Year 7446, Month 9, Day 1Around the time we returned to the surface it was just before the date was about to change. Both of us were exhausted(Though in degrees of exhaustion I was beyond Miduchi) from trying to learn {Water Breathing}, and from the overwhelming fatigue I just wanted to fall over into bed a moment sooner.
However, I also felt a strong hunger at the same time so for the time being we decided to eat something and then sleep. Though I say that there"s almost no restaurants open at this time. It"s not as if there"s none at all but they"re all taverns and if we just casually showed our faces and by chance we encounter someone from the {Slaughterers} I"m sure they would let us go for a while.
It couldn"t be helped so we returned to the inn we left the carriage as Miduchi and I ended up eating the emergency use preserved foods which aren"t tasty at all. Of course, I could have told the guy standing at the front reception to take out the smoked Neisun that"s a gift for Zenom from the refrigerator but as expected I would feel bad doing that.
We put the dried meat into hot water soaking it and then at the same time put the biscuit or cookie-like hard baked crackers into the hot water to soak before slowly biting into them along with the water. Thinking it was better than nothing I had everyone hold on to some but it"s really just barely better than nothing and you can"t even compliment it as being okay or easy to eat. Since it"s a waste I"m having it consumed once every two months before they go back but because I don"t want to eat it I"ve always forced it on to the combat slaves to eat. But, obviously it"s reputation isn"t very good.
Since it couldn"t be helped, it"s still better than throwing it away so I started selling it to a restaurant in the back slum areas for a price that"s close to free. That restaurant sells dried meat and biscuits boiled in water along with the husks of oats {oatmeal}, as {Premium.Porridge} for a cheap price to those with a low income.
"So Cal*rie.Mate really was good tasting.."
"I"m in the hard noddle eating faction, you know that right?"
"I mean, because I"m hungry~"
".."
"Hard..."
"Yeah, it"s no good if we don"t soak it for longer."
"Right."
".."
"Oh, it works!"
"Yeah, if it"s just this much then you can bite through it."
"After all it"s meat right, meat. Meat and fish. Proteins from animals are important."
".."
"I ate~ I ate~"
"Nn..Yeah~"
Certainly I"ve started to get tired after eating.
"It"s fine to sleep but let"s review one last time..Alright. Shall we try performing {Water Breathing}?"
I put the face washing tub on top of hte table and filled it with water before moving Miduchi in front of it.
"Eeeh~ Nn..Well..I guess it can"t be helped. Well then..Hmph!!"
I use Identify on Miduchi as she"s started controlling her mana for the sake of using the spell {Water Breathing}.
".."
..I did it. My body is surrounded in a faint blue spell light. It succeeded. Well, I"ve already succeeded a number of times so you could say it"s only obvious though.
"Vohe!! Goho!! Gehwo! Wwa~!! Wwa~!! Wa~ha~"
I guess Miduchi failed huh? Her MP decreased by 12 but she"s recovered 6 so it"s currently at 18. She can still do it.
"Now, one more time."
".."
"Go~he!! Gehwo! Wwa~!! Wa~ha~"
Miduchi failed again huh? But it seems she"s gotten quite a bit used to it. Her MP decreased by 12 but increased by 6 and it"s now at 12. She can still do it. By the way, opposite to my will there"s one part in the center of my body that still hasn"t gotten tired. It"s a healthy 18 year old body after all. It"s the so-called sleep demon something or other. The reason I went to the trouble of saying something that sounded appropriate to have Miduchi use her MP is also this though.
"Now, one more time."
"One more time."
".."
I guess I"ve reasonably started to get used to the spell {Iron Skill} as well, I"ve started to be able to activate it in just 25 minutes of concentration. Miduchi has both of her hands on the washing tub and is looking at the surface of the water without moving an inch. Even when it comes to concentrating for using a spell, the fact that she"s able to continue it for this long of a period even excluding how familiar she is with spells can"t be done with an ordinary mental strength.
Back when we first met on the 14th floor of the dungeon we were both still 16 but even then we had a considerable amount of resistance towards mana exhaustion. The reason she got disheveled like an idiot was because she identified that I was the one there and because her memories has returned.
I guess I"ll start making preparations while I can now.
Using my mana to pretty close to the limit pouring it into an {Anti-Magic Field}..takes a bit of time so I start using the usual 700 MP or so version several times to reduce my MP. Miduchi"s already sweating quite a bit from how hard she"s concentrating. Though it"s the same for me. Something like a shower is fine later.
I touch the clock magic tool and the date changed long ago as it"s about 2 am now.
I take off my shirt and take a rubber pack out from my wallet before preparations are complete. After Identifying and my MP has cut past 50 as well. Just in case I check that the hinge is set on the door and then take of my pants and underwear.
I bit open the edge of the rubber pack and take one out, before equipping it right away...
"..Gobo..."
