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 feet 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?

  Footnotes:

  Word used for master can also mean husband. Return

  Uses shishou here, closer to a mix of both master and teacher