“Tek here, I’ve heard the saying ‘diluted poison becomes medicine’…but this is absolutely rubbish--though, too much medicine can work like poison.”

 

“Hello, Tek.”

 

“Ah, Lua, you’ve come at just the right time.”

 

I pass the five big jars containing the Sleeping Drug for the jellyfish to Lua. Since she has a Magic Bag, there’s no problem even if I give her a lot of heavy luggage.

 

For the past 10 days, I’ve been developing 3 - 5 types of Sleeping Drugs for Lua to test. As of now, the one that exhibits the highest effect contains the sap of the World Tree.

 

“Alright, I’ve got it here. Even though I know that you’ve probably received the results of the experiments by ‘Telephone’ from Aze, here is the written report from Jia.” Lua says, trading a bundle of papers for the jugs of Sleeping Drug.

 

The poison with the weakest effect seems to only make the jellyfish sleep for 10 minutes--the strongest causes them to completely shut down, as though dead, which leads to retribution.

 

Since my experiments are likely to kill someone if they touched the wrong things, I borrowed an uninhabited workshop outside the town and compound the drug there. It used to be used by a Spriggan named Rek.

 

There seems to be a small Source near this mansion, so there is no need for me to supply Magic Power to the Magic Tools here to operate them, it’s quite convenient. It’s actually a little too convenient and I sometimes accidentally lose track of time…If I was too late, a Telephone from Arisa comes in. Recently both Tama and Pochi also participate with the Telephone and it’s become quite crowded.

 

I questioned her about it, since it shouldn’t be possible with normal Telephone, but she replied, “I worked hard to improve it!” Proudly.

 

Now that I’ve finished the Sleeping Drug today, I will work on something else. I am currently doing four different projects, including the Sleeping Drugs.

 

The First one is the Drugs, of course.

 

The Second is trying to figure out how to prevent a recurrence of the jellyfish. I’m thinking about autonomous Interception Satellites for this. They are cool, and popular in science-fiction books and movies. The biggest problem is maintaining the Magic Power.

 

I envision them with a laser turret, and looks like a floating golem.

 

The biggest problem is still the Power Reactor. I’d like to use the Philosopher’s Stone, like the Living Dolls, since I want to build a system that doesn’t require external operation from people, as much as possible. Actually, I have borrowed three Power Reactors from Sotorineyea, but since she emphasized, “Don’t break them, okay.”, I can’t experiment recklessly--it’s difficult.

 

Making something that functions like a Nuclear Reactor seems like it might be possible since we have Magic--but I have no idea how to build those, and only the slightest idea of how they work…I can’t make them on my own and will need a lot of help from others--If I were to try to do that.

 

The third project is working with the Aerodynamic Engine.

 

I combine my knowledge as a programmer, and the Control Unit from the Living Doll that I made, following Sotorineyea’s Living Doll blueprint. I try various things like balancing the output of the rotation, and the Magic Power distribution. It’s progressing surprisingly smoothly.

 

As you probably would have guessed from the Aero part of the name, this engine doesn’t seem able to operate in a place without an atmosphere. I’ve already hit a barrier, before I can even start building a replica of the Lightship.

 

I’d love to know how it works, but since it was made by a god, there doesn’t seem to be any documents detailing it. As for maintenance, it seems that the docks automatically repair the Lightship. The Aerodynamic Engine in the Hero’s Lightship seems to have been added later.

 

The fourth, and final project is expanding our equipment. This is because once we leave the Bornean Forest, we will be going to Labyrinth City. Leaving me aside, I want the girls’ equipment to be perfect. It’ll be troublesome if the equipment is too eye-catching however, so I make two types--ones for showing off, and another that’s plain and for everyday use.

 

Mara is happily working on the Armour and Swords, while I do the things that I can, such as leather armour, clothing, and wooden equipment--such as staffs.

 

Presently, I’ve completed three staffs.

 

Arisa’s staff is made from the branch of a 1,000 year old tree in the Bornean Forest. I’ve focused on MP consumption reduction, and increased Magic accuracy as the main effects.

 

I’ve made an identical staff for Mia.

 

The third staff is made from the World Tree’s branch. The branch was mixed in with the jellyfish feelers I collected back then. Its performance is incredible, but it looks like it is made from emerald, so it looks rather conspicuous. The colour and luster are quite beautiful, and I impulsively add a carved rose decoration on the tip, with reliefs of tangled ivy running down the main part.

 

Rather than looking like a normal staff…it looks like it could be sold as a national treasure…

 

***

“Young Master, miss Lulu has brought you lunch.”

 

“Thank you, Giril.”

