Afterwards, we went to the temple to meet the people of Kukurts.
“The birds have been defeated safely, as you can see.”
President explained to what seemed to be the mayor, reassuring the townspeople.
You know, considering we were the ones who accidentally released the seal, it might be a good idea to take responsibility and appeal to them now, just in case we get blamed for it later. That’s what I thought.
I was a bit worried about presenting the metal lumps as evidence, but it seems they believed us. Apparently, it’s some kind of legendary metal that’s not gold, silver, or copper. They had no choice but to believe it since there were so many of them.
“What an incredible turn of events! Who would have thought you’d defeat the Golden Silver Copper Birds!”
“An achievement that even the ancient heroes couldn’t accomplish!”
“Tonight, we feast!”
I did think it would be a good idea to appeal, but I never expected they would be this delighted.
Since we were here, we decided to participate in the impromptu festival held in Kukurts.
Surrounded by delicious food and beautiful ladies, the night passed by merrily.
Kukurts and Aegis seem to be known for dairy farming. It’s great because there are so many dairy products here.
Rich and creamy cream soup, cheese melted to perfection, cream sweets, and delicious butter cakes. I’m sure the dairy products sold at Deichemoore were imported from here. Maybe it’s the freshness, but they taste incredibly good.
I’ll buy plenty of dairy products here and stock up. That’s the plan.
Everyone also blended into the festival. Hariu and some others entertained the townspeople with knife-throwing and acrobatics, while Kadomi-kun and Toriumi staged a mock battle, thrilling the audience as well.
Kariya is demonstrating light magic to the young children.
President is… business as usual. Please don’t cause any casualties!
The others are engrossed in discussions with the artisans of this town, talking about tools, weapons, and such.
That mysterious metal we obtained from those birds? Apparently, it’s an incredible metal. As a token of gratitude, it seems they’re going to use it to make equipment for everyone.
They’re probably discussing the details right now. It looks like they’re having a great time. I shouldn’t interrupt.
So, I’ll quietly slip away now, while I still can.
You see, I promised to deliver some daily necessities, but I haven’t done that yet…
With the necessary items in hand, I use “transfer” to get to the gymnasium area’s residential zone.
I asked someone nearby, and it’s easy to find the location of the Home Economics Club members, so I headed in that direction.
“Hey.”
I use “transfer” to arrive in the living area of the Home Economics Club members along with the daily necessities, and they were incredibly surprised and then furious.
“Hey, hurry up and take these off! It’s a terrible taste!”
Ugh, don’t pull on the collar, please! I get it!
This, you see, is a collar that also functions as a magical suppressor, much like magic-sealing handcuffs.
And most of these people have magical professions.
In this dangerous world where monsters might attack at any time, it’s a bit tough for them to live here without being able to use magic.
So, I start removing the collars for everyone. Actually, I was planning to remove them regardless. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even be able to change their clothes.
“Alright, now you can change your clothes.”
I handed out the changes of clothes to each person after removing the last collar.
There were only three changes of clothes for each person, so please bear with it.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“No, I mean, they’re changes of clothes and daily necessities.”
Can’t you kind of tell just by looking at it? Or did you not get it when I mentioned it earlier?
“…You’re planning to make us wear these?”
Ah, that’s what you’re concerned about?
Well, I can understand that feeling. As young girls, I guess you’d be uncomfortable with that.
But well… there’s no other option.
“Because we don’t have elastic bands, we can only provide underwear with strings.”
“I didn’t know that. Get us something else then.”
Even if you say that… it’s not that simple.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to use them. But then you’ll have to live with just one pair of panties.”
I’m talking about the situation for those who are currently wearing panties. If you’re going commando right now, it’s a zero-panties lifestyle.
“Of course, I don’t want that! What are you even saying?”
…So, what should I do then? Should I tell you to go buy panties from the town store? Oh, that sounds kind of like a task. “Hey, go buy yakisoba panties for me.” Something like that… Nah, never mind.
After some more back and forth, I decided to leave and head back.
…Sorry, but I think they’ll eventually give in and wear the string panties. Surprisingly, once you get used to them, string panties aren’t that bad.
