Hawk-sama.¡± ¡°What?¡± I explained to the surprised Director what had happened, and his eyes widened in surprise. I had been surprised that Intelligent Glasses-sama had given me such an expensive magic enchanted item, but Director was astonished. Is it really that surprising? I don¡¯t think it is. Anyway, I can feel cool for the rest of the summer thanks to the pendant I¡¯d received from him. I¡¯ll send him something as a thank you present next time. I thought and left Director who had frozen and returned to work. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH ss4 ¡°I want to eat shaved ice.¡± ¡°Shaved ice?¡± I was in the middle of training at the Court Mage Division¡¯s training grounds. I couldn¡¯t help but say that because it was so hot. Shaved ice is popular in Japan, but it doesn¡¯t exist in Slantania Kingdom. Head Magician-sama tilted his head in confusion when he heard my mutter. ¡°I ate it a lot in my hometown.¡± ¡°What kind of food is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s made from shaved ice, and then you put fruit syrup on top.¡± ¡°Shaved ice¡­¡± Ice was precious in this world, so they didn¡¯t make sweets out of ice. Hence, it seemed like he couldn¡¯t imagine what it looked like, and thoroughly asked me about shaved ice. Still, I couldn¡¯t remember what shaved ice machines looked like, so I could only explain what I knew. Nevertheless, he seemed to understand it to a certain degree. After he thought for a while, he cast ice magic. As a result, an ice pillar towered over the training grounds. I looked at the ice pillar that was taller than me and thought, what the heck is he trying to do? I looked at him, and this time, he cast wind magic. The ice was scraped off by the magic before my eyes. ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± I saw stunned by the mountain of shaved ice in the training grounds. Cold air drifted through the area thanks to the ice mountain. ¡°You can make it if you have syrup, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± I tilted my head at his surprising words. Shall we go? Where? He said syrup so are we going to the research institute¡¯s dining hall? I followed the smiling Head Magician-sama without knowing where we were going, and we ended up at the Royal Palace¡¯s dining hall. The chefs all looked as if they were questioning why he¡¯d come. Amongst the chefs, I found a chef who comes to the research institute dining hall. ¡°Can I help you with something?¡± ¡°Could we borrow some space? We¡¯d like to make something.¡± ¡°You want to make something?¡± ¡°Yes. Also, do you have any fruit syrup? We want to use that.¡± Head Magician-sama answered the timid chef. Even though the request was abrupt, the chef showed us to a corner of the kitchen probably because he¡¯d cooked with me before. ¡°Is here fine?¡± ¡°Yes, thanks.¡± Another chef brought us some fruit syrup and jam. They also brought us other things we needed, such as plates as instructed by Head Magician and I. The preparations were done, and he recast the magic he¡¯d cast at the training ground. He made a small ice pillar on top of the big plate and shaved it to create a mountain of shaved ice on the plate. I put some shaved ice into a small bowl, and put syrup on top before carrying it into my mouth with a spoon. Oh yes. This is exactly what I wanted! I absolutely love this coldness and sweetness! After tasting it, I made another bowl for Head Magician-sama and gave it to him. He looked at the shaved ice in anticipation. Not waiting any longer, he scooped a mouthful and put it in his mouth. He looked surprised, and the corners of his mouth went up. ¡°Ooh¡­ This is nice on hot days.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s something that you want to eat in summer.¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± After that, we ate our shaved ice in silence. I received permission from Head Magician, so I served some for the chefs to eat since they were looking at us in curiosity. I heard them raise their voice in surprise. ¡°Aah, that was good.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sigh because I hadn¡¯t eaten shaved ice in so long. It¡¯ll probably still be hot for a while, so I want to eat it again. But it¡¯s hard to make this much ice. Head Magician-sama made some for me this time because he was interested in shaved ice. ¡°Thank you for making the ice.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I was also able to try a new type of sweets.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so happy that I got to eat shaved ice again.¡± ¡°If you want to eat it, then I¡¯ll make as much ice as you want.¡± ¡°REALLY?!¡± I replied quickly because I was happy with his offer. Head Magician-sama put his hand to his mouth when he saw this and turned to the side. Huh? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s laughing? His shoulders were shaking a bit. I feel like our positions have changed. Whatever. I really wanted to eat shaved ice, you know! Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH ss5 Night Would you mind going with me to the Royal Capital? One day, I received this invitation from Captain-san. Apparently, there was a little festival in town. I¡¯ve been to town before, but it was quite a while ago, so I thought it would be fine to go again after so long, and accepted his invitation. The festival was in the evening so I can go after I finish my work. It seems like some researchers will be in town on that day. I decided to go with the researchers, based on what had happened last time and will meet with Captain-san in town. I¡¯d rather not sit closely together in a narrow carriage. Then a few days later, it was finally time for the festival. I boarded the carriage with the researchers, and we headed to town. Since it was night, the researchers were all going to wait with me at the meeting place. It¡¯s not like I wouldn¡¯t have been fine by myself, but it would be too late if something were to happen, so I accepted their offer. But, they didn¡¯t have to wait with me for long, because Captain-san immediately came to the meeting place. ¡°Did you wait long?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± The meeting place was a bit far from the centre of the festival. We set this as a meeting place because the festival gets really crowded and it would be easier to find someone here. Captain-san was wearing the same clothes he had when we went out to town last time, so it was easy to see him heading this way. We greeted each other and then headed to the centre. The researchers handed me over to Captain-san and quickly disappeared into the crowd. As soon as we started walking, Captain-san smoothly took my hand. Apparently, I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape if we hold hands while walking. Not only that, we look like lovers right now!!! I looked up at Captain-san in surprise, and he smiled sweetly when he noticed my gaze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± I wanted him to let go off my hand, but I couldn¡¯t say anything when I saw that expression. Uoaah¡­ Concentrate on the festival and forget this. I¡¯ll do that. I decided and enjoyed the bustling scene in front of me. On the side of the road to the centre, there were rows of stalls. The last time I went to the market, they had a lot of stalls selling fresh ingredients such as vegetables and fruits, but the stalls lined up today were mostly selling food. In front of the stores were wooden boxes and chairs, and people were lining up to buy food. People with red faces were drinking something from a cup. That¡¯s definitely alcohol. Which means they¡¯re not only selling food but alcohol as well? ¡°Are you interested in anything?¡± ¡°I was wondering if they have stalls which sell alcohol.¡± ¡°Are you interested in alcohol?¡± ¡°A little¡­¡± I haven¡¯t drank alcohol since I was summoned, but it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t drink alcohol. I used to go drinking with my friends when I was in Japan. I simply didn¡¯t have the chance to drink it here. I want to drink it a little since we¡¯re here. Captain-san took me to a stall which sold liquor because I told him I was interested in it. They were selling something that looked like ale. But a surprising aroma tickled my nasal cavity when I put the cup to my mouth. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s honey liquor.¡± I found out that he¡¯d given me honey liquor when I asked him about it. I see. I noticed the nice scent of the cup when I put it into my mouth again. Also, the sweetness remained, probably because they had held back on fermentation. It was really delicious. We sat on the wooden boxes like the other customers, and while I was on my third cup, food was brought out before I¡¯d noticed. Even if they had held back on the fermentation, it was still alcoholic. I started feeling tipsy as I drank the honey liquor. I continued to eat and drink while feeling fluffy. Captain-san and I spoke about the festival and about random stuff. I had a great time at the festival and Captain-san said it was time to go back, so we did. I was feeling great, and I waved our connected hands and felt like skipping as we headed to the carriage. Captain-san laughed happily as he looked at me. On the way to the carriage, I have a feeling that I clung to Captain-san¡¯s arms because I thought I was going to stumble on the pavement. The next morning, it goes without saying that I was troubled when I thought about what had happened the previous night. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH ss6 Short Story 06: Enchanted Mushrooms Autumn is the best season for exercise and reading, but I think autumn is the best time to eat. It is also called the harvest season, so autumn had a lot of delicious food. This didn¡¯t just apply to Japan, but Slantania Kingdom too. According to Jude, they harvested rye during autumn, and you could also find many fruits and mushrooms in the forest. Of course, I would go if I hear something like that. Where, you ask? To the forest! I immediately received permission from Director and headed to the East Forest since there was no time like the present. Our group consists of me, Jude, two researchers and two knights from the 3rd Knight Order; a total of six people. After arriving at the East Forest, our group moved together. We left the knights to guard our surroundings and did nothing but pick herbs. I found my favourite fruits and mushrooms while looking for herbs. Autumn really is the season for harvest. I found more vegetation than when I last came here. And while I was picking herbs, fruits and mushrooms, I found it. I squatted down to pick an herb near me and found a standing mushroom behind a fallen tree. It was short and stout and light beige, so I couldn¡¯t conclude if it was edible or not. I better confirm it. I called Jude, who was close and pointed at the mushroom. Jude looked at the mushroom dubiously. Then, his eyes widened in surprise, and he swiftly spun back. He was so vigorous that he ended up bending his body. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Th-this¡­¡± He pointed at the mushroom with trembling fingers and choked on his words. The researcher, who was close to us, also came over, probably because he thought Jude was acting strange. He looked at where Jude was pointing and raised a voice in surprise after looking dubiously, ¡°Woah.¡± What the heck is it? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this mushroom?¡± Jude nodded vigorously when I asked this. Then, he started speaking in leaps and bounds. This mushroom was called phantom mushroom. It was edible and tasted great, but above all else, it had a magnificent fragrance. It didn¡¯t give off a scent like this, but apparently, it did when you shave it. According to one theory, it is said that the mushrooms were enchanted and gave off an aphrodisiac effect. However, it was hard to find and was called the phantom mushroom. It was said that it was so rare that you might only find one in ten lifetimes. Apparently, it was costly because it was so rare. ¡°Do you think Director would tell me to sell it if I bring it back with me?¡± ¡°Maybe? He¡¯ll probably tell you to do what you want with it since you found it.¡± Jude was probably unconfident because he couldn¡¯t tell how Director would act since this was too expensive. I¡¯ve finally found this Phantom Mushroom. I might as well eat it instead of selling it. Director would probably choose to eat it as well. He¡¯s in management, but he¡¯s more of a researcher. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s someone who would rather try something that¡¯s said to be a phantom ingredient instead of selling it. I believed and plucked the phantom mushroom. When I returned to the research institute, I told Director, who was flabbergasted from the news, about the phantom mushroom. Then he said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat it!¡± So I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Seems like he didn¡¯t betray my expectations. I went to the dining hall immediately and showed the chefs, then another person reacted just like Jude did. Is it that rare? The chefs started cheering when I told them that I would be cooking it now. I wasn¡¯t familiar with this mushroom, so I consulted with the chefs before deciding what to cook. I decided to shave it on top of the dish since it was a fragrant ingredient. I left the prep work for the phantom mushroom to the chefs and prepped the other ingredients. I was making stewed chicken with white sauce. I sliced the onions and regular mushrooms and simmered it with cooked chicken and white wine. I wish I had fresh cream, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t, so I added milk, butter and flour and simmered it some more. I didn¡¯t forget to adjust it with salt and pepper so that it would taste nice. I sprinkled the shaved phantom mushroom on top of the dish when it was done, and it was complete. Yup. It smells incredible. The moment the phantom mushrooms were shaved, an exquisite aroma filled the kitchen. It¡¯s kind of sweet, but it¡¯s not. It¡¯s hard to describe, but I wonder if I can say that it smells sensual. Anyway, it was an incredible smell. I put a small grain into my mouth to taste it and just that one-grain smelt amazing. ¡°Wow¡­¡± It gave me a mediocre impression, but that was all I could say. Needless to say, the chefs swiftly nodded their heads at my surprised mutter. The white sauce suited it perfectly. I knew discussing it with the chefs was a good idea. Afterwards, the researchers who came with me, Director, and even Captain-san, who was called by Director, gathered in the dining hall to eat it. Of course, the dining hall was also filled with researchers who hadn¡¯t come with me on my harvest. The phantom mushroom smelt amazing even with just a small amount, so I only needed to sprinkle a little on. We managed to make food for everyone. I was relieved. Since it seems like a bloody battle would break out if we had to hold a raffle for food. When I saw the happy faces of those who had finished eating, I understood how this mushroom enchanted people. I was also one of the people who were enchanted. It was really delicious. I want to eat it again, but would that be difficult? At times like this, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I can get my way somehow by using my ¡¾Saint¡¿abilities. It¡¯s really selfish of me. But, the phantom mushroom smelt so nice that it made me think like that. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH ss7 There is a medicinal herb garden neighbouring the Medicinal Herbs Research Institute. There were plots for researchers to grow and maintain their own plants. On a fine day, I was looking after my plot when a shadow was cast from behind me. The shadow indicated that the person had a parasol, so it wasn¡¯t a researcher. Who the heck is it? I turned around and saw someone I knew. ¡°Liz!¡± ¡°How do you do, Sei.¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise when I saw Liz smiling with a parasol in hand. I¡¯ve only ever met her in the library, you know. Oh yeah, didn¡¯t I invite her here a long time ago? I¡¯m sure it was when I first met her. ¡°Welcome. I¡¯m surprised you came.¡± ¡°You told me to come if I was interested in herbs. So I took you up on your offer.¡± ¡°I did. It¡¯s a bit weird to stand around here and talk, so why don¡¯t we go inside?¡± I walked with Liz to the research institute. Even though I¡¯d said the garden was close to the research institute, it was a bit far. But I think it¡¯s pretty close if you walk and talk. ¡°Oh, were there any herbs you wanted to see? I¡¯ll show them to you.¡± ¡°I am interested in herbs, but there¡¯s something I want to ask you about your cosmetics.¡± ¡°Cosmetics?¡± ¡°Yes. The cosmetics you made last time were really effective. But¡­¡± My face twitched when I heard what Liz had to say. Actually, cosmetic products made from the same recipe as mine is being sold at a company in town. A long time ago, when I shared my cosmetics with Liz, it became popular amongst the ladies at her academy because it was so effective. It became so popular amongst the ladies that they requested that I sell the cosmetics. So in response to their request, I gave the recipe to a company in town to make and sell. It¡¯s hard for me to make the amount they¡¯d requested after all. Since the company was selling the cosmetics, Liz also bought it from there. However, after she¡¯d started using the cosmetics she¡¯d bought from the company, she hadn¡¯t gotten the same effects as when she¡¯d used mine. ¡®They use the same recipe, so why are the effects different?¡¯ She was curious about this, so she came to the research institute today. I have a good idea of why this had happened. It¡¯s because of my accursed 50% increase. For some reason, the potions and food I make are 1.5 times more effective than the ones others make. I call this mystery ¡®my accursed 50% increase¡¯. And this curse is also active when I make cosmetics. The difference that Liz was talking about was without a doubt, my accursed 50% increase. But, I didn¡¯t know if it was alright to tell her about it. It seems safer to discuss this with Director first. I feel bad, but I¡¯m going to change the topic. I¡¯ll talk about it with her in the future. We arrived at the research institute, and I showed her to the parlour. I was afraid of showing her the laboratory because there was confidential information there. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some tea. Do you dislike herb tea?¡¯ ¡°No, I like it. Thank you.¡± ¡°Okay, wait here.¡± Herb tea is herbal tea. Liz might be used to drinking tea, but I don¡¯t have expensive tea. But, we do have some for guests. People liked herbal tea depending on their preferences, so I asked her for confirmation, and it looks like she¡¯s okay with it. I got Liz to wait in the parlour as I went to the kitchen to make tea. There was always hot water in the kitchen so that people can make tea any time they want. So, I finished quickly. After the pot had warmed up, I discarded the old hot water, and put fresh hot water and herbs into the pot. This should be done once when I get back to the parlour. I put the pot of tea, cups and tea cakes onto a tray and returned to the parlour. Liz was waiting for me while staring blankly out the window. ¡°Sorry for making you wait.¡± Liz noticed me when I entered and smiled. She¡¯s adorable. I felt warm and fuzzy from her smile as I put the cup in front of her and poured her some tea. ¡°Oh? I can smell a lot of herbs in this. It smells good.¡± ¡°Thanks. I tried to make a blend.¡± There was herb tea in this kingdom, but people drink it as medicine and not for enjoyment. For that reason, if one were to drink a blend with various herbs, the emphasis would be placed on the medicinal properties and not the taste and aroma. In short, it wasn¡¯t delicious. It was hard to blend the herbs, so they would only drink tea with one type of herb if they were to use it in place of regular tea. I¡¯ve only started blending recently. Today¡¯s blend is chamomile, rose and rosehip. I was recreating a blend I¡¯d seen in Japan. This blend was good for dry skin. When I told her this, she got excited. ¡°I know that the effect is like medicine since it¡¯s made from herbs. But, I didn¡¯t know that it was good for beauty too¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not limited to tea. Aren¡¯t there any food that is said to be good for your skin?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that before.¡± I see. Speaking of which, Director listened eagerly when I told him about medicinal cooking. He said there was no such concept in this world. I wonder if those ideas never developed because they have potions in this world. ¡°Wait, are there also no potions for beauty?¡± ¡°Potions for beauty?!¡± Liz¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She has a strong interest in topics related to beauty. Is it because she¡¯s a young girl? ¡°Do you know about any potions like that?¡± ¡°I do, but it¡¯s not a potion. It¡¯s just similar to a potion.¡± ¡°Can you make it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I know of something called cordial. It¡¯s commercialised now, but it was initially made at home. It was easy to make. I¡¯m sure you just have to simmer water, herbs and sugar in a pot. I can make it here too if I have the ingredients for it. I told her, and she said, ¡°I want to drink it.¡± I decided to deliver it to the library at a later date since it was difficult to prepare right now. Then, I delivered the cordial to Liz three days later. When I met Liz at the library, she was overexcited. ¡°Sei! The thing I drank was amazing!¡± She¡¯d forgotten that she was in the library and shouted when she saw me. She seemed overly excited because she was full of smiles. Luckily there were only the two of us in the library. If other people had been here, then they would definitely frown upon her. Liz was usually careful not to behave like this. The effects of the cordial must have been really dramatic for her to forget herself and shout. I saw the effects with my eyes and could see why she was excited. The cordial I made showed dramatic effects once drank, so you could probably call it a potion. It didn¡¯t have much of an effect on me probably because I was using my own cosmetics, but when I gave it to the female researchers, the results were enormous. The researchers¡¯ skin was horrible because they immersed themselves in research too much, but their skin recovered straight away after they¡¯d drank it. Their skin became smooth and shiny. Their bad complexion also got better straight away, and their cheeks were pink, and their lips had colour on them again. The effects were so drastic that the other researchers, who were there, stopped what they were doing and just stared in amazement. I¡¯m sure this effect is related to my accursed 50% increase. But I still don¡¯t know if my pharmacy skills are causing the effect or if it¡¯s my cooking skill. So I couldn¡¯t call this a potion. If it wasn¡¯t medicine, then would it be a nutritional drink? After that, I lost to Liz¡¯s demand and cordial was commercialised. Beauty really does make women go crazy. It was my first time seeing Liz get that excited. Incidentally, she forgot about the cosmetics matter because of the cordial, but she¡¯ll probably bring it up again in the future. I¡¯ll check with Director on how to tell her about it before I see her again. Translator Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH ss8 I knocked on the door and entered after I received permission from within. When I entered the room pushing a food cart with a pot of tea, a couple of cups and food, Director smiled wryly as he looked at his desk. ¡°You¡¯ve brought a lot of things with you.