-40- Conclusion
In the room with white walls, there is an entrance randomly moving somewhere.
If you have a perception type ability no less than the sense magic skill, you can find the door leading to Ashia"s store. Although, if it"s an MS that doesn"t even get close to sense, it will be difficult to notice the thing that is out of place.
For me and the two girls not to be seen by people, we wait for the entrance to change to a convenient time and location. Then, we pa.s.s through the dark s.p.a.ce where the end can"t be seen and go through the visibly floating silver door.
My contractor was waiting in the shop that I haven"t visited for quite some time.
「Lad? What"s your business today?」
While resting his chin in his hands on the counter, the dragonian Opelgua spoke those words.
Hiiragi-san is overwhelmed by the strange pressure he naturally exudes and can"t move. During that, Maizuru spoke with a calm expression.
「I don"t know who you are, but it"s possible to make a contract here, right?」
「If you pay the equivalent value.」
「Can you make me this guy"s slave? The payment will be done with this.」
Saying that, Maizuru shows the ring worn on her middle finger. Having a metallic white and green brilliance, the simple shape naturally blends into the surroundings and make the existence of the ring inconspicuous. There was a charm that keeps harmony and balance.
Opelgua opens his eyes wide. His gaze is fixed on the ring and stares at it as if to confirm its authenticity.
「Is this genuine? Little miss, tell me your name and the contents of the contract to make with the lad.」
「Maizuru Yuuko. I"m giving him the right over my life and death and treat me as a property. When he dies, give me death too. The contract period is indefinite. That"s all, probably.」
「Understood. Lad and little miss, join your hands.」
I hold hands with Maizuru as instructed by the dragonian.
A moment later, something flows from within Maizuru and coils deeply to my core. I can feel something called soul forming in my core as my body loses its warmth.
This was the second time I experienced this so I was able to put strength into my legs and endure it. However, Maizuru"s face pales and she collapses. The body that I caught by reflex was growing cold.
Is it because of the effect of making the contract? I naturally know what should I do to deprive Maizuru"s life. Her existence, that will easily fall apart with just my will, is very much fleeting so it seemed weak and frail.
「Th..ank…s…」
She muttered to me with a faint voice and agonized breathing and, looking at her detestable face which is unlike the usual, I frowned.
◇
It"s just a human and a dragonian inside the store.
I left Maizuru in Hiiragi-san"s care and made them return ahead of me.
Not only because Maizuru"s physical condition is not good, but because Hiiragi-san bears primitive fear just by facing Opelgua. Unlike me and Maizuru, she hasn"t met Albacent, so I guess her senses are not broken.
According to Opelgua, Maizuru lost a part of her soul. Because of this, it disturbed her physical condition so she needs quite some time to get used to the change in her body.
「Why did Opelgua accept to do the contract just by looking at that ring?」
「Aren"t you listening? I can"t tell you the details. Well, putting it simply, it"s a connection. The one who handed over that ring to her can be called a higher-up in the organization. In the end, I don"t know what was the intention, but that little miss caught that person"s attention. I just carried out the contract according to instructions from above.」
「If that ring is shown, can we get benefits even without the compensation?」
「That"s impossible. That can"t be used as a subst.i.tute simply like you said. Don"t think of using it like that. That little miss used that. Therefore, she"s already dancing on top of that person"s hand. It looks like that you, lad, have been dragged into it too.」
In an unknown place under his supervision, various matters have been decided. I don"t know what Maizuru wants and what she is planning. I should also be careful. But how can I go against that monster"s scheme?
I forcibly poured the milky liquid that was offered to me as a service down to my stomach. As usual, its strong and made me very thirsty.
「Since you remained, do you have other business?」
「Yes. I collected mana stones so I thought of exchanging it for something.」
I take out the small stones from the defective tool bag and place them on top of the desk. The small mountain also includes Heidi and Maizuru"s share with my and Hiiragi-san"s
The girls left the management of mana stones to me.
「It"s not useless just with this amount. But these stones are just sc.r.a.ps. Will you exchange it with sc.r.a.pped items just like before?
