‘Soon, it’s time to change the stage of activity.’
whisper
The destination was decided.
Now that I know Jill is right behind me, it’s quite burdensome to operate in the Southern Region.
There are still many things left to do in the South.
But there’s just as much to do in the North.
After all, I’ve never stepped foot in the North until now, so whatever’s waiting there like the Black Star Dungeon must be piled high.
‘Let’s head to Clockwork City.’
This time, the destination is Clockwork City.
The largest industrial city in the Northern continent, the spiritual capital of the Dwarf race.
And it’s the place where clockwork machines are most developed.
‘Although I’m a bit concerned about Yerina…’
The Northern continent is soon to be within the Frost Duchess’s power.
Going to the North means the chances of running into Yerina drastically increase.
But there are two in the South—Jill and Yulia—while there’s just Yerina in the North, so it’s like the chances of getting caught are halved.
It’s a miraculous calculation, but let’s just go with that.
The reason for heading to Clockwork City is first and foremost, to create a magical tool.
A magical tool refers to tools operated by magical power.
Processed mana stones are magical tools as well.
Machines that use mana as fuel and operate are also called magical tools.
Among them, clockwork machines developed primarily around gears and springs are unique magical tools that only exist in Clockwork City.
Unlike magic, which has limits set by innate mana capacity and talent,
clockwork machines allow anyone to use that magic.
As long as you have enough money, that is.
What I want to make is a clockwork machine.
In other words, I want to touch the realm of magical engineering.
The top expert in that field is undeniably Yulia Petenburg.
The witch of Petenburg, who for 300 years self-taught every aspect of magical engineering.
It’s said her genius is so profound that she’s built a city rivaling modernity all by herself in this fantasy world.
So should I cling to Yulia’s skirts and beg her?
Not at all.
While the industry of mana stone crafting is narrow and heavily reliant on artisan talent,
magical engineering is a broad field with its own universities and associations.
There are many experts just as good as Yulia.
In terms of work speed and efficiency, it’s more likely that others have greater strengths.
So, the optimal place to extract the best results is indeed Clockwork City.
While I’m at it, I might as well tackle the nearby dungeons.
Get some mana stones.
Create some magical tools.
And if I can snag a couple of helpers, even better.
“Are we going now?”
“Soon, we should get up.”
“……”
Cornelia seems a bit reluctant, fidgeting with her lips.
She doesn’t seem to have any intention to remove her small, white hand resting on mine.
As I cover Cornelia’s hand with my other hand, she flinches and trembles.
And then, slowly.
She pulls her hand away and meets my gaze once more.
“Take care of yourself. Don’t push yourself.”
“Okay.”
“Come back whenever the funds run out.”
“Can I come before they run out?”
“Of course…”
“I’ll drop by just to see your face. Just to check in.”
“That makes it sound like you’re going to die soon…”
“I’m not dying. Just kidding.”
thud thud
Cornelia pounds my chest resentfully.
Money is important, but even if Cornelia falls from grace, I’ll take care of her.
I have a responsibility to look after Cornelia.
I saved her from misery, but I’m also the one who locked her back within the bonds of the Briam family that caused her pain.
That responsibility will never disappear.
“Hurry up and go. You’ll miss the train.”
“Thanks. Take care.”
“I’m the one who’s thankful. For the mana stones and everything else… I’m grateful for everything… I’ll be waiting.”
Cornelia waves her hand with a painful expression, trying to suppress her reluctance.
I wave back and leave Cologne City with Mi Jeong.
There’s no time to stay still.
We board the train and travel through the night, getting closer to Basel.
When I open my eyes, it’s already morning after the sun has risen.
Next to me, Mi Jeong as usual…
‘…meow meow.’
sigh
She’s biting my arm.
I used to think she would be a bit more considerate.
Now she doesn’t care if I’m awake or not and just gnaws at me.
It’s like she thinks my body is her own.
“Ouch. That hurts.”
“…This way, you’ll have a mark.”
“And what good is a mark?”
“…I don’t know. I just want to leave one.”
“Fine. Do as you wish.”
After all, it’s a mark that will disappear soon anyway, so I’ll let her have her fun.
In fact, since a new mark will probably appear before the old one fades away, it’s not like she’ll ever run out of marks…
But I can’t just keep scolding her.
Mi Jeong is our party’s technician, after all.
From now on, Mi Jeong will be a versatile tool capable of using electricity and flame magic up to the 3rd tier.
I used to look down on her as an outsider on the worksite, only to find out that there are often cases where a technician is essential for the site to function.
I really don’t want to be the protagonist who gets left behind while Mi Jeong proclaims, “Good luck without me!”
“Hey. You haven’t bitten the other side yet.”
“…I will. No need to rush me.”
“Right. Hurry up. We need to get off soon.”
“…Okay.”
So she’s planning to bite me enough.
Isn’t this a form of male privilege?
If there’s anyone as dedicated to welfare as I am, they should come forward.