¡± ¡°I thought we¡¯ll be talking for a while.¡± ¡°Do you have that much to talk about¡­?¡± He sunk his head down, and I could only smile wryly in return. He had heard a little about it from Captain-san, but he didn¡¯t think I would have that much to say. He probably thought that the longer we talked, the more work would be piled up on his desk. And he was probably correct. I¡¯m sorry. I came to Director¡¯s office today to report on what had happened at Klaussner, where we successfully purified the black swamp. Apparently, Captain-san had already reported the matter of the black swamp. At that time, Captain-san told Director that I had more to add, so Director called me to his office. Director moved from his desk to the sofa when I poured tea and put it on the table. His eyes softened when he saw the pound cake which was made by the chefs. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was enough for a snack before lunch. I finished placing everything onto the table and sat down facing Director. ¡°So? How much do you have to tell me?¡± He immediately started the conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Come to think of it, I have lots to say. Despite the measures I took, I still cooked for the Feudal Lord and made potions. And then I also have to tell him about the potion recipe I¡¯d learn at the distillation room and about medicinal herbs that need blessing to grow. Director¡¯s face started twitching when I thought about the things I had to talk about while counting with my fingers. ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Is it better for me to start from the bad?¡± Director looked down in disappointment when I asked him which one I should start with. ¡°So, you also have something bad to report?¡± ¡°Did Hawk-sama not tell you anything?¡± ¡°He told me that you had something to tell me¡­¡± I thought that he would know a little about everything, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Sorry, I thought as I started with the bad news. ¡°Mm¡­ Director?¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Yes. That was all for the bad news¡­¡± I¡¯ve reported everything that I thought was bad. I looked at Director, who looked completely exhausted after hearing my report, and I started to feel guilty. Even more so, since Director had to clean up my mess. I sipped my tea while looking at Director, who had his head down and was greatly troubled, and then I heard something. He was speaking very quietly so I couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying. ¡°Director?¡± ¡°You learned to make new food?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Can you make it here too?¡± ¡°Yes. If I have the ingredients,¡± When I answered his question, he raised his face and stared at me. Oh, you want me to make some? Ok. The ingredients aren¡¯t rare so I can make it right away. I¡¯ll teach the chefs how to make it after and they can prepare it. I nodded, and Director smiled wryly again before sitting up. ¡°So now you¡¯re going to tell me the good news?¡± ¡°Mm, maybe?¡± I smiled awkwardly and seemed shocked. I think it¡¯s okay. Since the only thing left is about medicinal herbs. After that, I talked about what I learnt at Klaussner, when I told the director about the medicinal herbs that need blessing to grow, excitement showed on his face. He is a member of the research institute, after all. So he¡¯s also interested in medicinal herbs and potions. ¡°As expected from the sacred place for pharmacists.¡± ¡°Yes. I learnt a lot from there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also interesting to hear that some herbs need a unique condition to be cultivated.¡± ¡°It is. I¡¯d discovered this by accident¡­¡± ¡°It would be a problem if the Klaussner pharmacists found out about this, but you kept it a secret, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll have the Royal Palace send a letter to Klaussner¡¯s feudal lord to tell him to keep it quiet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine.¡± I lowered my head and heard Director sigh. I couldn¡¯t tell him the truth, so I apologised to him again in my mind. It was decided that I was the one who found a way to cultivate the medicinal herbs which required blessing while I was in Klaussner. When I asked Corinna-san for permission to grow the herbs at the research institute, she suggested this idea to me. This was something that Feudal Lord-sama and Corinna-san couldn¡¯t make public, so it didn¡¯t matter who discovered it. They were grateful that they were able to grow herbs which they couldn¡¯t grow anymore. I feel awful towards the person who had actually discovered this cultivation method, but I couldn¡¯t help myself when I thought about the herbs that I would be able to grow in the research institute. I¡¯m really sorry, ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿. ¡°I have a lot to do, but I also have things to look forward to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you help me grow the herbs?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Director cheerfully accepted when I asked for his help. Apparently, he likes to cultivate herbs. After I¡¯d finished my report, we talked about what we will do from now on. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH 1 Now that I found out the condition for activating the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique, I could freely use it. I was at my wit¡¯s end because of it. I could never have imagined that the activation condition was for me to think about Captain-san! Having to think of him every time I activate the technique, what kind of shame play is this? I couldn¡¯t say it, but I couldn¡¯t help but scream in my mind¡­ However, I was grateful that I could proceed with my medicinal herb experiment now that I can activate it. Since I couldn¡¯t proceed at all before. My experiment was to grow herbs which needed a unique condition to be cultivated. That condition was called blessing so I couldn¡¯t view it as a plant cultivation condition. That blessing was actually the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. My experiment hadn¡¯t proceeded at all because I hadn¡¯t been able to activate the technique, but now I can finally make some progress. I feel happy. I immediately headed to the distillation room to tell Corinna-san that I wanted to do the blessing experiment and in return, she prepared everything for me. Then, we headed towards the herb fields at the back of the castle. I could start the experiment once everything was ready. I was enthusiastic, but the experiment was straightforward. I bless the flowerpots that have been prepared for me and sow the seeds. That¡¯s all. And then I just have to observe whether the herbs were growing properly. We were about to head back to the distillation room after I sowed a variety of seeds when Leo-san approached us. I¡¯d thought that we just happened to pass each other, but nope. He had come to invite me to join the mercenaries. Thank you for needing me. But, I¡¯m not going to be in Klaussner forever, so I can¡¯t join the mercenaries. I was going to politely decline, but then Captain-san showed up. I couldn¡¯t help but gasp, because Captain-san was different from his usual self. He was engulfed in an aura that was appropriate for the title of ¡®Ice Knight-sama¡¯. Although, Captain-san¡¯s icy gaze was directed at Leo-san. Leo-san had gotten so hyped up while inviting me that he¡¯d grabbed my shoulders, so Captain-san probably thought we were arguing. The aura around Captain-san softened a little after the situation had been explained to him. Then, Leo-san noticed something when I told him the reason for why I couldn¡¯t join the mercenaries. ¡°No, wait. Are you perhaps the ¡¾Saint¡¿?¡± Leo-san said while looking stunned as we stood in the herbs field behind the castle. I realised that I hadn¡¯t told him I was the ¡¾Saint¡¿when I saw his stunned expression. ¡°Did I not tell you?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t! It hurts!¡± So I didn¡¯t tell him¡­ I smiled awkwardly and got the answer I expected to hear. Thinking back, I have a feeling that I only told him my name. I tried brushing it off with a smile, and Leo-san was like a professional actor with the way he retorted so vigorously. Soon after, he was struck by Corinna-san. ¡°I will introduce myself again, I am the ¡¾Saint¡¿, Sei Takanashi.¡± Yup, I have mixed feelings about introducing myself as the ¡¾Saint¡¿. But, does this mean that I have to introduce myself like that every time now? If possible, I want to refrain from doing so. I frowned inside, and Leo-san looked uncomfortable before saying something that I couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°Thank you for being thoughtful.¡± Corinna-san seemed shocked at Leo-san. ¡°That¡¯s why she can¡¯t join the mercenaries. Do you have any other questions?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then, that¡¯s enough, right? I also have business with her,¡± Captain-san judged that the conversation had ended and called out to Leo-san. Even though he looked more relaxed than when he¡¯d first arrived, he looked sterner than usual because he had a poker-face on. I probably wasn¡¯t imagining things when I heard his voice sound a little snappy. Leo-san must have felt the same because he decided not to say anything even though his face showed that he had something to say. He bowed and then left. ¡°Well, then, I guess I¡¯ll go back too.¡± Corinna-san walked away briskly, leaving me by myself. ¡°Huh?¡± I was surprised and called out to her. ¡°You two have something to talk about, don¡¯t you?¡± She turned back and answered. Ah, yes. Captain-san said he had some kind of business with me, didn¡¯t he? Corinna-san sighed in relief and headed towards the distillation room after noticing I understood her. Only Captain-san and I remained in this enormous herbs field. ¡°Are you in the middle of work?¡± I stared blankly at Corinna-san¡¯s back when a voice called out to me from beside me. I looked up and saw Captain-san looking at the flowerpots on the shelves. His expression changed completely from the poker-face he had on into an apologetic one. I quickly told him, ¡°Ah, no. I just finished.¡± He looked relieved. ¡°I don¡¯t even need to ask you, ¡®What are you growing.¡¯.¡± ¡°Medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°I figured.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? You figured?¡± I pouted and protested, only for Captain-san to laugh. But he¡¯d know straight away that we were growing medicinal herbs since I was working with the head of the distillation room, Corinna-san. I don¡¯t want him to think that I love medicinal herbs. ¡°By the way, you said you had business with me?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. There¡¯s something I want to talk to you about. Standing here and talking is a little¡­ Let¡¯s move somewhere else.¡± I wonder what it¡¯s about. It seems like the conversation will take a while since he suggested we move. Then, I wonder if it¡¯s better for us to talk calmly in a room somewhere. I thought and began to walk as prompted by Captain-san. We talked about Leo-san for some reason while walking. However, I didn¡¯t have much to say about him. We only greeted each other when we met, and then I helped him out a bit, but that was all. So, I couldn¡¯t really answer even if I¡¯m asked what I talk to him about. I mainly talked about potions when I was talking about how I helped him out, and Captain-san smiled. ¡°I also met the other mercenaries recently, and they all praised how highly effective the potions were.¡± ¡°Pfft, really?¡± Then, I started talking about how the other mercenaries complimented the potions as well, Captain-san started laughing. When I asked him what was wrong, he smiled and told me. He remembered the time when the potions were first sold to the Knight Order. Now that he mentioned it, the knights also reacted the same way the mercenaries had at the beginning. I remembered that time and my mouth also drew into an arc. Captain-san¡¯s aura also returned to normal while we were talking. I¡¯m glad that we didn¡¯t end up walking silently while he was feeling edgy. It¡¯s mentally painful to walk alone with someone while they¡¯re like that. ¡°He seemed really enthusiastic when he was recruiting you. Has this happened before?¡± ¡°No. This is the first time he¡¯s tried to recruit me.¡± ¡°This is the first time¡­¡± It seemed like he was thinking about something because Captain-san put his hand on his chin and looked down. But, he probably couldn¡¯t come up with an answer because the wrinkle on his brow deepened. ¡°Do you have any idea why he tried to recruit you?¡± ¡°The reason why?¡± It appears that he was thinking of the reason why Leo-san was recruiting me. I already have a hunch. ¡°I healed the mercenaries with magic after they returned from subjugation the other day. I think it¡¯s because of that.¡± ¡°With magic?¡± ¡°At first, I thought about giving them potions from the distillation room, but they said it would be a waste, so¡­¡± I talked about what happened the other day, and the wrinkle on Captain-san¡¯s brow remained as he stared at me. This look, it¡¯s the so-called, scornful look. Erm, is it bad? It¡¯s bad, isn¡¯t it? I quietly turned away from his gaze and heard a big sigh. I¡¯m sorry for everything. I apologised in my mind, and we reached our destination. Captain-san led me to the place where the knights were staying. We entered Captain-san¡¯s office, and I was urged to sit down in the lounge suite. Since he brought me here, does that mean he wants to talk about the demon subjugation? We sat down on the sofa, both let out a breath, and I spoke, ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡± ¡°About the plans from here on out.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s about the plans, then we¡¯ll be talking about the demon subjugation?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve already completed the first stage of the investigation, so we¡¯ll start the subjugation soon.¡± It¡¯s finally starting. When the word ¡°subjugation¡± left Captain-san¡¯s mouth, I switched to work mode. I straightened my back. I heard the knights¡¯ report before, but they were still investigating the surrounding areas. And, the investigation into those areas was completed yesterday. After that, Captain-san told me about what he knew about the demons in this area. The number of demons hadn¡¯t changed from the report I heard before. There seemed to be as many as there were around the Royal Capital before. According to the locals, there were more demons now compared to the past. However, according to the mercenaries, they felt like the demons had decreased recently. To be more specific, they said that the demons have been decreasing ever since the Knight Order arrived. I have a hunch for why this was. Captain-san smiled wryly and said, ¡°It¡¯s like what happened at the Royal Capital,¡± so all I could do was return his wry smile. ¡°It is.¡± As for the number of demons, there seemed to have been a good change since we¡¯ve arrived in Klaussner. The problem lied within the quality of the demons appearing around Klaussner. Higher-ranked demons, than what appeared at the Royal Capital, appeared in Klaussner. Demons having a high-rank meant that they were strong. I thought it was like a role-playing game that I played before in Japan. In the game, stronger monsters appeared when you move away from the first town. I wonder if stronger demons will also appear in this world the further from the Royal Capital you were. Can¡¯t be, right¡­¡­? Leaving jokes aside. Even if the same amount of demons appear, the subjugation would, of course, be harder if those demons were of higher-rank. The knights who were chosen to work at the Royal Palace were the best of the best, and there were a lot of strong people amongst them, but they¡¯ve only been subjugating around the Royal Capital lately. The demons that appeared in Klaussner were different from the ones that appeared in the Royal Capital so they would need to change the way they fight. Of course, it seems like Captain-san will take caution, but I think more people would get injured in this subjugation compared to the Royal Capital subjugation. There was also a limit to how much you could heal with potions if the number of injured people increase. That¡¯s where recovery magic comes into play. ¡°Then, that means I¡¯ll be joining the subjugation next time, right?¡± ¡°Sorry. There are people in the Court Mage Division participating in this mission, but a lot of them can¡¯t use recovery magic.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I participated with the intent of doing just that.¡± Yes, my main job here is subjugation, making potions is a hobby. I didn¡¯t say this out loud but kept it in my mind. ¡°We searched around places that are possible to go to within a day but didn¡¯t find the swamp in question. The demons are strong, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have to deal with a lot at once like we did at the West Forest.¡± ¡°The swamp in question?¡± ¡°The black swamp from the West Forest. I thought that there might be one here as well because of how fast the demons are increasing¡­¡± I see, so they didn¡¯t find that swamp? When I came to Klaussner, I couldn¡¯t activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique whenever I wanted, so I was honestly worried about what to do if they¡¯d found the black swamp. But, it¡¯s different now. It¡¯s still a bit unrefined, but I can produce that golden magic now, so I¡¯m a little disappointed that they didn¡¯t find a black swamp. The number of demons around the Royal Capital decreased in an instant when I purified that black swamp. If we found a swamp, then I thought that it was possible to solve Klaussner¡¯s problem in the same way. The condition to activate the technique was very troublesome. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡£ ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your face is getting a bit red, are you feeling-¡­¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing!¡± I quickly shook my head. Captain-san got even more worried, so I desperately tried to convince him that I was okay. And somehow managed to do it. There¡¯s no way I can explain why my face is getting red! ??????? A little while after the sun rose, only the clatter of equipment was heard throughout the distillation room. I could occasionally hear the voices of the pharmacists, but they were all quiet in their work. I was also silently making potions without exception. A few days have passed since I had the discussion with Captain-san and the demon subjugations are finally starting tomorrow. It wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t need potions at all, just because I was going with them. It didn¡¯t hurt to be prepared, so I was making potions for tomorrow. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumours, but you¡¯re really extraordinary,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but shiver because I was surprised by the voice behind me. I turned back while raising a shocked voice, and Leo-san was standing there with an expression that matched his tone. When did he get here? I¡¯d imagined that it would get lively whenever Leo-san came to the distillation room, but I didn¡¯t notice it today. I was so immersed in my work that I could barely hear the noises around me. That aside, there was a word that worried me. ¡°A rumour, you say?¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard that the new pharmacist can make a considerable amount of potions.¡± His gaze was fixated on the potions on top of the table, and it was a gaze I always see. To be more specific, it was the same gaze that Jude, Director and Corinna-san had. ¡°Where did you hear that, rumour?¡± ¡°Of course, it came from here. Also, from my guys.¡± ¡°The mercenaries?¡± ¡°They always come here to pick up potions, don¡¯t they? Some of them saw you while you were making potions.¡± It seemed that the mercenaries also saw me making potions. Even though I wasn¡¯t careful not to be seen, I still subconsciously tried to be careful anyway. I looked downwards, and it seemed like Leo-san misunderstood my action, since he said in a panic, ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be careful of how I talk.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Eh? Is that not it?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°No, because you might think something like I shouldn¡¯t talk like that to the ¡¾Saint-sama¡¿¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t mind if you talk to me normally. Rather, I¡¯m bothered if you change the way you talk.¡± I was wondering why he suddenly changed the way he spoke, and it seemed that he¡¯d just remembered that I was the ¡¾Saint¡¿. And because I was looking downwards, he misunderstood and thought that I had been offended by his attitude. He totally got it wrong. If he¡¯d talked like that from the beginning, then it would have been fine, but to change the way he spoke half-way through a conversation is a little¡­ I don¡¯t mind if he speaks in a friendly way, but it feels like he¡¯s putting distance between us when he talks all formal and it hurts a little. ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll act like normal.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s easier for me too. I¡¯m horrible with formal stuff,¡± Leo said and smiled widely. I was lured in by his smile and smiled as well. I was relieved that he would act normal around me and once again, brought the conversation back to the rumour. According to Leo-san, after the first eyewitness came back to the mercenary group, he made a big fuss about the extraordinary amount of potions the new pharmacist was making. The mercenary told everyone about what he saw, but no one believed him at first. Well, of course, they wouldn¡¯t. Because he told them that Intermediate Potions, which normal pharmacists could only make 10 of in a day, were rapidly being arranged as they were finished, and covered up a whole desk. But, the first eyewitness insisted that it was true and the others got curious, so under the pretext of picking up potions, they started to come to the distillation room in turns, to see it for themselves. No wonder a different person came to pick up the potions each time. Needless to say, the result was that the testimony of the first witness was proven correct. ¡°So, you came to confirm it as well, Leo-san?¡± ¡°Oh, well yeah.¡± From the flow of the conversation, I thought that Leo-san had also come to confirm the rumour, but he was vague. Did he have another objective? I tilted my head in confusion and looked up at him, and he scratched his head while speaking heavily, ¡°Are these potions for the Knight Order?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already finished the ones for the mercenary group.