Some guys say the same thing about loincloths once you get used to them, so getting used to things is important.
When I returned to the festival venue in Kukurts, it seems everyone was looking for me.
They noticed I was missing and got worried. Sorry about that.
When I reported that I had been to the Home Economics Club’s place, I was scolded quite a bit for not reporting it beforehand. I apologize.
Now then, the festival has come to an end, but I have something to do.
That’s right!… Making feather futons!
I swiftly sew soft lyocell fabric together, creating a large bag, and then I fill it with plenty of feathers!
However, these feathers… or rather, the materials I collected from the birds before they turned into metal, had the effect of “healing,” as expected.
…But these feathers… they can’t be used as dyeing materials!
Darn it, I should have collected more, like blood and feathers, before they turned into metal!
It was decided unanimously that the feathers should be made into futons instead of being spun into threads due to the inefficient process.
Our passion for this futon is our trademark. Yes.
And the finished futon, when you lie down on it, you feel soothed… it has become the finest futon.
It’s a miraculous futon that heals injuries just by sleeping on it.
In addition to healing injuries, it seems to have effects in other areas such as mental stability and better sleep. So, it’s only fitting to consider this futon destined to be a futon!
…I also made some small amulet bags with feathers in them, so I’ll equip everyone with them later…
So, with a futon that isn’t Ketrarmi, I slept soundly for the first time in a while and woke up the next day.
After a quick breakfast, I’ll head out to collect the remaining Home Economics Club members.
I asked Homura-kun for the location, so we should be fine in that regard.
Heading towards a residential area located away from the mine, I found the Home Economics practical room. It was a room that hadn’t completely blended in—an oddity within the context of houses made of wood and bricks.
I wonder if the neighbors have said anything about it. Is it okay? People who are annoying might say things like how noisy people can disrupt the town’s atmosphere…
I rang the doorbell installed by the door, and I heard footsteps inside, followed by the door opening. A petite girl peeked out, but as soon as she saw us, she immediately withdrew back inside, and I could hear the sound of a lock from inside.
It seems like they’re quite wary.
“What should we do? I can break in if needed,” Hariu said, but if we did that, it would create an extreme level of distrust, so it’s not a good idea.
So, I resorted to the straightforward approach.
“Excuse me! We are not here to harm you. Please open the door.”
I continued to speak while knocking on the door. That’s all I did.
“Excuse me!”
Knock, knock, knock.
“Please open—”
Knock, knock, knock.
…Yeah, this isn’t working.
“Okay, you don’t have to open it, just listen.”
I spoke towards the door, and I felt a presence on the other side. Yes, it seems like they’re listening.
“Today, we bought and evacuated some of the Home Economics Club members who were enslaved in the mine.”
Oh, there was commotion on the other side of the door.
“We haven’t disclosed any information about this place. The evacuation location is quite far away. We won’t harm you.”
…Ah, it got a bit quieter.
“So, I’d like to talk about what comes next.”
After I mentioned that, the sound of the lock opening came from the door, and it opened a crack.
“I’d like to discuss a way to return to our original world.”
After a brief moment of eye contact with the petite girl, she reluctantly said, “Please come in.”
Alright.
“…So, I’d like to collect this classroom if that’s possible.”
We were served tea and snacks, and we began a discussion where we shared the information we each had.
It was apparent that they were members of the Home Economics Club, as you could see them doing household chores here and there in the room.
The red stone slab placed on top of the stove was probably a fire attribute mineral. It might function like an induction cooktop.
The tea we were served was made with hot water boiled using that stone. These people seem to be fully enjoying, or rather, adapting to this world.
“Yes. We suddenly ended up here… You know, right? We’re the ones who sold those people. It might have been a bad thing to do, but I don’t regret it. If I hadn’t done that, we would have definitely ended up like them,” said the head of the Home Economics Club, Agatsuma-san, in a calm tone.
They explained that they earn money through processing minerals and cooking.
This town has no shortage of jobs related to mineral processing, and there’s no shortage of people to eat meals. With such skills and expertise, it’s safe to say that it’s a very livable town.
