“Ah! Over here!”
In the middle of the bustling street, we spotted Homura-kun, who managed to stand out even in this crowd.
“This is the ‘Abyssal Stone.’ Is there something you need it for?”
“Thanks! With this, I can apparently wake up my friends!”
Homura-kun had succeeded in finding an alchemist in this town. While he lived in Kukurts and worked part-time, he had become quite friendly with the people of Kukurts, gathering various information, including details about an alchemist who could “resurrect people.”
This country considered “resurrecting people” as taboo, as mentioned by Carissa earlier. So, the fact that Homura-kun managed to obtain such information was quite impressive.
“Apparently, all we need is the ‘Abyssal Stone,’ so this is a lifesaver!”
Since I was curious about the circumstances surrounding this, and I had some free time, I decided to accompany Homura-kun. The others would continue searching for the remaining materials and perhaps go to Kukurts to retrieve their equipment.
Off we go!
We navigated through winding alleys and complex intersections until we reached the house where the alchemist lived.
“Here we are! Hello!”
After knocking loudly on the door, a woman with pale pink hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a white coat emerged from inside.
The woman, who seemed to be the alchemist, welcomed us.
“Welcome. Oh, it’s Homura. And who is this young lady?”
“This one? She’s my friend.”
I was suddenly declared as his friend! Homura-kun was quite the smooth talker!
“Could it be that you’ve already brought what I requested?”
Upon hearing this, Homura-kun proudly presented the “Abyssal Stone.”
“Is this it?”
“Yes, that’s it. You brought it so quickly.”
The alchemist, now known as Shureira-san, promptly took the “Abyssal Stone” and headed towards her laboratory.
“May I watch what you’re going to do with it?”
“Sure, go ahead. Just don’t get in the way.”
With Shureira-san’s permission, I prepared to witness the art of alchemy.
Shureira-san covered the “Abyssal Stone” with a soft cloth and began applying force with her hands, gradually reducing it to smaller fragments.
I understood that she was carefully breaking it down, as the stone’s absorption properties would activate if subjected to a strong impact.
“Shureira-san! Wouldn’t it be faster if I did it?”
Homura-kun’s suggestion made sense.
He had an otherworldly advantage, possessing incredible strength, and it was evident that Shureira-san’s delicate arms were not the most efficient choice for this task.
“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry about that, Homura. Please do it. Just be sure not to apply a strong impact.”
Acknowledging this, Homura-kun proceeded to follow Shureira-san’s instructions, applying force gradually and methodically to break the “Abyssal Stone” into smaller pieces.
“Shureira-san, how is Homura-kun’s friend currently, and what is the process for reviving them?”
I wanted to ask a professional about this, especially since it might relate to the revival of the members of the choir club.
Shureira-san seemed pleased when I asked and said, “Is Maito interested in such matters?”
“Yes.”
She nodded and gestured to an empty chair nearby, inviting me to sit. I took a seat.
“As I explained to Homura earlier, think of life as being like wine. It’s contained in a glass, and we all carry it somewhere in our bodies. That’s the image you should have.”
I nodded; I was familiar with this concept.
“Matsukaze is currently in a state where the lid is closed on that wine glass.”
Oh, Matsukaze is Homura-kun’s friend.
A lid… I see.
“Does closing the lid make them fall asleep?”
If there’s no particular issue with their life itself, I wouldn’t expect them to fall asleep.
I asked Shureira-san, and she seemed to ponder it for a moment, searching for the right words.
“It’s like a pathway through which life travels to move the body. In terms of the earlier analogy, you can think of life as the wine, and the aroma that emanates from it as what moves the body. Does that analogy make sense?”
“Do wines not deteriorate?”
“Of course, they do deteriorate. That’s what aging means.”
Ah, I see. That’s the interpretation.
“Yeah, that’s quite an understandable explanation.”
“Now, Shureira-san, is this okay?”
Since it seemed like Homura-kun had finished his work, we immediately moved on to Matsukaze-kun’s revival.
I watched closely.