¡± ¡°I see, I mean that¡¯s not it¡­¡± I wondered if he was worried that I was putting off the potions for the mercenaries, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. It didn¡¯t seem like he was going to keep talking, so I started working again and waited for him to continue. ¡°Oh, are you going on the next subjugation as well?¡± ¡°I am. I came here from the Royal Capital for this.¡± ¡°With the Knight Order, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The thing that was so hard for him to talk about was related to the demon subjugations. I wonder why he¡¯s asking that. I looked up at Leo-san, and he looked worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, well, I was wondering if you¡¯d be alright.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°At the subjugation.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been to the forest to subjugate demons before, but I¡¯m still worried.¡± ¡°Are you worried about my ability on the battlefield?¡± ¡°Rather than that¡­¡± I tilted my head wondering what he was worried about and Leo-san explained it to me while pausing a lot. Leo-san knew that I went to Ghosh Forest on a subjugation mission because of a rumour. In addition to this, he heard a little about the subjugation from Captain-san. He knew that I was supporting the knights like a typical court mage would. But, there was a difference in strength between the demons at Ghosh Forest and the demons at Klaussner Forest. He was worried about me coming along on the subjugation, regardless of how many I¡¯ve been on before. Even if the demons in Klaussner have decreased for a while now, there was still a lot of them. Nevertheless, they had only decreased near the city, and only for demons which appear in the grasslands, therefore they hadn¡¯t decreased much inside the forest, which was far from the city. In this world, the demons that appeared in the forests were stronger than ones that appeared in the grassland. Also, the demons that appeared in Klaussner were stronger than the ones that appeared in the Royal Capital. From those things, the subjugation this time would probably be harsher than the one at Ghosh Forest. Leo-san was quite right to worry. ¡°I can¡¯t say anything since I¡¯ve never been in the forest here, but I don¡¯t think I would suddenly go into the deepest part of the forest; so it will be fine.¡± ¡°Well, the demons deep inside the forest are stronger. And if you were suddenly to say that you wanted to go to the inner parts, then the knights would be the first ones to stop you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I would stop myself too.¡± ¡°I guess so. As you said, slowly go into the inner parts of the forest after you¡¯ve checked out your surroundings, okay?¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m quite strong, even if I look like this,¡± I laughed and joked, and Leo-san joked back, ¡°Oh? You¡¯re full of confidence.¡± Well, it¡¯s not a joke, my basic level might be the highest in this world. I didn¡¯t say this out loud though. ¡°Even if I¡¯m participating, I¡¯ll be in the support group so I won¡¯t go out on the frontlines. The knights are escorting me.¡± ¡°I see. So, there was no point in me worry, now, is there?¡± ¡°No, thank you very much for worrying about me.¡± I¡¯m happy that he¡¯s worried about me. Since Leo-san manages the mercenary groups, he¡¯s very helpful. He¡¯s worried about me even though I¡¯m not in the mercenary group, and he even came to see how I am. After that, Leo-san talked about what it was like inside of the forest and left the distillation room. ??????? Early in the morning, I headed to Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s office with Captain-san. I will be going on subjugations with them from now on, so I gave my greetings to Feudal Lord-sama before we left. Feudal Lord-sama said a very noble-like speech, but in short, he was telling me to be careful and return safely. Captain-san had explained things to me beforehand, and I wouldn¡¯t go flying off on the first day, so I should probably be fine. ¡°Are we leaving after everyone¡¯s gathered?¡± ¡°Yeah. After I give them a simple speech.¡± ¡°Do I need to do anything?¡± ¡°Mm? Are you also going to say words of encouragement to them?¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± I talked with Captain-san about the arrangements as we walked towards where everyone was gathered. I almost stepped on a landmine, but it looks like I was able to avoid it. It was impossible for me to do something so conspicuous. Though, he was probably joking. Captain-san¡¯s shoulders shook a little when I refused him. He placed his hands over his mouth. It looked as if he was trying not to laugh. Lately, isn¡¯t he treating me the same way Director does? Are they kindred spirits because they¡¯re childhood friends? I glared at him, and this time, he didn¡¯t hold back and laughed loudly. The mercenaries were also joining in this subjugation, so it was probably because of that. Although, this was the only time that there would be a lot of people. I heard that a lot of mercenary groups would be participating this time because this was the first time that the ¡¾Saint¡¿was participating. I headed towards the carriage, but the mercenaries didn¡¯t notice me even though I was close to them, because I was wearing similar robes as the court mages and had my hood on. Just then, a court mage had walked by, so they probably didn¡¯t notice because they were distracted. ¡°Here.¡± I stared at Captain-san¡¯s hand as he offered it to me when I tried to get onto the carriage. I glanced up and saw him smiling at me. Uh¡­ Oh yeah, he¡¯s escorting me? ¡°Thank you very much,¡± I was nervous, but somehow managed to thank him with a smile. I put my fingertips on the hand he had offered. Uooah¡­ I¡¯m still not used to this. We rode a horse together a lot in the Royal Capital, so we became close enough to joke with each other. I thought that I had gotten used to touching Captain-san, but I still got nervous when our hands touched, even if he was escorting me. Can he tell what I¡¯m thinking? When I boarded the carriage, it looked like he was going to let go, but instead, he squeezed my fingertips. It was only for a moment, but this attack was enough to make my cheeks heat up. I sat down and looked back at Captain-san with scornful eyes, and he laughed with a face that said, ¡®Got you¡¯. So he¡¯d planned this? The carriage door closed and Captain-san walked towards the Knights¡¯ location. Soon after, Captain-san¡¯s speech ended, and we departed. Act like normal. Be normal. I have to concentrate on the subjugation. I thought such things as I looked at the scenery. ¡°Sei, we¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡± ¡°Th-thank you very much.¡± Captain-san, who rode a horse, came to the carriage just before we arrived at our destination to tell me that we were nearly there. Our destination was pretty close, and it only took an hour to get here. I stretched while sitting and opened the bag at my side. We arrived just as I¡¯d finished confirming that the knife and potions I had put in the bag were there in case something happened. Just like when I got on the carriage, Captain-san lent me his hand so that I could get off the carriage. ¡°Uhnnn ~~~~~.¡± ¡°Haha, are you tired?¡± ¡°No, my body¡¯s a little stiff because I¡¯ve been sitting this whole time.¡± I stretched as much as I could when I went outside. Even though I¡¯d stretched once inside the carriage, it wasn¡¯t enough. I was a little embarrassed because Captain-san laughed at me. ¡°W-we¡¯re finally here! It¡¯s my first time entering a Klaussner forest, so I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re curious about what kind of medicinal herbs are grown here?¡± ¡°Yes! I mean, no¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the same as always. It might be difficult while we¡¯re subjugating, but you can look around a little during break time. I¡¯ll come with you.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to bother you, Hawk-sama.¡± I tried to forcibly change the subject, but that didn¡¯t work, and my true intentions leaked out. I was exposed magnificently, and it was useless for me to try and quickly smooth it over. Who on earth was the one who decided to focus on subjugation inside of the carriage? Even though this is Captain-san, I¡¯m not careful enough. We¡¯re going into the forest now, will I be okay like this? I¡¯m a little worried about myself. Captain-san¡¯s attitude changed when he noticed that someone had gotten close to us while I was at my wit¡¯s end with my thoughts. I looked at where Captain-san was looking and saw Leo-san. ¡°Leo-san?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I heard that some of the mercenaries were coming with us today, but it seemed that the leader, Leo-san, also came. Captain¡¯s eyes looked dead as he looked at Leo-san who was raising his hand and waving in a friendly way. Ermm, is it because of that? He doesn¡¯t think that Leo-san¡¯s attitude is appropriate towards the ¡¾Saint¡¿? Manners are important, but I didn¡¯t want him to be too strict since being friendly was better than the stiff formalities. It might be better for me to tell Captain-san this. My eyes roamed between them, and Leo-san turned towards Captain-san and slightly bowed his head. ¡°I look forward to working together today.¡± ¡°Yes, you too. We did investigate the forest, but you probably know more about it than us.¡± ¡°Sorry to bother you. I look forward to working with you, too, ¡¾Saint-sama¡¿.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± My eyes widened at suddenly being called ¡¾Saint¡¿and Leo-san glanced at Captain-san. Ah, don¡¯t tell me¡­ ¡°Me too, I look forward to working with you. I¡¯m not very good with formalities, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you treated me the same as before.¡± ¡°¡­ She said it herself, so I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. I¡¯ll do as you wish.¡± Leo-san gave off a sketchy feeling, but surprisingly, he could act like a proper person. Good job! I gave him a thumbs up in my mind, and he dashed off where he¡¯d come from after saying, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± He switches over pretty fast. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh and looked up at Captain-san, who was also looking at me, and his eyes had softened. ¡°Let¡¯s leave after we rest a bit.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll boil some water over there. Shall I prepare some tea?¡± ¡°No, the servants prepared ours for us. Let¡¯s drink it together.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Even though the forest was close, we¡¯d travelled a considerable amount of distance, so we were talking a break before entering the forest. Like Captain-san said, the servants had prepared our tea. They even prepared stools. We sat on the stools, and I talked with Captain-san while we were resting a little and the others seemed to have finished their preparations. I passed the cup to the servants, and we began tidying up the surrounding area. Then, we continued on and moved into the forest one by one. At a glance, the vegetation that grew in Klaussner forest didn¡¯t seem much different from the ones at the Royal Capital. However, I could also see herbs that didn¡¯t grow in the Royal Capital here as well. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°I was just wondering if there are any herbs I¡¯ve never seen before. ¡°Herbs? You¡¯re not a pharmacist, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a researcher at the Medicinal Herbs Research Institute.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the ¡¾Saint¡¿?¡± ¡°Well, I am. But I want to keep that as a side job if possible.¡± Leo-san, who was walking next to me, cracked up laughing when I mentioned my own wishes. The knights were split into groups like the time at the West Forest. The mercenaries were split into two groups, and there were mercenaries in my group too. All the mercenaries except for Leo-san were in the vanguard, and Leo-san was with me. Incidentally, Captain-san was on my left. ¡°Hey, oi. Can you say something like that?¡± Leo-san referred to Captain-san with his eyes and said in a quiet voice. I swallowed down the words that I nearly carelessly uttered. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not a problem,¡± Captain-san said the words that I¡¯d swallowed down. I wanted someone to compliment me for not spouting those words out. ¡°How strange,¡± Leo-san muttered when we¡¯d walked for a while. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot fewer demons than I thought there would be.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I tilted my head in confusion and asked him what it was, and he said the same thing that the knights had said about the forests around the Royal Capital. I didn¡¯t see it myself, but I heard that the demons around the Royal Capital had decreased ever since they used the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿, and it seemed that the same thing was happening in Klaussner. In fact, Captain-san, who had heard Leo-san¡¯s mutter, had a face that said he¡¯d expected this. ¡°So, they have decreased after all?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard from the knights that they¡¯ve decreased, but still, there¡¯s not a lot of demons here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like the Royal Capital.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Leo-san has been treating Captain-san like a noble. At least he was treating me friendlier because ¡¾I¡¿had asked him to. If not, he might say take a gab at me to other people. Come to think of it, Saul Forest, the first forest I went to located to the south of the Royal Capital, was also like this. The demons didn¡¯t come out even though we¡¯d entered the forest. This forest had stronger demons, and it wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t appear at all; we did encounter a few. But apparently, there were less than what Leo-san and Captain-san had expected. Of course, I know the reason. Therefore, I want you two to stop staring at me. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH 2 Everything went well as we reached the resting spot. We encountered demons many times along the way but Leo-san and Captain-san defeated them straight away. After the battle, I would cast a minor ¡ºHEAL¡», so it was pretty laid back. The other parties encountered a lot more demons, just like the time in the West Forest. Incidentally, I felt that the demons here were a lot stronger than the Royal Capital¡¯s Ghosh Forest. The place where we rested for lunch was a little opening in the middle of the forest. Apparently, the mercenaries used this place to rest whenever they came to the forest to subjugate demons. The plan was to meet up with the parties that separated from us here and have lunch. Director forbad me to cook in public, but most of the people here are from the 3rd Knight Order, so it¡¯s fine if I help out right? I was also supporting them with magic, so I can just blame it on the magic if they ask. Let¡¯s do that. Thus, I helped prepare lunch. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m cooking.¡± Leo-san approached me when I was making soup for everyone. I feel like something like this has happened before. ¡°Cooking¡­ You¡¯re the ¡¾Saint¡¿, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I am.¡± I¡¯m the ¡¾Saint¡¿, so what? He must want to say something, I thought curiously and Leo-san looked like he had mixed feelings. Then, after a while he began talking slowly, ¡°Isn¡¯t a ¡¾Saint¡¿someone who should be treated with respect and waited upon?¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ve been like this since before though.¡± ¡°Since before? Isn¡¯t that strange?¡± ¡°Is it?¡± As Leo-san said, it was natural for the ¡¾Saint¡¿to be respected and waited upon, given her status in this Kingdom. I knew this, but I always ignored it. Because it was easier to be treated like how the 3rd Knight Order treats me. Leo-san should know this too. And, cooking was a good change of pace. I¡¯d been restraining myself since I came to Klaussner as a ¡¾Saint¡¿. It would be strange if I keep asking to borrow the kitchen in someone else¡¯s castle. But, I could cook without restraint while on a subjugation mission. The people around me are all those who I know, after all. There was no way I could let this chance go. ¡°It smells great.¡± ¡°Oh, Hawk-sama.¡± Captain-san approached us as I stirred the pot whilst chatting with Leo-san. He was tempted by the smell. My d¨¦j¨¤ vu sense was becoming stronger and stronger. Captain-san looked into the pot while standing opposite to Leo-san. ¡°Is this the soup you made for us before?¡± ¡°Yes. A lot of the knights said this was fine when I asked them what I should make.¡± ¡°Those guys¡­¡± When I told him that this was the request of the knights, Captain-san put his hand on his head and hung his head down as if he had a headache. I said it was a request, but it seems that soup made from dried meat and vegetables was a staple for subjugations. The servants that were with the knights had said so. ¡°Hey, hey, you¡¯re putting medicinal herbs in?¡± ¡°Yes. It increases the flavour and makes it more delicious.¡± ¡°Ooh, her cooking methods are really unique.¡± I put oregano and thyme as well as other herbs into the soup as we talked, and Leo-san retorted as I¡¯d expected he would. This soup increased the amount of HP recovered naturally, but I didn¡¯t talk about the effect. Captain-san must have known my intentions because he only talked about the taste. Whether I like it or not, isn¡¯t he complimenting me too much by saying it¡¯s unique? Now then, the soup was finished and now onto the main dish. I turned around and saw the knights in charge of cooking were cooking some kind of meat. They seasoned it with an appropriate amount of salt, and grilled it with herbs and butter. At any rate, what on earth is that meat? Huh? The mercenaries hunted a hog? And this always happens? The mercenaries were wilder than I thought they were. The food was cooked without a hitch and the servants distributed the meals to the knights. I confirmed that the food was delicious by listening to the voices around me and breathed out a sigh of relief. Leo-san was also saying, ¡°Delicious, yummy,¡± while scooping the food into his mouth. Captain-san smiled his sparkling smile and complimented the food, as well. I¡¯m glad. We went back to subjugating after lunch was finished. ¡°¡ºAREA PROTECTION¡».¡± The magic circle covered in a white haze filled with golden lame spread around the area. I cast support magic on the knights before the parties split up again. The ¡ºAREA PROTECTION¡»that I¡¯d just cast was an A.O.E skill that raised defence against physical and magic attacks. The knights were used to it, but the mercenaries caused an uproar because this was their first time experiencing the buffs. Leo-san was no exception. ¡°Wow, amazing. You raised my defence.¡± ¡°Is this your first time receiving support magic?¡± ¡°Yeah. There are hardly any mages here. Moreover, there are none who can use A.O.E magic.¡± ¡°Ooh, I guess that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Now that he¡¯s said it, that¡¯s true. Casting A.O.E magic was much more difficult than casting individual magic. ¡°And, there¡¯s no mage who can cast magic on this many people.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. The range and effect duration increases as the magic skill increases, but, well, it¡¯s hard to get there.¡± Captain-san made a side comment, ¡°Well done!¡± I have a feeling that Head Magician-sama had said something like that before. I completely forgot about it. If Head Magician-sama was here, then he would smile at me while getting angry. And, what happens after that would be frightening. I remembered what had happened before and a shiver ran down my spine. Dangerous! That was a close call. The preparations were done after the support magic was cast and we split into numerous parties again and entered the forest. As we travelled deeper into the forest, we started encountering more and more demons. Even though the demons were stronger than the ones in the West Forest, the knights were still doing fine. They defeated the demons one after another with their wonderful coordination. As for me? I was casting ¡ºHEAL¡»like always. I wasn¡¯t using the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique not because of the activation requirements, but because I had talked it over with Captain-san and he had told me to save it. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s not because I¡¯m embarrassed or anything, okay? ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, I think this is the first time I¡¯ve seen that demon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they don¡¯t appear near the Royal Capital. They¡¯re poisonous.¡± The mercenary, who was at the vanguard, signalled for us to stop, so we did. I was curious about what had happened so I looked at the front through the gaps between the knights and saw a demon I¡¯d never seen before. The demon looked like a carnivorous plant, probably because this was a herb production area. A huge sundew was moving in a windy motion, looking disgusting. Luckily, it didn¡¯t move from its location unlike other demons I¡¯ve seen before. If it did move around the area, then it would definitely be really disgusting. Captain-san said it was poisonous, but I wonder if someone will get an abnormal status. I thought, and the battle began. I saw the knights fight and the round-leaved sundew bent its stalk backward while adding force and sprung forward. In addition, it hurled a ball-like water drop from the tip of its leaf, towards the knights. Most were able to avoid the attack, but I could hear a sizzling sound as if meat was being burnt from those who couldn¡¯t. The water drops seem to have poison. I was the only one who was surprised by the sound of meat burning, the others continued to fight like usual. The people who had received the attack also said, ¡°It¡¯s poison,¡± and the mages who were with them casted abnormal status cure. Magic¡¯s amazing after all. The abnormal status was cured in no time. The battle, itself, was quickly finished and we moved on after casting ¡ºHEAL¡». The type of demon that was allocated to the area changed from where we were fighting earlier and the sundew demon appeared more often. It seemed that the sundew didn¡¯t always fling poison. I always poised myself in a position where it was alright for people with abnormal status to show up, but my magic wasn¡¯t required. However, it was correct to assume that it was dangerous to let your guard down. The sundew sprang greatly many times. I released magic into the surrounding area at once and prepared to cure abnormal statuses. ¡°¡ºAREA PURIFICATION¡».