Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Let’s Get Ready to Head Out

Translator: ShiroiKaze/Soyokaze Translations

It’s been one week since we escaped from the basement!

The cottage is back to normal… is something I wouldn’t say, but it is mostly restored.

With my Master’s [clay walls] and my [telekinesis], we effectively restored the outer walls in no time.

The repair itself was done in two days, and incidentally my room was moved to the first floor. It’s an addition to the building.

This way I can omit the effort of going up and down the ladder.

Also, I can sneak snacks this way. This body doesn’t get fat, so I can even eat all the midnight snacks I want!

This is the only time I want to say, “Good job, God.”

I can eat all the midnight snacks I want now, but… unfortunately, there aren’t many days where I can carry out such an operation.

The reason being, in addition to my social phobia, I seem to have developed a dependence on my Master. If I can’t see him at night time, then I end up unable to calm down.

When I sneaked into my Master’s room at night, and tried staring at him from the corner, he gave me an appalled look back.

After this mysterious battle continued for three days, my Master broke, and I got permission to dive into the bed. Victory!

This brings to mind childhood memories of my father letting me sleep with him, and it’s somehow enjoyable. Sleeping while clinging to him is warm, too.

A bit of a digression, but ever since then I have had absolutely no problems touching my Master.

In fact, I’m the one who can’t keep my hands off of him. I wonder if this is what’s called a rebound?

For that reason, the plan to sneak into the basement’s food storage is something I actually ended up becoming unable to do.

I also became unable to take my glasses off at night, but since they’re preventing “Golden Ratio” from making my hair and face irresistible, it is absolutely no problem.

Like this my spirits have been very stable lately… but opposite of that, my Master seems to be lacking sleep lately. I wonder why?

Might it be exhaustion? I’m thinking of giving him a gentle massage later.

~~~*~

We’re settled into the new house, and when we were finally at the point where we could resume training, Mr. Gusta of the village’s tool store came to visit.

“Hey Mr. Haster, Yuuri. How’ve ya been lately?”

“Hello Mr. Gusta. Come to think of it, it seems a disturbing nickname for me has spread through the village.”

Being called a meat slave is something I won’t forget, you know?

By the way, I’ve finally gotten to the point where I can at least have a conversation with Mr. Gusta. Though it took three years.

“What’s this about? Didn’t I sell you some rings just the other day?”

My Master made some tea for our guest. Well done, Master.

What, me? I had the very important job of sampling the sandwich I made myself.

“Why is Mr. Haster making me tea, while Yuuri is holding a sandwich?”

“Because it’s breakfast time?”

“No, that’s not what I mean…”

“For Yuuri, housework is a little… too dangerous I guess? What would I do if she spills the kettle or something?”

“Master, I’d like to have a word with you later.”

“Is that so? So would I. Specifically, I have a sermon about the attitude of my apprentice.”

“I suddenly don’t have anything to talk about.”

Pardon me for what I brought on myself. Sitting seiza1 for that long is rough.

“In any case, I’ve business with Mr. Haster today you see.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t have business with Yuuri after all.”

“If she weren’t so scared, then I’d wanna come by to look at her face every day.”

“If you are ever reborn as a cute girl, then please come on by.”

“Not a boy?”

“I’m not really into little boys.”

“Well then, what’s your business?”

The conversation quickly got derailed, but my Master got us back on track. It’s easy to have small talk with Mr. Gusta so I just…

“Ah, right. You know the river south of the mountain? The bridge that’s over there has gone and collapsed. Mr. Haster, could you help us out?”

“That place, huh?…. That’s the road that leads to Comb City, right?”

“That’s the one. It’s about time that the traveling merchants are supposed to arrive in Mareba, but since the bridge collapsed, they can’t come from that direction.”

This cottage is on the east side of the mountain, and Mareba village is at the foot of the south-eastern part of the mountain.

To get to Comb from Mareba village, you have to go around the south side of the mountain, and then continue west for about three days. It’s a pretty big city.

This mountain isn’t all that large, so it doesn’t have any particular name. But lots of magical beasts live here, so in the nearby cities and villages it’s famously referred to as “that mountain” when they pass through.

At the very least, my Master has a “monster repelling barrier” placed on the cottage and the mountain road to protect us though.

“If the bridge stays like that, then the distribution of goods in the village is certain to stagnate… Guess we’ll have to. Yuuri, you too.”

“No, thanks.”

I quickly submit my refusal.

“A lot of people will come to repair the bridge, right?”

“Certainly there’ll be a lot of people, but… if we have your [telekinesis], then the engineering work will be a lot easier.”

“I understand that, but…”

For the cottage repairs, I was doing the heavy lifting of the rocks and trees, my Master used his [clay walls] to fix things in place, and it was fixed up in the blink of an eye.

Particularly when putting scaffolding in a raging river, the strength of my [telekinesis] would probably be very convenient.

“That’s… I really still can’t deal with strangers…”

“I don’t want to force you, but I think at this point it’s necessary that you practice getting used to people.”

“Mr. Haster, you’re making it sound like she’s a wild animal.”

Mr. Gusta is somewhat disgusted.

“But if Yuuri comes along, I’m sure all the strong guys will be giving it their all, you see?”

“Gusta, that’s the opposite of what she needs to hear.”

When he mentions guys, my body stiffens in reaction.

I certainly don’t feel good about this, but… Even though I rely on my Master to buy things in the village, I do want to overcome my inability to socialize.

“Geez… If you insist, Master… Then, I guess, I’ll just have to go with you!”

“Oh, so you will come along! There’s a big difference between only bringing along a suspicious old man to help, and bringing along a cute girl after all.”

“What, so I’m not welcome? Guess I’ll watch the house then.”

“If Master isn’t coming along, then neither am I!”

“Oh, If I must…”

You know there’s no way I could go out in public alone, don’t you?

“Gusta, do you have a horse outside? What about tools and such?”

“Yeah, it’s tied up out front. The guys from the village should be preparing the tools and materials.”

“Then we just need to prepare some water and lunch. Could you let Yuuri ride the horse? Otherwise she’ll collapse on the way there.”

“I am not that weak…”

I’m actually not confident of that… Since descending from the mountain takes four hours.

“Well then, let’s get ready to head out. Yuuri, go get changed.”

“Yes, Master.”