Shureira-san began filling an instrument with the crushed ‘Abyssal Stone’ fragments. It was shaped like an hourglass with a narrowed middle section, made of transparent glass with unclear golden patterns.
She meticulously packed the upper half of it with ‘Abyssal Stone’ fragments and attached some sort of unfamiliar apparatus to it. Then, she poured a transparent liquid into it. The liquid passed through the ‘Abyssal Stone’ and collected in the lower half of the hourglass-like structure.
“With this, once we infuse it with mana, the ‘Abyssal Stone’ with specified absorption direction will be ready.”
As she said this, Shureira-san touched a gem-like object attached to the apparatus with her fingertip. Golden patterns ran through the entire apparatus from there, and the ‘Abyssal Stone’ began to melt. The molten ‘Abyssal Stone’ was guided into the hourglass-shaped tube and slowly descended. When it reached the bottom, where the transparent liquid had collected, it solidified into a solid substance.
“Oh, I don’t quite understand it, but it’s fascinating.”
“So, for now, it’s complete, I suppose?”
Shureira-san removed the stone.
The ‘Abyssal Stone’ was originally transparent, but now it had an aurora-like iridescence on its surface, like a crystal with metallic vapor deposition.
“All right. Let’s try waking up Matsukaze right away.”
Shureira-san, accompanied by Homura-kun and me, moved to the adjacent room.
In the adjacent room, there was a simple bed, and a person who appeared to be Matsukaze-kun was sleeping there.
Well, he had a pretty face, but he wasn’t actually dead. He was just sleeping. You could tell by his relaxed breathing. Oh, that’s a relief.
“Let’s go ahead with it. Please step back a bit.”
Shureira-san placed the stone on Matsukaze-kun’s chest, and then she moved away with us.
Ah, I see. If we were too close, we might become the target of absorption as well. I don’t think we have lids on our lives, so if something strange got absorbed, it could be a problem. Let’s keep our distance.
“Are you mentally prepared?”
“OK!”
When Homura-kun enthusiastically replied, Shureira-san raised what looked like a gun and fired.
A ball of light-like substance shot out of the gun and hit the stone placed on Matsukaze-kun’s chest, delivering an impact to the stone.
Oh, the color of the stone has changed.
It looks a bit grayish now.
I wonder if it was a success.
“Matsukaze! Wake up! Hey!”
Homura-kun started slapping Matsukaze-kun awake.
“What’s with all the noise… huh?”
He woke up.
“What am I… Oh, whoa!”
“Matsukazeeeeeeee! I was really worried about you! Hey!”
And Matsukaze-kun, while being tackled by Homura-kun, ended up being used as a makeshift handkerchief, just like my apron from some time ago.
Homura-kun had completely returned to his cheerful self, repeatedly thanking Shureira-san, and then he left with Matsukaze-kun.
Why was Homura-kun alone? Well, you see, he was working to buy back the members of the Home Economics Club.
It was a kind of handover, I guess. Even the place that hired them would be in trouble if they suddenly lost their workforce.
Homura-kun said it was an environment where he could quit on the same day without any issues, so he decided to go alone for the time being.
Yes, I think it’s very responsible and commendable.
As for me, I had a request for Shureira-san.
“I’d like you to use the ‘Abyssal Stone’ to establish a directional absorption effect for removing foreign objects accumulated in the vessel of life.”
When I said that, Shureira-san raised an eyebrow and looked surprised.
“In other words, you want to erase death? That’s quite specific.”
“Oh, is that what it is?”
That mercury-like substance… Oh no, it accumulates death? That’s unpleasant!
“Might you have seen life before? Thanks to the ‘Lost Blessing’ effect?”
Oh, she’s referring to that.
“Yes. Um, thanks to the ‘Lost Blessing’ effect, I’ve vaguely seen something like that.”
“I see. If that’s the case, it makes more sense. However, even if you eliminate death, it doesn’t mean that people will come back to life. You understand that, right?”
I understand. That’s why I asked Carissa-chan to create life.
“There are means to revive the physical body.”
I decided not to mention the fact that Carissa-chan was considered a heretic when it came to matters of life.