¡± I didn¡¯t know how many people had an abnormal status, so I tried A.O.E magic to avoid the inconvenience. My timing was perfect because the abnormal status was cured at the same time people got it. The knights were surprised because it went so well. Yup, my gaming experience is being used. Before I went on my job search, I played an online game with several people. In the game, I partied with several people and subjugated monsters like right now and they taught me something. Look at the monster¡¯s behaviour and prepare your magic beforehand. In the game, monsters always took a certain action before they cast a skill that would cause abnormal status. If I observe the monsters, then I could see what attack would come next and what abnormal status they would cause. However, it took some time to cast the magic which healed abnormal statuses. If I had to cast the skill which could cure abnormal status immediately after the attack, then I had to cast the magic in advance in conjunction with the monster¡¯s movements. The people I played with wanted the status to be lifted immediately, so before long, it became a habit for me to cast magic while matching the monster¡¯s movements. The party would complain if I was slow to cure them, so they were a little Spartan. Because of that, I started preparing ¡ºAREA PURIFICATION¡»to match with the demon¡¯s movements. A.O.E spells required me to release my magic around the area, and it took time to activate the skill. ¡°Wow! Amazing!¡± Leo-san raised a voice of admiration at me for being able to immediately cure the abnormal statuses from the demon¡¯s actions. ¡°You¡¯re really great. Did Dreves-dono also teach you this?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ He did. Thank you very much.¡± Captain-san also complimented me, but I wasn¡¯t taught this from Head Magician-sama. However, Captain-san wouldn¡¯t understand if I said I had learnt this from a game, so I just told him that Head Magician-sama taught me. Head Magician-sama hadn¡¯t taught me this yet, but he might teach it to me someday. He seemed like someone who liked efficiency, after all. And thus, we headed to the place we planned to and today¡¯s subjugation ended without any incidents. ??????? I began subjugating every day, so my life changed from an easy-going one into a busy one. At any rate, I had a lot of things to do compared to the time I had. Even so, was my company really that black 1) if this is better than when I was in Japan? I don¡¯t want to think of myself as a workaholic. We left for subjugations in the morning, so I prepared the potions for the Knights every night after dinner at the castle. I felt like a witch since I was brewing potions in a cauldron in a dark room under candle light. Corinna-san found me once and was shocked, ¡°You¡¯re still working at this time?¡± The only things I do after I finish the potions was take a bath and then sleep. Then, I woke up early in the mornings, got ready and headed out to the medicinal field before we had to leave for subjugation. I went there to observe the flowerpots that I had cast the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique on. ¡°Ah!¡± The flowerpots I saw that day were different from usual. The smooth soil was bulging a little. ¡°How does it look?¡± I turned back to look at the person who had called out to me and saw Corinna-san. She came here every day because she was curious about the plants. ¡°Look at this! It¡¯s sprouting!¡± I was so happy that it was sprouting, that I replied while turning back and Corinna-san also looked at the flowerpot in excitement. ¡°What did you say?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s here¡­¡± ¡°It is!¡± We said in confirmation as we faced each other; we hadn¡¯t planned this beforehand, so it made us laugh. Then, we shouted in joy because we couldn¡¯t control the outburst of emotion we were having. I wanted to continue watching the medicinal herbs, but unfortunately, it was time for me to head out for subjugation. I don¡¯t know if the herbs would grow up well, even if they have sprouted. I would have to come here to look at it again before it grows fully, and I would have to discuss this with Corinna-san after I return from subjugation. Then, Corinna-san left. I probably wasn¡¯t imagining the fact that Corinna-san looked as if she would start skipping at any moment as I was watching her walking back to the distillation room. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood. Did something good happen?¡± Captain-san said during our lunch break. I can¡¯t speak for Corinna-san. Even I was humming and about to sing. ¡°The seeds that I sowed have sprouted.¡± ¡°The medicinal herbs?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re hard to grow, so I¡¯m happy they sprouted.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I told him the reason and he laughed in understanding. It was probably better to talk about in it more details, but there were things that only Feudal Lord-sama and Corinna-san knew, so I only went over it briefly. ¡°Were those medicinal herbs grown at the research institute as well?¡± ¡°Mm, they probably weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then, will the research institute get new medicinal herbs?¡± The research institute cultivated many herbs, but they didn¡¯t cultivate the herbs that I was growing right now. Because blessing was needed for cultivation. Nonetheless, I couldn¡¯t tell him the cultivation conditions, so I answered vaguely and he said something completely unexpected. Cultivating it at the research institute, huh¡­ Right, if I bless the fields at the research institute then the cultivation conditions would be met. I¡¯m still in the middle of my experiment, but if it goes well, then I should check with Corinna-san to see if I could cultivate it at the research institute. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure if it would grow properly or not¡­¡± ¡°You can ask Johan for help.¡± ¡°Ask Director?¡± ¡°He¡¯s good at cultivating plants.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I remembered when he said that; Director could use earth magic. Earth magic had several convenient spells for raising medicinal herbs. Director uses his magic freely and cultivated herbs that were said difficult to cultivate at the research institute. Even if the herb that sprouted this morning didn¡¯t grow well, it might be able to grow well with Director¡¯s help. No matter the result, I should talk to Corinna-san about whether I could continue the experiment at the research institute or not. I decided on a plan in my head and break was done. Huh? Already? I thought, but it can¡¯t be helped. The subjugations started close to the fief capital and eventually got further and further away. The demons got stronger the further away we were and it became difficult to take breaks. Because of that, our breaks inevitably became shorter. We could still prepare lunch on site, but it might become difficult later. I wonder if we¡¯ll be bringing lunch boxes with us if we can¡¯t make the food on site. I thought absentmindedly, cleaned up and headed out. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± The sprout? Nope. A demon had appeared. Captain-san whispered next to me when he saw the signal of a knight in the vanguard. The knights were alert while walking, but they became tenser as soon as a demon appeared. I also observed the demon so that I could provide support at any time. The demon that appeared resembled nepenthes rafflesiana 2). It had tentacles unlike the real thing and it moved around in a winding motion. It might be dreadful to get caught in its tentacles, but the knights smoothly dodged them and commenced their attack. And, it was defeated easily thanks to their skilful teamwork. I was relieved because no one was injured this time. The results of their daily training was demonstrated perfectly. ¡°Good work. It was easy, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It was fine. But, the demons are getting stronger, so we can¡¯t be unprepared.¡± Captain-san nodded and replied with a serious expression on his face. The knights had the advantage at the moment, but who knows when the scales would tip towards the demons. There was a saying that went, ¡®unpreparedness is one¡¯s greatest enemy,¡¯ so it was probably better to stay focused. In fact, they were gradually taking longer to defeat the demons. ¡°I feel like the demons are showing up more.¡± ¡°Yeah. It might be at the back.¡± I nodded at Captain-san who was keeping an eye on the direction we were moving in. Captain-san didn¡¯t clearly say ¡®what¡¯ was there, but we were probably expecting the same thing. At the West forest, we experienced encountering stronger demons the further we went in with the demons spawning more often. Seems like there¡¯ll be one here, the black swamp that is. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I¡¯m expecting it, or I¡¯ve seen it before, or because I know how to deal with it, but I¡¯m not as nervous as I was at the West Forest. Everyone else is also calm. More demons appeared and I was on my guard so that I wouldn¡¯t get injured, but I wasn¡¯t anxious. Even if there is a swamp, I could annihilate it with the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. I did wonder about what I should do if I failed, but I¡¯ve already pushed that to the back of my mind. If there was another problem, then it would be the demons around the swamp. We predicted that a lot of demons would appear around it since they gushed out from the swamp. This was what had happened at the West Forest. With how many demons spawn from the swamp, I guess it could be compared to the so-called Monster Houses in dungeons. But this was in a forest, so it might be better than the enclosed Monster House, but it was still extremely dangerous to take on that many demons at once. 3) During the West Forest subjugation, the demons attacked one after the one and even Head Magician-sama, who is a battle fanatic, had trouble dealing with them. But one of the reasons why he had trouble might be because he couldn¡¯t use A.O.E magic inside of the forest. Since I have a feeling that I heard him complain or something at that time, ¡°Argh, dammit! I just want to burn them all!¡± It was soon after that, that we could see that things were worse than we imagined. ??????? The type of demons that appeared changed as we got deeper into the forest. Demons resembling carnivorous plants decreased and ones resembling mushrooms increased. Although they resembled mushrooms, they had a poisonous hue to them and were inedible. Like its appearance indicated, the mushroom demon also inflicted abnormal status. The knights were poisoned and paralysed from the spores it puffed out. I haven¡¯t seen this yet, but there were even spores that could burn if they stuck to the skin. We progressed carefully while I cured abnormal status every time it happened. How far did we go? The knight, who was leading, called out to Captain-san who was walking next to me. I nodded that it was fine since Captain-san looked at me for a moment and he quickly walked to the front. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell from here, but it doesn¡¯t seem urgent.¡± I asked the court mage next to me, but they didn¡¯t know what was happening. I can wait here, but I¡¯m curious. Should I walk to the front and ask? I looked at Captain-san and saw that he was having a conversation with several knights while scowling; it didn¡¯t seem like they were panicking, so it should be fine for me to go to the front. ¡°What happened?¡± I called out to Captain-san when I got to the front and he looked at me with the scowl still on his face. I felt like he looked like the knights who were with us. A problem has certainly occurred. ¡°They¡¯ve found traces of a nasty demon.¡± ¡°A nasty demon?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I looked at the directions that the knights were looking at when I heard the word ¡®traces¡¯ and saw fallen trees. People came into the forest to take resources, but fallen trees also weren¡¯t uncommon. I tilted my head wondering what was wrong with it and the knights pointed to a spot on the fallen trees. Hmm? I concentrated my attention on that spot and saw that it was a bit glossy. What is it? The traces of a slug? ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°These are the predatory traces of a slime.¡± ¡°Slime!¡± The image that came to my mind was of a blue drop type monster that appeared in certain famous RPG games. So far, I¡¯ve encountered animals, carnivorous plants, and mushroom demons. We encountered more plant-type demons the further in we went, so I thought that I would encounter myxomycete next, but I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s a slime. Slimes are similar to myxomycetes, so I guess my expectation wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong? I was heedlessly thinking such things, from what Captain-san and the knights said, I realised that the slimes in this world weren¡¯t cute low level monsters that showed up in games. It was one kind of demon they didn¡¯t want to encounter if possible because it was annoying to defeat. Most physical attacks are ineffective, this is what one hears when speaking of slimes. ¡°Will magic work?¡± ¡°Yeah. Most slimes are defeated with magic.¡± Isn¡¯t it fine to defeat it with magic if physical attack don¡¯t work? My old friend¡¯s words resurfaced in my brain. I nearly burst into laughter at that thought but managed to hold it down. There are a lot of knights with us now. Captain-san and I could use magic as well, but there was only one court mage with us. There weren¡¯t many court mages with us in the first place, so each group got one to three mages. There were some knights who could use magic, but only the minority. And, of course, the knights¡¯ magic abilities are nowhere near that of the court mages. Our current group composition could probably deal with one or two slimes. But what would happen if they keep popping up one after the other like at the West Forest¡­? It¡¯ll probably be difficult to deal with them then. It might be possible to wipe them out all at once with the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. But I¡¯m still a little anxious. I¡¯m not used to using it, so I don¡¯t know if I can activate it in an emergency. It might be reckless to make it into a magic attack in this situation. ¡°I¡¯m a little anxious about this group since it could only be defeated with magic.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if only a few appear, but we won¡¯t be able to handle dozens of them.¡± ¡°Should we stop here and go back?¡± ¡°¡­ No, let¡¯s go in a bit more. I want to survey the condition there.¡± Captain-san was thinking the same thing I was. However, he gave priority to investigation because of the risk. Of course, with the premise that we retreat if the slimes become too much to handle. We encountered slimes several times as we advanced. I¡¯d heard what slimes looked like before, but they¡¯re really not cute at all like they are in games. It wasn¡¯t shaped like a drop. Instead of looking soft, it looks like gel spread out on the ground like a water puddle. Of course, it didn¡¯t have a mouth or eyes. We were fortune because not many appeared at the same time, so Captain-san and the court mage could defeat them. I didn¡¯t attack but I did do something. The slime also inflected abnormal status like the mushroom, so I diligently cured it. I looked around after we battled with slimes several times and noticed that the forest scenery had changed. There were less weeds growing at our feet and I could see the ground in several places. Were there only this much weed? Is it my imagination? I thought, but it wasn¡¯t. I became bothered by this because I noticed it, so I started to carefully look around the forest. The next thing I noticed was that there were more withered trees. The trees withered because of external factors, but isn¡¯t this too much? It became a problem when trees withered because of acid rain in my previous world, but did that happen here too? No, no way¡­ There aren¡¯t that many withered trees for that scenario. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The forest is getting somewhat weird.¡± ¡°I knew it¡­ I also feel that something¡¯s changed in here.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t that many weeds here and there are more and more withered trees.¡± Captain-san thought for a while and then instructed the nearby knights to examine the trees. As soon as the knights began examining it they exclaimed, ¡°Woah,¡± and ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Look at this. The trees probably withered because of the slimes.¡± Captain-san looked at where the knights were pointing and he saw a hole had opened near the trunk. The hole was quite deep, but it hadn¡¯t penetrated to the other side. Furthermore, it stretched in a vertical position. The outside was left, but the inside of the tree might be almost hallow. The entrance of the hole was a glossy substance similar to the traces we saw before, so was this eaten by a slime? Is it possible that the other withered trees were eaten up as well? ¡°There are traces on this tree.¡± ¡°Here too.¡± The other knights who were examining the nearby trees also called out one after the other. I might not have noticed it until now, but perhaps the other trees were also withered the same way. ¡°What should we do, Captain? Do you still want to move on?¡± Captain-san put his hands to his chin and thought when he was questioned by the knight. We would encounter more slimes and withered trees the further we go in, so I have a bad feeling about this, but we have to confirm how bad it is back there. I don¡¯t know if Captain-san knew what I was thinking, but he looked at me. I don¡¯t know what he was aiming with that look, but I could feel that he wanted to proceed and nodded. It seemed like I was able to convey my feelings to him. He instructed the knights to carry on and we began walking again. As expected, we saw more withered trees and the scenery got dreary. I was really surprised when a slime dropped down from a tree that still had its leaves. Moreover, it had fallen near me, and although I didn¡¯t scream, I felt disgusted afterwards. I rubbed my arms and stomped on it. I pretended not to notice that Captain-san was looking at me with a slightly troubled expression as he lowered his eyebrows. Falling from the top, it¡¯s a very powerful attack, you know¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go back soon?¡± Captain-san spoke when the chills in my spine subsided. He decided to go back since we kept getting surprised by slimes. We were going to stay at a village near the forest, so we could stay in here for a relatively long time. But if we don¡¯t go back soon, then we¡¯ll end up spending the night with the slimes. It was more dangerous to stay in here rather than a village even if someone was on guard. The knights thought the same and nodded at Captain-san. We turned back and walked in the direction we came from when everyone made their decision. Captain-san¡¯s expression changed into a grave one when we hadn¡¯t even walked that much. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± The knights stopped and they tensed up. Is there a demon? I could hear the sounds of leaves being shaken by the wind when I hid and listened carefully. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Wha-!¡± A knight raised his voice and we saw slimes oozing out of a hole in a withered tree. Of course, this caused the other knights to raise their voices too. The slime that was sliding down the tree like sap was several times bigger than those we¡¯d seen up until now. Everyone was paying attention to the slime and I heard the knights, who were surveying the area, take a sharp intake of breath. I looked around and saw that slimes were oozing out of the many withered trees. They was large and a large number of them oozed out. I understood that the situation was grave when I looked at the court mage next to me and saw that he had paled. ¡°¡ºICE WALL¡»,¡± a wall was formed at the same time Captain-san said his aria. He continued to chant his aria and we were surrounded by a wall except for the front. ¡°It¡¯ll erode sooner or later, but this is better than nothing.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about the back,¡± the knight added as if complementing Captain-san¡¯s explanation. The wall was to relieve the situation since we were surrounded. And the battle began when preparations were done. Only Captain-san and the court mage were attacking the slimes. The knights were trying to keep the slimes from approaching so that they wouldn¡¯t get closer than a certain distance. I also cured their abnormal status and healed them. The battle continued for a long time and the wall of ice slowly began to erode and a hole was opening. Captain-san saw that and cast ¡ºICE WALL¡»in between the battle to rebuild the wall. His MP seemed to have been exhausted since he took a MP potion from his waist pouch and gulped it down. Although he was the Captain of the knights, he had less MP than a court mage so he had to drink MP potions quite frequently. Even if their base levels were 10, the maximum amount of MP between a court mage and knight was quite different. Even though we had a moderate amount of potions prepared, they would run out sooner or later. Nevertheless, the surrounding slimes didn¡¯t feel like they were decreasing even if they were getting defeated one after another. Aren¡¯t they coming from the back? I looked up at the sky because I expected that the situation would get worse. Huh? The branches above my head were glistening in the sun and I concentrated my attention on them. I thought I was just imagining things, but I wasn¡¯t. Slimes were clinging to the branches. I grew pale because I predicted this would happen. ¡°They¡¯re also coming from above!¡± I said and Captain-san looked up. My voice must have become the signal, because slimes were falling from on top of Captain-san. It¡¯s dangerous, I thought and felt magic swelling up from within. The ¡¾Saint¡¿technique activated at once to purify the surrounding slimes. The range of the technique was small since I was panicking. However, the slimes above us and those within a five meter circumference all disappeared. ¡°Sei, can you do it again?¡± ¡°I can!¡± ¡°Can you open a path in that direction?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯re withdrawing!