 

Giril is the Brownie who takes care of this mansion, and acts like a butler towards guests. He seems to have lived in Labyrinth City long ago, so I listened to him when he told me stories about it while waiting for something to be finished--such as the compounding of Sleeping Drug that took time to mix.

 

Apparently, he has a great-grandchild living in Labyrinth City, I’d like to meet them when I arrive there. I hear that they are a young Brownie of around 60 years old.

 

That’s young, huh?

 

Giril is only half as tall as ordinary Humans.

 

He passes me the lunch that Lulu made for me, and then leaves the room again.

 

I’m reviewing a problem from earlier.

 

Although it’s possible just for scouting, without the Philosopher’s Stone, it’s impossible for the satellite to have enough Magic Power to attack.

 

If for example, the Magic Power from a Philosopher’s Stone is 100A, then the Golem needs 30A to maintain altitude, and about 45A for the passive and active scouting. And the laser, which is the only one that can attack from several hundred kilometers away without the Ether and lack of Magic dampening it. Laser needs very little Magic Power compared to most other attack Magics, but nevertheless…it needs 1000A.

 

I’ve become able to make battery-like things with the help of the Elven technology, but for outputting 1A, I need to make it about the size of a 2L bottle of Coke. If I were to make an object that had enough batteries , it’ll be many times bigger than planned--and even with the lowered gravity in the Ether, there is still some since the World Tree doesn’t completely leave the planet’s Gravity Well--it will increase in needed power, which will increase in weight. Which is a problem that happens whenever someone tries to make a flying object.

 

I completed a prototype of the Autonomous Interception Golem ‘Scarecrow’, it can fly and scout--but there is no weaponry or advanced programming in the Control Core.

 

***

I wave my hand to Giril, who’s standing at the entrance to the mansion, and head back to the tree house. Just in front of the main gate of this mansion, there is a Fairy Ring that connects both to the underground town and the surface ground. Therefore it’s really easy to move around.

 

“ ‘elcome!’”, “Welcome!”

 

It seems that Pochi and the others have just finished their training, and the two sprawled out on the ground jumped up and hugged me.

 

“Welcome back, Master.”

“Master, delighted that you’ve returned safely.”

 

Nana and Liza, who were tidying up the wooden swords and mock spears, stop their work and come over to greet me. Nana is sweating a lot, though Liza isn’t as much.

 

These four are being taught by the Elven Martial Artists.

 

Everyone began clearing the attraction too quickly for Shagnig to keep up with the service and maintenance, so they’re going to rest for 4 - 5 days after every time they clear it. Thus, the Beastkin girls, who are free, are training under the Elven Martial Artists, who are also free, to kill time.

 

Pochi is being taught swordsmanship by Ms. Poltomea. She’s the same type as Pochi, putting all her strength into a single blow. One time, during a banquet, she said that it’s fun to find the best timing to do a single critical blow, while enduring the opponent’s attacks with her shield.

 

It’s fun to drink with this person, since she has many interesting stories, and has vast knowledge of combat techniques. Her only…well some people may consider it a flaw…is that she has a habit of starting to undress when she gets drunk--you can tell how much she has imbibed by how much clothing she currently has on. She isn’t ‘slutty’ or anything--she just seems to be a subconscious nudist…but I’m definitely not complaining. Especially since the girls like to join in, so when we all drink together, it often ends up with no one wearing clothing…which usually becomes a very fun evening once she goes home--or passes out.

 

Shishitouya is instructing Tama on the way of duel-wielding. She uses a sword that looks like a Katana, and a dagger. She said that they’re given to him by the King of the Shiga Kingdom a few hundred years ago.

Author's note: I am changing Tama's instructor; Elven females usually wields swords and bladed weapons, while males use spears or bow an arrow (new lore...important later) -- males usually are better at Nature Magic, while females excel in destructive Magic.

Liza is being taught by Gulgapoya for her normal spear, and Yuseki for using a short spear. Yuseki isn’t an Elf, but a Spriggan. Both of them are experts that are able to use Magic Edge.

 

Especially Yuseki, even though he never taught me directly, in my mind he is my teacher. Once, he was showing the next level of Magic Edge on the short spear, which was supposed to be the final goal of Liza training. It seems to be a Skill called Magic Edge Cannon ‘Magic Blast’. Since I wasn’t able to see his Magic Power flow until he fired the Magic Blast, I still can’t successfully do this technique even now.

 

I tried to ask him to teach me, but he said to me, “Steal it”, with a terribly delighted face--I will learn it before I leave the Bornean Forest, to live up to his expectations.

 

And finally, Nana also has two teachers. The Magic Swordsman Ms Gimasarua, and the Dwarf Shield-User, Keriul.

 

Keriul seems to be the uncle of Zajir of the Dwarven city of Bollhart--he’s been living as a guest in Bornean Forest since three years ago.