Hmm… is it morning?
I scanned the room with a groggy head and found no one there. I have grown accustomed to sleeping alone in the Elf village. I scratched my head and let out a yawn.
Since no one has come to wake me yet, it must be earlier than my usual time. I do not have an alarm clock, but I had planned to wake up early today, so this is quite convenient.
As I sat up, the spirits that had been resting on my duvet fluttered up all at once. They began tugging at my ears and hair as if to say 「Finally, you are awake」, but unfortunately, I cannot play with them today.
I have something I want to get done, which is why I rose so early.
「Fuwaaa… I am still sleepy.」
Perhaps I should wash my face to wake myself up… No, with the spirits fluttering around, I likely will not fall back asleep, so I might as well stay as I am. It is a simple task, so I should just get started.
The preparations were easy. I took out the magic tool I received from Eliodart and some magic power recovery potions, placed them on the floor, sat down, and began creating a magic power ball.
However, this one is a special edition.
I intend to try creating an ultra-concentrated magic power ball. I want to keep the size down to that of a hard candy while pouring in as much magic power as I possibly can.
It was a quiet task, simply watching with the spirits as the ultra-concentrated magic power ball formed, taking care not to let it grow in size. As I stared blankly at the sphere, a spirit hovered in front of my face, asking to play. When I blew a soft breath on it, it fluttered away lightly before returning happily, though I had to ask them not to all join in at once or I would surely run out of breath.
Every so often, as my MP grew low, I would drink a potion to recover. It was an entertaining sight to watch the spirits look on in wonder, sometimes approaching the ball before flitting away again.
Still, that magic tool from Eliodart is truly impressive. While I can adjust the strength of my magic power to some extent on my own, this tool essentially allows me to replicate the density of Renge’s magic power.
Of course, the magic power ball itself has no offensive properties and cannot be turned into attack magic like Renge does, but it is just like Eliodart to create something that can replicate a power that normally requires a ritual.
Finally, a magic power ball the size of a small candy, packed with my base MP plus the contents of three potions, was complete… but it is black. Since the magic power I poured in was Earth-elemental, it should have been yelowish, but the magic power is so dense that it has turned a dark, bruised black.
Is this… safe?
Even the spirits are refusing to come near it…. Whoa, while a magic power ball is usually soft and pleasant to the touch, this one is rock hard. When I flick it with my fingernail, it makes a solid ‘kon-kon’ sound.
「Wait, I am coming in.」
「Heh?」
It was Emily who entered without so much as a knock or a response to my presence. I did not particularly mind, but I had always pegged her for the type of person who followed proper etiquette…!
「What are you doing? The spirits are making quite a fuss… What is that?」
「Ah… a mass of magic power?」
「I can see that much. I can sense a staggeringly powerful presence of Earth magic power coming from it. But what do you intend to do with such a thing? If you are giving it to the Spirit Tree, would it not be the same as simply offering your magic power normally?」
「Ah… I was thinking of using it to call upon a collaborator.」
「A collaborator… You don’t mean the Earth Dragons? I recall Them eating the magic power spheres you made with great relish. They were so eager for them that I was worried they might go on a rampage before you arrived…」
Ah, that is right. She saw it back when everyone was having a banquet at my house after Wendy’s rescue. Reagaia and Cassandra were there, along with Rokuz and Rokaz, and I had prepared a large quantity of magic power balls as a token of my gratitude.
「Well, exactly. Since dragon materials seem to be effective, I thought that if I could get a dragon itself to cooperate, we might be able to resolve the issue of vitality as well.」
「I… see…」
「Wait, is that a bad idea?」
As long as I provide the reward, I believe he will cooperate. Given his title is associated with the earth, there should be no issue with his attribute, and his vitality as a dragon should be more than sufficient.
「It is not a bad idea, per se… but please do not summon him inside the village, alright?」
「Of course. I will call them outside the village. Though, thinking about the explanation… it would probably be best to have Ielo-san accompany me when I summon them.」
「Indeed. Ordinarily, an Earth Dragon is a creature that ravages villages. If you bring one here without warning, they will immediately move into a combat formation.」
「Whoa, that would be bad… Alright. In any case, I will speak with Ielo-san before I call them.」
Since I only have one for now, I should probably prepare another just in case. They say you can develop a dependency if you drink too many magic power recovery potions, though.
「Heh… so that is how you make them.」
「Yeah. It is a masterpiece of a magic tool created by Eliodart.」
「From that eccentric, I see…」
Hey. He is certainly like that, but he is still a Count, so do not be so blunt. I think he is an eccentric too, but he is undeniably a genius. A truly magnificent genius of an alchemist. Even if he is an eccentric.
「Even so, to summon an Earth Dragon and give it orders… just who are you exactly?」
「It is not an order, just a request based on an equivalent exchange.」
「It is an extraordinary thing regardless.」
「I intend to be nothing more than an ordinary person, though…」
「An ordinary person does not take seven lovers, nor do they seduce Earth Dragons and Goddesses.」
Gunununu… I cannot argue with that.
Well, I want to argue, but I have a feeling I will only be talked into a corner. It is probably best to stay quiet so the conversation does not spread any further.
「…」
「…」
Um, why are you staring at me so intently?
I am only concentrating on infusing magic power, so it is not as if you are in the way, but it is certainly making me self-conscious….
「You… did you truly arrive in this world the moment we first met?」
「Heh?」
「I am talking about when the Caterpillas were attacking you.」
「Well… yeah, that is true, but…」
Hmm? What is she trying to get at?
I am certain that I had only just arrived in this world at that moment….
「Come to think of it, you said something similar when we first met, did you not?」
「Yes. I felt a strange sense of both incongruity and nostalgia, so I was suspicious of you. I wondered if you were planning to launch a sneak attack on Hayato.」
「I would never… Even if that had been my intention, nearly getting eaten by Caterpillas to achieve it would be impossible…」
「I suppose so. I understand that now. You must have met a Goddess before coming here, and perhaps my Ane-sama’s presence rubbed off on you then.」
Hmm?
I believe I had only met Reidianna-sama at that time… but since they reside in the same realm of the gods, I suppose such a thing could happen.
「My apologies for asking such strange questions. Even for my Ane-sama, I did not think she would do such things with just anyone… but then again, if I think about it, you are a seducer of people.」
「Hey. Is that the conclusion you reached after thinking it over? I told you, I am not seducing anyone…」
「Ara? Can you really make excuses when you have that many lovers and even other partners besides them?」
「…………」
「Everyone around you is saying it so often now, so I think it is time you just admitted it.」
D-Damn it, Emily is quite the smooth talker.
But you know… “seducer” just does not have a very good ring to it, does it…?
「It is fine, as you are not merely a seducer of women. You have seduced Hayato as well, and from what I hear, you have seduced Lord Eliodart too, have you not? While being a lady-killer is no compliment, being a ‘person-seducer’ is a high praise indeed.」
「Is it…?」
「Perhaps.」
…I believed her for a split second.
She raised me up only to drop me…
Emily really is gifted with words.
I never want to engage her in a battle of wits.
In any case, while I felt conflicted at being toyed with by the seemingly high-spirited Emily, I finished creating the second ultra-concentrated magic power ball. Just then, Wendy came to wake me up…
「Emily-san!? Why are you in Master’s room!!?」
She seemed to be laboring under a massive misunderstanding, so the two of us immediately applied calm pressure while explaining in great detail exactly what we were doing, thus averting any further trouble.
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