¡± Fortunately, it appeared that I could activate the technique again. Captain-san called out to the knights and they came back from the front. When we gathered together, I activated the technique in the direction that Captain-san asked me to; the slimes in that direction disappeared and a path opened up. We quickly ran out before the path was blocked and managed to get out of the encirclement. ??????? A week has passed since we¡¯ve returned from that wild subjugation. The subjugation was extremely tiring, so we decided to return to Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s castle as soon as possible; but that wasn¡¯t the only reason why. Another reason was because the demons which had appeared were slimes. The current group compositions were bad for this subjugation since physical attack didn¡¯t really affect the slimes. It was necessary for us to request additional mages from the Royal Palace, so that the subjugation would process more efficiently. Of course, we needed to tell Feudal Lord-sama about the slimes as well, so we reported it as soon as we arrived at the castle. Feudal Lord-sama looked really grim when Captain-san told him about the slimes and the situation in the forest. Of course, the demons were troublesome but the forest being destroyed was a bigger problem. Corinna-san, who was with us, also looked as grave as Feudal Lord-sama did. I heard from Corinna-san that a valuable herb grew at the place where the slimes were and having this place destroyed by slimes would be problematic for Klaussner, since its major production was medicinal herbs. I told them that I couldn¡¯t find any of the herbs that I heard grew in the forest when we were talking about the subjugation and Corinna-san looked even graver. Captain-san immediately sent off a letter requesting for aid after our conversation with Feudal Lord-sama and Corinna-san. According to Captain-san, the request would most likely be accepted and the court mages should be arriving soon. I thought we would be idle before they arrived, but it turned out that we wouldn¡¯t be. We will be going to another place with the knights to continue our subjugation. Demons didn¡¯t just appear in the forest where the slimes were after all. I spent my days like that and the subjugation settled a little in the other places and so we had a bit of spare time. Captain-san told me to take a proper break because I did nothing but subjugate demons. Captain-san seriously wanted me to rest properly so he forbade me from going to the distillation room. He even told Corinna-san about it, so I gave up on making potions or going to the herb fields. Therefore, today is my day off and I didn¡¯t have to subjugate demons. I was extremely bored since I couldn¡¯t go to the herb garden or the distillation room. Thus, there was only one place to go. I felt extremely sorry for the chefs, but I borrowed a corner of the kitchen and made some cookies. Is cooking not work, you say? Cooking is fine. It¡¯s a change of pace. First, I had to measure the ingredients. I saw rosemary on top of the counter and the chef, who was working nearby, was watching me with interest. This person might not know it, but you can also use herbs for sweets too, you know. It was also easy to add a good effect by putting in herbs if the person making it had a cooking skill. The reason why I was fussing over the effects of the cookies was because I wanted to bring them with me on subjugations. Yes. Today¡¯s cooking was not only to prepare snacks, but also to make a prototype of something that could be easily eaten on subjugations. We didn¡¯t have time to make food if battles became intense, so I thought about food we could pack. Then, I remembered about the handy nutrition bars from Japan. I¡¯m talking about the ones that look like shortbread. I came up with rosemary and walnut cookies as a result of thinking about something convenient that we could carry. ¡°Are you making sweets today?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought about making something that would be filling instead of just being sweet.¡± ¡°Really? So you¡¯re using less sugar?¡± ¡°I wanted to make something that isn¡¯t too sweet, but it¡¯s also because sugar is simply too expensive.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Head Chef-san spoke to me when I was sifting the flour. He was curious about what I was making. When I told Head Chef-san about why I was using less sugar, he laughed as if he understood. Sweet things were expensive in this world. It would be nice if I could use as much sugar as I wanted. I didn¡¯t stop cooking even though I was talking with Head Chef-san. I kneaded the dough, shaped it, baked it in the oven and then it was finished. After cooling the cookies which had had browned nicely I picked one up. Yup, it looks goods. The rosemary gave it a nice aroma and the walnuts gave it a crunchy finish. I did want to make it sweeter and I wondered if I could increase the sweetness even more since we were going to eat this while on the subjugation mission. I wonder if I can add dried fruits to increase the sweetness. No, that would cost extra¡­ I chewed the cookie as I thought about ways to improve it and I felt a few glances on my back. I turned around and saw all the chefs as well as Head Chef-san staring at me. ¡°Do you want a taste?¡± I timidly asked and they all nodded their head at the same time. I smiled wryly since they were nodding with such vigour. The chefs were as equally enthusiastic as the people in the distillation room. I didn¡¯t make that much since this was a prototype, so I want them to forgive me for only giving each person a piece. They gave me ideas on how to improve the sweetness when I told them I wanted to, so it might have been a good idea to let them sample it. In Captain-san¡¯s office. I thought that the cookies should be sampled since I was going to bring them with me on the subjugation, so I brought them with me. I entered the room and told him that I had a gift for him and he gave me a dazzling smile. I feel like his smile has more impact than it did when we were at the Royal Palace; is this just my imagination? I caught him just in time for his break, and he invited me to have tea with him like he did at the Royal Palace. I wanted to hear his thoughts about the cookies, so I joined him. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good. We could probably take this with us on subjugation missions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± I¡¯m happy to hear that he likes it. I made the cookies with a modest amount of sugar, but it was perfect for Captain-san since he didn¡¯t really like sweet things. In addition, I¡¯m glad I got his approval when I told him that I wanted to bring this with us on subjugations. ¡°I¡¯m sure I told you to rest for today¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I made this for a change of pace.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I told Captain-san, who was holding the second cookie before his eyes, the reason I had prepared them and he smiled wryly. Director also often told me that I didn¡¯t rest on my holidays, but I do think that I rest properly; since I don¡¯t work at all. My job is to study medicinal herbs and support in subjugations. Cooking isn¡¯t part of my job description, I¡¯m sure of it. But I wonder if making food to take on subjugations part of helping out? Huh? Captain-san drank his tea and then we heard someone run. I looked at Captain-san wondering what this was about, and then we heard an impatient knock at the door. The servant replied when Captain-san asked the person to identify themselves. The servant, who had entered the room, was out of breath because he had been running. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°A message has come from Feudal Lord-sama. He said that the court mages have arrived from the Royal Palace.¡± ¡°From the Royal Palace?¡± Of course Captain-san would look suspicious. Even though he¡¯d sent the request, it was still too early for them to arrive. It should have taken them a week to arrive. What the heck is going on? According to the servant, Feudal Lord-sama also felt the same way and came here to enquire how to deal with them. Anyway, nothing would be accomplished even if we think about it here. We finished our tea and went to meet with the mages who had arrived. We were guided by someone working at the castle to the place where we gathered for subjugations and there were knights and mages there. ¡°Aira-chan!?¡± I found someone I knew in the sea of unfamiliar faces, and raised my voice. ¡°Sei-san!¡± Aira-chan was standing there wearing the court mage cloak. ¡°Huh? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Mm¡­ How should I say this¡­? A lot of things happened¡­¡± I was so surprised that I asked her for the reason and she looked troubled as she gave me a half-smile. From what I¡¯ve heard before, Aira-chan joined the Court Mage Division after she graduated from the Royal Academy, so it wasn¡¯t surprising to see her come here. But, it was still too early for support to arrive and the mages here were quite strange. I heard that Captain-san had requested that a large number of mages should be dispatched to Klaussner because of the slimes. Nevertheless, the mages that had been sent here were on the same level as our current group. I should confirm the ¡®a lot of things¡¯ with Aira-chan. I thought and tried to ask her about it in detail, but I noticed someone quickly approach. Aira-chan¡¯s smile became more questionable when a person with the court mage mantle approached us; their face was covered by the mantle¡¯s hood. It was an unusual appearance, so Captain-san took a step forward to protect us. However, the mage came towards us not caring that we were being vigilant and slowly took of their hood. Both Captain-san and I were surprised at who it was and raised our voices in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± The unparalleled beauty with a dazzling smile on his face was Head Magician-sama, who should be at the Royal Palace. I felt like I could hear a voice that said, ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± when he tilted his head and smiled. References Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH 3 ¡°Alright! It looks nice, good.¡± I looked at the shiny leaves that were bathed in sunlight and smiled. The medicinal plants which had been blessed in the flowerpots were growing nicely. They might be growing too well. I feel like they¡¯re growing faster than they would normally. Corinna-san, who was observing the growth of the plants with me, also said the same thing. It might be time to move onto the next stage and conduct experiments on a small field. I would be going back to the Royal Capital once the demon problem has been dealt with so I wouldn¡¯t be in Klaussner forever. I should quickly advance in the things I want to do. Reinforcements from the Royal Capital had arrived here unexpectedly, so Captain-san was extremely busy reorganising the subjugation groups. Head Magician-sama was also part of the reinforcements, but that person was utterly ignorant of anything but magic. Even until now, he takes a lot of independent actions during subjugations, and he can¡¯t organise groups, or should I say that he has never done it before. I wondered if such a person should be in such an important position, but there are probably a lot of reasons for this. Probably. The court mages also came from the Royal Capital. However, the number of mages that Captain-san requested did not come. Thus, it was necessary to reorganise everyone into two groups. A large group of mages to deal with the slime forest and a smaller group to deal with the rest of the area. Captain-san always organises the groups. It seemed like he would finish it promptly, but he hadn¡¯t because we also had the 2nd Knight Order for reinforcements. The 3rd knight order secretly told me, everyone from the 2nd knight order wanted to join the group in charge of the slimes, and things seemed out of control. How troublesome. Anyway, we would probably head on the subjugation mission as soon as the groups are reorganised. If so, then I want to make some progress in my experiment right now. Strike the iron while it¡¯s hot. I finished observing the plants, so I decided to immediately go to the distillation room. Corinna-san and I talked about the conditions of the plants and future experiments. She also went to check on the plants every day and thought that it would be better to move onto the next stage of the experiment. My wish of wanting to experiment on a field was readily accepted. It seemed that she had already prepared a field for me and as a result, we were headed there now. It seemed like Corinna-san was also excited that the herbs that couldn¡¯t be grown could be grown again. We walked nimbly towards the field. ¡°Mm, is it alright for me to use all this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s permission.¡± The place that I was guided to was a wide ploughed field. I could see the forest spread out way off in the back, but even so, it was quite wide. If I want to experiment on different medicinal herbs, then I certainly need a wide field. But, is it alright for me to use a field this big for my current experiment? I hesitated for a bit, but pulled myself together and decided to activate the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique when Corinna-san said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± It was embarrassing to cast the technique in front of others, but I have to endure it. I¡¯ve blessed the flowerpots in front of Corinna-san before. Don¡¯t think about it too much. I exhaled once and concentrated so that I could cast the technique. After a while, there was a sign that magic was drifting in the air around us. I concentrated without paying attention to the magic, and the range of the magic rapidly spread wider. When the magic spread to a section of the field, I thought, please grow medicinal herbs, as I activated the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. ¡°Was that the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique just now?¡± The surface of the field was shining white and converged as a voice called out from behind me. Being startled, I turned around and saw the beautiful Head Magician-sama walking our way. Corinna-san, who was standing next to me, also had her eyes widened in surprise, so she probably hadn¡¯t expected him to show up here. Well, of course, she would be, blessing the fields was a confidential matter in this fief. Corinna-san told me earlier that people were under strict orders to stay away from here today. However, that order didn¡¯t seem to have reached the division heads. It couldn¡¯t be helped since the command system was different, but this might be a little bad. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning. And what was that just now?¡± ¡°It was the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique.¡± ¡°I knew it! You can activate it freely now, can¡¯t you!?¡± He didn¡¯t let me brush it off with greetings. I reluctantly admitted that it was the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique and Head Magician-sama¡¯s expression seemed to become brighter. From Head Magician-sama¡¯s reaction, perhaps, did he not know that I could activate the technique freely now? ¡°By the way, why are you activating the technique in a place like this?¡± When I thought that the reaction of Head Magician-sama, who had just heard this now, was strange, he continued to fire difficult questions at me. Mmm, what should I say¡­? It¡¯ll be a problem if I tell him the truth. ¡°When I consulted with Feudal Lord-sama about where to practice my technique, I was guided to this place.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a big area, and there¡¯s nothing planted here right now. The ¡¾Saint¡¿technique might damage the field.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Even I thought that it was a poor excuse, but I couldn¡¯t talk about blessing, so I could only avoid the topic. However, Head Magician-sama seemed to have accepted that excuse. Is that okay? I looked at Corinna-san, and her expression hadn¡¯t changed, so it should be. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem damaged, but it might have influenced the soil.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°For some reason, I can feel mysterious magic coming from the soil.¡± Head Magician-sama grumbled as he put a hand to his chin and looked at the soil. I couldn¡¯t tell at all, but it seemed like the excellent Head Magician-sama could tell the difference when it came to magic. Corrina-san didn¡¯t seem to know who Head Magician-sama was and her eyebrow twitched when he spoke. It¡¯s okay. Head Magician-sama may know a lot about magic, but I don¡¯t think he knows about blessing. But he might have sensed something. Corinna-san glanced at me, so I put those feelings into my nod. The details probably couldn¡¯t be conveyed to her with that so I will explain it to her later. Now, let¡¯s return to the subject at hand. The mysterious magic that he felt from the soil is, of course, the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. Well, I did cast the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique on it. I heard from Head Magician-sama before that living things have magic, but is it normal that inanimate objects, like dirt, don¡¯t? Soil couldn¡¯t be summed up in one word since it¡¯s possible that microorganism might be in there, and blessing might have affected those things. Or is it possible that I granted magic to some kind of mineral? The possibilities would be endless if I think about it, but it seems possible. When I told them that, Head Magician-sama and Corinna-san both listened to me with interest. Perhaps, they¡¯re two peas in a pod? They exchanged their opinions while we were talking and it seemed like they had both reached an understanding. Somehow, they¡¯re getting along. That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good, but¡­ ¡°So, shall we try it on the next part?¡± It might have been a mistake to mention that I was practising the technique. Head Magician-sama smiled a smile which made women fall for him and requested I use blessing. He was excited that he was able to observe the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique that he had waited so long to see. For some reason, Corinna-san also agreed. Huh? Do I have to activate the technique while Head Magician-sama is watching me? No, that, it takes time to activate it¡­ I also, have to prepare myself¡­ Practice makes perfect? No, like I said¡­ Nooooooooo!!! ??????? I activated the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique while taking frequent breaks, and we went our separate ways after I had finished blessing all the experimental fields. My job was only to bless the fields, and the gardeners are the ones who will be sowing the seeds. I entrusted Corinna-san with instructing the gardeners and left with Head Magician-sama to where the knights were stationed. I actually wanted to watch them sow the seeds, but Head Magician-sama had things he wanted to ask me, so it ended up like this. The thing he wanted to ask about was, in all likelihood, the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. He asked me a lot of questions when I was taking breaks between casting blessing. When we got to where the knights were stationed, Head Magician-sama went straight to the 2nd floor. I followed after him, and we ended up in a room that wasn¡¯t Captain-san¡¯s office. It seems like this is the room that Head Magician-sama is using. In a way, he was the Head Magician of the Court Mage Division, so he got his own room. The furniture was arranged in the same manner as Captain-san¡¯s office. The only different thing was the number of documents on top of the desk. Of course, Captain-san would have more since he managed the knights. The things on top of Head Magician-sama¡¯s desk are, without a doubt, only documents necessary for research. I looked around the room, and he suggested that I sit down on the sofa. After a while, I sat down, and the servants brought us herbal tea and cookies. Is this chamomile tea? It smells nice. When I looked at the light amber liquid and sipped it, Head Magician-sama fired the first shot, ¡°Contrary to my expectation, the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique uses a lot of magic.¡± ¡°It does.¡± I nodded in reply to his words. As Head Magician-sama said, the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique used up quite a lot of MP. In essence, AOE magic used more MP in proportion to the range of the effect and the level of difficulty of the skill. The ¡¾Saint¡¿technique was like AOE magic, thus the broader the scope of the effect, the more MP it needed. However, the width of a part of the field which I worked on today wasn¡¯t unusually wide. Nevertheless, I had blessed two parts of the field, and my MP had almost depleted, so the original MP needed for the skill must have been really high. Blessing had a high-effect so I couldn¡¯t abandon the possibility that it might use a lot of MP. Therefore, I took a break to recover my MP in between blessing the field. Head Magician-sama had been restless, but I had to do this. I could continue to bless without resting if I took an MP potion, but I didn¡¯t want to with the herb storage right now. Even without using potions, MP and HP would gradually recover over time like stamina. It took time, but if you wait, by either standing or sitting, then it will recover. It was better not to use potions if there was no rush. Both Head Magician-sama and Corinna-san know that there is a herb shortage. Therefore, I convinced him by telling him that my MP was running out. But, Head Magician-sama is Head Magician-sama after all. He asked me a lot of questions about the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique during the break. Like, what did I realise when he wasn¡¯t around? ¡°We¡¯ll need to prepare a lot of potions in the next mission. There are more mages too.¡± ¡°Yes. There aren¡¯t enough ingredients, but I want to prepare as many Advanced Potions as possible.¡± ¡°Shall I train you so that you¡¯ll be able to activate the technique faster? From what I can see, you can¡¯t cast it fast, can you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Head Magician-sama put his hand to his chin, and I reflectively avoided his gaze. Faster than now? That¡¯s rather hard. I have to prepare my mind a lot before I can activate the technique. But it¡¯s more or less better for me to train. I can activate the technique now, but the time it takes me to activate it varies. If I can keep the activation time constant by training it, then it¡¯s better for me to train. ¡°Speaking of which, what was the activation condition?¡± I thought about training while looking in the opposite direction, and he launched his next attack. ¡°Excuse me?¡± He repeated himself when I turned around and asked him what he¡¯d said. Conditions¡­ The conditions? Say it? I can¡¯t. ¡°Errmmmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± His gaze made me uncomfortable while I was worrying about how to answer. The activation conditions weren¡¯t even written in ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¯s¡¿diary, which Corinna-san had let me read. I could have used it as an answer if she¡¯d written something about it! ¡°Is it hard to say?¡± A pursuit question was shot off by Head Magician-sama while my gaze shook from left to right as I thought. ¡°Uoah¡­¡± I got tongue-tied, and he nodded his head as if he¡¯d accepted the situation. ¡°I see. So it¡¯s hard for you to say it.¡± ¡°Uuo¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll stop here for now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I knew that this was a positive thing, but I averted my gaze away again because I felt guilty. Then, he quickly dropped the subject. He smiled back at me when I widened my eyes in surprise. ¡°Is this fine?¡± ¡°Will you answer it then?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to fret. I really don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t answer.¡± A chill ran down my spine when he smiled really beautifully. Why? I heard a knock at the door when I was trembling while talking to him. Captain-san answered when Head Magician-sama asked who it was. My heart jumped because the topic that we were talking about was him. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Sorry for interrupting your research.¡± Captain-san noticed me when he entered the room, and his eyes opened slightly in surprise. People would generally think that we¡¯re taking a break because of the herb tea and cookies on the table, but the reason why he concluded that this is about research is probably because that is who Head Magician-sama is. