Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, even the best laid plans usually require hours and hours of preparation, and a lot of resources.”

 

Since Lulu had agreed to make curry for dinner, Nea had called in almost a hundred Elves--they began to talk about a massive job of making a ton of curry for every Elf.

 

This work would take a day or two, and the Elves learning from Lulu would probably take another day. Lulu looked at me with worried eyes, she didn’t really like being the center of attention, so I asked Arisa to stay by her side and help her.

 

I then told them that I was going to the Duchy Capital to prepare some things for the ‘pest extermination’. Most of the girls wanted to join me, but I asked them to train.

 

I left after dinner was finished, I left. Using Sky Drive and Ground Shrink, I shot off towards the Duchy Capital--I also used Air Cannon, accelerating even faster. Heiron glanced up at the noise, from where he was lazing around on the summit of a mountain, and he barely had enough time to blink before I was past. With my vision Skills, I saw him shrug and go back to gnawing on his dinner.

 

It only took me an hour to travel a distance that took 3 days when I was traveling with the girls.

 

***

Since it was still night, I went to visit Mara, giving her the Mithril I had found. She happily began working on Armour and Weapons, as I worked alongside her, working on a Living Doll.

 

She ended up falling asleep with an ecstatic grin on her face, her head resting on my lap as I sat on the floor and worked.

 

The night passed quickly, and when the sun rose, I went to Viscount Shimen’s Scroll Workshop. First, I had to change out of my Elven clothing and into something that could pass as a noble…in cities like this, nobles should dress the part, so they don’t get held up or interrupted too much.

 

“Chevalier! You returned much more quickly than I expected.”

 

“Yes, well. I have some, unreasonable things, that I need to ask you to do.” I cut to the chase, speaking with Natalina in the drawing room.

 

There are 8 new Scrolls I came to request her to make.

 

But before I could show her the Scrolls, her next words caused me to pause.

 

“Chevalier…Unreasonable things? … I’m saving myself--but, for, Chevalier.” She seemed confused, with brilliantly blushing cheeks. I think she had misunderstood because she had seen me with a lot of beautiful slave girls.

 

“No! That’s not what I meant.” I quickly interrupt her.

 

I will pretend not to see the overly-relieved look in her large eyes…

 

“I mean, I have some rather complex Scrolls for you to make,” I give them to her.

 

There are eight Elementary-Grade Magic, and four Intermediate-Grade ones.

 

“Umm, the two Space Magic among these twelve Scrolls aren’t possible--there’s no one that can use Space Magic this advanced. Formerly, there was someone who could, but they were invited to become a teacher at the Royal Capital Academy.

 

“Is it impossible to ask for their help?”

 

“That girl won’t cooperate unless it interests her. She should be even now neglecting her teaching duty even now--she said that she’s going to make a Holy Sword that surpasses Gjallarhorn in her sleep.” Natalina sighs as she speaks.

 

“Can I get the cooperation of that researcher, if I offer this material in exchange?”

 

I put a vial of Dragon Powder on the table while speaking.

 

“This is?”

“It’s Dragon Powder.”

“Do you understand the implications?” Natalina raises an eyebrow at me.

 

That reminds me, the fact that Dragon Powder is a material used in the construction of Holy Weapons is highly-classified information in the Shiga Kingdom.

 

“Unfortunately, I don’t know the details. A long time ago, I was told by an acquaintance: ‘If you get hold of Dragon Powder, bring it to the Royal Capital.’ When I asked for the reason, he only said that it had something to do with ‘Holy Swords.’”

 

I can tell by the not-so-subtle eye roll from Natalina that she doesn’t really believe me, “Tell you what, Chevalier. Don’t talk to such thoughtless people, okay? Some dangerous people in the Kingdom might set their eyes on you if you’re careless.”

 

I can hear the care under her warning tone, she says this while she opens the vial of Dragon Powder, checking inside.

 

This Dragon Powder is made from crushing the scale fragments of Heiron the Black Dragon. The scale is very large in itself, but the volume seems to increase when it’s powdered--I made 120 vials using a single scale.

 

One vial should be worth around 10 gold coins, if I’m not mistaken…it’s quite a fortune from a single scale--I knocked quite a few off Heiron during our match.

 

Of course, I didn’t forget to change my name to Sine Nomine when I was making the Dragon Powder.