“So, we’d like to stay in this town as long as possible, ideally until we can return. Is it okay if you take this classroom once we can leave?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. As long as we can stay in touch… But are you sure? We have a fair amount of money here.”
“Yes, for now, we’re able to make a living on our own.”
The members of the Home Economics Club decided to continue living in the town of Kukurts. They found it surprisingly enjoyable to earn money on their own and lead self-sufficient lives. I could understand their sentiment.
Having secured stable occupations and become part of the town’s workforce, they were unlikely to be enslaved as they once were. It seemed that building good neighborly relationships might indeed be the best form of security in this town.
So, we decided that they would continue to live in Kukurts. Of course, we assured them that they could contact us immediately if anything happened, so I believed they would be fine.
We also left a maid doll here as a means of communication. With that settled, we set off from Kukurts.
Our destination was the royal capital, Aegis, which was known for its flourishing alchemy.
It was said to take about three hours on foot to reach Aegis. Therefore, Kadomi-kun, riding Terra, headed toward Aegis, and during that time, I planned to inquire about what everyone had been doing in the mines.
Well, you see, they brought back not only the “Abyssal Stones” that they were supposed to but also the transparent ones, which they shouldn’t have.
“This is the ‘Abyssal Stone,’ right? You’ve probably already figured out that it has a property of absorbing and storing parts of nearby objects when subjected to a strong impact.”
I listened to Kariya’s explanation while examining the ore.
It was a semi-transparent crystal-like mineral, but it felt rough rather than smooth.
“And when you crush the ore, its contents come out and it returns, it seems.”
I see. So, if you hit this ore with a strong water current or something, it absorbs water, and when you crush it, the water comes out. Is that the idea?
“It seems that what goes inside is random. People who were victims of the ‘ghosts’ in the past experienced various effects, such as losing their emotions, losing the ability to use magic, or having deteriorated vision, aside from the emotional loss.”
Random, huh? It’s interesting to think that something as vague as emotions could be selected. It’s also possible that kinetic energy or something similar might be chosen if you hit it with a water current, and I can imagine the disaster when you crush it.
“By the way, did you conduct any experiments?”
“We did, we did. It was insanely fun! Right, Hagasaki-kun?”
“Stop it.”
Um, Hariu was about to say something, but Hagasaki-kun froze his mouth.
Well, I won’t ask anything, so please unfreeze him quickly.
However, this property of absorbing anything randomly or not is quite important. You know, that mercury-like substance that fills the glasses of the deceased choir members. It might be the most promising candidate for removing that substance.
We received a message from Kadomi-kun, so we all “transferred” there. And we arrived in Aegis without any trouble!
We arrived, but it’s almost sunset, so let’s take a look at the town and then withdraw.
As mentioned many times, Aegis is a town known for its flourishing alchemy. Or rather, it’s a town known for its extensive research in magic.
There are various fantastic things scattered around here and there. The fountain made of mirrors (Mirror Fountain?) was quite a sight.
There are shops selling various magical items. It seems more upscale and magical compared to Kukurts.
They are expensive, but the quality is reportedly excellent. They call it high-performance.
However, I didn’t see much in terms of equipment. I wonder if that’s under Kukurts’ jurisdiction.
Hmm. Oh, they’re selling big cucumbers-like things. Is that zucchini or cucumber? That’s the question.
If it’s cucumbers, you can make them into vinegar dishes with octopus or namari-bushi (dried fish flakes), or you can make the classic pickles. If it’s zucchini, you can stuff them with ground meat and fry them, or sandwich them with bacon and cook them slowly to enjoy a creamy flavor! You can even stew them with tomatoes!
I definitely need to take a closer look at this.
“Maito-san, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“There was something that looked like a cucumber or zucchini, and I bought it to check.”
“You’re still the same.”
With Katori accompanying me, seemingly half-amused, I informed the others who were looking at magical items and headed towards the vegetable stalls.
Suddenly, people on the street began to murmur, and the sound of hooves striking the cobblestones could be heard.
When I looked in that direction, a person in armor riding a horse leaned down from horseback, grabbed my collar while riding, lifted me, and placed me on the horse.
Huh?