「Is there nothing else? For example, something that will allow me to attack from a distance.」
Last time, when I was looking at magic tools, there was nothing that looks usable aside from the lantern and tool bag among the sc.r.a.pped items. There were only things that are difficult to handle and can"t be used. There were only sc.r.a.pped items.
There were also interesting accessories that can be called some kind of cursed equipment. However, weighing the advantage and disadvantage, it"s clearly more disadvantageous. Who would intentionally use something that makes you crazy or use up life force? Moreover, effect and value is less than the original since it is broken.
Opelgua thought it over and asked me to confirm.
「Lad, are you still hitting magic beasts with a piece of wood?」
「That"s right…」
「And that little miss who wet herself is still using that toy?」
「The toy you"re talking about is her blade, right?」
「That"s blunt and no good after all. It isn"t sharp so I can"t think of it but only a toy for children.」
It normally cuts down monsters though. Judging from a dragonian"s standard, a normal blade looks like a toy. Just with that, I guess a dragonian"s skin is hard and solid.
「How about something like these?」
Those were woods and stones, I can recognize anywhere, that came out from the empty air. I don"t know what kind of unprocessed natural product is taken out or how I should react.
「These are?」
「Materials. The wood is st.u.r.dier than what you are you using, lad. If you process the stone, it can be sharper than that toy. Also, if you load mana into it, you can make the stone move at will.」
A wooden pole st.u.r.dier than the cypress pole seems to be useful right away, but how will I process the stone? It"s like returning to the primitive times of producing flaked and polished stone tools, right?
「With this, telling you how to process exceeds the budget. Well, I gave you plenty of raw materials so do your best in processing them.」
I put the stone and wood in the tool bag and left the store. Although I got something useful, I"m not fully satisfied in any way.
Perhaps it is because a lot of the mana stones were exchanged for a wood and a stone. My mood became heavy just like my bag.
◇
I return alone to my room.
From the bag I carried on my back, I take out the stone and wood I received just now.
I line up the new wooden pole and the cypress pole that I have been using until now together, but neither looks like a wood that has been processed before.
As for their appearance, the new pole is blacker in color compared to the cypress pole. Their sizes are almost the same so there is no need to worry about feeling amiss when I wield it.
I am surprised by the difference in thickness and weight when I hold it and compare it by holding both in my hands. The black pole is several times heavier than the cypress pole. I understood when Opelgua said it was st.u.r.dy.
When I compare their mana using sense, the volume of intrinsic mana is too different. High density of mana, which I"m guessing that has something to do with st.u.r.diness, is in the black pole.
Since the weight is considerably different, I might need to get used to handling it considering the increase in the destructive power.
The problem is the stone.
I received a whetstone for processing and also a stone for flaking, but how will I process it? It seems the sharpness will exceed the blade of naginata if I polish it, but I need time and skill to make it thin and sharp.
To begin with, even if I was able to polish it sharply like a blade, can I handle it skillfully? I can handle it freely if I put my mana, Opelgua said so. To confirm it, I selected the smallest stone and covered it with mana.
Nothing really changes. Not even a slight reaction.
To begin with, what did he mean by loading it with mana. Is it filling the insides of the material with mana? How do I do it? Opelgua naturally said it so I thought it was easy, but with the common sense of a monster, it"s impossible to understand even if he said so. His common sense is different after all.
I gave up struggling. For the time being, I decided to think about it after making it easier to handle. It might be not too late after that.
I don"t understand what the dragonian told me. Because of the contract he made with someone else and the restrictions from above, there seem to be a lot of matters her can"t talk about.
What shape should I make it into?
If I sharpen and polish it, a blade like that is difficult to handle. I feel that it"s pa.s.sable to tie a sharp stone at the end of the wood to make a stone spear or stone axe. Making its form similar to a naginata is unreasonable.
How about making the tip of the rod pointed like a needle? It seems useful in injuring monsters if I treat it as a throwing weapon. In case of emergency, I might have a chance to partic.i.p.ate as a ranged attack if I throw it with a body strengthened using mana.
It might be also good to discuss it with Hiiragi-san and others and get ideas from them.