 

“The maid over there! Call gramps Jang here. Tell him, ‘Come if you want the chance to analyze High-Grade Dragon Powder’!” Natalina jumped, one of her tiny hands tightly gripped my shirt, she ordered a maid that had entered the room to refill our tea, “Chevalier! Where did you get this?! No, that’s not it. That’s not it. Do you only have one of these? Do you have any of the unpowdered fibers?”

 

She’s too excited, she is tugging on my shirt as she almost bounces around.

 

I’ve gathered many broken scales, and they all have a fibrous layer under the protective outer layer.

 

However, what is she going to use them for?

 

“The fiber part?”

 

“Yeah, I’ve read about a man who created an Advanced-Grade Magic Scroll from a book in the Royal Library--he used a writing brush made from Dragon Fibers!”

 

Fibers, huh?

 

Well, all scales have fibers, but most people would crush them to make Dragon Powder.

 

She explained that when she heard the story, she and her friends went to hunt for Dragon Fiber at the Labyrinth City 150 years ago. The Dragon they hunted to get scales from was a Lower Dragon, the fibers from in its scales were too low quality to be used.

 

I asked if they defeated the Lower Dragon--but she responded with a bitter smile saying that the best they could do was drive it away. But the Dragon Powder from powdering the fibrous layer got them enough gold for them to consider it a success.

 

They all worked in a Magic Workshop called ‘Ivy Mansion’, which they used as a base in Labyrinth City.

 

In fact, the Elf who was the leader back then, made a high-powered Living Doll from the fibers. I want to meet that Elf and ask him how he did this, since I am working on learning to make Magic Dolls.

 

It looks like the chance for me to take out some of the fibers from storage is lost.

 

“W-Where is it, Natalina?! The best Dragon Powder is thisssss!” Moving at a speed that didn’t match his obese body, Jang, the Workshop Head took the Dragon Powder from Natalina’s hand--he is using his Item Check Skill, “Oooh! Ooooh! It’s High-Grade, no mistake. It’s Dragon Powder made from the scales of a genuine Dragon, an old Dragon as well…it’s not something from a Lower-Dragon. Isn’t this the phantom item that appeared only once at Seryuu City 40 years ago?! Urrgh, I don’t know the creator. There’s no mistake that this was made by a very skilled Alchemist! Natalina!”

 

I thought that he was a more composed person, but he’s quite an interesting one.

 

“Chevalier, w-would you be so kind as to concede this?!” His bloodshot eyes make me feel a little uncomfortable.

 

If his reaction is like this, I’ll ask something a bit unreasonable.

 

“If you comply with the unreasonable request that I told Natalina earlier, then I will give it to you.”

 

“What?! Are you sure? Do as you wish with this old woman. Yes, in exchange for this flat chest--Urgh…”

 

Natalina, who was annoyed with his remarks, punches him in the gut. Her face is brilliant crimson, almost as red as when she misunderstood me earlier. Please, stop taking glances at me like that…If I say something, it will be the wrong thing, it’s a trap with no correct response--so I choose to pretend nothing happened, and again ignore the sigh.

 

“Ahem, in other words, if we can complete the Scrolls that you mentioned, in the shortest possible time--you will give us the Dragon Powder right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Natalina begins to laugh, a smile tugs at the corners of her lips--a carnivorous smile, like she’s standing in front of delicious prey…as she stares at the vial of Dragon Powder.

 

Again, successfully ignored.

 

I succeeded with negotiations, barely.

 

Natalina was trying to trying to get another vial of Dragon Powder for the researcher at the Royal Capital. But, she ended up buying it for 8 gold coins, which was a pretty good deal--I didn’t drop the price because I found that smile strangely cute…I didn’t.

 

However, I won’t hesitate to make a Dragon Fiber writing brush if it can really be used to make Advanced-Grade Magic Scrolls. I will ask when I return to the Elven Home.

 

***

After finishing my business at the Scroll Workshop, I greet Hayuna and her family. I was thinking of dropping by to say ‘hi’ to Sera, but I didn’t want to accidentally make her crush worse.

 

Now, since it will probably take around 5 days at the quickest to make the new Scrolls, I decide to return to the Elf hometown.

 

I arrived at the house inside the Bornean family’s tree when it was very late at night. I snuck into the bed, only Tama and Pochi woke up, muttering, “Welcome!” and “Welcome.”--before curling up at my sides and snuggling against me.

 

There are only around 3 hours or so until sunrise, so I can get a small sleep. The familiar warmth of the girls, the scents and soft noises of their sleeping breathes help lull me to sleep.