Chapter 147 - Backyard of Stray Priest ⑥
This is a story between Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.
Since it's an explanation of the setting, it's a modified version of a part that was shelved without being posted.
I go to work with Beatrix.
Ever since the Marcelo Magic Tool Shop became the Marcelo Company, it's been decided that we first show our faces at the company office.
Even though it's morning, it's already hot.
The leaves of the trees have also become dark and hard, showing off the summer as if to say "look at me."
Even Beatrix is wide awake because of the heat and isn't walking while half-asleep as usual.
"It's hot, isn't it?"
Every time the chirping of birds is heard, the selfish mage complains.
There's no point in complaining to the birds.
"If you think so, hurry up and make an icehouse with ice magic."
"That's impossible unless I learn intermediate magic."
Apparently, rich people build special shacks in their gardens and have their personal mages cover the walls and ceilings with ice made with ice magic to spend time in an icehouse.
If there's an icehouse, it's cool for at least two hours.
The melted water is collected under the floor, and if you drain it with Clump Water, it can be reused.
Since we can't do that, I have Beatrix freeze lightly dampened towels with Freeze and wrap them around our necks.
Even this makes a big difference. Partly because the price is low, there's enough demand for Beatrix to run out of magic power from people doing civil engineering work in the summer.
Of course, it's limited to summer, but it's also one of the Marcelo Company's best-selling items.
The Marcelo Company has Angelica-san, who has unleashed high-level magic.
She even goes to places that have contracted civil engineering work nearby to make icehouses for the workers' break area during lunch.
Apparently, she digs a large hole while wearing an apron and makes an icehouse where everyone can take turns resting. After all, a high-level mage is making it. If she makes it before lunch, it stays cold until evening.
In addition, as a service, she cools the water the old guys drink, washes the towels they gave her in advance, and hands them over chilled when they go to the site.
Recently, Beatrix has also been going along to chill the washed towels, but after all, there are two people who are good at handling the shop's old guys. Apparently, it's quite popular.
On days they take on work, it's impossible every day because there are few people. So, they decide on a day and choose by drawing lots among the applicants.
Once, an old guy who won the lottery was jumping for joy.
Apparently, the workers' motivation changes depending on whether Angelica-san and Beatrix come or not. Employers have it hard too.
It all started when Beatrix bragged to the old guys about the chilled towels she made.
Since that becomes a seed for business, Beatrix is also quite something.
"Good morning."
"Yo, Class of 175. Good morning. Is it rat extermination today?"
"Yes. We'll come to get the chicken carcasses later, so please look after us."
On the way, when we passed the place where Owen-san was selling lunch boxes, there was a line of sun-blackened civil engineering workers.
They must be buying lunch boxes for their midday meal.
"Good morning. It's hot today too, so be careful."
"Yo. Beatrix. Good morning. You all be careful too. We'll be waiting."
They seem to be Beatrix's acquaintances.
She'll probably chill their towels for them.
When we went to the company office, Angelica-san, who was wearing a ring with a blue stone instead of the black ring, was sweeping as usual in her apron.
"Angelica-san. Good morning."
"Beatrix, Jeanne. Good morning."
"Angelica-san. What's that ring?"
Beatrix asks immediately.
"Ufufu. It's a memento of Albert. Apparently, it slightly increases magic defense."
She's looking at the ring with a smile.
She must be happy that she's become able to say her brother's name.
"Does that mean Marcelo-san also...?"
"Yes. We're matching."
Yes, yes, thank you for the feast first thing in the morning.
When we entered the office, Marcelo-san, who had become the new Company President, was consulting with Paul-san about something.
"Good morning."
"Oh, you've come. I have a bit of a consultation."
I wondered what it was, and it seems they were having a deep discussion about scrolls.
"From now on, we'll be taking on wild boar extermination. But wild boars are heavy. So, I'm thinking of using Teleport scrolls."
"Aren't Teleport scrolls expensive?"
If I recall, they should be one gold coin.
"They can be made cheaply."
High prices for merchandise are just the market rate; apparently, it's free if you make it yourself. That's only natural. There's no need to pay yourself for something you made yourself.
"Teleport scrolls are special, so there are various procedures, but once those are passed, you can use self-made ones for free. Since the Marcelo Company has been approved to take on monster extermination this time, we can treat them as necessary expenses within the scope of the work we take on."
Marcelo-san, who is wearing the matching ring, says.
That's helpful. We'll be able to use various magic.
"Of course. Scrolls have material costs. So, we'll be lowering their quality."
"Is that okay? That..."
Beatrix furrowed her brow.
At worst, they apparently explode.
"That's where skill comes in, ja."
Apparently, it's fine if it's Marcelo-san and Angelica-san.
"However, for recovery magic only, I will give you merchandise. I'll give you the intermediate Heal that I can use, so if Jeanne's magic isn't enough, please use it without hesitation."