Afterwards, we went to the temple to meet the people of Kukurts.
“The birds have been defeated safely, as you can see.”
President explained to what seemed to be the mayor, reassuring the townspeople.
You know, considering we were the ones who accidentally released the seal, it might be a good idea to take responsibility and appeal to them now, just in case we get blamed for it later. That’s what I thought.
I was a bit worried about presenting the metal lumps as evidence, but it seems they believed us. Apparently, it’s some kind of legendary metal that’s not gold, silver, or copper. They had no choice but to believe it since there were so many of them.
“What an incredible turn of events! Who would have thought you’d defeat the Golden Silver Copper Birds!”
“An achievement that even the ancient heroes couldn’t accomplish!”
“Tonight, we feast!”
I did think it would be a good idea to appeal, but I never expected they would be this delighted.
Since we were here, we decided to participate in the impromptu festival held in Kukurts.
Surrounded by delicious food and beautiful ladies, the night passed by merrily.
Kukurts and Aegis seem to be known for dairy farming. It’s great because there are so many dairy products here.
Rich and creamy cream soup, cheese melted to perfection, cream sweets, and delicious butter cakes. I’m sure the dairy products sold at Deichemoore were imported from here. Maybe it’s the freshness, but they taste incredibly good.
I’ll buy plenty of dairy products here and stock up. That’s the plan.
Everyone also blended into the festival. Hariu and some others entertained the townspeople with knife-throwing and acrobatics, while Kadomi-kun and Toriumi staged a mock battle, thrilling the audience as well.
Kariya is demonstrating light magic to the young children.
President is… business as usual. Please don’t cause any casualties!
The others are engrossed in discussions with the artisans of this town, talking about tools, weapons, and such.
That mysterious metal we obtained from those birds? Apparently, it’s an incredible metal. As a token of gratitude, it seems they’re going to use it to make equipment for everyone.
They’re probably discussing the details right now. It looks like they’re having a great time. I shouldn’t interrupt.
So, I’ll quietly slip away now, while I still can.
You see, I promised to deliver some daily necessities, but I haven’t done that yet…
With the necessary items in hand, I use “transfer” to get to the gymnasium area’s residential zone.
I asked someone nearby, and it’s easy to find the location of the Home Economics Club members, so I headed in that direction.
“Hey.”
I use “transfer” to arrive in the living area of the Home Economics Club members along with the daily necessities, and they were incredibly surprised and then furious.
“Hey, hurry up and take these off! It’s a terrible taste!”
Ugh, don’t pull on the collar, please! I get it!
This, you see, is a collar that also functions as a magical suppressor, much like magic-sealing handcuffs.
And most of these people have magical professions.
In this dangerous world where monsters might attack at any time, it’s a bit tough for them to live here without being able to use magic.
So, I start removing the collars for everyone. Actually, I was planning to remove them regardless. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even be able to change their clothes.
“Alright, now you can change your clothes.”
I handed out the changes of clothes to each person after removing the last collar.
There were only three changes of clothes for each person, so please bear with it.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“No, I mean, they’re changes of clothes and daily necessities.”
Can’t you kind of tell just by looking at it? Or did you not get it when I mentioned it earlier?
“…You’re planning to make us wear these?”
Ah, that’s what you’re concerned about?
Well, I can understand that feeling. As young girls, I guess you’d be uncomfortable with that.
But well… there’s no other option.
“Because we don’t have elastic bands, we can only provide underwear with strings.”
“I didn’t know that. Get us something else then.”
Even if you say that… it’s not that simple.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to use them. But then you’ll have to live with just one pair of panties.”
I’m talking about the situation for those who are currently wearing panties. If you’re going commando right now, it’s a zero-panties lifestyle.
“Of course, I don’t want that! What are you even saying?”
…So, what should I do then? Should I tell you to go buy panties from the town store? Oh, that sounds kind of like a task. “Hey, go buy yakisoba panties for me.” Something like that… Nah, never mind.
After some more back and forth, I decided to leave and head back.
…Sorry, but I think they’ll eventually give in and wear the string panties. Surprisingly, once you get used to them, string panties aren’t that bad.