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. So, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll excuse myself if you¡¯re going to talk about work.¡± I got up since I thought it was better if I wasn¡¯t here if they were talking about work, but Captain-san stopped me. ¡°No, I want you to hear this as well, Sei. I finished re-organising the groups, so I came here to get it confirmed.¡± It seems like he came here to get confirmation on the groups, but does he have something else he wants to talk about? When I tilted my head in curiosity, Head Magician-sama offered a seat to Captain-san, and he sat down next to me. ¡°This is the plan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I also don¡¯t have a problem with this plan.¡± Head Magician-sama received the paper with the group formation written on it. He read it and nodded. ¡°Thanks. Then we¡¯ll go with this.¡± ¡°Do you also agree, Sei?¡± I thought it would be over after Head Magician-sama confirmed the groups, but for some reason he asked me for my confirmation. ¡°Eh? Is it alright?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Please confirm it.¡± Captain-san had given his approval so I read the paper I¡¯d received from Head Magician-sama and I somehow understood why Head Magician-sama had asked for my opinion. The reason was that some of the knights from the 2nd Knight Order will also be going to the slime forest. I see, so it¡¯s those people¡­ I found some familiar names on the plan and remembered the people who helped me carry books from the Royal Library to the research institute. Forgive me for looking off into the distance. There were more mages in the group this time since physical attacks didn¡¯t do much damage to slimes. All the mages who could use attack magic were placed in this group. The number of knights has also increased, so it was a much larger group than last time. According to Captain-san, he added knights in the group to escort the mages. Of course, the chosen knights were all people known for their defence. Not everyone was going to the slime forest. There were also people, who came from the Royal Capital, that would be going to the other forests. Since we had more people, he decided to do the subjugations at the same time. The organisation of the groups was different than usual. The groups either had one healer or none at all. The groups without mages had to do their best with only potions. It might be better if I make more HP potions than usual. ¡°Are there a lot of slimes? I can¡¯t wait.¡± I heard Head Magician-sama¡¯s voice while I was thinking about potions. I looked up from the paper and saw Head Magician-sama looking ecstatic. His expression is that. The dangerous one. In the West Forest, he had held back, but he might not hold himself back this time. I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t burn the forest along with the slimes. I couldn¡¯t help but wish in my mind because of his expression. ??????? After talking with Head Magician-sama and Captain-san, I returned to the distillation room. We will be heading to the slime forest again in a few days since the groups had been set. I was setting on making potions and preparing for the trip, but I was caught by Corinna-san before I could start. Corinna-san saw me and beckoned me to her as soon as I¡¯d entered the distillation room. I followed her to the back room and she closed the door. Seems like we¡¯ll be talking about confidential matters. Which means, we¡¯ll probably be talking about blessing and Head Magician-sama. It seems like she was curious about Head Magician-sama when we were at the fields. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I wanted to ask about that gentleman. Looks like he came from the Royal Capital, but who the heck is he?¡± Corinna-san wanted to ask about Head Magician-sama after all. ¡°The man with the dark blue hair?¡± ¡°Yes, him. The pretty and important looking man. Looks like you know him?¡± ¡°I do. His name is Dreves-sama. He¡¯s the Head Magician of the Court Mage Division.¡± ¡°The Court Mage Division¡¯s? No wonder¡­¡± She nodded in satisfaction when I told her that he was the Head Magician of the Court Mage division. When I asked about it in more detail, it was just as I¡¯d expected. She was worried when Head Magician-sama had pointed out that there was magic packed in the soil at the medicinal field. Apparently, she was worried that I¡¯d blabbed about blessing when he¡¯d pointed this out, but after talking to him, she¡¯d realised that I probably hadn¡¯t. ¡°You haven¡¯t told him anything right?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t, since it¡¯s a confidential matter in this fief after all.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m just asking just in case.¡± ¡°I know you had to in your position.¡± ¡°Sorry. For a second there, I had actually doubted you and thought you¡¯d told him. But, when I talked to him¡­¡± Corinna-san must have recalled what they had talked about and smiled wryly. At that time, Head Magician-sama seemed really excited and had gotten really technical when he talked about magic. It also looked to me as if Corinna-san was having a lot of fun talking with him, but apparently the content was too difficult for her to follow. Their conversation was a bit difficult to follow, so I stopped listening half way and concentrated on activating the technique. ¡°But, he¡¯s a real piece of work. It looks like he¡¯d get to the bottom of it even if we don¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°He probably could.¡± He¡¯ll definitely get to the bottom of it. Head Magician-sama had researched a lot about the¡¾Saint¡¿so that he could perform the ¡¾Saint Summoning Ceremony¡¿. He probably knows that one of the past¡¾Saints¡¿was from Klaussner. This time, he¡¯d noticed that magic dwelled in the soil after I¡¯d cast the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. He would probably suspect the involvement of the ¡¾Saint¡¿if he realises that herbs that can¡¯t be grown in other places could be grown in Klaussner. From there, he¡¯ll probably realise that ¡¾Pharmacist-sama¡¿, spoken of at Klaussner, and the¡¾Saint¡¿from Klaussner are the same person by connecting all the pieces together. I¡¯d noticed that she was the saint from the clues in her diary, but Head Magician-sama would probably realise this even if he didn¡¯t have any clues because he¡¯s a talented individual. Observe the fields and derive the correct answer from it. It seems like he¡¯d enjoy this process a lot because he loves magic. Huh? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, something¡¯s bugging me¡­¡± What is it? Something¡¯s bugging me right now. But, no matter how much I thought, I didn¡¯t know what was bugging me. I wonder if it¡¯ll come to me later. Anyway, let¡¯s prepare for the next subjugation. I stopped thinking about blessing and Head Magician-sama and decided to make potions. We went back to the other room while I discussed the type and amount of potions I would need to prepare with Corinna-san. I confirmed the stock in the ledger that was in the distillation room and found out that there wasn¡¯t enough herbs to make MP potions. I was a bit worried over this, but I discussed it with Corinna-san and she decided to pick some up from the distributor at the fief. Although they hadn¡¯t found the black swamp yet, Head Magician-sama and Captain-san both agreed that it was probably in the slime forest. From that, they concluded that the subjugation mission was finally coming to an end and that there was no need to be stingy about potions now. They also considered what would happened if they didn¡¯t find the black swamp in the slime forest and considered getting additional herbs to the fief capital from neighbouring towns. We decided to ask Feudal Lord-sama to handle the procedure because a lot of herbs were being moved around in the fief. A lot of preparations needed to be done, so we asked the pharmacists in the distillation room to help me. Corinna-san instructed the pharmacists one by one, and the distillation room suddenly got busy. Everyone got busy and started moving: one person went to contact Feudal Lord-sama, one person headed to the warehouse where the herbs were stored, and another prepared the tools for potion making. I was responsible for setting up the tools so that the potions could be made as soon as the ingredients got here. A short while after, the person who went to the warehouse came back with herbs. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of herbs. So keep making them and make some space for more herbs.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I thanked the pharmacist who¡¯d brought the herbs and he immediately turned to go back to the warehouse. I had to make a lot of potions so the area reserved for the ingredients was packed with herbs in no time. I also have to work. I rolled up my sleeves and threw the herbs into the large cauldron. When I started to stir the cauldron, I heard a lively voice behind me. I turned my head around and saw that the mercenaries were helping the pharmacist carry the herbs. ¡°Hey!¡± Leo-san was also with the mercenaries and he raised both his hands to greet me when he saw me. ¡°Hello, Leo-san. What happened?¡± ¡°Ah. I saw someone who looked like a civil official carrying a lot of stuff. I wondered what was going on so I asked them and it turned out they were carrying herbs. We always use the potions here, so we decided to help out.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I continued working as we talked and wooden boxes filled with herbs were rapidly being piled up at the wall. If I don¡¯t work quickly then wouldn¡¯t we run out of space to put the wooden boxes? I moved my hands quickly and Leo-san spoke to me again, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re making a lot this time. You don¡¯t usually make this many potions, right?¡± ¡°Yes. We have more knights now, and the demon this time is a little unique.¡± ¡°Oh, the slime?¡± ¡°You also heard about them?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m the boss of the mercenaries even if I look like this. I heard about it from Feudal Lord-sama.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Now that he mentions it, he is too. Leo-san is in charge of the mercenaries at Klaussner, so there¡¯s no way he didn¡¯t hear about the slimes. ¡°Are you going on the slime subjugation too?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m attacking? Well, I can use magic too.¡± I questioned whether or not I could call the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique a magic attack. It should be fine since it works on demons? I thought as we talked and my tone turned into a questioning one. ¡°Why¡¯re you tilting your head in confusion?¡± ¡°Well, my technique is a bit special.¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± Leo-san immediately retorted, so my answer became muddy. It looked like he¡¯d come up with various assumptions. ¡°It¡¯s better to have more mages when we subjugate slimes.¡± ¡°It is. Physical attack doesn¡¯t seem to work very well.¡± ¡°So, the knights who are coming along will be the escorts?¡± As Leo-san had guessed, the knights headed to the slime forest were guarding the mages. But, it would be a problem if I were to tell Leo-san the formation of the groups, so I laughed vaguely to end this conversation. Leo-san didn¡¯t seem to care that I hadn¡¯t replied to him. He folded his arms and looked as if he was thinking about something. What¡¯s he thinking about? I got curious and gazed at him absently. After a while, Leo-san lifted his face up. He saw that my hands had stopped moving and said, ¡°Your hands have stopped moving.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t finish making those potions, then we won¡¯t have any space left.¡± I looked at the wall and saw that there were more boxes there now. It looks like we¡¯ll run out of space soon. Oh no, I have to quickly finish these. I quickly moved my hands and Leo-san left the distillation room to go get the next box. In the end, I couldn¡¯t ask Leo-san what he was thinking about, and I didn¡¯t find out about it until the day we left for the slime forest. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH 4 We¡¯re finally leaving to the slime forest today. When I headed to the plaza like usual, Aira-chan greeted me halfway there, ¡°Sei-san, good morning!¡± ¡°Ah, Aira-chan. Morning.¡± When I turned towards the voice, I saw her rushing towards me. I stopped and waited for Aira-chan to catch up to me before walking again. ¡°We¡¯re in the same group today.¡± ¡°Yeah, we sure are.¡± Aira-chan and I smiled happily. I¡¯ve been on subjugation missions many times before, but this was the first time I was going on one with Aira-chan, causing me to be excited. This time, all the mages from the Court Mage Division who were going to the slime forest were those who could use offensive magic. Apart from holy magic, Aira-chan can also use water and wind magic, so she was put in the same group as me. ¡°Are you also going to be attacking today Aira-chan?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll attack while observing the situation.¡± ¡°Observing the situation?¡± ¡°We¡¯re the only two who could use holy magic, so I was put in charge of healing.¡± ¡°Ooh? Dreves-sama can also use holy magic, can¡¯t he?¡± ¡°My seniors told me that the head magician would probably not be healing anyone-¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I accepted Aira-chan¡¯s answer as she smiled wryly. Head Magician-sama mostly attacked when we went to the West Forest. I can be in charge of healing by myself if I use AOE magic, but then MP consumption would be a problem. It¡¯s probably better for both Aira-chan and I to be in charge of healing. I thought while walking, and we reached the plaza. The people who were assigned to different areas were also here, so it was bustling even though it was morning. We looked for where our group was because it seemed like everyone was gathered in their groups. When I looked around, I found a group of people wearing robes in the bustling crowd. It was the Court Mages. Those people are probably assigned to the slime forest. ¡°Aira-chan, we¡¯re with them, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right.¡± When I called out to Aira-chan and walked towards the group, I saw that Leo-san was amongst the knights. Looking closely, I saw that there were a few mercenaries too. Huh? Why? When I approached them while tilting my head in curiosity, Leo-san found me and raised his hand. The people near him also noticed me when he did this. ¡°¡°¡°Good morning, Sei-sama!¡±¡±¡± ¡°Oh, good morning¡­¡± Amazing. Their voices overlapped each other¡¯s perfectly. I was a little surprised when I added in the volume of their voices. I wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised. Leo-san and the mercenaries, who were next to them, were also surprised. Even Aira-chan looked as if she was shocked. It was the knights from the 2nd Knight Order who greeted me with a dazzling smile and a loud voice. I feel like I¡¯ve seen all these people before. But, I was more curious about Leo-san and his crew. I thought that the knights and the mercenaries would be working separately¡­ ¡°Good morning, Leo-san.¡± ¡°Mo¡­ Good morning.¡± Leo-san tried to greet me like he usually does, but he noticed everyone¡¯s gaze and corrected himself. ¡°You can talk to me normally. It¡¯s better that way.¡± The people in the 2nd Knight Order sharpened their gaze, but when I went closer to them, their eyes softened. ¡°So why are you here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re joining you today.¡± ¡°You are?¡± I asked him about it because I was curious, and found out that they would be accompanying us on the request of Feudal Lord-sama. Rare herbs grew in the slime forest, and it was the largest harvest spot in Klaussner. Feudal Lord-sama heard that the forest had been devastated by the slimes and decided to dispatch Leo-san and his crew. It was an important place, so he wanted to send someone, who knew the previous state of the forest, to be his eyes and confirm the current situation. Apparently, this had only been decided last night since the knights and mercenaries had trouble working with each other. It was decided that Leo-san would take part in the slime subjugation, but he wanted a few of his mercenaries with him. Apparently they had a little dispute and the decision was made at the last minute. The knights also couldn¡¯t agree amongst themselves about who would be going to the slime forest. So it was easy to imagine that this problem would get even worse with new people joining in. Thanks for all your hard work, Captain-san. ¡°Morning, Sei.¡± ¡°Sei-sama, good morning.¡± Captain-san and Head Magician-sama joined the group while I was talking to Leo-san. It was twice as dazzling when they stood next to each other causing me to squint a little. Aira-chan and I greeted them. Then, Head Magician-sama looked at Leo-san and tilted his head in curiosity, ¡°This is?¡± ¡°This is Leonhardt, the person in charge of the mercenaries at Klaussner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Leonhardt.¡± ¡°The mercenaries will be joining us today.¡± When I introduced Leo-san to Head Magician-sama, Captain-san told him what was happening today. Head Magician-sama accepted the reason for why there were unfamiliar faces here. He smiled gently and nodded gracefully. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Yuuri Dreves, the Head Magician of the Court Mage Division.¡± ¡°Ah! I look forward to working with you today!¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Leo-san widened his eyes when he heard Head Magician-sama¡¯s introduction. The mercenaries also looked as if they were flustered. All of them fixed their postures and stood upright. Are they doing this because Head Magician-sama has a high position in the Royal Palace? Huh? But then Captain-san also has a high position, doesn¡¯t he? Were they also like this when they first met him? I thought questioningly, but those questions were answered straight away. When Captain-san and Head Magician-sama left, the mercenaries started muttering to themselves. ¡°So that¡¯s the Destruction Devil?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± ¡°Devil?¡± ¡°Ah, please keep it a secret.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Devil, what a dangerous name. I asked Leo-san in curiosity. He lowered his voice so that no one could hear him and told me that the Destruction Devil was Head Magician-sama. He got this nickname because he¡¯d burnt a whole area while subjugating a large demon before. Some mercenary teams had been there at the scene, and so Head Magician-sama became a hot topic between them, and they were struck with awe. Head Magician-sama had cast an AOE fire attack in front of them, and he was smiling as the flames illuminated his face. The only thing that was left behind was a grey world. ¡°It describes him perfectly.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± I could understand why he was called a devil after hearing the story. He had said a lot of ghastly things at the West Forest, but since he didn¡¯t stay true to his words, he had probably held back. The West Forest was safe. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look weird.¡± ¡°Nothing. I just think it¡¯ll be nice if he held back.¡± ¡°Held back?¡± ¡°I hope the forest will be in one piece¡­¡± ¡°Re-enacting the nightmare? Stop it.¡± Leo-san¡¯s expression turned bitter at my remark. But, you know, I¡¯m a little worried. Even though the black swamp had appeared at the West Forest, there wasn¡¯t much damage to the forest because there were only a lot of demons. Therefore, Head Magician-sama might have chosen magic that wouldn¡¯t damage the forest. On the other hand, the outskirts of the slime forest was fine, but the inner part was filled with dead trees because of the slimes, so the forest was already damaged. I was worried that if Head Magician-sama saw this and concluded that the forest was already done for, then he won¡¯t hold back. I also agreed with Leo-san and didn¡¯t want a re-enactment of the nightmare. Even if the forest had already suffered a lot from the slimes, I didn¡¯t want it to be damaged any further because of the medicinal herbs which might still be there. It was decided that I would be travelling in the same carriage as Head Magician-sama. So I¡¯ll tell him to restrain himself on the way there. Yes, I¡¯ll do that. I, who had heard a disturbing story from Leo-san, headed towards the carriage with a new resolution. ??????? ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ You have a good physique,¡± I told the knight, who was tall enough for me to have to look up, what was on my mind and he laughed. ¡°Thank you very much!¡± I hadn¡¯t intended to say something that he had to thank me for, and some of the knights were looking at him in jealousy. But, those people are really fit. I thought that Leo-san¡¯s build was really good when I¡¯d first met him, but these knights here won¡¯t lose to him. Whether it be in height or thickness. When I say thickness, I don¡¯t mean fat, but muscle. They were so muscular that Captain-san would look slender next to them, even though he wasn¡¯t thin. I don¡¯t even need to bring up Head Magician-sama. Captain-san said they were all known for their defence, but aren¡¯t they known for their muscles? ¡°Do you like guys who are fit?¡± The person who had called out to me was Leo-san. He was on the opposite side of the knights. ¡°Pardon?¡± I reflectively asked him to repeat himself. ¡°Why are you asking all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re really charmed by the Knight-samas.¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m not. It¡¯s just rare to see such tall people.¡± ¡°Really? There are a lot of knights with good physiques.¡± ¡°But today, the knights here are all the tallest ones.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I¡¯m really not fascinated by muscles. But, my friend in Japan would probably look at them with fascination. ¡°Hmmm Boss, aren¡¯t you a little too worried about ¡¾Saint-sama¡¯s¡¿type?¡± ¡°Whoa, spring has finally come for Boss!?¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯re you saying?¡± ¡°He always pays attention to ¡¾Saint-sama¡¿~.¡± ¡°You guys¡­ Don¡¯t fool around and watch your surroundings!¡± ¡°Boss got angry ~.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± The mercenaries also joined in when I talked to Leo-san. Or rather, they were making fun of him. The mercenaries all seemed to get along really well, and even if a vein had popped up on Leo-san¡¯s head in anger, they just laughed and replied to him. It was all thanks to everyone that we could talk while travelling like this. The journey towards the slime forest was great, and we were progressing faster than the last time I went there. One of the reasons behind this was that we had more people than last time, but the biggest reason behind this was because Head Magician-sama was here. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± ¡°It is. ¡ºICE SPEAR¡».