That's a helpful offer. They say to seek the shade of a large tree, and I'm glad I went along with the Marcelo Company's proposal.
By the way, I've had a question about scrolls for a while.
"Um. Even for the same basic magic, the effect is different between a basic mage and an intermediate mage, right? So why is the price the same?"
If the effect is different, it wouldn't be strange for the price to change.
"The effect of the scroll doesn't change. A basic Holy scroll is basic even if an intermediate mage makes it."
What's different is the output of the caster; the effect is apparently the same.
"For example, the effect of magic is different between a Jeanne who is feeling unwell and a Jeanne who is feeling well, right? But the magic power used for the magic itself is the same. The power is different between magic power that is well-controlled and magic power that isn't, but physical condition doesn't matter to a magic circle."
Hmph. Is that how it is?
It seems it's not about storing the caster's magic, but about providing the trigger for the magic's activation.
In terms of quality being stable, it's probably good.
"There are exceptions. Purification, which purifies Revenants and evil spirits, is basic magic, but its power increases when an intermediate mage uses it. Originally, it should be divided like Holy, but the name hasn't changed since long ago. Heal is the same. The prices for those scrolls change."
Apparently, the price is different between basic and intermediate.
"There might be many like that in the holy magic system."
Paul-san says that attribute magic all have different names.
"Is there some reason?"
Everyone is tilting their heads.
"It is said that holy magic has the oldest history. Magic is something granted by the Goddess, but the names and systems were decided arbitrarily by humans. Of course, it's the result of long years of research led mainly by the Church, but perhaps things didn't come together well in the beginning."
Apparently, it's divided into holy magic, attribute magic, and other magic.
Other magic is relatively new magic, but apparently, all magic that isn't well understood because it's too new is categorized there.
"There are magics that only priests can use and magics that priests can't use, right? It seems the name 'holy magic' was also decided based on whether a priest can use it."
Roughly speaking, does it come down to holy magic and everything else?
"That's probably the basis, but in the end, humans are just adding rules after the fact, so there are exceptions all over the place."
I don't really get it, so leaving the difficult talk at that, we decided to actually experiment using cheap materials.
"First, let's intentionally make it explode."
Eh? Are you serious?
"It's fine. We'll use Holy, so no damage will be done even if it explodes."
Apparently, all practice for creating magic circles is holy magic.
"Original scrolls won't activate unless they are properly unrolled. But if you play a little trick, they'll activate on their own."
One scroll is made and placed in my hand.
"Experiment start!"
Marcelo-san chants the activation keyword.
I have a sensation of magic power gathering in the hand holding the scroll.
Huh? While I was thinking that, the scroll suddenly glowed.
"Did you understand the sensation just now?"
"I felt a concentration of magic power, like when I chant magic."
"That's right. Normal scrolls don't have that kind of sensation."
Apparently, there are several omens when it's going to explode.
I was told to remember that sensation, and if I have the same sensation when activating a scroll, to let go of it immediately.
"The one we're using is Teleport, after all. Even the person holding the scroll might be warped away."
"What happens if I'm warped away?"
"You might fuse."
"Fuse?"
"Yes. Jeanne might become a scroll-human, and when someone opens the scroll, Jeanne is there..."
"Eh!"
"...it might be interesting if that happened. It won't, though."
He's laughing mischievously, saying you just warp with Teleport.
It's not interesting at all.
After that, various scrolls were made using cheap materials... double-layered reused parchment painted white with no cover, very ordinary ink, and so on. Anyway, Teleport is planned to be the crudest product.
Even if it explodes and you're warped away, you just go to the exit magic circle, so it's the safest after holy magic. Normally it's only used when it's safe, and it's no problem if it fails to activate. For example, if a Fire Ball exploded, you'd be covered in flames.
"Since it's cheap and low quality, it might stretch soon, but it should be fine if you use it in as short a period as possible."
Merchandise is given waterproofing, but since these aren't, I was told not to get them wet.
"Please bring back everything after use, even the ones that failed to activate. We'll reuse everything that can be used, including the core."
Apparently, it can be done almost for free if there's parchment that's no longer needed.
He's smiling, but...
I wonder if it'll really be okay.
But still, whereas before we could only carry at most a fox pelt, we can now carry a whole wild boar.
The extermination reward doesn't change, but apparently, wild boar meat sells for a good price. I welcome the fact that our income will improve.
Paul-san, the hunter, will be our advisor, and our life as monster exterminators will likely be fulfilling.
I thank Marcelo-san.
"Please work hard to earn extermination rewards. We'll use that portion to make scrolls for use in the monster extermination department. Let's see, assuming we spend two silver coins a month on buying old parchment, we won't lose money if you defeat forty rats."
Last month, even though we had just started, we defeated seventy-four.
I see. As expected of a businessman.
He won't lose money, indeed.