Some guys say the same thing about loincloths once you get used to them, so getting used to things is important.
When I returned to the festival venue in Kukurts, it seems everyone was looking for me.
They noticed I was missing and got worried. Sorry about that.
When I reported that I had been to the Home Economics Club’s place, I was scolded quite a bit for not reporting it beforehand. I apologize.
Now then, the festival has come to an end, but I have something to do.
That’s right!… Making feather futons!
I swiftly sew soft lyocell fabric together, creating a large bag, and then I fill it with plenty of feathers!
However, these feathers… or rather, the materials I collected from the birds before they turned into metal, had the effect of “healing,” as expected.
…But these feathers… they can’t be used as dyeing materials!
Darn it, I should have collected more, like blood and feathers, before they turned into metal!
It was decided unanimously that the feathers should be made into futons instead of being spun into threads due to the inefficient process.
Our passion for this futon is our trademark. Yes.
And the finished futon, when you lie down on it, you feel soothed… it has become the finest futon.
It’s a miraculous futon that heals injuries just by sleeping on it.
In addition to healing injuries, it seems to have effects in other areas such as mental stability and better sleep. So, it’s only fitting to consider this futon destined to be a futon!
…I also made some small amulet bags with feathers in them, so I’ll equip everyone with them later…
So, with a futon that isn’t Ketrarmi, I slept soundly for the first time in a while and woke up the next day.
After a quick breakfast, I’ll head out to collect the remaining Home Economics Club members.
I asked Homura-kun for the location, so we should be fine in that regard.
Heading towards a residential area located away from the mine, I found the Home Economics practical room. It was a room that hadn’t completely blended in—an oddity within the context of houses made of wood and bricks.
I wonder if the neighbors have said anything about it. Is it okay? People who are annoying might say things like how noisy people can disrupt the town’s atmosphere…
I rang the doorbell installed by the door, and I heard footsteps inside, followed by the door opening. A petite girl peeked out, but as soon as she saw us, she immediately withdrew back inside, and I could hear the sound of a lock from inside.
It seems like they’re quite wary.
“What should we do? I can break in if needed,” Hariu said, but if we did that, it would create an extreme level of distrust, so it’s not a good idea.
So, I resorted to the straightforward approach.
“Excuse me! We are not here to harm you. Please open the door.”
I continued to speak while knocking on the door. That’s all I did.
“Excuse me!”
Knock, knock, knock.
“Please open—”
Knock, knock, knock.
…Yeah, this isn’t working.
“Okay, you don’t have to open it, just listen.”
I spoke towards the door, and I felt a presence on the other side. Yes, it seems like they’re listening.
“Today, we bought and evacuated some of the Home Economics Club members who were enslaved in the mine.”
Oh, there was commotion on the other side of the door.
“We haven’t disclosed any information about this place. The evacuation location is quite far away. We won’t harm you.”
…Ah, it got a bit quieter.
“So, I’d like to talk about what comes next.”
After I mentioned that, the sound of the lock opening came from the door, and it opened a crack.
“I’d like to discuss a way to return to our original world.”
After a brief moment of eye contact with the petite girl, she reluctantly said, “Please come in.”
Alright.
“…So, I’d like to collect this classroom if that’s possible.”
We were served tea and snacks, and we began a discussion where we shared the information we each had.
It was apparent that they were members of the Home Economics Club, as you could see them doing household chores here and there in the room.
The red stone slab placed on top of the stove was probably a fire attribute mineral. It might function like an induction cooktop.
The tea we were served was made with hot water boiled using that stone. These people seem to be fully enjoying, or rather, adapting to this world.
“Yes. We suddenly ended up here… You know, right? We’re the ones who sold those people. It might have been a bad thing to do, but I don’t regret it. If I hadn’t done that, we would have definitely ended up like them,” said the head of the Home Economics Club, Agatsuma-san, in a calm tone.
They explained that they earn money through processing minerals and cooking.
This town has no shortage of jobs related to mineral processing, and there’s no shortage of people to eat meals. With such skills and expertise, it’s safe to say that it’s a very livable town.
