Chapter 127

Nerune’s Laboratory

Well, I decided to go straight to ask Rin whether or not it’d accept our control .

[Refused . ]

It responded immediately .

“That so? It’d be a great help if you did… but I guess you don’t want to be my follower after all?”

[Yeah, Kehma is, weak, so no . Besides, when winter ends, I’m leaving, on a journey . ]

Ah, so its just here for the winter? So it came to our dungeon just to wait out the winter huh .

… It couldn’t leave the dungeon if it entered the dungeon’s control? Wait no, doesn’t Haku-san bring Chloe with her? Even Haku-san, herself a dungeon core, can go out, so it should be able to .

“Is there a reason for your journey?”

[… Yeah, to look for, master . Not, here . ]

Master? So it’s a married female? [1]

[… No, I’m saying, boss . Also, I don’t have, a sex . ]

It revised what it said, did it understand something from what went through the golem?

Rather, it doesn’t have a sex? So that’s why its wolf form doesn’t have one either? Well, according to that talk about slimes with Ontentoo, they self reproduce .

No, more importantly, it has a boss…? Maybe its tamer? So Rin’s a faithful doggy that goes out looking for its missing owner huh . Ah, it’d be faithful slime since it’s a slime though .

“So Rin had a boss huh . What kind of guy is he?”

[Stronger than, me . ]

Seriously? Someone even stronger than Rin…

[I am, strong, because of boss’, training . ]

“… Seriously? So he’s your teacher?” [2]

[Yeah . Master could also, train when I find, master . ]

I’d be fine entrusting the golem if he could make it stronger . But really, what kind of guy is stronger than Rin?

Now that the mysteries have deepened, I decided it’s about time to end it for the day .

“Well then, go ahead and eat me . Here . ”

[Nnn~… no, I’m fine . Kehma is, my follower, after all . Besides, I’m not, hungry . ]

“Really?”

[Yeah . Thanks, cya . ]

Hmm . Did my intimacy level go up?

This was the first time I could finish a conversation with Rin without being eaten .

*

Well, it’s a shift in topics, but it’s about making magic tools .

It looks like Nerune figured out the basics, so she’s gotten to the point of being able to make the kinds of magic tools Kantra knew: fire, water, earth, and light .

That just means things related to elements coming out of simple magic formations, the so-called fundamentals of magic tools . I think that much is amazing enough though .

I decided to try it out on a golem immediately . I had her carve out a magic formation on an iron golem I’d prepared . Then, I completed it by melting a matching-attributed magic stone onto it .

The results:

… One that emits sand from its abdomen, a sand golem . It wasn’t particularly useful other than being gritty .

… One that emits water from its knees, a water golem . It wasn’t particularly useful other than for getting its feel wet .

… One that emits fire from its face, a fire golem… sorry, there wasn’t any deep meaning to it .

… One that emits light from its right hand, a light golem . Hmmm, it wasn’t particularly useful other than being bright .

With that, four golems that weren’t particularly useful were completed .

Concerning the fire golem, I just thought it’d be cool to have one that could spit fire like a flamethrower .

Though well, I seriously want a non-physical way for them to attack… I wonder how? The feeling’s off .

“How should I say it, with their standalone power, they’re strong enough to be dungeon traps… there’s even a water one like the [Water Source] . ”

“T-theeese… are just magic tools made by a beginner like meee, they absolutely couldn’t win against dungeon traps~ . That would be like a new adventurer challenging god~”

That’s true too .

Well, they do have the advantage of being able to be installed on golems… Yep, let’s have these guys be a new series, the magic tool golems .

“The goal is golems that can use magic, guess we could call them gargoyles?”

“If it’s gargoyle, there’s already a monster named that~ . They really are statues that can use magic though~”

“Ah, so they exist… Then magic golems, nicknamed gargoyles . Nerune, from here on I’ll be counting on you to research magic tools and magic in order to have golems that can use magic . ”

“Okaaay, understooood~”

By the way, gargoyles are 10,000 DP each . And that’s just for the stone ones . Bronze-types are double that…

… So expensive . It’d be better making them myself after all .

“I’ll prepare magic stones and tools for your research . Ah, and make you a room too . It’ll be a room isolated from the dungeon, but I’ll put a dummy core there so you can get in and out . ”

“Research… a room… A LABORATORY~!!”

Nerune’s eyes sparkled as she banzai’d .

“Master, thank you sooooo much! I’ll do my best~! I’ll do it~!”

“Y-yeah . Work hard . ”

“By the way, just research magic tools~? Researching stuff like magic skill’s are no good~?”

“Nn? Hmm, right… Ah, then look into how magic skill scrolls can be made with magic formations, that’d be related too yeah?”

“I understand~! Nerune’s Laboratory: focusing on magic formation research~! I’ll study~!”

“Yeah, I look forward to your results . ”

Nerune really is excitable when it comes to things about magic .

For her to be that happy about a laboratory, I guess apprentice witches love studying magic after all…

“Ah, sorry master . For study materials, I’d love some magic skill scrolls~ . And~, and and~, only if you could, an assistant… is that no good~?”

Scrolls should probably be as expected for research costs . Let’s prepare a few low class ones like [Fireball] and [Light] .

And an assistant, huh . Hmm… a goblin probably wouldn’t work . I wonder what would be a good pick, maybe another apprentice witch like Nerune? … I prefer keeping with going for diversity than getting more of the same monsters . Should it be another kind then?

“Then let’s go with giving the next monster Rokuko gets from the gacha as your assistant . ”

“Yes~! Thank you~! Go, gargoyle~! Yay yaya, ooooh!”

Nerune was getting pretty psyched up .

Right, Nerune was happy when she heard about a laboratory, so she’ll definitely like a white robe . I looked for the outfit and bought it for 30 DP .

“Nerune, take this . It’s a researcher’s outfit . It can be worn on top of your clothes . ”

“White… clothes~? That doesn’t feel very witch-y…”

Oh? She’s disappointed now, dang it .

It suits Nerune well though . So well that I want to massage her feet . No, I won’t actually do it though .

Let’s at least have Rokuko get a good assistant for her .

And so I looked for Rokuko . I found her immediately after looking at the map, though . She just finished spinning the gacha in the master room .

I said she could spin it once for each time the saintess died, so it looks like the saintess got killed by Rin again . You don’t learn huh, saintess .

… Moreover, a green dot representing an ally appeared next to Rokuko . Looks like she got a monster . I opened communications with Rokuko, who was in the master room .

“Oi Rokuko, can you hear me?”

[Ah, Kehma . I can hear you! I just did the gacha . Today’s spin was a monster!]

“Yep, that’s good . So, what is it?”

[Mmm, a gargoyle, some kind of statue thing . ]

… The heck kind of amazing luck does this girl have?