NOVEL NEXT Chapter 172
The A-Space Pocket didn’t break.
Of course it didn’t. This A-Space Pocket was left behind by Arisa. I, who am a novice in magic, have no idea how this pocket was made, but I can sense Luna’s Divine Power emanating from it.
So unless a Legion Commander-level Demon tries to tear it apart, it won’t be breaking anytime soon.
But the artifacts? They’ve all broken.
“…Hmm.”
Could it… be because of my Mana?
I confirmed that the bracelet given out by the Academy kept breaking constantly. It doesn’t break from a simple punch. I slammed it on the ground, but it didn’t even get a scratch.
However, the moment I wrapped my Mana around it, the bracelet broke.
So what about this bracelet now? For the time being… it hasn’t broken. The Flame Sovereign carefully cast a protector on it, but I still can’t be too reassured.
Well… I can’t say I’m stronger than the Flame Sovereign, but it feels like my Mana tends to break everything, regardless of strength.
…If the bracelet suddenly breaks, I expect the Academy will do something about it.
And it might not be because of my Mana.
The shop owner might have scammed me.
Of course, the chance of that is slim. I’m like a goose that lays golden eggs, even I can see that. The shopkeeper doesn’t seem foolish enough to gut such a goose.
So why did it break?
What about Stella? Did she break too?
If by any chance she didn’t, it would lead to the conclusion that it was my Mana’s fault. But that would also be unfair.
I’m aware enough to avoid using Mana when handling artifacts.
Did I unknowingly break it with the Mana that leaked out?
That seems like something to be aggrieved about.
On the other hand, if they did break? If it’s the shopkeeper’s scam?
I’d come back and yank out the insidious tongue that spouted lies and the fingers that produced those dog-like products.
However, if I think that my Mana isn’t the scammer, then perhaps there’s magic around this mountain that disables artifacts.
Such magic was common 400 years ago.
There was a time when many relied on artifacts to fight due to their physical limitations. Thus, those unfit for movement would wear artifacts into battle, against which Dark Mages devised magical barriers.
There might be something like that unfolding around this mountain. It wouldn’t be visible to the naked eye. It’s magic soaked into the veins of the earth, not spread out across the sky.
Well… finding the reason can wait.
What’s important right now isn’t the reason.
What’s important is that the artifacts are broken and that poses problems.
The refrigeration artifact. The food will spoil.
The refrigeration artifact. It’s hot and humid.
Deodorizers for the kids taken care of, the sound-absorbing gifts, makeshift tools— all broken.
Burners to start fires, water jugs that turn mud into drinking water, tableware that doesn’t need washing.
Mattresses that could be folded as big as a fist, tents that automatically repel bugs.
And so on… All broken.
Of course, I don’t care.
If refrigeration isn’t possible, I can just hunt for meat every day. Heat? I’ll just endure it. The bathroom isn’t a problem for me. I can start a fire, hence I can boil water to drink.
What need do I have for tableware? A couple of sticks snapped off can serve as chopsticks and forks.
And while the magical functions have broken, it’s still perfectly functional as tableware.
The same goes for sleeping arrangements. Even the hard, damp cave floor can be tolerable if wrapped in Mana. Bug repellent? If a bug flies into my mouth while sleeping, it’s protein, so it’s all good!
But the kids can’t do that like I can.
Just look at their expressions. Even Yurasia is on the verge of tears.
“Gailan, can you use Ice Magic?”
“I can… but it won’t last long.”
“Can you freeze all of these?”
“When it melts… I can’t guarantee that the food won’t burn. No… I’m sure I’ll burn it…”
“What about you, Pina?”
Shudder
[Gailan’s the same… (crying squirrel)]
“Then we need to eat it right now.”
Nom nom— I licked my lips in disappointment as I pulled out the lukewarm ingredients.
It’s disappointing, but what can I do?
What’s done is done.
“Still, I brought enough for a week. If we run out or can’t eat properly, we can always catch a wild beast or something.”
“Oh my gosh, a wild beast… ”
“I’ll go catch one!”
“D-do you have to butcher it correctly…?”
“Just kill it, drain the blood, skin it, remove the insides, and wash it clean before eating. I can do it. Just look carefully around the trees and you can see the squirrels… uh.”
I stopped mid-sentence and looked at Pina.
With a bright smile, Pina tilted her head.
As a Squirrel Beastman, is she… somewhat related to squirrels? If I eat squirrel meat, would that be cannibalism or something…? I don’t know, but either way… I felt I shouldn’t eat squirrels in front of Pina.