Huh? Did she, succeed? Hurry~hurry~ I need to use up my MP as well. Identify Identify.
"..Gobo...Nn, I did it."
It seems she succeeded at using the spell {Water Breathing}. With this now as long as she has time she can use it anytime. But, it"s great she succeeded at the very end.
"..What"s with that appearance.."
Because she succeeded with the spell {Water Breathing}, Miduchi said with an amazed tone of voice as water was coming out of her nose but she quickly noticed her own abnormality and licked her lips with a smile that gave me shivers. Her forked tongue lewdly crawls along her lips.
He~ what do you mean Condition: Normal.
Though I"m Normal as well..I already can"t Identify anymore.
I"m still tired but even more than that my brain is ruled by a thick and burning desire.
Ku..
I"ll help you out.
"Nn..Really..Ah.."
Ah, I forgot to take off my socks. Somehow..it"s uncool.
Year 7446, Month 9, Day 2
We slept until close to noon.
Somehow he has a face that makes it easy to trust him, that guy.
It was when I was thinking that and walking down the street with shops that deal in food.
"It"s fine if you just convey it to Greed-sama."
"I"m very sorry, I"m not a person who understands social standing so.."
"That"s not the problem. I"ve been firmly instructed by Greed not to convey things like that so.."
"Well, if we can just get Greed-dono to meet our mistress then.."
"I"m truly very sorry."
Ah, I remembered. Two months or so ago, it"s the group Zulu and I pa.s.sed by when we were clearing through the dungeon. If I remember correctly, it was Sir Nokkufyuri, right. I can remember that voice as well. The remaining three people are honestly not in my memory. It seems that mistress or whatever isn"t around either and I feel like they"re missing one more woman as well.
"Hmm, Ran, hold him down. {Status Open}."
"Hey, stop!"
"He"s a slave? You sc.u.m, our mistress is a sub-n.o.ble you know? Even though you"re just a slave do you intend on opposing Baron Refaisu"s family!?"
I can"t believe them.
If I feel it"s necessary I use Identify after all.
"Ah..Master!"
While standing in the doorway of the food store I called out and right after noticing me Giberuti knelt down.
"Did he do some kind of wrongdoing that required forcefully looking at his status? How about it? Giberuti."
"James!"
"Please meet with our mistress!"
On the side of Sir Nokkufyuri who apologized and politely lowered his head, the remaining three were all about to say something. Sir Nokkufyuri raised his right hand a bit cutting them all off partway with his head still lowered though.
"Is that so? I understand. If there"s no problem then we"ll take our leave here. Giberuti, stand. We"re going."
It"s not like eating a meal with that mistress or whatever is anything much at all, but I"m sure, it"s that right? Sell us some armor or that sort of thing right? I won"t sell it. It"s no good. If you want it then wait in line after you"ve made it into the first or second knight groups. Well~ the entire first knight group should be complete pretty soon. It"s not like all of them are buying it after all.
"Please wait just a moment, your excellency! Please listen to what we have to say."
If it"s listening, didn"t I already do it the last time right? It can"t be helped, it seems they won"t back off if I don"t properly listen once more and then turn them down.
"What is it?"
"I"m a knight of the Kingdom"s third knight group, Jemikku.Nokkufyuri. At the same time I"m also a retainer that serves Baron Refaisu"s family as well. Just a moment ago our retainers were very rude to you. Please forgive us."
Sir Nokkufyuri politely lowered his head once again. Ah, a retainer is va.s.sal that serves some n.o.ble and they"re the so-called "Daimyo"s retainer" is the meaning of the word but it also has the same meaning as a apprentice knight{squire} in the knight group as well. Since both of them had the exact same "Esuto" p.r.o.nunciation in the Ragudarios Language{Common.Language} so it"s complicating. Ah, putting aside the p.r.o.nunciation, you already know the meanings are overlapping right?
"Yes, I"ve already received an apology for that matter so it"s fine."
"Umm, that is, tonight or tomorrow night, if it"s convenient for your schedule, would you please have a meal with, Yorire-sama, the eldest daughter of our master Baron Refaisu"s family? Yorire-sama is a member of the third knight group as well although she"s still just a squire but.."
Ah, really~ Well, I guess it"s fine to properly turn things down there huh?
"Is it fine if I inquire as to the business?"
"Umm, that is..How do I put this..I can"t say it myself."
Sir Nokkufyuri acted like it was extremely difficulty to say, also, he apologized with a vague reply. Of course he did just request to sell him armor the other day and I turned it down after all. If I remember correctly the mistress Yorire from that time said something about directly requesting it from me. Yes~yes. I"ll directly listen to it and properly turn it down.
"..When and where should I go?"
I was told the time and place. I thought the place would be a restaurant but it was different. It seems they"re going to have catering in a room at the Elm Tree Manor they"re staying. I guess they"re considerably rich.