“So, we’d like to stay in this town as long as possible, ideally until we can return. Is it okay if you take this classroom once we can leave?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. As long as we can stay in touch… But are you sure? We have a fair amount of money here.”
“Yes, for now, we’re able to make a living on our own.”
The members of the Home Economics Club decided to continue living in the town of Kukurts. They found it surprisingly enjoyable to earn money on their own and lead self-sufficient lives. I could understand their sentiment.
Having secured stable occupations and become part of the town’s workforce, they were unlikely to be enslaved as they once were. It seemed that building good neighborly relationships might indeed be the best form of security in this town.
So, we decided that they would continue to live in Kukurts. Of course, we assured them that they could contact us immediately if anything happened, so I believed they would be fine.
We also left a maid doll here as a means of communication. With that settled, we set off from Kukurts.
Our destination was the royal capital, Aegis, which was known for its flourishing alchemy.
It was said to take about three hours on foot to reach Aegis. Therefore, Kadomi-kun, riding Terra, headed toward Aegis, and during that time, I planned to inquire about what everyone had been doing in the mines.
Well, you see, they brought back not only the “Abyssal Stones” that they were supposed to but also the transparent ones, which they shouldn’t have.
“This is the ‘Abyssal Stone,’ right? You’ve probably already figured out that it has a property of absorbing and storing parts of nearby objects when subjected to a strong impact.”
I listened to Kariya’s explanation while examining the ore.
It was a semi-transparent crystal-like mineral, but it felt rough rather than smooth.
“And when you crush the ore, its contents come out and it returns, it seems.”
I see. So, if you hit this ore with a strong water current or something, it absorbs water, and when you crush it, the water comes out. Is that the idea?
“It seems that what goes inside is random. People who were victims of the ‘ghosts’ in the past experienced various effects, such as losing their emotions, losing the ability to use magic, or having deteriorated vision, aside from the emotional loss.”
Random, huh? It’s interesting to think that something as vague as emotions could be selected. It’s also possible that kinetic energy or something similar might be chosen if you hit it with a water current, and I can imagine the disaster when you crush it.
“By the way, did you conduct any experiments?”
“We did, we did. It was insanely fun! Right, Hagasaki-kun?”
“Stop it.”
Um, Hariu was about to say something, but Hagasaki-kun froze his mouth.
Well, I won’t ask anything, so please unfreeze him quickly.
However, this property of absorbing anything randomly or not is quite important. You know, that mercury-like substance that fills the glasses of the deceased choir members. It might be the most promising candidate for removing that substance.
We received a message from Kadomi-kun, so we all “transferred” there. And we arrived in Aegis without any trouble!
We arrived, but it’s almost sunset, so let’s take a look at the town and then withdraw.
As mentioned many times, Aegis is a town known for its flourishing alchemy. Or rather, it’s a town known for its extensive research in magic.
There are various fantastic things scattered around here and there. The fountain made of mirrors (Mirror Fountain?) was quite a sight.
There are shops selling various magical items. It seems more upscale and magical compared to Kukurts.
They are expensive, but the quality is reportedly excellent. They call it high-performance.
However, I didn’t see much in terms of equipment. I wonder if that’s under Kukurts’ jurisdiction.
Hmm. Oh, they’re selling big cucumbers-like things. Is that zucchini or cucumber? That’s the question.
If it’s cucumbers, you can make them into vinegar dishes with octopus or namari-bushi (dried fish flakes), or you can make the classic pickles. If it’s zucchini, you can stuff them with ground meat and fry them, or sandwich them with bacon and cook them slowly to enjoy a creamy flavor! You can even stew them with tomatoes!
I definitely need to take a closer look at this.
“Maito-san, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“There was something that looked like a cucumber or zucchini, and I bought it to check.”
“You’re still the same.”
With Katori accompanying me, seemingly half-amused, I informed the others who were looking at magical items and headed towards the vegetable stalls.
Suddenly, people on the street began to murmur, and the sound of hooves striking the cobblestones could be heard.
When I looked in that direction, a person in armor riding a horse leaned down from horseback, grabbed my collar while riding, lifted me, and placed me on the horse.
Huh?