“Anyway, let’s have a big dinner tonight.”
I pulled out all the ingredients.
There’s more than enough. That’s only to be expected.
I had brought enough for at least three people to eat for two meals every day for fifteen days.
With a sigh, I selected the best quality ingredients.
“Yurasia and Silina, you two go out and get dry wood or leaves or whatever… anything that can catch fire. Pina and Gailan, you two stay here, chop the ingredients, and when they bring back the firewood, start a fire. One person should use wind to blow the smoke away.”
Maybe it’s because the thought of being able to eat something delicious right now motivated them, but the kids began to move quickly.
*
“Uh… this is all the dry firewood we could find. Should we look for more?”
It’s been three hours since we settled into the cave.
It’s raining.
Not just a little, it’s pouring like the sky has gone mad.
This isn’t natural rain. I can feel the Mana in the rainwater. A group of highly skilled magicians must have gathered to create a rain cloud that can cover this area.
That’s why the rainwater is clear.
If I collected it in a container, it would be clear enough to drink right off the bat. Did it pour from day one to have enough drinking water? I guess a lot of kids would be suffering from getting enough to drink.
For now, we set out our water jug outside. Though there’s enough drinking water, it wouldn’t hurt to have more.
“No, this is enough. If we run out of firewood, we can always squeeze Pina or Gailan for more.”
“Y-Yes!”
“I’ll do everything I can.”
Gailan, with a determined look, immediately stood up.
I pushed Gailan back down.
“Don’t waste your Mana; just dry the kids’ clothes a bit. I’ll start the fire.”
“You can start… a fire?”
“Of course. I can do everything.”
In my past life, Paulo and I were street urchins.
As soon as we realized that the orphanage director planned to sell us off as ingredients for Dark Magic, we killed him and ran away with the other kids.
And during that escape, some kids were kidnapped, while others were fortunately taken in by different families, and some were unfortunately dead.
But Paulo and I never belonged anywhere. We brushed away adult hands and lived on the streets.
In the summer streets, you can survive by shedding your clothes.
In winter, you can’t survive without a fire.
But we didn’t even have money to eat today, let alone buy starter stones or matches.
So, we learned how to start a fire.
Of course, after a while, we met Aunt Diana while pickpocketing, and by the time I was called a Hero in the Demon Realm, the skills learned on the streets weren’t necessary. But I still remember that coldness. I can’t forget.
Heh— I chuckled, holding the firewood Yurasia and Silina had gathered.
“Maybe it would be more convenient to use magic…?”
“Nowadays, everyone lives in a magic-is-everything mindset. Hey, Gailan, Pina. Watch carefully and learn. This is all experience.”
*
“Damn. Hey, Pina, can you start the fire?”
“Y-Yes?”
“I-I’ll do it! I still have Mana to spare…!”
“…Didn’t you just say you could do everything?”
“Ahaha… The firewood might be a little… damp.”
“…It should really just catch fire easily like this, right? Hmm… It’s not working very well… sigh…”
Two hours passed without a fire…
Is it because my hands are small? Or am I just weak?
I don’t… know. Maybe it’s because I’m not desperate enough right now?
Clearly, I used to get fires lit like this effortlessly…
“Got it!”
Whoosh— After two hours of struggle, in less than ten seconds, the fire finally blazed to life.
Without needing to coax it, the flames danced vigorously.
My sore hands moved reflexively.
This is… because the firewood was damp, and I’ve changed so much… my body’s so soft and weak now!
“Ah, it looks like the Young Lady mostly kindled the fire already!”
Yurasia brightened up and cheered me on while applying ointment on my hands.
That only made me feel worse…
“Let’s eat… ”
With a listless gait, I moved toward the prepared ingredients.
Cooking… I’m confident in it.
400 years ago, among the five of us, I was the second-best after Luna.
“Should I… cook?”
[I can cook well too!]
“Miss, I’ll help a little!”
“I can chop too.”
Everyone looked at me with nervous expressions.
“Everyone, back off. I’ll do it.”
“Right now we have a lot of ingredients, so it’s fine, but don’t be stubborn, Eliaernes.”
“It’s not stubbornness; it’s… anyway, I’m doing it. Just sit and watch.”
Silina giggled while watching me walk ahead.
“You sure are stubborn in the oddest places. This just makes me realize you’re about the same age as me, which is funny.”
“…Ha.”
If you add up our previous ages, we’re over fifty.
And yet, the same age? What kind of craziness is that?
Just absurd.
If I start thinking like these kids, then something’s off— like I must have dementia!