‘Speaking of which, Mi Jeong was also classified as a monster.’
I tend to forget, but Mi Jeong is a Blood Ghoul.
In other words, a monster.
Even if I put my ear to her chest, I can’t hear her heartbeat.
And when I touch her body, it’s cold.
Aside from her eyes shining red when in an awakened state, it’s indistinguishable from a human.
‘What would happen if I used Weak Point on her?’
Now I’m suddenly curious.
What would happen if I applied the trait that marks a monster’s weakness, Weak Point, to Mi Jeong?
There haven’t been many rounds where I obtained Weak Point to begin with.
And since Blood Ghouls aren’t common monsters, I have zero experience using Weak Point on them.
“Can you lift me a bit?”
“…Okay.”
I’m really looking forward to this now.
Grabbing Mi Jeong’s arms, I lift her up.
Then I activate the trait, Weak Point.
“Oh.”
“…Oh?”
The marked weakness is just one spot.
The neck.
Unlike humans, her heart is inactive, so it doesn’t count as a weakness.
So would I need to slice her neck to kill her?
My knowledge has increased.
“…Huh?”
slip
I gently wrap my hands around Mi Jeong’s neck.
But she doesn’t resist at all, just comfortably leans her weight against my hands.
Is this really a weakness?
Why is she so fearless?
What would she do if I twisted her neck like this?
“…It’s warm.”
“I’ll let go now.”
“…Umm. That means it’s good. It’s warm, so it’s good.”
As I try to remove my hands, Mi Jeong shakes her head and pulls my hands back to her neck.
Is it a sign that she trusts me that much?
It’s really nice to see her that I’ve rescued from the depths of despair.
I definitely couldn’t let her die so effortlessly after all the costs I incurred.
“Ugh. We’re almost there. My waist.”
“…If your waist hurts, carry me.”
“What kind of stream of consciousness is that?”
We’ve finally arrived in Basel.
I came here expecting to relax after finishing the business in Elvenguard.
But somehow this feels like it’s taking longer to move than to rest.
A man living in two houses must feel this daily struggle.
I feel a tiny bit of sympathy.
Of course, I’m not saying I’m a scummy two-timer.
swish swish
chime
While carrying Mi Jeong, pleasant sounds ring out as I walk through the shallow waters of Basel’s streets.
Since it’s early morning, no one is around, making it nice and quiet.
After all, a hermit like me finds peace in being surrounded by fewer people.
With Mi Jeong, who’s closed her eyes tightly in fear of the flowing water, I hummed a little tune as we quickly reached Tay’s workshop.
“This is where our safe house will be.”
If I need to exchange messages with Alicia or Mia, I need a safe location that won’t be discovered by the main heroines.
I need a place to receive letters.
So I was worried about how to find a safe house with solid security despite having shoddy documents.
Turns out, I didn’t need to worry at all.
Tay’s workshop is where I stop by whenever I get high-grade mana stones.
It’s practically my main base.
Plus, I can trust Tay, so security will be perfect.
Great.
I’ll need to inform Alicia and Mia to use this address from now on.
“The deadline is still far off, right?”
Tay definitely said to come by this afternoon.
Since it’s still early morning, the work shouldn’t be finished yet.
Looks like the VIP waiting room is quite fancy too.
Rather than spending money on a hotel room, it’s better to relax in the workshop’s waiting area.
I can’t shake off that penny-pinching mindset from my overly frugal past.
“Feel free to stay. If you need anything, just call.”
“Do you have room service here?”
“Of course.”
“Then, I’d like some breakfast. Something warm and hearty but not too filling.”
“Yes, yes…”
Wow.
The staff here are well-trained.
They’re actually offering breakfast?
I’d slap a five-star hotel with this service.
After eating breakfast,
I enjoyed some dessert and tea.
I read the newspaper a bit,
Gave Mi Jeong some blood, and while we were playing around, time passed quickly, and it was nearly noon.
“AAAHHHHHH!!!”
“Huh? What?”
“gasp”
A shrill scream tears through the wall.
Is that Tay’s voice?
Did something happen?
Worried, I shot to my feet as I heard elevator sounds.
Then the elevator doors opened, and Tay appeared, holding a box.
“What’s wrong… Investor! Investor, I… I…”
“Don’t cry, speak slowly.”
“I think… this time the mana stone… might have failed…”
“…What?”
She looked like her world had just crumbled, with tears welling up.
In moments like this, you should offer comfort, but…
I shouldn’t be thinking this…
Still, as much as I can’t control myself…
‘I really want to take a picture of this and show it to her later.’
Tay’s tear-streaked face is so cute right now.
I feel an overwhelming urge to capture this moment in a photo.
“Are you listening?!”
“Uh, yeah. I’m listening. Sounds great, right?”
“Right? You’re not listening! It failed!”
And this is why magical tools are necessary.
To preserve such precious moments forever.
Oh! I should’ve gone straight to Clockwork City when I first regressed!
Regret floods over me.
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