~~~*~

“Go get changed…”

“What’s wrong with this?”

The outfit I prepared is an ankle-length black robe, with a scarf around my mouth.

The hood is also shrouding my features. Even I know that this is an explosion of suspiciousness.

I complete the outfit with gloves and boots, along with wearing my glasses, so there’s hardly any skin showing at all.

“Well… It is winter, so maybe thick clothes won’t be a problem?”

“No no no, Mr. Haster. Won’t this be a complete disappointment for the workers?”

“This is convenient for me in various ways too. There’s the gifts to worry about after all, so I guess this is fine.”

I have “Eternal Youth,” so if the villagers remember my appearance, it’s possible that I won’t be able to stay here for very long. Since children are supposed to grow quickly—

My Master was probably also thinking along those lines.

“Even though I took the time to pick out such cute clothes…”

“You mean those strange and unwieldy clothes?”

So those clothes my Master bought for me were based on Gusta’s interests?!

“While walking around carrying those clothes, weren’t the villagers giving me rather strange looks?”

“That’s because I wrapped them in a way to purposely make the contents visible.”

The appearance of my Master walking around the village while carrying frilly robes and dresses… A shame play, huh? Not bad Gusta!

I instinctively send a thumbs up toward Gusta.

Though there’s no point in a shame play if the person himself doesn’t get it.

“Ah right, Yuuri, take this for self defense.”

While saying so, my Master hands me a short sword.

At this size, I get the feeling it’ll be a little heavy for me but… oh? When I try holding it, isn’t it surprisingly light?

“This is quite light… isn’t it?”

“It’s [enchanted] with [weight reduction] and [toughness]. [sharpness] was intentionally left unfinished and it can be filled with magic power, so you can fill it yourself later.”

“Oooh, is this the finished form of the refillable magic tool from before?!”

“Nope, it’s a prototype.”

“Is this… a new product? When you start production, would you sell them to me?”

Mr. Gusta tries to snap it up immediately. I understand his feelings.

When a “completed” magic tool runs out of magic power, it’ll break on its own.

After “completing” it, magic power can’t be added to it, and there wouldn’t be a point if it wasn’t activated, so the [enchantment] endlessly consumes magic power, and eventually breaks.

[Weight reduction], without fail, will exhaust its magic power and violently break, so magic tools couldn’t always be called the better choice.

This blade’s ability was purposely left [unfinished], and could be mistaken as a [work in progress]. It has that trick crafted in so that magic power can be charged into it afterward.

For those who can refill the magic power themselves, it can significantly reduce the weight of weapons.

Swinging a huge sword around in the future has become a possibility even for me!

A little girl with a huge weapon! The romance! I could use a spear, or a scythe, or even a musket!

“Since I purposely left it “unfinished,” its strength dropped significantly from what it was before. I tried to supplement it by [enchanting] it with [toughness] afterward, but…”

“Hrmm... in other words the [toughness] [enchantment] is an essential part of it. Since there’s a limit to how many enchantment entries can be put onto an item, isn’t that a huge demerit?”

“On top of that, an unfinished entry has to be added to it. For a single [enchantment], three entries have to be added, so it’s something to think about a bit.”

“For me the lightness is an important part of it though—“

“Ummm… If we don’t leave soon, it’ll be afternoon by the time we arrive won’t it?

We, who had suddenly launched into a magic tool discussion, were interrupted by Mr. Gusta.

Grrr, interrupting my conversation with my Master… It’s kinda irritating, you know?

“Aah, you’re right. Well then, shall we head out?”

And that’s how my first “expedition to meet people” started.