“I see. Then it comes down to the contents of the vessel, which is life.”
I guess I’ll just pretend I don’t know about this.
“In this country, the creation of life is strictly forbidden. It’s considered presumptuous for one person to create another person’s life. If you were openly researching ways to bring people back to life, you’d be captured and executed.”
Oh, yes, I know that. Carissa-chan being considered a heretic probably has something to do with this.
But you know, I have a feeling that such a mindset exists in a certain percentage of people in any world or culture, not just in this country.
“However, you want to bring someone back to life, right? Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
I don’t know what Shureira-san’s intention is in asking that, but denying it won’t get us anywhere.
“I see.”
Time seems to drag on, and Shureira-san finally came to a conclusion.
“Understood. I’ll create an ‘Abyssal Stone’ to remove death accumulated in the vessel of life. In return, I have a favor to ask… Will you help my imprisoned sister, who has been labeled a heretic for creating life?”
…
Um, um, let me think.
“My sister is a talented alchemist. With a bit more research, she could probably learn to create human life as well. She’s already succeeded with locusts. With the two of us sisters together, it might not be impossible to bring people back to life. What do you think? I don’t think it’s a bad deal for you.”
…
“A-Actually, is your sister’s name Carissa, by any chance?”
“What, you knew? In that case, the deal is settled!”
Shureira-san’s face instantly lit up. Well, she probably thought I had already singled out the alchemist I was looking for, but it’s not quite like that… yeah.
“Yes, um, there’s a big mansion near the royal castle.”
I said, and Shureira-san’s expression seemed to deflate a bit.
“There is, indeed.”
“And there’s a foreigner living there, right?”
Ah, Shureira-san’s expression relaxed even more.
“There is someone living there, it seems.”
“She’s living there with that foreigner.”
Once I said that, Shureira-san’s expression went completely blank, and she seemed frozen.
“Why… would that be?”
“I… don’t really know…”
Most likely, it’s the result of something Nishikino-kun did, but, well… the world is a small place.
“Ah! Over here!”
In the middle of the bustling street, we spotted Homura-kun, who managed to stand out even in this crowd.
“This is the ‘Abyssal Stone.’ Is there something you need it for?”
“Thanks! With this, I can apparently wake up my friends!”
Homura-kun had succeeded in finding an alchemist in this town. While he lived in Kukurts and worked part-time, he had become quite friendly with the people of Kukurts, gathering various information, including details about an alchemist who could “resurrect people.”
This country considered “resurrecting people” as taboo, as mentioned by Carissa earlier. So, the fact that Homura-kun managed to obtain such information was quite impressive.
“Apparently, all we need is the ‘Abyssal Stone,’ so this is a lifesaver!”
Since I was curious about the circumstances surrounding this, and I had some free time, I decided to accompany Homura-kun. The others would continue searching for the remaining materials and perhaps go to Kukurts to retrieve their equipment.
Off we go!
We navigated through winding alleys and complex intersections until we reached the house where the alchemist lived.
“Here we are! Hello!”
After knocking loudly on the door, a woman with pale pink hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a white coat emerged from inside.
The woman, who seemed to be the alchemist, welcomed us.
“Welcome. Oh, it’s Homura. And who is this young lady?”
“This one? She’s my friend.”
I was suddenly declared as his friend! Homura-kun was quite the smooth talker!
“Could it be that you’ve already brought what I requested?”
Upon hearing this, Homura-kun proudly presented the “Abyssal Stone.”
“Is this it?”
“Yes, that’s it. You brought it so quickly.”
The alchemist, now known as Shureira-san, promptly took the “Abyssal Stone” and headed towards her laboratory.
“May I watch what you’re going to do with it?”
“Sure, go ahead. Just don’t get in the way.”
With Shureira-san’s permission, I prepared to witness the art of alchemy.
Shureira-san covered the “Abyssal Stone” with a soft cloth and began applying force with her hands, gradually reducing it to smaller fragments.
I understood that she was carefully breaking it down, as the stone’s absorption properties would activate if subjected to a strong impact.
