Volume 10, Chapter 38 – A Lurking Shadow

As the sun rose in the east, painting the sky in a hazy light, a new day began. Of course, this “new day” only applied to the early risers—Mary, Camilla, and the maids. For Yisi, the day began at ten in the morning.

“Phew. It’s only nine? It’s been a while since I’ve been up this early. The morning air really is the freshest.”

Yisi, having just stepped out of the main building, stretched. The cool morning breeze on her face jolted her drowsy mind awake. She twitched her nose, smelling the earthy, grassy scent in the air.

In my old world, this air could be bottled and sold as a high-priced commodity.

“Ah, it’s Mama!”

“Master detected. That is all.”

Following the voices, the pink-haired Chloris and green-haired Enos descended from the sky, furling their wings and landing in front of Yisi. Laxy, who had been observing them from the courtyard, followed and bowed.

“Good morning, My Lord.”

“Mhm. Still testing the wings, Laxy?”

Last night, while reading Cornelia’s notes, Yisi had found a record of Enos’s wings. They had been non-functional because Cornelia had violently dismantled them for research and then re-attached them incorrectly. Fortunately, Cornelia’s recklessness had produced results. Using the notes, Yisi had concocted the magic fluid and, using Laxy’s wings as a template, created a new pair for Enos.

There was a small incident when the Birthing Pool, not being connected to the ley lines, wouldn’t activate, sending Laxy into despair. But Yisi had simply acted as a battery, supplying the magic herself. The story ended quietly. Yisi hadn’t let Laxy know, fearing Laxy would feel useless if she knew Yisi was so powerful. Laxy never did figure out why the Birthing Pool had suddenly activated.

The only other thing to complain about was the Pool’s massive appetite: eighty magic points per second. It had taken half an hour just to replace Enos’s wings. Besides me, only the immeasurable magic of the ley lines could power that thing.

As for why Cornelia hadn’t connected the Pool to the ley lines, Yisi found the answer in the notes. Cornelia never figured out what the Birthing Pool did. It required not only magic, but the presence of a Third-Rank or higher angel. When Yisi asked why a tool designed for Battle Angels couldn’t be used by them, Laxy’s answer was simple: “Most Battle Angels aren’t very bright. If they operated the Birthing Pool, it would be broken in days. It requires the supervision of an Angel of Guidance.”

Laxy’s purple eyes filled with admiration, and she bowed her head. “Yes. Thanks to your wisdom, My Lord, Enos was spared. However, the wings you made were based on my own. The structure of an Angel of Guidance is slightly different from a Battle Angel’s. It will take Enos some time to adapt.”

“Then tonight, I’ll make a new pair for Enos, using Chloris’s wings as the template.”

“That is unacceptable!” Laxy’s face flashed with panic. “Setting aside the energy you would expend, My Lord, activating the Birthing Pool consumes a large amount of ley-line magic. That magic is not infinite! If we use too much, it won’t be replenished, which could lead to crop failure, animals fleeing, and the soil turning to sand. The entire land could become a wasteland!”

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“Well, well, the ley lines here are rich. They won’t dry up that easily. Don’t worry, Laxy.”

Since I’m the one powering it, I don’t have to worry about any of that.

Laxy shook her head. “No. This is the one thing I cannot agree to. You are spoiling Enos, My Lord. She is just not used to the wings; they are not unusable. She will adapt.”

“Enos, what do you think?”

“It’s… it’s fine like this… To be able to use the same wings as Sister Laxyphinia… I’m very happy…”

Her statement gave Yisi the wrong idea for a second, but Enos’s gaze toward Laxy held only awe, not a trace of romance. Yisi was a little disappointed. The forbidden love between doll-sisters… Just the thought of it is so exciting.

“Master, request installation of more wings. That is all.”

“Denied. You cannot treat My Lord’s mercy as indulgence. An angel only needs one pair of wings. More wings will not make you fly faster or higher.”

“Eh? But wouldn’t more wings look cooler?”

Like those dynamic transformation scenes in anime.

But speaking of which, if angels can swap parts in the Birthing Pool, doesn’t that mean… if I made a complete child-sized angel shell, Laxy could change from her ‘big sister’ appearance into a cute little girl? It’s a bit of a shame from my perspective, but Laxy has always loved little girls. She’d probably be happy, right?

“…I am completely unable to understand your thoughts, My Lord. More wings would only affect balance. There is no ‘cool’ factor. If outsiders saw it, they would probably laugh at the ‘deformity’.”

“Mhm… you’re right.” I’ve probably been reading too much manga.

Pushing the thought aside, Yisi walked into the courtyard. It was still a mess. The land was saturated with magic, so the plants were much thicker and their roots deeper than elsewhere. It was also full of insects and small animals. Even with all the maids and gardeners, they had only managed to clear the stone paths.

“Good morning, Miss Yisi.”

“Mhm, good morning.”