¡± The mercenary in front shouted and Head Magician-sama went out to the front and dealt with it in a calm manner. A thick ice wedge drove into the demon that looked like a pitcher plant and it was defeated in a single attack. Yes. Even if demons appear, they were defeated straight away by Head Magician-sama. For example, Head Magician-sama defeated demons, which took normal magicians several attacks to defeat, in a single attack. He¡¯s too strong. At the moment, the forest hasn¡¯t been damaged that much. The only damage done to the forest right now was when someone cast wind magic, which missed its target and cut off a tree branch. I had asked Head Magician-sama to be careful in the carriage, so it seemed like he was carefully picking which attributes to use. ¡°Ooh, amazing.¡± ¡°He killed it in one blow!¡± The mercenaries said in admiration because the battles finished without anyone having to get ready. It probably looked extremely amazing to them because they weren¡¯t used to seeing magic. I also applauded the first time I saw him finish a demon in one blow. On the other hand, the mages looked horrible. ¡°Erm, we don¡¯t have to attack, right?¡± Aira-chan was bored because she had nothing to do, so she frowned and spoke to the mage next to her. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not a good thing though¡­¡± Although the mage said it wasn¡¯t good, they didn¡¯t feel like stopping Head Magician-sama. They frowned like Aira-chan and smiled bitterly. Even if they did try, he might not stop. For some reason or another, a depressed aura surrounded the mages. ¡°We don¡¯t have it this easy when we go on normal subjugations.¡± ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s always like this when we¡¯re with Head Magician-sama.¡± ¡°It is. But it was really dangerous at the West Forest.¡± ¡°Head Magician also seemed like he was having a hard time then.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how much a person can handle, so it¡¯s hard to deal with a large number of demons.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll probably be able to handle it somehow, even if a large number of demons appeared.¡± ¡°If he does, then the forest would be completely gone!¡± ¡°¡°¡°Aah¡­¡±¡±¡± Their conversation was unsettling. Are the mages remembering that incident that the mercenaries were talking about where Head Magician-sama got that nickname? Either way, I really want him to hold back from destroying the forest. We progressed towards the forest in this manner and then, it was decided that we would be taking a break. We were also at the slime forest, so apparently they wanted to take a break before we entered the forest. We gathered in an open space for our break. Several people were on alert and everyone took turns to take their break. I thought about helping with preparations, but a nearby knight set up a folding chair and urged me to sit on it. Everyone¡¯s still preparing, is it really fine for me to sit down? I hesitated a little, but the matter was settled when he held out his hand to assist me. Nothing would be accomplished if I stayed standing, so I gave up and sat down. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really nothing!¡± ¡°Mm, I want to help with the preparations¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to! Please rest here Sei-sama! We¡¯ll do the rest!¡± I talked to the knight after I sat down and he replied energetically. He¡¯s definitely from the 2nd Knight Order. I thought as I looked at his glistening eyes. Should I talk about something? It¡¯s slightly uncomfortable to sit here in silence. Now then, what should I do¡­? I looked around and saw that Captain-san was still talking to Head Magician-sama and the knights. He still looks busy. Luckily, Aira-chan happened to walk pass, and I quickly spoke to her. Aira-chan also hesitated, but the mages urged her to go, so she approached me nervously. The knight also prepared a folding chair for Aira-chan and encouraged her to sit next to me. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Thank you, though I haven¡¯t done anything¡­¡± ¡°Me too. We didn¡¯t even have the chance to cast healing magic.¡± ¡°Nor offensive magic.¡± ¡°Dreves-sama quickly defeats all the demons. He¡¯s so amazing.¡± ¡°He is.¡± My discomfort decreased because Aira-chan was here. I would feel really bad if I was the only one taking it slow, while everyone around me was busy. But, I didn¡¯t feel so bad with an accomplice. Although, I did feel guilty for making her my accomplice. I heard someone¡¯s footsteps approaching while we were talking and giggling. I looked towards the direction of the noise and saw Head Magician-sama walking towards us. Speaking of the devil. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± Head Magician-sama had finished his conversation with Captain-san and so he decided to take a break with us. I thought he was going to sit next to me, but he didn¡¯t and asked me to give him my cup. Why? I thought as I passed the cup to him and he filled it with water. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Thank you very much,¡± I gave him my thanks and looked into the cup and saw ice floating in it. He combined ice and water magic? I was thankful because I was getting hot. Head Magician-sama also made water for Aira-chan in the same way. Aira-chan took the cup as if she was extremely grateful for it and was surprised when she saw the ice in the cup. It was only ice but even so, it was ice. Ice was precious in this world, so of course people would be surprised if someone gave it to them without hesitation like Head Magician-sama did. Aira-chan thought the same thing as me and asked Head Magician-sama if he had used ice magic as well. You¡¯re somewhat like a Court Mage¡­ Even if you say something like that he is a Court Mage. ¡°Eeh! You only used water magic?¡± ¡°Yes. The trick is to imagine cold water when you cast the spell, so that you¡¯d produce cold water.¡± ¡°Water can turn into ice with just imagination?¡± ¡°It can. I tried to see how cold it could get and it turned into ice.¡± Ice produced only with water magic. Aira-chan was surprised and repeated the question, and Head Magician-sama laughed as he answered. Then, Head Magician-sama suddenly turned his head towards me. I tilted my head in confusion and he said another surprising thing, ¡°I thought of it when I saw the¡¾Saint¡¿technique.¡± ¡°When you saw it?¡± ¡°Yeah. You used the same technique but the effect was different, wasn¡¯t it?¡± He¡¯s probably talking about the time at the research institute and West Forest. As he said, when I used it at the research institute it had increased the effects of the herbs and when I¡¯d used it at the West Forest it had purified the black swamp. I agreed with him when he asked me in confirmation, and his smile got wider. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to imagine fire turning into water since they¡¯re two different things, but it¡¯s possible to change the temperature of water.¡± ¡°So, you did that to change the water into ice?¡± ¡°Yes. But, you need to be able to manipulate your magic to a certain degree.¡± He even brought up magic manipulation here. Magic manipulation sure has a lot of uses. If ice can be produced with water magic, then I wonder if Jude and Aira-chan can make it. Like Head Magician-sama said, you need to be able to manipulate your magic to a certain degree. But I don¡¯t know how well you have to be able to manipulate your magic. However, he hasn¡¯t tested if a person who only holds water magic could cast ice magic. Simple magic, such as producing fire, water and ice, could manifest if one just imagined it, but they haven¡¯t discovered what would happen with complex magic. Captain-san also came towards us when we were talking about this. He had several bags in his hands. ¡°Good job.¡± Our voices all lapped together and we all laughed. Captain-san sat next to me and gave us the bags. ¡°Are these cookies?¡± ¡°Yeah. We probably won¡¯t be able to take breaks after this, so it¡¯s better if you have them now, right?¡± ¡°It is. Thank you very much.¡± I thought the bags looked familiar and it turned out that these were the rosemary and walnut cookies I had made for rations. Captain-san also passed the bags to Aira-chan, Head Magician-sama and the nearby knights. Everyone opened their bag and started eating after they confirmed that Head Magician-sama was sitting on the opposite side. The smell of rosemary faintly drifted in the air. ¡°Did you make these, Sei?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. They¡¯re not that sweet, so I hope you like them.¡± ¡°Wow! Thanks for the food!¡± Aira-chan picked up a cookie and put it into her mouth. The cookie was small so she could fit the whole thing in her mouth. Aira-chan smiled after she¡¯d finished eating and I was a little relieved. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve eaten something you¡¯ve made, Sei-sama.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t eat her food like I do in the Royal Capital.¡± ¡°You too Captain Hawk? But you were here together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only had it two or three times since I¡¯ve come here. She can¡¯t borrow the kitchen much while we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true.¡± After the conversation had finished, both Captain-san and Head Magician-sama each put a cookie in their mouth. Captain-san, who had tasted the samples, ate the cookie happily like he always did. I know that Captain-san doesn¡¯t like sweet food, but I wonder if Head Magician-sama likes it. I wonder if it¡¯s not enough since he likes sweet food. I¡¯m worried about his reaction because I¡¯m the one who made it. ¡°Do you like it?¡± I waited for him to eat the cookie before I asked him this question. ¡°It¡¯s not that sweet, but it¡¯s alright as a meal. The rosemary and walnuts give it a nice smell. It¡¯s delicious.¡± I was worried, but his evaluation was better than I thought it¡¯d be. Head Magician-sama didn¡¯t mince his words when he told me his thoughts on the cookie, probably because he was also a researcher. After confirming this, I found out that the others liked the cookies too. A lot of people wanted this as rations for subjugations so I will adjust the recipe once I get back to the Royal Capital. I can¡¯t make rations at the research institute on top of my work with potions, so I¡¯ll probably entrust this to another store. 1) Captain-san told me this after he¡¯d returned to the Royal Capital and had a talk with Director. Then, when everyone finished their break, we headed towards the forest again. ??????? We proceeded deeper into the forest and reached the area where the slimes appeared, causing the Court Mages to also participate in battle. ¡°¡ºWATER WALL¡»!¡± A water wall appeared to guard against the poison that the slimes were spewing out. The well-timed wall blocked the poison, and as soon as it had disappeared, the mercenaries swung their swords, shoving the slimes back. Then, another mage cast offensive magic to finish the slime off, ending the battle. ¡°Jou-chan, thanks!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Aira-chan had cast ¡ºWATER WALL¡». The mercenaries, who were standing between the mages and the slimes, thanked her and Aira-chan smiled in response. Although they had to improvise, they worked well together. It¡¯s about time. ¡°¡ºAREA PROTECTION¡».¡± ¡°Woah! Support magic?¡± ¡°Thank you very much ¡¾Saint-sama¡¿!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± The support magic that I had cast on myself had timed out, so I recast it. If this were a game, then it would be easy to tell when to recast the spell because the remaining time would be reflected on the screen, but this world didn¡¯t have anything convenient like that. I had no choice but to cast the magic on myself and keep track of time. I cast AOE magic since there were a lot of people and I had to measure time, so the mercenaries were also buffed. Unlike the knights and mages, a lot of the mercenaries had never had support magic cast on them, so they got a bit excited every time I cast it. Some people would say ¡®thank you¡¯ to me each time, and I had mixed feelings as I got used to being called ¡¾Saint-sama¡¿. ¡°There are more slimes now.¡± ¡°We¡¯re nearly at the same place as last time.¡± ¡°Now comes the hard part.¡± I nodded at Captain-san who said ¡®hard part¡¯ and looked at Head Magician-sama. Head Magician-sama noticed a gaze on him and tilted his head to ask what was happening, and I shook my head side to side. A little further ahead was the place where we¡¯d withdrawn from. Are there still a lot of slimes? There probably are. I became weary when I recalled how many slimes had popped up last time. Even if we had more mages this time, they might not be able to cope with the slimes with their usual offensive magic. AOE magic would probably be more effective from here on out. My request to Head Magician-sama about holding back also ends here. There was less green around, and the landscape was becoming deserted. I looked down and couldn¡¯t find any medicinal herbs. At the end of the day, a person¡¯s life was more important than medicinal herbs. If it is required, Head Magician-sama could cast magic faster than I could cast the¡¾Saint¡¿technique. Having the front of the forest remain was good enough. I sighed in my mind and proceeded to the depths of the forest. ¡°Shyt! There¡¯s too many of them!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t break formation! Mercenaries too!¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it!¡± As expected, many slimes came out all at once when we reached the area where we withdrew from. The knights and mercenaries made a semicircle as if they were surrounding the mages and I, and the mages cast offensive magic from behind. Physical attacks didn¡¯t affect slimes much, but the knights could damage them a little by swinging their swords, and they could also hold the slimes back. Moreover, we didn¡¯t get hit by the liquid that the slimes vomited out as they literally protected us with their bodies. Even if we can heal wounds and abnormal status with recovery magic, what hurts will hurt. In fact, the knights, who were being attacked, were grimacing. I earnestly cast healing magic on them while thinking that they must be in a lot of pain. ¡°Sei!¡± ¡°Hawk-sama!¡± A slime fell down from above when I cast recovery magic on the knights who had abnormal status. My reaction was late because I had just finished casting magic and was a little distracted. Captain-san pushed me out of the way, so I didn¡¯t receive any damage, but he had. The slime, which had fallen down, coiled around Captain-san¡¯s right hand and began dissolving it. Magic gently started rising from the inside of my chest. However, someone put their hand on my shoulder to stop me from activating my magic. ¡°It¡¯s not time yet.¡± I looked back and saw it was Head Magician-sama. ¡°Dreves-sama!¡± ¡°¡ºFIRE ARROW¡».¡± The slime let go of Captain-san¡¯s hand and fell onto the ground when the fire arrow pierced through it. Head Magician-sama cast the next spell immediately and defeated the slime. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No problem. There! Sei-sama, cast healing magic.¡± ¡°O-okay. ¡ºHEAL¡».¡± I quickly cast healing magic on Captain-san when prompted by Head Magician-sama. ¡°Thanks.¡± I finally let out a sigh when his skin returned to its original colour, and the wound was healed. ¡°Sei-sama,¡± Head Magician-sama called out to me as I sighed. I turned to look at him. Surprisingly, he had lowered his eyebrows and gave a hesitant smile. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There¡¯s too many slimes. About the thing, you asked me-¡­¡± ¡°About not damaging the forest too much, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± It was decided that I would do my best to not use the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique until we reached the black swamp, because it consumed too much MP. Also, the more extensive the effect of the skill, the more MP it consumed. We didn¡¯t know how big the swamp was, so it was better to not use it with the materials shortage. Head Magician-sama had stopped me because he concluded that it wasn¡¯t useful to activate the technique against one slime. If I refrained from using the technique against demons, then I had no choice but to rely on Head Magician-sama. Because he could use AOE attacks. However, he would damage the forest because it was an AOE attack. I was extremely reluctant, but it would be too selfish of me to refrain him from using AOE magic in a situation like this. Thus, I let him run wild. The speed at which we were moving increased after I gave him my permission. We were also able to damage a lot of slimes in one go because Head Magician-sama cast AOE attack straight away. The slimes that weren¡¯t defeated in the first attack would then be defeated by the other mages. Thanks to that, the knights and mercenaries didn¡¯t suffer from injuries or abnormal status, and my MP consumption also decreased. I felt sorry for the knights and mercenaries who did their best to endure the attacks from the slimes until now. If I knew it would be like this, then I would have let Head Magician-sama do as he liked as soon as we got to the area with the slimes¡­ More slimes appeared the further we went, and we finally found the black swamp when we felt as if we were in a slime pond. The swamp, which filled the area where dead trees were sparse, was wider than the one at the West Forest. Isn¡¯t it okay just to call it a lake? I was at a loss for words, and I didn¡¯t have much time to look at the swamp. Like with the one at the West Forest, slimes gushed out from the swamp one after the other, and we didn¡¯t have any time to spare even though we were dealing with them. ¡°Keep them back!¡± ¡°Use any kind of wall magic!¡± ¡°¡°¡ºICE WALL¡».¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡ºEARTH WALL¡».¡±¡± Captain-san yelled and the mages cast their magic in succession, and walls of ice and dirt sprouted from the ground. The slimes, which came from the sides, were cut down with swords by the knights and mercenaries, then pushed back. Thus we were able to approach the swamp, but the slimes¡¯ attacks became more violent when we reached a certain distance. I wanted to use the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique, but if we don¡¯t advance further, then the range was too broad, and I might not have enough MP to cast it. ¡°Sei-sama. Can you purify the black swamp from here?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better if I get a little closer.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll scatter the slimes, so advance at once.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t need to hold back anymore, he still chose what magic to use. That was what I thought when I saw the magic he used next. ¡°¡ºINFERNO¡».¡± He cast, and flames burst out from the ground. At the same time, the other mages quickly built a water and ice wall in front of us, ¡ºWATER WALL¡»¡ºICE WALL¡». I see. Is this to alleviate the hot air? ¡°Woah, awesome!¡± ¡°So this is the Destruction Devil¡¯s speciality?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Head Magician¡¯s best fire attack in a long time.¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to be impressed! We have to move forward!¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s cool the ground with ice and water magic.¡± The mages cast water and ice magic after Head Magician-sama¡¯s attack and they killed the surviving slimes as well as cooled the ground at the same time. Water vapour surrounded the area, and another mage blew it away with wind magic, returning our vision to us. We moved forward at once, and I concentrated on activating the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique when everyone got into formation again. After a while, I felt magic swelling up from the inside of my chest. The magic became a golden torrent and swept towards the swamp from under my feet. Then it spread further and covered up the dead trees. My magic purified the slimes on contact and they turned into black hazes before disappearing. But the speed at which my magic was spreading slowed down a little when it hit the black haze. The further it went, the wider it got. Finally, it was enough to cover up the whole swamp. I put my hands in front of my chest as if I was praying, and imagined it pushing away the black haze as I spread it further. Please purify the swamp and all the demons. While thinking this, I activated the technique when the gold haze covered the swamp. The parts of the forest that were being covered by my magic sparkled. The black haze was covered in light as it was being purified and we couldn¡¯t see it anymore. The light snapped, and golden particles fell from the sky after the black haze had completely disappeared. ¡°¡°¡°¡­¡±¡±¡± No one said anything as they watched the gold particles fill the air. After that, only the dead trees and bare ground remained. References Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam Volume 4 - CH 5 After I purified the black swamp, we went to the closest village to the slime forest. The sun was already setting by the time we reached the village since we had gone all the way to the black swamp. We will be staying here for two nights, and will be returning to the fief capital once our preparations are done. The black swamp had already disappeared, so not many demons showed up. The way back was a bit lively since we had completed our task. During the break, everyone would quarrel about Head Magician-sama¡¯s AOE magic and my ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. The knights from the 2nd Knight Order were especially hyper since it was their first time seeing the technique up close. How do I say this¡­? They started preaching about the ¡¾Saint¡¿cult, and it felt like people were going to start worshipping me. Stop worshipping me! Our journey was peaceful, but I felt somewhat depressed. The scene I saw after the black swamp had disappeared was stuck in my mind. The deeper we went in the forest, the more dead trees there were, but there were barely any dead trees around the swamp. After the black swamp was purified, only those few trees and the bare ground remained. It was a terrible and lonely sight. I heard that a lot of medicinal herbs grew deep in the forest and it was greener in the past. My heart broke because the scenery was different from what I had imagined. The black swamp was gone so a large amount of slimes won¡¯t spawn. The forest would probably return to its former glory after some time passes. This is wishful thinking, but one day, rare herbs might grow there again. I think but¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± A voice called out to me, and I snapped out of my thoughts. I looked towards the voice and saw Captain-san looking at me worriedly. ¡°Nothing¡­ I was just thinking.¡± ¡°I see. If you¡¯re tired, then you can retire to your room.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Captain-san relaxed when I shook my head as if nothing was wrong. I can¡¯t make him worry about me. I should enjoy the party in front of me for now. We will have a big feast once we reach the fief capital, but they decided to have a party here as well, to celebrate our success. It was only a village, so there weren¡¯t any big inns or dining rooms, so it was a simple party where everyone gathered around the bonfire outside. They also prepared alcohol and food. But, I also ended up cooking with them, so the food is a bit luxurious. It was great that the mercenaries supplied us with meat on the way back. My efforts paid off, and my food had an excellent reputation. ¡°Sei?