“Shureira-san! Wouldn’t it be faster if I did it?”
Homura-kun’s suggestion made sense.
He had an otherworldly advantage, possessing incredible strength, and it was evident that Shureira-san’s delicate arms were not the most efficient choice for this task.
“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry about that, Homura. Please do it. Just be sure not to apply a strong impact.”
Acknowledging this, Homura-kun proceeded to follow Shureira-san’s instructions, applying force gradually and methodically to break the “Abyssal Stone” into smaller pieces.
“Shureira-san, how is Homura-kun’s friend currently, and what is the process for reviving them?”
I wanted to ask a professional about this, especially since it might relate to the revival of the members of the choir club.
Shureira-san seemed pleased when I asked and said, “Is Maito interested in such matters?”
“Yes.”
She nodded and gestured to an empty chair nearby, inviting me to sit. I took a seat.
“As I explained to Homura earlier, think of life as being like wine. It’s contained in a glass, and we all carry it somewhere in our bodies. That’s the image you should have.”
I nodded; I was familiar with this concept.
“Matsukaze is currently in a state where the lid is closed on that wine glass.”
Oh, Matsukaze is Homura-kun’s friend.
A lid… I see.
“Does closing the lid make them fall asleep?”
If there’s no particular issue with their life itself, I wouldn’t expect them to fall asleep.
I asked Shureira-san, and she seemed to ponder it for a moment, searching for the right words.
“It’s like a pathway through which life travels to move the body. In terms of the earlier analogy, you can think of life as the wine, and the aroma that emanates from it as what moves the body. Does that analogy make sense?”
“Do wines not deteriorate?”
“Of course, they do deteriorate. That’s what aging means.”
Ah, I see. That’s the interpretation.
“Yeah, that’s quite an understandable explanation.”
“Now, Shureira-san, is this okay?”
Since it seemed like Homura-kun had finished his work, we immediately moved on to Matsukaze-kun’s revival.
I watched closely.
Shureira-san began filling an instrument with the crushed ‘Abyssal Stone’ fragments. It was shaped like an hourglass with a narrowed middle section, made of transparent glass with unclear golden patterns.
She meticulously packed the upper half of it with ‘Abyssal Stone’ fragments and attached some sort of unfamiliar apparatus to it. Then, she poured a transparent liquid into it. The liquid passed through the ‘Abyssal Stone’ and collected in the lower half of the hourglass-like structure.
“With this, once we infuse it with mana, the ‘Abyssal Stone’ with specified absorption direction will be ready.”
As she said this, Shureira-san touched a gem-like object attached to the apparatus with her fingertip. Golden patterns ran through the entire apparatus from there, and the ‘Abyssal Stone’ began to melt. The molten ‘Abyssal Stone’ was guided into the hourglass-shaped tube and slowly descended. When it reached the bottom, where the transparent liquid had collected, it solidified into a solid substance.
“Oh, I don’t quite understand it, but it’s fascinating.”
“So, for now, it’s complete, I suppose?”
Shureira-san removed the stone.
The ‘Abyssal Stone’ was originally transparent, but now it had an aurora-like iridescence on its surface, like a crystal with metallic vapor deposition.
“All right. Let’s try waking up Matsukaze right away.”
Shureira-san, accompanied by Homura-kun and me, moved to the adjacent room.
In the adjacent room, there was a simple bed, and a person who appeared to be Matsukaze-kun was sleeping there.
Well, he had a pretty face, but he wasn’t actually dead. He was just sleeping. You could tell by his relaxed breathing. Oh, that’s a relief.
“Let’s go ahead with it. Please step back a bit.”
Shureira-san placed the stone on Matsukaze-kun’s chest, and then she moved away with us.
Ah, I see. If we were too close, we might become the target of absorption as well. I don’t think we have lids on our lives, so if something strange got absorbed, it could be a problem. Let’s keep our distance.
“Are you mentally prepared?”
“OK!”
When Homura-kun enthusiastically replied, Shureira-san raised what looked like a gun and fired.