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“Er…”

For some reason, the maids stared at her, wide-eyed, and glanced at each other. “She… returned a greeting to a servant…”

I guess masters don’t usually do that. But to me, it’s just a normal greeting. I’ll keep doing it.

“La—”

“Miss Yisi!”

Just as Yisi was about to tell Laxy she was heading out, the two gardeners ran over, carrying iron buckets. They were already stained with dirt and grass, their dark faces covered in sweat.

“Miss Yisi, are you really giving these tools to us?”

One gardener showed her the bucket. These were the tools Yisi had bought at the market yesterday. She had Laxy give them to the gardeners, but from the brand-new look of the tools, they hadn’t used them.

Yisi tilted her head. “Mhm, yes. What’s wrong?”

“Ooooh…”

Their mouths formed an ‘O’ of astonishment, and their faces lit up with joy. They swallowed, their voices trembling. “These… These are tools from Master Prott’s hand! Look at the handle on this shovel, two grooves! That means it’s mixed with mithril! You could use this for a lifetime… This is the treasure we gardeners dream of using just once!”

“I heard a set goes for ten gold coins on the black market! I’ve been wondering all morning if I could really use them! Miss Yisi, you’re entrusting us with something so valuable… how can we ever thank you for your trust!”

“No…”

It didn’t cost ten gold coins. In fact, he paid me. I’d asked Solanya where to buy tools, and she’d recommended a blacksmith named Prott. I’d assumed he was an artisan like Master Avis, but the reality was… different.

The blacksmith, Prott, was a dwarf who was hopelessly addicted to alcohol. When I found him, he was surrounded by empty Margaret bottles, trying to drain the last drops. I felt so sorry for him, I gave him a bottle. He immediately grabbed several tools from his shelf and gratefully shoved them into my hands.

According to Prott, he’d been banned from Margaret for drunk and disorderly conduct. The city’s supply was already limited, and he hadn’t had a drink in a week. He said my arrival was ‘no different from an angel.’ I found out from Sera later that because the wine has to be shipped, she rations it to prevent shortages, which leads to a mad dash.

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As expected, transportation is a problem that limits development in every world.

Pushing the memory aside, Yisi smiled. “For… certain reasons, they didn’t cost me much. Please, use them. If you work here for one year, they’re yours. So use them as you see fit.”

“You mean… you’re giving them to us?”

“You really plan to employ us long-term!?”

Yisi smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

“Gods, what good deeds did I do in a past life…”

“We’re not… going to be struck by lightning later, are we…”

The two gardeners were in a daze of ecstatic joy. Yisi could only exchange a helpless smile with the maids—or she would have, but the maids were just looking on with envy.

Weren’t you just happy about the uniforms yesterday?

Sighing, Yisi left the servants and, accompanied by the three angels, walked toward the gate.

“Laxy, what are Mary and the others doing?”

“Alexia seems to be unwell. Mary and Tiffany are looking after her. Camilla is cataloging the magic books. She told me, ‘As this will be the place for my honeymoon with Onee-sama, failing to understand its contents and organize them properly would be a breach of my wifely duty.'”

“You don’t have to imitate her tone…” If I didn’t know Laxy, I’d think she was teasing me. “But Tina is unwell?”

Yisi glanced at the [Omniscient Map]. Tina’s level had risen from 42 to 45. No abnormal statuses. She’s probably just dizzy from leveling too fast. I’ll bring back some meat dishes she likes.

“What about Pepe and Refina?” They weren’t on her map.

“Would you like her exact words?”

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“No, just summarize, Laxy.”

“Yes. Edith discovered a branch of the Blood Clan in the city with which she has a past association. She left the mansion earlier and is expected back before noon.”

“I see…”

There were hundreds of the Blood Clan in the city; Yisi had given up on finding them. After confirming Pepe’s and Refina’s location, she relaxed.

Yisi turned around. “Laxy, I’m going out.”

“I will accompany… no. Chloris, you are responsible for My Lord’s safety. My Lord, I must stay at the mansion to supervise Enos’s adaptation to her wings.”

“Understood.”

“No, that’s fine. Chloris, you stay here, too. I want to go out alone. I won’t go far.”

Tina needs at least a month and a half to finish her inheritance. At that time, we need to prepare to set sail. Not only will I be taking my companions across the Stormy Sea eventually, but we also have to go to Fairy Land by sea. I heard that although it’s connected to the continent, the elves there refuse entry to anyone who travels by land, believing them to be cowardly. So, we have to go by sea.

As for why… besides my promise to the dryad, I want to see the place where elves and fairies live. It would be a waste to come to this other world and miss a place like that.

“Will you be back for lunch?”

“Probably not until this evening. Laxy, please tell Camilla and Mary for me.”

“Yes.”

With her instructions given, Yisi expanded the [Omniscient Map] to the harbor.

Now then, time to find a good hunting spot, so my companions can get used to fighting sea monsters. The ocean has far more monsters than the land. The goal is to get everyone to level 30 before we set sail.