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Sorry.¡± I tried my best to focus on the party after Captain-san spoke to me, but I was worried about the forest after all. I carelessly blanked out, and Captain-san spoke to me twice. The reason why I was so deep in thought was probably because of the alcohol as well. I¡¯m also full, so let¡¯s call it a night here. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯ll take you up on your kind offer and return to my room first.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll walk you there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Even if I want to call it a night, the mercenaries and knights are all strong, so it doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯ve drunk enough. I would feel terrible if they have to end early because of me, so I decided to go back to my room first. Captain-san wanted to walk me to my room when I told him that I would be retiring for the night. Is it because he¡¯s a knight? It was a short walk to the room I was staying in. Unlike Japan, night here was dark and scary, so although I felt bad, I accepted his proposal. We didn¡¯t speak as we walked to my room. It might be because I was thinking. However, it wasn¡¯t an awkward silence. When we reached the entrance of the room, Captain-san stopped and looked back. I looked up at him and saw that he was looking at me softly. ¡°Thank you for walking me here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Rest well tonight.¡± ¡°I will¡­ Mm.¡± I stopped Captain-san as we bid our farewells. He was about to turn to leave but stopped. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ I have a favour to ask you¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if I should say it even though I had stopped him from leaving. But, I felt extremely uncomfortable leaving things as they are. So, I told Captain-san about what I was thinking about at the party. Next Day. We returned to the slime forest with fewer people than the previous day. I talked to Captain-san about what I was worried about last night, and he let me revisit the slime forest. However, there were many conditions. And one of those conditions was the number of people who would be accompanying us. It was well-known that the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique could purify demons. But hardly anyone else knew about the other effects. The upper echelons of the Royal Palace wanted to keep it a secret, so they issued a gag decree. And the purpose of today¡¯s visit was to use the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique for something other than purification. To tell the truth, I don¡¯t know if it will be useful or not. Therefore, I didn¡¯t tell Captain-san my real goal and just told him that I wanted to try the¡¾Saint¡¿technique. Nevertheless, he seemed to understand that I wanted to use it for something other than purification. We arrived at our destination quite quickly despite the small number of people. We arrived at the edge of an area with trees and weeds. If we walk a little further, then the ground will become bare. It¡¯s that place. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ermm¡­ Well¡­¡± Head Magician-sama was looking at me in excitement. The ones who accompanied me today were all elites, so of course, Head Magician-sama would be here. I probably didn¡¯t imagine it when I felt that he would come along no matter what the conditions were. This is inevitable since it¡¯s about the¡¾Saint¡¿technique. I felt a heated gaze from Head Magician-sama as I concentrated on activating the technique. It felt like his gaze was fixated on my face, but I need to concentrate. Concentrate¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Mm¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Um¡­ It bothers me that you¡¯re staring so much¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t concentrate because his gaze was bothering me. I know that he¡¯s obsessed with the¡¾Saint¡¿technique, but it bothersome that he¡¯s staring at me so much. I feel like he¡¯s staring at me more than he does when we practice magic at the Court Mage Division¡¯s training grounds. ¡°My bad. I¡¯m really curious to see what the activation conditions are.¡± ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°I thought if I observe you while you cast it¡­ then I would understand something from watching you. When I research things, I discover a lot just by looking.¡± He said he was observing me, didn¡¯t he? You¡¯re smiling but aren¡¯t you just lying to me? Before you said I didn¡¯t have to force myself to answer and I was so relieved. But I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re doing this now! No, I sort of knew this was coming. I¡¯m sure the shivers I got at that time was because I unconsciously knew that this would happen. It was just wishful thinking, but I hadn¡¯t dodged his question at all. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind if you tell me the activation conditions¡­¡± ¡°¡­ No, please continue observing me.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I gave in. I gave in to him. I couldn¡¯t tell him when it was just the two of us, so it¡¯s impossible for me to tell him in front of Captain-san. I tried to ignore his piercing gaze. I took a deep breath to change my mood and concentrated on activating the technique again. I probably imagined it when I felt my face go a little red. Slowly, I started recalling all my memories with Captain-san. I thought about all the most recent events first before recalling past events as if I was tracing back time and when I remembered our first encounter, magic flowed from my chest. The golden magic that flowed out from within me rushed towards the depths of the forest like a wave. More, more¡­ In normal situations, I would typically activate the technique with this amount of MP, but I kept pouring more out. As far as possible¡­ And, revive the forest somehow. My head gradually got heavier, and I activated the technique when I was falling forward. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°This is¡­!¡± The entire area was filled with golden light. And with it, a green carpet gradually spread into the distance. New buds sprouted up from where the dead trees were and grew. It was magical to see plants rapidly grow. It was impossible to sprout plants from nothing, but I could grow plants that were already there and extend them as far as possible. I¡¯m glad it worked¡­ This was all I remembered. I¡¯m getting really sleepy, I thought as my body leaned forward and my conscious faded into darkness. ??????? After I¡¯d fainted in the slime forest, the people around me apparently started panicking. Fortunately, Head Magician-sama was there when I fainted, so he was able to identify why I had fainted. According to him, I had exhausted all my MP which had caused me to faint. So, I woke up when my MP recovered a bit. I was really flustered because Captain-san had been holding me when I woke up. I was carried like a princess when I woke up you know?! Of course, I would be flustered! I asked him to put me down straight away, but he wouldn¡¯t, so I was really embarrassed. Even Head Magician-sama said with a beautiful smile, ¡°This is your punishment for making us worry,¡± so I couldn¡¯t insist on being put down. In the end, Captain-san carried me in princess-style for a sufficient amount of time, before he finally put me down after I desperately begged him to, because my heart couldn¡¯t take it anymore. In exchange, I wasn¡¯t allowed to do anything once we get back to the village. Meaning, I had to rest. When I woke up in the morning, they had already finished preparing for our trip back to the fief capital. I felt terrible for not helping out because of my selfishness, so I did my best when preparing their food on our way back. When we got back to the fief capital, Captain-san, Head Magician-sama, Leo-san and I reported that we had successfully purified the black swamp. Feudal Lord-sama was a little depressed when he heard about the area around the swamp from Leo-san. It might be a little better now compared to when Leo-san saw it before I used the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. But, I couldn¡¯t tell Feudal Lord-sama this, so I stayed quiet. Corinna-san, who was also here, was also a little depressed. However, the remarkable demons which appeared at the forest have decreased significantly because the black swamp was gone. I realised this when I visited the forest again. Perhaps, Corinna-san would go to the forest herself to check the situation after this. At that time, I want her to confirm how much the forest has recovered. All that was left to do after we¡¯d finished our report to Feudal Lord-sama was to return to the Royal Capital. And as expected, Feudal Lord-sama prepared a banquet for us as a reward for participating in the subjugation. It was completely different from the party we had at the village near the slime forest. If it¡¯s this big, then there must be a lot of work to do, right? ¡°Excuse me, can I help with the banquet?¡± ¡°Help with the banquet?¡± ¡°Yes. Won¡¯t you let me help with the cooking?¡± Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s eyes widened a little when I told him that I wanted to help with the banquet. Well, of course he would react like that. According to the logic of this work, it was outrageous for a ¡¾Saint¡¿to cook. But this is a good way for me to relax. ¡°I don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Feudal Lord-sama has also tasted my cooking, which is popular in the Royal Capital. I cooked him food once before and him and his family liked it. Additionally, he was excited about the fact that he might get to eat it again. But, he had stopped mid-sentence and looked at Captain-san, who was also in the room with us. Probably because Captain-san was in charge of the Royal Capital people. Feudal Lord-sama had let me cook here once before, so I would appreciate it if he would let me do it again. The effects of my cooking skill probably won¡¯t show up much if I just cut vegetables. Please, I won¡¯t do everything. I looked at Captain-san with that feeling. Captain looked troubled, but he looked at me and sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I received his approval, even though he was smiling wryly, I did a victory pose in my mind. After we¡¯d finished our report and I had received permission to cook, I quickly rushed to the kitchen to not waste any more time. Apparently, Feudal Lord-sama had told the chefs about me and the Head Chef greeted me when I got to the kitchen. ¡°What will you make today?¡± ¡°I thought I would just cut vegetables today.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already decided on which dishes you¡¯ll make, right?¡± The Head Chef looked disappointed when I told him that I was only helping out with prep work. But, I¡¯m sure that they¡¯ve already decided on what to cook for tonight¡¯s banquet. The vegetables on top of the bench are going to be used in tonight¡¯s banquet right? I would feel bad for making them change the menu when they¡¯ve already decided on what food they would serve. I thought, but the Head Chef was disappointed that he¡¯d lost the chance to learn a new recipe. The Head Chef told everyone, ¡°Unfortunately, she¡¯s only doing prep work¡±, and I couldn¡¯t do anything as the other chefs looked at me in expectation. I heard what they were going to serve today, and wondered if there was anything I could change. Luckily, they had extra ingredients, and it seemed like I could adjust the recipe. I told the chefs the adjustments and asked them to add it in. They smiled and happily accepted the new recipe. They were making a lamb and lentil stew. An unexpected person visited the kitchen while we were chopping up the carrots and onions for the stew. ¡°Aira-chan?¡± ¡°I heard you were here so I came. Please let me help.¡± Apparently she heard I was here from Captain-san since he was with me when we reported to Feudal Lord-sama. Aira-chan received permission from the Head Chef and stationed herself next to me. She told me that she cooked sometimes when she¡¯d lived in Japan. She lived with her parents back in Japan, but they both worked a lot, so she would make bentos for herself. ¡°Bentos? That brings back memories. What did you put in your bentos?¡± ¡°Just simple things. Like scrambled eggs or cooked sausages.¡± ¡°They may be simple dishes, but I think that it¡¯s amazing that you made your own bento.¡± The chefs were cooking for a banquet, so there were a lot of vegetables that needed to be cut. We talked noisily about other foods from Japan while moving our hands. It was just Aira-chan and I talking, the other chefs didn¡¯t join in. Is it because they¡¯ve never heard of these dishes before? The chefs, who were also chopping up vegetables, seemed very interested in our conversation, but they just listened silently. When the prep work was done, it was time to move onto the next stage. From here on out, the chefs will be the only ones doing their best. It would have been fine for Aira-chan to help out too, but I didn¡¯t want to risk the chance of something happening. I haven¡¯t heard it from her, but if her cooking skills were to show the same results as mine¡­ then it would be bad. Following the recipe, a chef began cooking the seasoned meat in a frying pan. At the same time, another chef stirred the chopped vegetables in a large pot. When the meat was cooked, the chefs added the lentils, meat and bouillon into the pot. They also added spices like galangal and hyssop, which are rare in Japan. This truly was a sacred place for pharmacists. I saw these herbs at the distillation room. I saw the herbs which could be turned to spices while I was making potions and asked Corinna-san if she could send some to the Royal Capital later. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve cooked, but it¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°It is. If you want, do you want to cook together sometimes when we return to the Royal Capital?¡± ¡°Really? Okay!¡± I invited her to cook with me when we got back to the Royal Capital and she agreed immediately, while grinning. Apparently, Aira-chan didn¡¯t like the food of this world. She told me that she was glad that they started serving delicious food a while after she was summoned. Apparently, she was living a perfect life at the palace, so she didn¡¯t want to complain about the food and just put up with it. While I was talking to Aira-chan, the chef told me that the food was cooked. Afterwards, we tasted the stew. The taste was perfect, and the stew was done. The plating was left to the chefs, so Aira-chan and I left the kitchen. ??????? I returned to my room and noticed Marie-san and a maid waiting for me. Apparently, I had to dress like a ¡¾Saint¡¿because it was a big banquet. People with high status always dress for the occasion, and since I¡¯m the ¡¾Saint¡¿, I have to change my clothes to suit the occasion. And before I change, they need to groom me. I completely forgot about this annoying thing. I was exhausted when Marie-san told me to change, but I saw the maid smile and decided to change like I was told to. Her smile¡¯s really nice, you know? Apparently, the maids were having fun dressing me up. While they were grooming me, they asked me to dress up more. I usually dress myself, so the maids don¡¯t have much to do. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll reflect on that. After I was groomed, a new robe was prepared for me. The spring onion green robe with herbs embroidered on it in dark green thread reminded me of the foliage growing in the slime forest after I¡¯d cast the ¡¾Saint¡¿technique. The maids were being considerate towards me because they hadn¡¯t prepared a dress. Sorry that I¡¯m bad with corsets. ¡°Done.¡± ¡°You look beautiful.¡± ¡°You really do.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± The maids complimented me after they¡¯d finished dressing me up. It was really embarrassing since I wasn¡¯t used to being complimented. However, if I deny it, then I would be denying the maids¡¯ skills, so I thanked them. I was told that someone would come to get me, so I talked with the maids in my room after I¡¯d finished getting ready. A while later, there was a knock on the door. I was expecting him, but the person who¡¯d came to pick me up was Captain-san. ¡°You look beautiful today too¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t look him in the face when he narrowed his eyes and complimented me, and I looked down at the floor. ¡°No¡­ Mm¡­¡± I ended up acting humble because I was too flustered. Ah, dammit, I thought and looked at the maids. I got even more upset when I noticed that they were looking at us if they were looking at a heart-warming scene. ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± ¡°Eh! Yes!¡± ¡°Have fun.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Captain-san laughed at my flustered self and offered me his arm. What¡¯s he trying to do? I thought for a second, before I realised that he was escorting me and hooked my arm around his. After that, Marie-san sent us off with a beautiful bow and we left the room. We arrived at the hall and the knights, court mages and mercenaries were already there. There were long tables in the hall and a large amount of food and liquor were displayed on those tables. Of course, the stew that I made with Aira-chan is also there. I followed Captain-san to the back of the hall. A long table set up for Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s family was placed at the back of the room and they were seated in the centre, on the left. The centre right of the table were vacant, so those were probably our seats. Head Magician-sama was seated on the far right. He noticed that we had entered the hall and raised his hand. We sat down in our seats and the banquet started after Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s speech. ¡°Sei-sama, thank you very much for helping out our fief,¡± Feudal Lord-sama thanked me again when I took a sip of my wine from the silver goblet. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could be of help. I also learnt a lot of things here, thank you¡± Although I came here to support the subjugation, this place is called the sacred place for pharmacists and I learnt a lot about medicinal herbs and potions, so I was genuinely thankful. Also, the shipments of herbs won¡¯t resume immediately, but it seems like they¡¯ll give the research institute purchase priorities. I feel like I¡¯m the only one getting a good deal here. I feel kind of bad. Captain-san was also thankful for Feudal Lord-sama¡¯s request because he purchased potions for the research institute, and said his thanks. While we were talking in the seat of honour, the other people were enjoying their food. I felt relieved when I heard them compliment the food because I¡¯d helped out. The mercenaries were cheering louder than everyone. ¡°So this is the dish that¡¯s popular in the Royal Capital?¡± ¡°This is really good.¡± ¡°Ah, boss! Don¡¯t hog it!¡± ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s your fault for not eating fast enough.¡± When I turned around to look towards the lively voice, I saw that Leo-san was hogging the stew all to himself. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. I wasn¡¯t the only one who laughed at their exchange. The court mages were seated near them, and Aira-chan was also laughing. I¡¯d added a unique spice to the stew, but I¡¯m glad they didn¡¯t avoid it because of how it looked. I chatted with Feudal Lord-sama and everyone else while eating and when we finished, we quickly returned to our rooms, because I thought people wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy themselves with big shots around. I don¡¯t know about the people from the Royal Capital, but the mercenaries didn¡¯t seem to mind. I was the only one who thought that. Actually, the knights from the 3rd Knight Order had told me that the banquet got livelier when we left. We were returning to the Royal Capital two days later. The mercenaries were reluctant to say goodbye because we became friends. ¡°Thanks for everything.¡± ¡°No, I should be the one thanking you. You taught me a lot about medicines.¡± Two days passed in the blink of an eye and it was already time to leave. Captain-san and Feudal Lord-sama exchanged greetings before we left and Corinna-san also came to see us off. It wasn¡¯t just Corinna-san. A lot of people came to see me off from early in the morning. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to make potions when you¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Of course it would be. You¡¯re the only one who could make such a ridiculous amount of potions. How many pharmacists do you think we¡¯d need to make the same amount?¡± ¡°Ahahahaha.¡± Corinna-san acted the same until the last minute. I smiled wryly, and she beckoned me as if she wanted me to lend her an ear. What is it? I thought as she put her mouth next to my ear. She whispered quietly so that others couldn¡¯t hear what she was saying, ¡°I¡¯m also thankful for what you did on the fields. We can grow a lot of medicinal herbs now.¡± ¡°Actually, I would also like to cultivate that herb in the research institute at the Royal Capital.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll send you some seeds later.¡± ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Yay! I can grow herbs that need blessing now. And I¡¯m really grateful that she¡¯ll send me the seeds. I did a victory pose in my mind while thanking Corinna-san, and she smiled while looking amazed. Leo-san approached us while we were whispering to each other. As usual, he raised one of his hands and said, ¡°Yo,¡± and I lightly nodded. ¡°You¡¯re going back?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Be careful on your way home.¡± ¡°Thank you. Leo-san, take care.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, if you get tired of the Royal Capital then come back. We¡¯ll welcome you with open arms.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you saying? We¡¯ll take her if she¡¯s coming back to work for you.¡± I don¡¯t intend to quit the research institute, but if a time comes when I have no choice but to quit, I wonder if I should go work at the distillation room? I had this thought because I had a lot of fun here. I felt a little lonely because this might be the last time we talk while I listened to Corinna-san and Leo-san banter. I wasn¡¯t here for long, but I got really close to these two. ¡°Sei, it¡¯s nearly time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When I was overwhelmed by my strong emotions, Captain-san urged me to get into the carriage. I said my final goodbyes to Corinna-san and Leo-san and headed towards the carriage. A short while after I boarded the carriage, I heard someone shout that it was time and the carriage started to move slowly. I looked out the window and saw Corrina-san, Leo-san and the mercenaries waving their hands. They continued to wave until I was out of sight, and we finally left Klaussner. Translator: Blushy Editor: Sam