A ball of light-like substance shot out of the gun and hit the stone placed on Matsukaze-kun’s chest, delivering an impact to the stone.
Oh, the color of the stone has changed.
It looks a bit grayish now.
I wonder if it was a success.
“Matsukaze! Wake up! Hey!”
Homura-kun started slapping Matsukaze-kun awake.
“What’s with all the noise… huh?”
He woke up.
“What am I… Oh, whoa!”
“Matsukazeeeeeeee! I was really worried about you! Hey!”
And Matsukaze-kun, while being tackled by Homura-kun, ended up being used as a makeshift handkerchief, just like my apron from some time ago.
Homura-kun had completely returned to his cheerful self, repeatedly thanking Shureira-san, and then he left with Matsukaze-kun.
Why was Homura-kun alone? Well, you see, he was working to buy back the members of the Home Economics Club.
It was a kind of handover, I guess. Even the place that hired them would be in trouble if they suddenly lost their workforce.
Homura-kun said it was an environment where he could quit on the same day without any issues, so he decided to go alone for the time being.
Yes, I think it’s very responsible and commendable.
As for me, I had a request for Shureira-san.
“I’d like you to use the ‘Abyssal Stone’ to establish a directional absorption effect for removing foreign objects accumulated in the vessel of life.”
When I said that, Shureira-san raised an eyebrow and looked surprised.
“In other words, you want to erase death? That’s quite specific.”
“Oh, is that what it is?”
That mercury-like substance… Oh no, it accumulates death? That’s unpleasant!
“Might you have seen life before? Thanks to the ‘Lost Blessing’ effect?”
Oh, she’s referring to that.
“Yes. Um, thanks to the ‘Lost Blessing’ effect, I’ve vaguely seen something like that.”
“I see. If that’s the case, it makes more sense. However, even if you eliminate death, it doesn’t mean that people will come back to life. You understand that, right?”
I understand. That’s why I asked Carissa-chan to create life.
“There are means to revive the physical body.”
I decided not to mention the fact that Carissa-chan was considered a heretic when it came to matters of life.
“I see. Then it comes down to the contents of the vessel, which is life.”
I guess I’ll just pretend I don’t know about this.
“In this country, the creation of life is strictly forbidden. It’s considered presumptuous for one person to create another person’s life. If you were openly researching ways to bring people back to life, you’d be captured and executed.”
Oh, yes, I know that. Carissa-chan being considered a heretic probably has something to do with this.
But you know, I have a feeling that such a mindset exists in a certain percentage of people in any world or culture, not just in this country.
“However, you want to bring someone back to life, right? Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
I don’t know what Shureira-san’s intention is in asking that, but denying it won’t get us anywhere.
“I see.”
Time seems to drag on, and Shureira-san finally came to a conclusion.
“Understood. I’ll create an ‘Abyssal Stone’ to remove death accumulated in the vessel of life. In return, I have a favor to ask… Will you help my imprisoned sister, who has been labeled a heretic for creating life?”
…
Um, um, let me think.
“My sister is a talented alchemist. With a bit more research, she could probably learn to create human life as well. She’s already succeeded with locusts. With the two of us sisters together, it might not be impossible to bring people back to life. What do you think? I don’t think it’s a bad deal for you.”
…
“A-Actually, is your sister’s name Carissa, by any chance?”
“What, you knew? In that case, the deal is settled!”
Shureira-san’s face instantly lit up. Well, she probably thought I had already singled out the alchemist I was looking for, but it’s not quite like that… yeah.
“Yes, um, there’s a big mansion near the royal castle.”
I said, and Shureira-san’s expression seemed to deflate a bit.
“There is, indeed.”
“And there’s a foreigner living there, right?”
Ah, Shureira-san’s expression relaxed even more.
“There is someone living there, it seems.”
“She’s living there with that foreigner.”
Once I said that, Shureira-san’s expression went completely blank, and she seemed frozen.
“Why… would that be?”
“I… don’t really know…”
Most likely, it’s the result of something Nishikino-kun did, but, well… the world is a small place.
